Novel Techniques Simplify Calibration of New Multiport Device Test System

This paper focuses on the calibration techniques used in a new test system from Hewlett-Packard for measuring 50-ohm multiport devices. The HP 87050E multiport test sets are designed to work with HP 8712E series of RF vector network analyzers to provide a complete multiport measurement system. Featuring solid-state switching with specified performance up to 2.2 GHz, the test sets come with four, eight or twelve test ports. These complete multiport test systems dramatically increase measurement throughput by reducing the number of RF connections needed to test the DUT, and compared to using other switching solutions, by significantly reducing calibration times. Advanced calibration techniques are described which eliminate redundant connections of reflection standards, reduce the number of through standards needed to calibrate all possible transmission paths, minimize the effect of test-system drift, and provide accurate measurements using full two-port vector-error correction.