Using a Characterized Device (CD) Cal Kit

Table of Contents

The FieldFox supports the use of coaxial characterized device (CD) cal kits, also known as data based (DB) cal kits.  

The characterized data that uniquely defines each standard in a cal kit is in the *.xkt file that is stored on the USB flash drive that comes with the cal kit.  Learn more in the Background Information below.

How to use a CD cal kit on FieldFox

  1. Copy the *.xkt file for the CD cal kit to the FieldFox. This may be done using DataLink software or using FTP. (It is NOT possible to load the *xkt file directly from a USB drive into the Cal Kits folder on the FieldFox.)

Using DataLink

Instructions for downloading, installation, and usage is available at http://keysight.com/find/fieldfoxsupport.

    1. Start DataLink on your PC.

    2. Click Add Instrument to connect to the FieldFox.

    3. Click Send File to Instrument to copy the file to the /USERDATA/calkits on the FieldFox.

Using FTP

    1. See Detailed Instructions on using FTP with FieldFox.

    2. Copy the *.xkt file to /USERDATA/calkits on the FieldFox.

On the FieldFox

  1. After copying the .xkt file to the FieldFox, turn FieldFox power OFF, then ON to reboot.

  2. Start a calibration using a mechanical cal kit.

  3. At Select CalKit, choose the CD cal kit, identified by the model number and serial number of the CD cal kit.

  4. Some CD cal kits contain both low-band loads and broadband loads.  Use the broadband loads.

Background Information

For standard mechanical cal kits, the electrical characteristics of the short, open and load standards are defined as nominal values.  A given standard rarely is an exact match to the nominal values but each standard is within a specified tolerance of its nominal values.  When a calibration is performed using a standard cal kit, the possible variation of each of the standards from nominal increases the uncertainty of the final calibration.  

A characterized device (CD) kit provides measured values for each standard, so the final calibration has smaller uncertainties.  This approach requires that each standard in the cal kit is measured and that the custom measured values for each standard be available for use by the FieldFox during the calibration process.  The  characterization values for the standards are stored in an *.xkt file on a USB memory stick that is part of the CD cal kit.

A CD cal kit is typically an option on a standard mechanical cal kit.  This allows the cal kit to be used as a standard cal kit or as a CD cal kit.

To learn how to modify data-based standard files, refer to Data-Based Cal Kit Editor.