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Create and Cal a Noise Figure Measurement

This example program creates a Noise Figure measurement, then calibrates the measurement.

You MUST change the ECal Identification strings (in Blue font).

Optional: Uncomment the following lines (in Blue font) to change these settings:

This VBScript (*.vbs) program can be run as a macro in the VNA. To do this, copy the following code into a text editor file such as Notepad and save it on the VNA hard drive as Noise.vbs. Learn how to setup and run the macro.

See Also

NoiseFigure Object.

Accessing the NoiseFigure object and NoiseCal object using C#

See other COM Examples

windowNum = 1

channelNum = 1

set pna=CreateObject("AgilentPNA835x.Application")

set scpi = pna.ScpiStringParser

pna.reset

' Create noise figure measurement

set noise = pna.createcustommeasurementex(channelNum, "NoiseFigure", "NF", windowNum)

set noisechan = pna.activechannel

' Create object to access noise-specific channel attributes

set noiseConfig = pna.activechannel.CustomChannelConfiguration

' Create guided noise calibration object on our channel

set noisecal = pna.GetCalmanager.CreateCustomCalEx(channelNum)

set noiseCalExtension = noisecal.CustomCalConfiguration

noiseCalExtension.NoiseSourceCold  = 300

' Substitute appropriate ECal identification strings here

tunerEcal = "N4691-60004 ECal 02821"

pullEcal = "N4691-60004 ECal 02297"

' configuration

ConfigureChannel

ConfigureNoiseSettings

' perform calibration

SetupCalAttributes_Insertable

SetupNoiseSource

FinishCalibration

' ----- Support subroutines ------

' Configure noise channel

sub ConfigureChannel

  noisechan.startfrequency = 500e6

  noisechan.stopfrequency = 5.0e9

  noisechan.numberofpoints = 201

  noisechan.IFBandwidth = 1.0E3

end sub

' Configure noise-specific channel settings

sub ConfigureNoiseSettings

  noiseConfig.NoiseReceiver = 1 'Noise Receiver

' noiseConfig.NoiseReceiver = 0 'Std VNA Receiver

  noiseConfig.noiseaveragestate = true

  noiseConfig.NoiseAverageFactor = 40

  noiseConfig.NoiseTuner = tunerEcal

  noiseConfig.NoiseTunerIn = "B"

  noiseConfig.NoiseTunerOut = "A"

  noiseConfig.NoiseBandwidth = 8e6

end sub

sub SetupCalAttributes_Insertable

   noisecal.Initialize channelNum, true

   noisecal.ConnectorType( 1 ) = "APC 3.5 female"

   noisecal.ConnectorType( 2 ) = "APC 3.5 male"

      

   noisecal.CalKitType (1) = pullEcal

   noisecal.CalKitType (2) = pullEcal

   

   noiseCalExtension.NoiseSourceConnectorType = "APC 3.5 male"

   noiseCalExtension.NoiseSourceCalKitType = pullEcal

   noiseCalExtension.CalMethod = "Vector"

'  noiseCalExtension.CalMethod = "Scalar"

   noiseCalExtension.RcvCharMethod = "NoiseSource" 'Can NOT be used with Std VNA Rcvr

'  noiseCalExtension.RcvCharMethod = "PowerMeter"

end sub

sub SetupNoiseSource

' specify the ENR file for the noise source

   noiseCalExtension.ENRFile = "c:\users\public\network analyzer\documents/346C_MY44420454.enr"

   noiseCalExtension.NoiseSourceCold = 301.1

end sub

' Build the connection list and acquire the calibration

sub FinishCalibration

   steps = noisecal.GenerateSteps

   for i = 1 to steps

     str = noisecal.GetStepDescription( i )

     msgbox  str

     noisecal.AcquireStep i

   next

   guid = noisecal.GenerateErrorTerms

   wscript.echo "Calibration created calset guid: ",guid

end sub

 

Bonus: Accessing the NoiseFigure object and NoiseCal object using C#

Replace <hostname> with the full computer name of your VNA

Type pna = Type.GetTypeFromProgID("AgilentPNA835x.Application", "<hostname>");

    AgilentPNA835x.Application app = (AgilentPNA835x.Application)Activator.CreateInstance(pna);

    app.Reset();

    app.CreateCustomMeasurementEx(1, "NoiseFigure", "NF", 1);

    AgilentPNA835x.ICalManager5 calManager = (AgilentPNA835x.ICalManager5)app.GetCalManager();

    AgilentPNA835x.IGuidedCalibration4 guidedCal4 = (AgilentPNA835x.IGuidedCalibration4)

        calManager.CreateCustomCalEx(1);

    AgilentPNA835x.INoiseCal noiseCal = (AgilentPNA835x.INoiseCal)guidedCal4.CustomCalConfiguration;