Create and Cal an SMC Measurement

This VB Script example creates and calibrates a scalar mixer measurement.

To run this example without modification you need the following:

An ECal module that covers the frequency range of the measurement.
A power meter must be available to the VNA. This can be accomplished either by attaching the meter to the VNA via a GPIB cable, or by using SCPI over LAN.

By removing the comments ( ' ) at the start of the BLUE code, it can also do the following:

Load a mixer setup file
Use ECal characterizations
Specify Mechanical Cal Kits
Perform manual ECal orientation.
Specify the thru measurement method.
Omit the isolation part of the 2-port cal.
Perform an LO Power Cal.
Set LO power level on External Source (MUST be pre-configured either remotely or using the GUI. See example program.)
Enable and configure phase measurements

The SCPI commands in this example are sent over a COM interface using the SCPIStringParser object. You do NOT need a GPIB connection to run this example. However, some modification is necessary to make the program run on a traditional GPIB Interface. For example, during the power meter portion of this calibration, scpi.Parse will not process a command until the power meter routine has completed. Traditional GPIB would require a serial polling technique to ensure the routine has completed before proceeding.

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 SMC.vbs. Learn how to setup and run the macro.

Dim app

Dim scpi

' Create / Get the VNA application.

Set app = CreateObject("AgilentPNA835x.Application")

Set scpi = app.ScpiStringParser

' Create a Scalar Mixer Forward Measurement

'First, delete all measurements on the channel

scpi.Parse "CALC:PAR:DEL:ALL"

'Create a forward scalar mixer measurement and configure it in

'channel 1. The first parameter is a unique

'identifying string (specified by the user) to allow subsequent

'commands to be directed at this specific measurement.

scpi.Parse "CALC:CUST:DEF 'My SC21', 'Scalar Mixer/Converter', 'SC21'"

'Setup the new measurement in the active window

scpi.Parse "DISP:WIND:TRAC:FEED 'My SC21'"

'Make the new trace the active measurement

scpi.Parse "CALC:PAR:SEL 'My SC21'"

'The parameters of the mixer measurement can now be configured.

'This can be done by either using the SENS:MIX commands

'for each of the parameters or by loading a mixer setup file.

'Uncomment the following line to load a mixer setup file. The path name

'for the mixer file may be loaded from other mapped drives.

'scpi.Parse "SENS:MIXer:Load 'c:\users\public\network analyzer\documents/Mixer/MyMixer.mxr'"

' Setup Stimulus

' Points and IFBW are channel settings

scpi.Parse "SENS:SWEep:POINts 21"

scpi.Parse "SENS:BANDwidth 1e3"

' Mixer settings

scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:INPut:FREQ:MODE SWEPt"

scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:INPut:FREQ:STAR 3.6e9"

scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:INPut:FREQ:STOP 3.9e9"

scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:LO:FREQ:MODE FIXED"

scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:LO:FREQ:FIX 1e9"

scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:LO:POW 10"

scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:OUTP:FREQ:SID LOW"

scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:CALC Output"

scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:APPLY"

'First apply the settings, then set LO Name

scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:LO:NAME 'Port 3'"

scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:APPLY"

scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:SAVE "C:/Program Files/Keysight/Network Analyzer/Documents/Mixer/MyMixer.mxrx""

'--------------Perform A Scalar Mixer Calibration----------------------

'Specify the connector types and the cal kits for each of the ports.

scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:CONN:PORT1:SEL ""APC 3.5 male"""

scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:CONN:PORT2:SEL ""APC 3.5 female"""

scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:CKIT:PORT1:SEL ""N4691-60004 ECal"""

scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:CKIT:PORT2:SEL ""N4691-60004 ECal"""

' Non-factory characterizations are specified as follows:

'scpi.Parse "sens:corr:coll:guid:ckit:port2 'N4691-60004 User 1 ECal'"

' When two or more ECal modules with the same model number are connected

' also specify the serial number as follows:

'scpi.Parse "sens:corr:coll:guid:ckit:port2 'N4691-60004 ECal 01234'"

' When Disk Memory ECal user characterizations are used,

' specify both the User char and the serial number as follows:

'scpi.Parse "sens:corr:coll:guid:ckit:port2 'N4691-60004 MyDskChar ECal 01234'"

' Uncomment the following lines to manually orient

' the ecal port A connected to VNA port 1

'scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:PREF:ECAL:ORI OFF"

'scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:PREF:ECAL:PMAP ECAL2 ="A1,B2"

' Specify Mechanical cal kits

'scpi.Parse "sens:corr:coll:guid:ckit:port1 '85033D/E'"

'scpi.Parse "sens:corr:coll:guid:ckit:port2 '85033D/E'"

'Optional settings

'Specify the thru measurement method.

'Always send an INIT command before the Thru command.

'scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:INIT"

'scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:PATH:TMET 1,2,""UNDEFINED THRU"""

'Omit the isolation part of the 2-port cal (default behavior).

'scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:ISOL NONE"

'Perform LO Power Cal

'scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:SMC:LO1:PCAL 1"

'Set the LO power level for the cal on an external PSG source.

'scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:PSEN1:POW:LEV 10,’PSG’”

'Enable and configure Phase measurements

'scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:PHAS 1"

'scpi.Parse "SENS:MIX:NORM:POIN 1"

'Using Fixed delay

'scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:SMC:PHAS:METH FIX"

'scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:SMC:PHAS:DEL 12e-9"

'Initialize an SMC guided calibration.

scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:INIT"

'Tell the wizard to generate and report the number of steps in this cal.

Dim steps

Dim desc

'Determine the number of steps required to complete the calibration.

steps = scpi.Parse ("SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:STEP?")

For i = 1 To steps

'Display the prompt for each step

desc = scpi.Parse ("SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:DESC? " & CStr(i))

MsgBox (desc)

'Perform the measurement for each step

scpi.Parse "SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:ACQ STAN" & CStr(i)

'Finish the cal and save the calset

scpi.Parse ("SENS:CORR:COLL:GUID:SAVE ON")

Msgbox ("SMC cal saved to CH1_CALREG")