A Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) is an electrical test instrument thatuses a known Continuous Wave (CW) signal to measure the magnitude and phaseresponse of Radio Frequency (RF) and microwave components, systems, andsub-systems in both design and manufacturing applications. It is an importanttest instrument that helps make wireless devices possible.
A VNA allows you to measure complex quantities such as reflectioncoefficients, impedance, admittance, return loss, insertion loss, gain,isolation, and much more in a manner that is not possible with other testinstruments.
Traditional test equipment such as power meters, spectrum analyzer, andoscilloscopes typically only have receivers that are used to measure signalsemitted or created by the Device Under Test (DUT). In contrast, a VNA has botha source and a set of receivers used to determine changes to the stimuluscaused by the DUT. The stimulus-based test approach allows VNAs to measure verysmall reflections and changes to the stimulus enabling you to accurately characterizeany RF component in real-world environment and test conditions.
