[time-nuts] VNA design

[Scott McGrath]

The 8410 is what I started on.  Still have the hp 85 automation manuals program listings and tapes.    And the hp ad converter used to convert plotter output lines to GPIB readable data

the 8410 allowed one to really UNDERSTAND the network analysis process at a very basic level.  If you can find a system it is a excellent platform to learn on

That being said the most valuable part of any network analyzer are the calibration and verification kits

Where are the software options for the 8753 coming from.  Agilent will not even talk about a VNA that's older than the PNA series

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 2, 2014, at 6:18 PM, Alexander Pummer <alexpcs at ieee.org> wrote:
> 
> Although I used to work for one of the competitor, I still do have a complete working 8410, Rick is right, it is a very nice teaching tool
> 73
> KJ6UHN
> 
>> On 6/2/2014 2:36 PM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist wrote:
>>> On 6/2/2014 12:41 PM, Brooke Clarke wrote:
>>> Hi:
>>> 
>>> I started with the HP 8410 and added an external computer.
>>> Since it can be used manually I think it's an excellent way to learn
>>> about VNAs.
>>> http://www.prc68.com/I/MWTE.shtml#NA
>> 
>> For my last 8 years at Agilent before retiring in March, I
>> was doing advanced R&D on network analyzers.  The newer
>> guys coming up didn't have an intuitive understanding of
>> network analyzer architectures like I did. I
>> started using the 8410 back in 1973 before I even worked
>> for HP.  Because of the modular design, it was like a
>> teaching tool that forced you to understand what was
>> going on.  When I mentored the young guys, I would
>> explain to them a lot of principles based on the 8410.
>> Modern network analyzers are too "automatic".
>> The 8410 puts modern VNA's into perspective.  BTW, I used
>> to sit next to Dick Lee, who was a member of the 8410
>> design team in 1963 at the dawn of the golden age of
>> microwave instruments based on YIG tuned oscillators
>> and step recovery diode samplers.
>> 
>> As you noted, the architecture was built around the YIG tuned oscillator and certain things were done that way they were because of that.
>> 
>> Rick Karlquist N6RK
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