One Decade Microwave Forward Network Analyzer Based on the Multi-Port Technique

This paper presents a one decade low-cost forward network analyzer based on a modifled six-port technique. An instrumentation integrating the hardware and software resources ofiering advantages such as robustness and compactness is developed. The microwave part of the system is fabricated in planar technology. Associated to this system, a one-step calibration procedure is implemented on an 8-bits microcontroller. The performance, in term of measurement accuracy, is evaluated by comparing the results obtained from the system proposed to those given by a conventional network analyzer in the frequency band 1{10GHz.