We are using the N8973A NFA (with N-TYPE connector) with a SNS series 4001A noise source.
Our D.U.T has SMA female connector.
Does the loss of the N-Type to SMA adaptor needed to connect the Noise source to the NFA input get added to the loss of the Noise reciever as part of the 'after D.U.T' losses or to the Noise Source as part of the 'before D.U.T' losses and is there a way to change the setting?
Thanks in advance
Our D.U.T has SMA female connector.
Does the loss of the N-Type to SMA adaptor needed to connect the Noise source to the NFA input get added to the loss of the Noise reciever as part of the 'after D.U.T' losses or to the Noise Source as part of the 'before D.U.T' losses and is there a way to change the setting?
Thanks in advance
If you have more questions, could you be a little more clear on the setup...
I think you mean: I connect the noise source to a SMA-to-N adapter, and connect that to the NFA for cal.
Then, I connect the SMA noise source to my SMA amplifier, and connect the SMA amplfiier to the sma-to-n adapter to the NFA for measurment.
If above is your situation, then the adapter should be applied only to the gain, and the NF will remain essentially unchanged.
We haven't seen errors as bad as 0.5dB despite using high ENR noise source, I think the worst variation was ~0.3dB.
One good way to test this sensitivity is to use a precision airline on the input of the amplifier, like one out of a verification kit. The airline should have very little loss (such as 0.02 dB) and very good match (maybe 50 dB), so adding it to the input of an amplifier should have very little effect on the NF of the amplifier. But, it will change the phase of the mismatch between the noise source and the amplifier, and if the NF changes, you can assume that this change is due to mismatch effects. On well matched amplifiers, this can be small (0.3 dB as you say) but some low noise amplifiers are not well matched and the effects are larger.
I think you mean: I connect the noise source to a SMA-to-N adapter, and connect that to the NFA for cal.
Then, I connect the SMA noise source to my SMA amplifier, and connect the SMA amplfiier to the sma-to-n adapter to the NFA for measurment.
If above is your situation, then the adapter should be applied only to the gain, and the NF will remain essentially unchanged.
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