I have been making new cal kit files for non-Keysight cal kits by editing existing files with the Cal Kit Editor. I've noticed that the Max Frequency in all the cal kits I looked at is 999000 MHz even though the specified maximum frequency of the cal kit is something less.
For example, the 85032B is a 6 GHz cal kit but the factory cal kit file shows the Max Frequency is 999000 MHz. Why is it not 6000 MHz?
Can someone explain this?
Thanks,
Whit
We have had lengthy internal discussions about this. Here is a summary. Quite a few mechanical calibration kits work beyond the specified frequency range and our customers use them beyond the range. For example our 3.5 mm cal kits are specified to 26.5 GHz but work well to 33 GHz. The initial 26.5 GHz limitation came from the VNAs themselves. We couldn't test them higher, so the cal kit specs became 26.5 GHz. This is the case for a few other connectors also.
So then in order to not limit customers initially, someone put 999 GHz in there. Now obviously 999 GHz is not correct, but if you put in 33 GHz, then users may think the cal kit is specified to 33 GHz, but it is only specified to 26.5 GHz. 999 GHz is an obvious number that says, it's just an arbitrary max. What we could do is add in a setting that users can check saying over-range allowed, or agree on a specific percentage of over-range. Both are possible improvements on our list of actions.
And lastly, HP/Agilent/Keysight cal kits are so widely used with a lot VNAs, some older, some newer, some in systems, etc, that we do not make changes lightly. We have to weigh the benefits versus the costs (of someone's software breaking).
Afsi Moaveni
Santa Rosa, California