test equipment search: Network analyzer with remote front end

[aaronlow]

Hello all,
I am looking for a potentially unique piece of test equipment.  I need a network analyzer where the one of the ports can be remotely connected over fiber optics.

I thought I remember seeing an Agilent network analyzer with this feature several years ago, but I can't find anything like this now.

What I need is a spectrum analyzer with a tracking generator that can be remote (and connector over fiber optics) and can sweep very quickly.  If I limit myself to using fiber optics, I would have to use something like https://aaronia.com/en/shop/signal-generator/spectran-v6-eco-150xa-18 with the source located remotely using RF over Fiber.

Thanks for your help.  I am looking to put together a portable shielding effectiveness test set.

Aaron

p.s.  I recently got a quote for essentially what I need for ~$100k USD, which is way too expensive for what I am willing to attempt to justify.

[zrq]

Is these what you are looking for? https://www.keysight.com/us/en/products/modular/pxi-products/pxi-optical-extenders-for-instrumentation.html
(I got a reasonably cheap 50G M9405A off ebay recently so I happened to know this series.)
Or probably just get a RFoF link and a capable SA if the dynamic range is enough for you.

[jjoonathan]

You can do this with FieldFoxes -- I think it used to go under the name "FoxTrot" but now goes by the name "ERTA." It wants LAN and two trigger wires, which you could probably Macguyver to work over optical. Not sure it's going to save much on budget though, and if you're already going to the trouble of optical LAN you can probably find more economic options.

[pdenisowski]

Any reason you can't use Ethernet with an electric-optical converter / extender?  That would make things a lot easier.

[Odysseus]

Anritsu sells a so-called "Distributed Modular VNA": https://www.anritsu.com/en-us/test-measurement/products/me7868a
Probably not much cheaper.

[TheUnnamedNewbie]

I think Anritsu is your best bet here. They have some fancy rf-over-fiber based synchronization to do modular VNAs where each port is phase locked to the other over fiber.

[tautech]

Hello all,
I am looking for a potentially unique piece of test equipment.  I need a network analyzer where the one of the ports can be remotely connected over fiber optics.

Frequency of interest ?

Can the analyzer be connected remotely and monitored/controlled over LAN/WLAN ?
Any analyzer with a webserver can be used in this way.