Products > Test Equipment
How do the features in old VNAs and SAs differ from new ones?
G0HZU:
--- Quote from: baldurn on March 10, 2024, 01:24:11 pm ---It is an interesting topic. I don't know too much about the old hardware but I researched some of the options given by G0HZU. I know my Siglent SSA3032X-R (all features unlocked and unlocked bandwidth of 7.5 GHz). Given the purpose of testing some wireless device at 2.4 GHz this is what I suspect is useful and not present in the old HPs:
Modulation analysis for digital modulations. AM/FM, ASK/FSK/PSK/MSK/QAM. How are you going to know if your modulation is any good with the old device?
Real Time Analysis Mode. The Siglent can do 40 MHz of real time bandwidth. Needed to be sure to capture short bursts of data transmission.
Network connected. The talk about screenshots - we do these from our PC connected by ethernet (usb is supported also but I never do it that way). None of the problems you mention are actually a problem with this modern device.
Working with a modern UI that has touch screen and option for using a mouse.
It is probably faster (scan time etc) but I don't know for sure.
It has 1 Hz RBW (the HP has 10 Hz) but other than that, I don't necessarily think you should be comparing specs. Is the VNA not as good as the old HP? I don't know but it gets the job done just fine. Unless you have a special need that is depending on these specs, it should be more about which instrument have the needed features.
Cheaper? Maybe but anyway the Siglent is within the stated budget and is a single device with both SA and VNA. But you need to hack it or pay a lot more.
--- End quote ---
Yes, the real time Siglent SAs are really powerful. The older HP analysers can't do real time analysis so there's no contest here at all in this respect.
It will also be very difficult to measure the output power of a modulated WiFi transmitter with one of these old HP analysers!
The HP 8566 analyser ought to be better on traditional things like (typical) frequency response accuracy up to 2.5GHz, input VSWR with 10dB attenuation, carrier phase noise out to 1MHz offset, input IP3 vs MDS, internal spurious levels and blocking dynamic range at (say) 100kHz or 1MHz offset.
The 8566B might also win on sweep refresh rate on large spans (eg >2GHz).
trackersoft:
Interesting topic. I have a bench full of nice but older Tek and HP gear and my HP 8591E with track gen is looking kind of old compared to the Siglent SSA3015X Plus and my older eyes would really like the bigger color screen! I am a ham and restore Collins military, ham and commercial gear but I have spent more time repairing test equipment in the last year than working on radios. I think I will spend the next year replacing some of the older gear with Siglent. I still refuse to get rid of my 2 141T's just for nostalgia sake though.
G0HZU:
--- Quote --- Is the VNA not as good as the old HP? I don't know but it gets the job done just fine. Unless you have a special need that is depending on these specs, it should be more about which instrument have the needed features.
--- End quote ---
The HP 8753x series are usually configured as full 2 port VNAs that can do 12 term correction. The Siglent SA/VNA looks like a basic T/R VNA. Therefore, I'd expect the port match of the Siglent VNA to be quite poor and I'd expect the directivity to be relatively poor.
So in this respect there isn't even a contest. The HP is a different class of VNA because it is a full 2 port VNA. The Siglent SA/VNA doesn't qualify for the contest because it's just a T/R VNA.
tautech:
--- Quote from: G0HZU on March 15, 2024, 07:19:13 pm ---
--- Quote --- Is the VNA not as good as the old HP? I don't know but it gets the job done just fine. Unless you have a special need that is depending on these specs, it should be more about which instrument have the needed features.
--- End quote ---
The HP 8753x series are usually configured as full 2 port VNAs that can do 12 term correction. The Siglent SA/VNA looks like a basic T/R VNA. Therefore, I'd expect the port match of the Siglent VNA to be quite poor and I'd expect the directivity to be relatively poor.
So in this respect there isn't even a contest. The HP is a different class of VNA because it is a full 2 port VNA. The Siglent SA/VNA doesn't qualify for the contest because it's just a T/R VNA.
--- End quote ---
Not all.
Check out the SNA5000A range and SSM5000A Switch Matrix which can provide 24 ports.
baldurn:
--- Quote from: G0HZU on March 15, 2024, 07:19:13 pm ---So in this respect there isn't even a contest. The HP is a different class of VNA because it is a full 2 port VNA. The Siglent SA/VNA doesn't qualify for the contest because it's just a T/R VNA.
--- End quote ---
The Siglent SSA3000X-R can do S11 and S21 measurement using two ports. It will not do S22 or S12 as only the one port can transmit. You will therefore have to switch the ports manually to get those done.
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