Siglent SVA1015X and SVA1032X 1.5, 3.2GHz Spectrum & Vector Network Analyzers

[EE4all]

Thanks all. The differences are not obvious at all from the top level comparative data sheets. Siglent should fix that.

[matteo_galet]

Hello,
 at our company, we're going to purchase one of the here discussed SSA or SVA.
We're looking at both SSA3075X-R and SVA1075X, what do you suggest?
We will mainly work on 5.8GHz digital radios and some VNA in PCB traces and antennas.

The choice is very hard, and we're not sure we need realtime (but I have some applications for it in my mind too...).

Cheers!

[Bicurico]

I would say that at this price range you should qualify for a proper demonstration and pre-sales support - at least a web-meeting.

Instead of asking the opinion of people that are unknown to you, you should be talking to a sales rep, explaining your exact needs and use cases. Only after that it would make sense to me to ask in a forum about user experience with the selected model.

Buying the wrong model may be a considerable investment loss.

Regards,
Vitor

[hendorog]

Hello,
 at our company, we're going to purchase one of the here discussed SSA or SVA.
We're looking at both SSA3075X-R and SVA1075X, what do you suggest?
We will mainly work on 5.8GHz digital radios and some VNA in PCB traces and antennas.

The choice is very hard, and we're not sure we need realtime (but I have some applications for it in my mind too...).

Cheers!

Sorry for the captain obvious: The only thing I can think of is to consider if you might want to use the real time bandwidth available on the XR
- i.e. if your 5.8GHz digital radios are hopping around then you will be able to see that on the XR but not on the SVA.

[Elasia]

Hello,
 at our company, we're going to purchase one of the here discussed SSA or SVA.
We're looking at both SSA3075X-R and SVA1075X, what do you suggest?
We will mainly work on 5.8GHz digital radios and some VNA in PCB traces and antennas.

The choice is very hard, and we're not sure we need realtime (but I have some applications for it in my mind too...).

Cheers!

Sorry for the captain obvious: The only thing I can think of is to consider if you might want to use the real time bandwidth available on the XR
- i.e. if your 5.8GHz digital radios are hopping around then you will be able to see that on the XR but not on the SVA.

If its anything like modern wifi you will want RT.. and if its corporate and you got the bucks.. why short yourself

[RoV]

Hi,
I hope you don't mind  if I repeat here a question I made several days ago on a new thread "Siglent SVA1032X VNA mode: BW and sweep time are grayed" that probably went unnoticed by owners of the analyzer.
I am doing some measurements with an upgraded SSA3012X Plus in VNA mode.
When trying to measure the impedance of a 14 MHz XTAL on port 1 around resonance, I have found a very anomalous response  (see figure), although the instrument was correctly calibrated. The real series resonance is at a much lower resistance (a few ohms) and there is a parallel resonance around 15 kHz above the other: even a NanoVNA can show it.
My hypothesis is that the sweep time of the SVA is too fast, but I can't change it, because the relevant setting is always grayed. I have tried with the BW setting (a lower value would force a slower sweep), but it is also grayed and fixed at 10 kHz!
I have tried other measurement setups (e.g. full-span, preset, S21 instead of S11, cycle power, ...), but in VNA mode BW and sweep time are always grayed, both from the VNA stimulus page and pressing the BW/sweep buttons (see figures).

The manual refers to those commands as normally usable, only saying that the default BW is 10 kHz.   
I have normally used BW and sweep time settings on other VNAs (hp and Copper Mountain tech) for this purpose, when measuring devices like resonators or long lines.

Thank you very much for your help,
Roberto

[tautech]

Real SVA1032X fully optioned.....

Sweep Time and IFBW are greyed out when in VNA mode.
Sweep Time can influenced by the # of points selected where the minimum 201 while the max of 751 is ~1/2 speed however when the minimum can introduce interpolation errors at base frequencies due to insufficient data points and for this reason and very little sweep time penalty suffered from using the max # of points it’s recommended max is selected as used for default.
Normally we sweep over a narrow frequency range so max points results in better characterisation of the DUT and best accuracy.

[RoV]

Real SVA1032X fully optioned.....
Sweep Time and IFBW are greyed out when in VNA mode.

I hope this will be fixed in a future release, because fast and fixed sweep time represents a serious limitation to the measurement of DUTs with significant group delay. And a lower IFBW would allow more accurate measurements.

Thanks,
RoV

[rf-loop]

More speed is nice but less speed is sometimes extremely mandatory.

I will take a very simple and caricatured example just so that slowing the speed will also come to mind. (not only to users mind)

Think about 10Hz wide 1MHz very steep Band Pass filter.
Yes it is "fast", even  1MHz sinewave can go through, million times per second....

How fast you can pulse modulate this 1MHz so that this modulation information goes thru this filter.
It was some year last century I heard something about iformation theory... but after tens of years I have forget most... thank god this bad memory is helpful.

Think this VNA or what ever kind of SFRA,  sweep can also think as modulated carrier what we feed to DUT and look how it react.

I think this is enough for this...  and it can turn on some light   

[Martyy2k]

Hello folks, i have converted from SSA3021X to SVA1032X. I have a question regarding the VNA, when looking around for images and what people have as a reading on various pages, these are what i get and do not think this is proper, but i never used a VNA before.

Can anyone please tell me if this looks right or not. Nothing is hooked up to the SVA and its an open termination.

My distance to fault is PNG16, is that a normal reading on your SVA's?

Thanks for any tips you may have.

Marty

[Emo]

Hi Marty,

It looks like you do have one of the rare units that is missing a interconnecting cable. There are several cases mentioned in this forum. All you need is a 50mm good shielded coaxial cable with right angled SMA male connectors.(otherwise it won't fit between board and power supply)
Unfortunately you will have to open it up for this

Eric

[Martyy2k]

Hello Eric, would you have another test for me to run to double check this before i open up unit? I thought it might have been calibration or something maybe i screwed up while playing about with it.

I do have some hard line 50ohm sma coax  with right angle i could use indeed.

Thanks for the help!

Marty

[Emo]

Hi Marty,

I presumed you already tried to calibrate the unit using Short-open-load connections to the (left) VNA port 1in the VNA calibration menu
Reason for me to suspect the cable in your situation is the extreme deviation in the smith chart.
A good read is from post https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-ssa3000x-spectrum-analyzers/msg3086539/#msg3086539
onwards were several examples and screen prints are mentioned.


Eric
 

[Martyy2k]

Hi Eric, ok will go read that section. No i have no Cal kits, i thought it was all done at factory. Maybe because this is an improved SSA3021X plus it is not? I guess i will need to buy a kit. They are expensive, but i suppose its a wise investment though.

Thanks a bunch!

Marty

[Bicurico]

In order to perform any VNA measurement you need to ALWAYS calibrate first with short, open and load.

Without doing this, any measurements are meaningless.

Regards,
Vitor

[tautech]

Marty, I suggest you investigate if your unit has the missing cable and also watch one of Daves vids on removing warranty stickers....did I really say that ? 

As for VNA Cal's, you can get reasonably indicative results with the factory Cal without needing to run a Cal however the factory calibration is only to the ports and if you are to use a test lead you need use the Cal standards at the end of the cable where you would connect the DUT. What test leads and devices you might use will determine the type of Cal standard and the sex type you purchase. When they became available this is the one I got that best suits calibration at the end of SMA leads at the DUT.
https://siglentna.com/product/f603fe_female_sma_vna_cal_kit/
In the RF board there are threads on making your own which are suitable for hobbyist measurements.

Here in these 2 threads all antenna measurements were made without calibration as the coax feedline should be considered as part of the antenna system.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/rf-microwave/antenna-project-log/
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/rf-microwave/what-really-is-this-antenna/

All but a few measurements were single port S11 measurements and other to get similar results were with a RLB using 2 ports in SA mode.

[Emo]

Hi Marty, in order to check the basics, just shorting, leaving it open and placing a 50 ohm terminator will do. Measurements however require calibration with a known good set.

Eric

[tautech]

Sanity check VNA mode reference point screenshot from SVA1032X.
Full sweep of 47 Ohm leaded resistor placed across Port 1.
Settings as displayed.

[Martyy2k]

Hi Guys, ok so i done the simple test of opening the Unit to check cables , they are all there, and its looking sweet in there! 

Ok, here is the test with Emo's basic suggestion for testing and comparison to Tautech.

put on my adapter, then ran OPEN, SHORT and then put a 50.1Ohm BNC load. All 3 reference calibrations are done.

Here is are the results. I think they look ok now.

What do you guys think of these now? Tautech, Emo, i think this is what it should resemble. Thoughts?

And yes Bicurico, i will definetely make or buy some cal kit when i am ready so i can properly mesure my antennas and all. But for now, its a start so i can learn. Thank you for your great help!

Thanks guys!

Marty

**UPDATE** All is working fine and readings are within what is expected. I am very happy to see all is good.

[tautech]

Hi Guys, ok so i done the simple test of opening the Unit to check cables , they are all there, and its looking sweet in there! 

Ok, here is the test with Emo's basic suggestion for testing and comparison to Tautech.

put on my adapter, then ran OPEN, SHORT and thn put a 50.1Ohm BNC load and ran all 3 reference calibrations.

Here is are the results. I think they look ok now.

What do you guys think of these now? Tautech, Emo, i think this is what it should resemble. Thoughts?

And yes Bicurico, i will definetely make or buy some cal kit when i am ready so i can properly mesure my antennas and all. But for now, its a start so i can learn. Thank you for your great help!

Thanks guys!

Marty

Looks primo and all you need now is a half decent Cal kit. 

[bson]

Is it me, or are the LeCroy VNAs rebadged Siglents?  Any product differences other than the name on the badge?
E.g., https://teledynelecroy.com/vector-network-analyzer/

[tautech]

Is it me, or are the LeCroy VNAs rebadged Siglents?  Any product differences other than the name on the badge?
E.g., https://teledynelecroy.com/vector-network-analyzer/

Yep it seems they are however only the 1.5 and 3.2 GHz models.
Study of datasheets will indicate the 3.2 GHz model has better specs.

[Emo]

Hi Marty, it’s looking great! You can find several calibration kits on eBay etc. For the loads N type Narda terminators can be obtained relative cheap. Not top of the line but it will give you a start

Eric

[tautech]

Hunted out for Marty and asked the mods to make it a sticky in the RF board:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/rf-microwave/diy-short-open-and-load-for-vna-calibration/

[facotl]

Hello,
I have a SVA1015X in version 2.2.1.2.5 that I cannot update (it stays with message Upgrading now, please wait... for hours)
telnet works. Could someone help me about what I can do please ?

Thank you.