Time-domain post-processing of VNA data

[jhenderson0107]

Can anyone recommend software capable of post-processing the frequency-domain data retrieved from a VNA to allow time-domain analysis with gating?  My VNA is not equipped with the time-domain analysis option and it is an expensive add-on.  So, I'm inclined to develop an applet to fetch the instrument data, perform time-domain analysis and display, unless a suitable freeware package already exists. 

[rfeecs]

Just dump the data into Excel, Matlab, Octave, etc.?

ADS has some built in functionality to do this as well, the "SP TDR" front panel is available from the tool menu in the display window:
http://edadocs.software.keysight.com/display/ads2009U1/S-Parameter+TDR+FrontPanel

[zach.cmt]

Have you seen scikit-rf?  It's a Python module for this type of thing.  Haven't used it, just saw it mentioned in a different thread.

[jhenderson0107]

Thank you all for responding.  I will investigate/experiment and post my findings within this thread. 

[G0HZU]

If it's just for home/hobby use, one option would be to hack and unlock the time domain option on your VNA yourself. Either patch the program code or write a licence file (if it uses as licence file system that is).

If it's just for home use on an old unsupported VNA then I'm not sure anyone cares. This is what I did to unlock the TD option on mine.

[kinero]

I realize this is a late response but.....

The software I found best for converting S11 data into time domain is S2 VNA from Copper Mountain (https://coppermountaintech.com/download-free-vna-software/).  The software is free of charge and is designed to operate Copper Mountain USB-based VNAs, but it also can operate in simulation mode in the absence of VNA, including performing offline time domain / gating analysis on imported S1P touchstone files. It has a clean interface, super easy to use, and permits saving your setups.

Attached is an example of S11 data of a ~200mm long RG174 cable, obtained with a 8.5 GHz Agilent E5071C and subsequently post-processed with Copper Mountain S2 VNA software in demo mode.

[jhenderson0107]

kinero - Thanks, I'll give this a try. 

[rgarnett1923]

Hi,

I've got a Tek TTR506A VNA.  The hardware is great, but the software is incredibly clunky and typical of Tektronix they give you the bare minimum functionality.  At some point the software, VectorVu had TDR, and it has settings for all the parameters, but when you try to use them you get the "bird"  I mean a $13,000 instrument should have decent software not a half baked cut-down system that has all the charm and shallowness of a phone app without basic functionality. And TDR in my opinion is a basic function.

I bought a VNALite and the app that some clever dude made for that does a lot more than VectorVu does apart form the calibration parameters for cal kits. I wish I had bought a Copper Mountain unit, they are just as good as Tek and they have better software.

Talk about buyers remorse.

[profanum429]

Hi rgarnett1923, we have a TTR506A also and I was missing the TDR functionality. I ended up writing a quick python script to read and transfer the data the VNWA software from SDR kits. This let me do real-time TDR instead of post processing.

https://forum.tek.com/viewtopic.php?f=580&t=142396 is the forum post with the python source. It’s pretty basic so no bells or whistles but it worked for my purposes. Hopefully it might assist you if you’re interested in getting some more functionality out of your 506A.