MegiQ, a developer of test and measurement products to facilitate the development of wireless hardware, is now offering Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) and (Distance to Fault) DTF features with their Vector Network Analysers (VNAs).
Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) is a technique that measures and displays the impedance of a network (cable, filter, etc.) over time. A VNA measures impedance and gain over a frequency sweep. There are math functions, the Fourier Transform, that can convert this frequency information to the Time Domain, to analyze the properties over time and distance.
Time Domain Measurements
The TDR functions of the MegiQ VNA software make it possible to measure the impedance of a cable or circuit as a function of the time, or distance, in the network. This allows analysis of the impedance at certain spots in a cable or a PCB trace.
Distance To Fault detection
In the TDR graph it is easy to see if there are impedance jumps, like a short or open in the cable, and how far from the VNA they are. A damaged coax can show a slight or large impedance variation along its length.
Time Gating
With the TDR functionality, it is possible to ‘filter’ the gain-frequency graph with a filter in time.
Analyzing PCB traces
With the TDR functions we can determine the impedance at a specific point in a circuit. This makes it possible to evaluate the impedance of traces on a PCB.
Click here to learn more about the TDR functionality on MegIQ VNAs.
