The R4M Series from Micran are Vector Network Analyzers (VNAs) with a frequency range from 10 MHz to 20 GHz. They have a dynamic range of 100 dB and are used to measure the S-parameters of linear 1-port and 2-port devices and various characteristics of electric circuits. These analyzers are useful for analyzing, tuning, testing, monitoring, and manufacturing of high-frequency and microwave devices used in radio electronics, communications, radars, and measurement equipment. They include a synthesized source of probing signal, receivers of reflected signals, and signals passed through the DUT. The analyzers have an operating principle that is based on separate measurements of the incident waves, reflected waves, and waves transmitted through the Device Under Test (DUT) using directional couplers.
The R4M series VNAs include a built-in low-noise preamplifier and a set of switches for pre-conditioning the signal to improve the receive path sensitivity. They can be integrated with additional matching attenuators to avoid input impedance effects on the noise figure. These analyzers can be connected to a PC and interfaced with Graphit R4M software, enabling users to remotely monitor and program the parameters of VNAs. The VNAs can be connected to each other via multi-channel interfaces and synchronized, allowing them to provide joint operation of R4M and other devices. They include an IKSH software/hardware option for noise figure measurements with vector correction of limited matching between the DUT and R4M receiver input.
The R4M VNAs include four electromechanical attenuators to extend the output power range and optimize the receiver operation. They provide a software option (IIP) for parameter measurement synchronization of the DUT and the control signal of external pulse modulator, enabling pulsed-mode-based parameter measurements of various microwave devices. These spectrum analyzers also allow users to analyze the DUT in the time domain and display responses passed through/reflected from the DUT vs. time or distance. They also provide additional filtering in the time domain to extract suppression levels of parasitic responses caused by re-reflections in attachments.
