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Re: NanoVNA-Saver 0.1.0

 
Edited

Mike,
Google on filter bandwidth and the majority of the results will come up as the -3 dB point. Not saying the -6 dB and -60 db points are not useful info, just that the -3dB point is the common reference.

One other point is that -60 dB is in the dirt for portions of the nanoVNA measurement range. Rune would have to extrapolate the -60 dB point in that range which lends itself to possible inaccurate assumptions of the filter's behavior.

Herb


Re: NanoVNA V2

 

Lower frequency limit: will be unchanged because the si5351 is still present and is switched in below 140MHz.

Larger screen: we are going to use the plug-in style of ILI9341 display rather than the bare FPC version because this board has components on both sides, so the 3.5 inch ILI9341 display is drop in compatible (provided you buy one with the correct pinout). Size beyond 3.5inch is not currently doable because 3.5inch is the largest SPI LCD size available. Larger displays (for example on the NanoVNA-F) use a parallel interface with far more pins which will require a larger MCU, adding many dollars of cost.

MAX2871: unfortunately this costs about 30 times the ADF4350, so isn't doable for the base version.

IAM-81008: that's a nice part, cheaper than the AD8342 and less power consumption. We might evaluate it and see if it will give acceptable performance. The IIP3 is much lower though, which means it has to be operated at lower signal levels to avoid bad linearity.

Open source: the schematic will be posted as soon as the product is generally available.

In the longer term we may introduce a higher end VNA. However the bigger priority there is full two port support - measuring all 4 S parameters at once. This is more aimed at lab use, so we may just remove the screen altogether (it's a big cost adder and a nuisance for shipping and firmware development) and have only a USB and wireless user interface.


Re: Nano saver - Reading / Writing cal data

 

Martin,
You might also try using the console commands via a terminal to accomplish saving and loading configurations. If it can be done via a terminal, then you can provide that feedback to Rune and it will make it easier for him to incorporate that function into his application. Larry has just added an updated list of commands to the "Files" section.

Herb


Re: Return Loss

 

its become the consensus that return loss is a negative number
IMO, "return loss" is a poor term.
Arguably, >>any<< return is loss, when sending power is the goal. In which case,
"return loss" might be power sent (since lost from return)..


Re: How many hardware versions?

 

Perhaps the nanoVNA-F could be added?
The document points to /g/nanovna-f
Thanks! Rather a pity that the two couldn't be combined.
I appreciate that some folks here seem interested in both.
Many messages with potentially useful content already here
lack context and often stray far from nominal topic,
requiring "reverse engineering" to exploit.

I focus on sorting descriptions of function for only NanoVNA-H
e.g. among firmware flavors.
For other examples, Windows 7 and Windows 10 user experience
differences are IMO poorly addressed by current documentation, and
I feel badly about not updating interactive menu tree for newer firmware..

For my own relatively trivial few contributions,
version control and documentation update coordination
provoke quite a lot of what is described for ducks as
"furiously paddling beneath the surface",
but I am only a poor and slow typist.


Return Loss

 

I read a recent post that said that, among hams, its become the consensus that return loss is a negative number. I respectfully disagree.



Regarding return loss, I understand some think its a negative number, some a positive. I am in the later camp. Why? When I was a young engineer I had the great fortune, in the early 1980s, to work for HP. Arguably the premier test and measurement company of its time. And equally arguably a leading if not THE leading microwave and rf company.



As new sales people, we were sent to 3, 3 week training sessions to learn the technology and the products so we might interact with our engineering customers in a technically sound way.



One thing HP taught, as I've said in a much earlier post, was that return loss was always a positive number. As someone on this list pointed out, negative loss is gain. And we KNOW that no return loss measurement, of a passive device, can exhibit gain.?



With respect, there is no gray area here. Return loss, is always a positive (or, perhaps better said, a non- signed) number.?


Even if you are at a hobby level of involvement, why not use the proper, and correct, terminology? If you're a private pilot, you are expected/ required to use the proper terminology. Same if you are an amateur road racer. Or "fill in your favorite" hobby.?













Sent using


Re: Another push button mod

 

If you ever bought one of the popular starter kits for microcontrollers like Arduino, it probably contains some suitable switches.

I bought a bag of assorted varieties of these switches from Banggood so I could try out the various form factors, especially the length of the button: In that assortment they are about 3 cents per switch. If you need a bunch of a single type, you can buy bigger bags of them and they are even cheaper.


Method of equivalent circuit used on HP 4284A LCR meter

Dr. David Kirkby from Kirkby Microwave Ltd
 

There has been some discussion about the best way to represent data
measured as impedance, into an equivalent circuit. The most comprehensive
of these I have seen, which my company owns, is my obsolte HP 4284A
precision LCR meter.



which is *not* a VNA, but measures the impedance of a device using a 4-wire
Kelvin measurement. This means everything shown here could conceivably be
displayed.

Someone *might* want to implement all or a subset of these. *I'm not
suggesting they are all implemented - I am just listing them for possible
discussion. *I suspect my HP 4285A LCR meter (75 kHz to 30 MHz) does the
same, but I have not checked.

*HP 4284A 1 MHz LCR meter. *
Cp-D - a parallel capacitance Cp, with a dissipation fact D
Cp-Q - a parallel capacitance Cp, with a Q of Q
Cp-G - a parallel capacitance Cp, with a conductance G
Cp-B - a parallel capacitance Cp, with a susceptance B
Cp-Rp - a parallel combination of a capacitance Cp, and resistance Rp
Cs-D - a series capacitance Cs, with dissipation factor Q
Cs-Q - a series capacitance Cs, with a Q of Q
Cs-Rs - a series combination of capacitance Cs and resistance Rs
Lp-D - a parallel inductor, with a dissipation factor D
Lp-Q - a parallel inductor, with a Q of Q
Lp-G - a parallel inductor, with a conductance of G measured in siemens
Lp-Rp - a parallel combination of an inductance Lp and resistance Rp.
Ls-Q - a series inductor Ls, with a Q of Q
Ls-Rs - a series inductor Ls with resistance Rs

*R - X - I don't need to explain what that is. *
Z-theta (degrees) - The magnitude and phase of an impedance expressed in
degrees.
Z-theta (rad) - The magnitude and phase of an impedance expressed in
radians.
G-B - G is the conductance measured in siemens (admittance Y = G + j B)
Y-theta (degrees) the magnitude of the admittance Y, and phase angle
expressed in degrees
Y-theta (rad) the magnitude of the admittance Y, and phase angle expressed
in radians

--
Dr David Kirkby Ph.D C.Eng MIET
Kirkby Microwave Ltd
Registered office: Stokes Hall Lodge, Burnham Rd, Althorne, CHELMSFORD,
Essex, CM3 6DT, United Kingdom.
Registered in England and Wales as company number 08914892

Tel 01621-680100 / +44 1621-680100


Re: NanoVNA V2

 

On Sun, Sep 29, 2019 at 06:21 PM, Gabriel Tenma White wrote:


Price will be around the same as the existing NanoVNA.
That might be interesting option.

I expect a bigger screen is not really needed as you should be able to run from PC/Laptop anyway.
I know some might want /P but that use might be in the minority.

The design (H/W) will be open source? Given the history and user community already I would have thought that makes sense.

72
Dom
M1KTA


Re: How many hardware versions?

 

Reinier wrote:

The block diagram is missing the measurement of the reference signal?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tidbits of info have been slow to trickle out. As Hugen's development team releases more details, you can be sure this group will get it out to its members.

Herb


Re: Which Firmware Version?

 

Larry,

Where cam I find the DFU File Manager to convert the bin or hex file to dfu?

Mike N2MS

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Larry Rothman
Sent: Thursday, October 3, 2019 3:03 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [nanovna-users] Which Firmware Version?

No problem. There are many names around for the same file.That is why I uploaded them in the files section and dated each one.
Forum member ORISTO has created a WIKI page that describes the various releases:
Firmware Versions (with links) by Oristo Po


Re: NanoVNA-Saver 0.1.0

 

Rune,??
I checked with a friend who is very involved in such things.? I think 6db and 60 db are the normal points used for filter definitions.? For example, that is what Elecraft uses...
Mike WY6K


"... somewhere in the distance, there's a tower and a light, broadcastin' the resistance, through the rain and through the night..."

On Thursday, October 3, 2019, 3:04:51 PM CDT, Rune Broberg <mihtjel@...> wrote:

Mike,
see attached for a first sneak peak of what I'm working on.

I think I'm currently under-estimating the roll-off by measuring it from
the -6dB point and to the end of the data. Is there a norm for how to do
these measurements? Or should I just make it up as I go along?

[image: image.png]

--
Rune / 5Q5R

On Thu, 3 Oct 2019 at 15:45, mike watts via Groups.Io <wy6k=
[email protected]> wrote:

Yes, all of those filter measurements would be useful for things I do.
Those functions would elevate you from "hero" to "demi-god" in my world.
:-)
Mike WY6K


"... somewhere in the distance, there's a tower and a light, broadcastin'
the resistance, through the rain and through the night..."

? ? On Thursday, October 3, 2019, 4:20:50 AM CDT, Rune Broberg <
mihtjel@...> wrote:

? Hi Norbert,
the application can run calibrations at far more than 401 points - I have
certainly done 5050 points at one point. ;-) But it does this in the
application, and not on the device, due to the hardware limitations.

I agree that a function to find cut-off frequencies for filters etc. would
be interesting, and I've put it on the list of features I would like to
implement for the next version, ie. for next week. I don't make any
promises though :-)

What measurements would be relevant to provide? Cut-off frequency, span for
band-pass, dB/octave and dB/decade fall-off, pass-band ripple?

--
Rune / 5Q5R

On Thu, 3 Oct 2019 at 11:12, <norbert.kohns@...> wrote:

Hi Rune,
thank you for fixing this issue!
I have a question for you in respect to the required number of data
points
to measure a band pass filter. With 101 points it is most likely not
possible to find the -3 dB points because the sample point is way off
from
-3 dB on both sides of the band pass. With 401 points it would work. An
automatic feature of measuring the bandwidth would be absolutely cool!
The
TAPR software is able to perform a calibration at 401 points or even more
than that, so I am certain that you could do that as well.? I have no
glue
on how difficult that would be, but more data points for calibration
would
be a huge improvement.

Kind regards
Norbert, DG1KPN













Re: NanoVNA V2

 

Size matters - with consumer electronics especially. It's just the old aged who have trouble with small screens (me included). The solution is simple, design it to be compatible with both small and large screens of the same number of pixels, or wear stronger glasses.

Mike


Re: New mode R / L / C display

 

Agree this would be very helpful feature, particularly (asking for too much?) if it can support open or short zeroing to compensate for attachment mechanism (like the AADE LC measurement meter.)


Re: NanoVNA V2

 

Really? Its length been frustrating me for a long time. I don't see other people putting it in and I don't think it's doing you any favours but you could at least try to get it on one line!


Re: How many hardware versions?

 

From: Oristo

Wiki now has a "Hardware Versions" link:
/g/nanovna-users/wiki
Perhaps the nanoVNA-F could be added?
The document points to /g/nanovna-f
================================

Thanks! Rather a pity that the two couldn't be combined.

David
--
SatSignal Software - Quality software for you
Web:
Email: david-taylor@...
Twitter: @gm8arv


Re: List of NanoVNA Console Commands

 

Nope - the WIKI page was created several weeks AFTER I created my document and it was out of date and lacking info when posted, so I added a link back to my document which I just updated today.
I don't know why the poster didn't just link to my document to begin with.

On Friday, October 4, 2019, 5:23:21 a.m. GMT-4, hwalker <herbwalker2476@...> wrote:

Jim,
Larry pulled his original PDF document in favor of this link,? /g/nanovna-users/wiki/shellcommands .

Herb


File updated in [email protected]

[email protected] Notification
 

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has been updated in the Files area of the [email protected] group.

File: NanoVNA Console Commands Oct-4-19.pdf

Uploaded By: Larry Rothman

Description:
This is the latest update of the Console Commands for the NanoVNA as of Oct 4th. It replaces the previous version (9-5-25a). Please let me know of any errors or omissions.

You can access this file at the URL:
/g/nanovna-users/files/NanoVNA%20Console%20Commands%20Oct-4-19.pdf

Cheers,
The Groups.io Team


Re: Nano saver - Reading / Writing cal data

 

Hi Martin,
that's a very interesting suggestion. I've put it on my backlog under
"Future / Cool ideas" ;-)

I *think* the firmware allows it. Probably. But I'm not entirely sure how
to do it.

Currently, I think I prefer to evolve the calibration methods I have put
into application itself, as this already allows saving to a files, and
loading whatever calibration is relevant for your measurement. It
still lacks a number of features, and those will take priority at first.

Thank you for making the suggestion, though!
--
Rune / 5Q5R

On Fri, 4 Oct 2019 at 15:28, Martin via Groups.Io <martin_ehrenfried=
[email protected]> wrote:

Hi Rune,

Would it be possible to use Saver as a mechanism to run the internal Nano
calibration routine, and save these plus any other settings, without having
to use the Nano interface. Then store the values to saver so that it's
possible to use Saver as a repository for the Nano values, even though
Saver doesn't use them itself ?

If it was then possible to download the values back into the Nano
memories, this would save considerable time and allow additional
configurations to be retained and quickly put back in to the Nano's limited
memories when required.

Regards,

Martin - G8JNJ




Re: How many hardware versions?

 

Wiki now has a "Hardware Versions" link:
/g/nanovna-users/wiki
Perhaps the nanoVNA-F could be added?
The document points to /g/nanovna-f