[Test-Equipment] RF Instrument Calibration

[Dave Emery]

On Sun, Jan 25, 2004 at 12:47:59PM -0500, Gary Schafer wrote:
> How about a regular signal generator.

	And/or a power meter or calibrated detector.

	Generally one wants a source of a signal at known level and
probably some sort of calibrated attenuator (perhaps as part of the source
as in signal generator) so one can feed various known level carriers
into the analyzer to see what it reads on weaker and stronger signals.

	Of course many spectrum analyzers that do not include a tracking
generator (and some that do) have a -30 dbm at say 100 mhz output for
making just such a check.    Usually there is a pot for adjusting these
to be exactly on the money at -30 dbm.

	And if you have a tracking generator (as that one does I think)
you need only use a power meter to measure its output level (or even
a calibrated scope in a pinch).    The rest is just a matter of seeing
what the tracking generator signal looks like at various levels using
both internal and external attenuators.


-- 
   Dave Emery N1PRE,  die@dieconsulting.com  DIE Consulting, Weston, Mass 02493