N-Type & 3.5mm Cal Kit Calibration Procedure

[jpfromcali]

Does anyone out there have any info on a CAL procedure for CAL KITS.  And I'm not talking about a user manual with specs and all of that.  I already have that info.  I am attempting to Calibrate a couple of CAL KITS for Maury Microwave(The Extech of the RF world)LOL They have no info on their website.  Thank you in advance. 

[Bryan]

Problem I have run it to with Agilent Cal Kits is a statement they make regardeing traceability to NIST through two paths:
1.  mechanical measurements of airline & short with various plug & ring gages
2.  electrical testing, I guess they have a "gold standard" for comparison.

I don't have any mechanical measurement capability.
Now on the othe hand have replaced broken pieces in my kits like the shorts & opens and can measure pins for protrusion/recession and also calibrate my network analyzer with a known good kit and get results back for the devices that fit the "modeled" specs the piece is tested to when sent in for service.  So far they have always passed the next time the kit was sent in but that's no supiise since they were relatively new.
I know some of the parts they use come from Maury, sliding loads anyway. 

I gives me a pretty good level of confidence but alas that's all.
Parameters of concern appear to be phase for open/short (opposite) and return loss on loads.
Good luck with your quest.
I think they hold the stuff pretty close to the vest.

[Bryan]

Are these Tacti-Cal

[jpfromcali]

Yes these are Tacti-Cal kits

[jpfromcali]

I really need a good CAL procedure to reference these back to in case I have to explain to a customer how I "pulled off" calibrating these kits in a commercial cal lab.  I know I have all of the correct standards.  It's just a matter of making things traceable and having a good "paper trail" in case of an audit.  Any help. . . . . i. e.  General procedure for CAL KITS. . . . . . anything would help.  I might be able to sketch up my own procedure based off of another.  That is with the permission of the customer of course.  Thanks again PMEL'rs

[billyatams]

The procedure should be quite simply that you 'calibrate' (normalize) your network analyzer at the measurement plane and then measure the phase and reflection characteristics of the devices.  The problem you will have will be with the uncertainties as you will be comparing the charcteristics of one cal kit with those of another, essentially doubling the uncertainty of the DUT plus adding the measurement uncertainty of the network analyzer.  Having said that, many general uses of network analyzers require very little of the system accuracy, i. e.  peaking active or passive devices. 

My suggestion would be to do a rough uncertainty analysis before investing the time to write the procedure.  Ask your customer to approve the uncertainty you can achieve.  And. . . . bill enough to capture your time : )

[Tisfurs]

As someone already mentioned, all you have to do is measure the devices in the kit and verify they are within the specifications listed in their manuals, particularly for fixed and sliding-load termination return loss.  The nominal frequency-dependent values for the opens and shorts can be determined using the coefficients given by Agilent and the formulas in the application note 1287-11.