Fully Automated RF and Microwave Test Measurements Using a Vector Network Analyzer

This paper presents a fully automated radio frequency (RF) and microwave test measurement framework for characterizing an 8-bit Digital Phase Shifter (DPS) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) operating in the 15.5–17.5GHz frequency band. The system integrates a custom-developed Python based graphical user interface (GUI), Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) control logic, and a R&S® ZNA43 Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) to streamline the measurement process. The GUI facilitates real-time control, state configuration, and data acquisition, while the FPGA manages the Serial-In Parallel-Out (SIPO) interface with the MMIC. The VNA communication is handled via the Virtual Instrument Software Architecture (VISA) protocol, utilizing PyVISA for efficient data retrieval and storage. Validation against manual measurements across all 256 DPS states demonstrates the system’s accuracy, with deviations less than 1dB in magnitude and 1° in phase. Notably, the automated setup reduces the total measurement time from approximately 300 minutes to just 8 minutes, achieving a 97.33% decrease in data acquisition duration. This significant improvement underscores the system’s potential to enhance efficiency and accuracy in RF component characterization, particularly for devices with multiple operational states.