Patent ID: 7130756

Claim:
A method for calibrating a vectorial network analyser having n measurement ports and at least 2n measurement locations (n>1), the method comprising: successive measurement of the reflection and transmission parameters at k=sum (n−1) for (i=1, 2, . . . , n−1) or n−1 different two-port calibration standards, which are connected between the measurement ports in any desired order and all have a transmission path, and three different n-port calibration standards, which are connected between the measurement ports in any desired order and are permitted to have no transmission; mathematical determination of error coefficients of the network analyser with the 10-term method in the k-fold application and measured two-port calibration standards; and by mathematical determination of the scattering matrix [S x ], in which the errors are corrected, with the 10-term method, wherein the method further comprises: a) carrying out the first k calibration measurements at a two-port, which is realized by means of the direct connection of the measurement ports (through connection, T=Thru) or a short matched line (L=Line) of known length and attenuation, and which is connected between each of the k possible measurement port combinations, b) carrying out a further calibration measurement at an n-fold one-port (n-one-port), which is realized by means of n-known wave terminations (M=Match), wherein the n-known wave terminations have unrestricted values so that they can be different from each other, c) carrying out a further calibration measurement at an n-one-port, which is realized by means of n-unknown greatly reflective terminations (R=Reflect), which are similar to short circuits (S=Short), d) carrying out a further calibration measurement at an n-one-port, which is realized by means of n-unknown greatly reflective terminations (R=Reflect) which are similar to open circuits (O=Open) and e) mathematically determining the reflection accounts of the n-one-ports that are realized by means of n-unknown greatly reflective terminations which are similar to open circuits or to short circuits.