Patent ID: 8452565

Claim:
A method for calibrating a high frequency measurement device having N measurement ports, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, for determining scattering parameters of a measurement object with an n-port measurement, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1, comprising: feeding a high frequency test signal into the measurement object or to a circuit comprising the measurement object; coupling a high frequency signal in electrical communication with the measurement object, for each measurement port, for each of at least three coupling positions, placed at a distance from one another; determining for each measurement port an amplitude, phase, or both from the high frequency signals transmitted by the at least three coupling positions, traversing to and away from the measurement object, for each coupling position, said amplitude, phase, or both from the high frequency signals determined relative to the high frequency test signal; calculating scattering parameters of the measurement object, including for at least one of the measurement ports of the high frequency measurement device, the high frequency signals transmitted by said coupling positions, including at least three coupling positions, the third coupling position placed at a distance from first and second coupling positions; determining values for at least one scattering parameter for at least one frequency of the high frequency test signal for each pairwise combination of the at least three coupling positions, using a predetermined calibration method with at least one calibration standard as the measurement object having a known scattering parameter; and comparing the values determined with the known scattering parameter value for the calibration standard; determining a pairwise combination of coupling positions having the least difference between the values of the determined scattering parameter and that known for the calibration standard; and storing said pairwise combination of coupling positions having the least difference as preferred first and second coupling positions for this frequency for measurements on unknown measurement objects.