Uncertainties in Small-Signal and Large-Signal Measurements of RF Amplifiers Using a VNA

Uncertainties in typical small-signal and large-signal amplifier parameters measured using a vector network analyzer (VNA) are investigated in this paper. Methods to evaluate the measurement uncertainty in return losses, input power, output power, power gain, 1 dB compression point, etc., based on the use of the VNA dynamic uncertainty option (VNA-DUO) software tool from Keysight Technologies, are applied to a commercial amplifier between 0.5 GHz and 8 GHz.