A Guide To The NanoVNA
A Guide To The NanoVNA
A Guide To The NanoVNA
By
To Agnieszka,
a patient wife
and a loving mother.
First Edition
Copyright 2020 © Christoph and Maximilian Schwärzler
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and
retrieval systems, without written permission from the authors, except in the
case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical
articles or in a review.
Trademarked names appear throughout this book. Rather than use a
trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, names are
used in an editorial fashion, with no intention of infringement of the
respective owner's trademark.
The information in this book is distributed on an "as is" basis, without
warranty. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of
this work, neither the authors nor the publisher shall have any liability to any
person or entity concerning any loss or damage caused or alleged to be
caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book.
Contents
Why you should read this book
One: Hardware
Two: Firmware
Three: Calibration
Four: Software
Five: Use cases for the NanoVNA
Closing remarks
Why you should read this book
So, you want to buy a NanoVNA. Maybe you just bought one and
realized that there is no manual in the box? Probably you are hearing
rumours about this cheap and tiny gadget and are wondering what you could
do with it.
In all these cases, this "how-to" guide provides answers and assistance. It
gives an overview of the currently available hard-, firm- and software and it
shows in a detailed and structured way, how to start using this fascinating
tool. There is also info about typical applications for the NanoVNA and how
to tackle them.
This book is written for the practitioner and you will not find a lot of
math inside. If you read this book, you are most probably a ham radio
hobbyist or even professionally enclined with high-frequency electronics.
Maybe studying EE or just best friend to a soldering iron. This book is four
you!
After having read through chapter Two about the firmware you will
know about the various charts and how to read them and be able to control
the NanoVNA as a standalone device. You will also learn how you can
upgrade the firmware.
Before getting any reliable results, the NanoVNA needs to be calibrated.
Chapter Three shows why and how.
Although the NanoVNA can be used standalone, there are cases when it
is useful to connect it to a computer, tablet or smartphone. Chapter Four
gives an overview of the available software and their respective features.
In the final chapter Five, we will show examples of common use cases
for the NanoVNA. This is hands-on and shall give the reader guidance for
the first experiments and food for thought for own work.
This section deals with the fundamentals of vector network analyzers and
can be skipped safely by anybody familiar with the concept.
Two features distinguish a VNA from many other tools you probably
have used already. Number one, it measures amplitude and phase thus
providing complex numbers (hence the name vector) for most of the
measured parameters. Put differently: a VNA measures real as well as
imaginary parts of electrical features. Some readers will be familiar with this
concept because they already use vector antenna analyzers to optimize their
antennas. These give the antenna impedance as Z = R+jX instead of |Z| only,
like scalar antenna analyzers do. Feature number two is the fact, that VNAs
have (at least) two high-frequency connectors or ports, in tech lingo. Now,
this is different from an antenna analyzer, so let us have a closer look.
From the left side, light is shed upon the DUT. When this incident light
hits the DUT, part of it is reflected and part is transmitted through. If the
intensity of the incident light is known, and the reflected as well as the
transmitted intensity is measured, the DUT is well characterized with
regards to its optical features. The reflected light tells a lot about the
air/DUT interface and the transmitted light about the translucence of the
DUT.
The same holds true for radio frequencies. The following figure shows a
typical VNA setup.
Fig. 2: RF measurement
Now it gets clear, why a VNA needs two ports. Through one (the left one
in figure 2) the incident HF-signal is emitted towards the DUT and at the
same time, the reflected signal is measured. Through the other port, the
transmitted signal is measured. Both ports measure amplitude as well as
phase, see above.
This is exactly how the NanoVNA works. Port 1, marked “CH0” on the
NanoVNA acts as the output of the incident signal (hence it is also marked
“TX”) as well as measurement port for the reflected signal and port 2,
marked “CH1” (and “RX”) receives the portion of the signal which went
“through” the DUT.
Given that the NanoVNA only provides a signal at port 1 (CH0), the two
above are the only ones that you will encounter on this device.
Professional VNAs often will also measure S22 (Reflection from port 2
backward) and S12 (Transmission from port 2 back to port 1).
The current design of the NanoVNA and the name was created several
years ago by a Japanese ham under the pseudonym “edy555”. His first
design ideas with a different DDS (frequency generator) seem to date back
to 2013, but the current design with a significantly reduced parts count and
based on the Si5351A was published by him in 2016.
Edy555 himself references a German kit, the VNWA3 which was based
on the concept of using a cheap computer soundcard, published by Tom
Baier, DG8SAQ in the Mar/Apr 2007 issue of QEX ("A Low Budget Vector
Network Analyzer for AF to UHF").
There is also a spin-off design with a larger 4'' screen, called the
NanoVNA-F. Running on a different microprocessor, the NanoVNA-F also
needs different firmware. This device is marketed and readily available too,
but comes with a significantly higher price tag of about 130 € (150 US$).
3. Hardware versions
PCB: 54 mm x 85.5 mm x 11 mm
Frequency range: 50 kHz to 1.5 GHz
RF output:-13 dBm (typ.)
Frequency error: < 0.5 ppm
Measurement range: 70dB (50kHz-300MHz), 60dB (300M-
600MHz), 50dB (600M-900MHz)
Port SWR: < 1.1
Display: 2.8 inch TFT (320 x240)
Tracks: 4, marks: 4, saved settings: 4 or 5 (depending on
firmware)
USB interface: USB type-C communication mode: CDC
(serial)
Power: USB 5V, 120 mA or internal battery (if available)
Number of scanning points: 101
The detailed schematics are publicly available, but cannot be reproduced
meaningfully in this book. If you are interested in electronics we highly
recommend to download it, e.g. at https://www.n1fd.org/wp-
content/uploads/2019/10/NanoVNA-Schematic.pdf
However, there are slight differences between the devices sold online
and the potential buyer should be aware of those before ordering.
Enclosure
Most devices come without any protective enclosure, except two pieces
of PCB on top and at the bottom. The top one has an opening for the screen.
It bears the name and labels the two ports. The bottom one is either blank or
labels the two ports by ''TX'' and ''RX''. Between those two PCBs and held
together by four spacers, is the main PCB with all the electronics as SMT
with most of the parts facing downwards and the screen upwards.
Some models are shipped without battery. Sellers typically argue with
transport restrictions for Li-ion technology. However, many other devices
include a battery. This makes the NanoVNA a field-deployable device, and
especially suitable for antenna measurements. Models without battery
typically also lack the diode D2 but otherwise include everything needed for
retrofitting the battery. This can be done easily, as we show further down.
Shielding
Some NanoVNAs have shielded ports. There is one metal shield
covering CH0 and including the rear part of the SMA connector as well as
the associated mixers for power out and reflection. A second shield is for
CH1, again including the rear end of the connector and the mixer for
transmission.
Fig. 6: No shields / shields
Although it has been done by some users, soldering shields to the PCB is
not straightforward and if done wrongly can even worsen the performance.
Given the sketchy upside, we do not advise to perform this retrofit.
Accessories
Most probably, you will also need cables to connect the DUT. These are
short (0.2 to 0.3 m) coaxial cables with male SMA connectors on both sides.
Models on the market differ in including those or not. If they are included,
they are mostly of the RG 174 type, which is perfectly fine for the lower end
of the frequency range. However, if you intend to measure at frequencies of
600 MHz and above, you might want to consider using RG 316 cables,
which must be ordered separately and will cost a few dollars each. You will
need two of those.
Fig. 8: RG 174 and RG 316 cables
4. Buying hardware
We will not talk about adding shields since this is demanding and the
possible improvement still under discussion (see the previous chapter).
Retrofitting a battery
If your model came without battery however, you really should consider
adding one. This is actually very easy. There are two items, which you will
have to get hold of first: A LiPo battery 3.7 V with a maximum thickness of
6 mm, so it will fit between PCBs. Such a battery will probably store about
500 mAh and cost between one and three €. This is where I ordered my
battery. The other item is a simple diode, like a 1N4148. Preferably an
SMD-model of size 0805. This directly fits on the PCB. Many other types
will do as well, even a TTH version can be bent and soldered.
Now open the bottom screws of the NanoVNA and remove the bottom
cover. You will have direct access to the solder side of the PCB. If you put
the SMA connectors to the right side, look at the upper part on the left side.
It will look like this:
Fig. 9: Battery connector and D2 missing
There are empty solder pads next to the ''BAT'' and ''D2'' silkscreen.
Close to the left battery pad, there is a ''+'' sign, this is where the (red) lead to
the positive side of the LiPo has to be soldered to. The other pad is for the
(black) negative lead. The diode ''D2'' connects the battery with the voltage
sensing input of the MCU. Therefore the voltage drop of the diode directly
influences the battery level as shown on the display. Standard firmware
assumes a 0.7 V drop, but there are firmware versions which allow for
changing this through serial port communication (see chapter Four). When
soldering the diode, it is important to ensure the right direction, which is
with the bar facing downwards. The following figure shows the PCB after
soldering:
Fig. 10: Retrofitting a battery
A word about caution: It has been noted that the battery management IC
IP5303 is capable of charging with more than 1 A, which is way too much
for 500 mAh LiPos. As most batteries include some form of overcurrent
protection (like the one we recommend above), this should not bring trouble
along. Nevertheless, if you want to be on the safe side, avoid charging with a
dedicated USB charger and use computer USB 2.0 ports instead. Typically,
these are limited to a current of 500 mA.
Adding an enclosure
This design keeps the original bottom and top covers but adds a
protective frame around the NanoVNA. Print the two parts of the frame,
open the screws on one side of the VNA, put on the respective frame and
screw the cover back in place. Repeat with the other side.
If you do not have access to a 3D-printer, try your local library or a
maker club. Alternatively, download and have a commercial print service
produce one for you.
Two: Firmware
1. Introduction
If you are new to the NanoVNA, it is best to stick to the firmware which
was delivered with your device for the moment. All currently available
models come with a more or less recent, in any case, usable firmware
version. It is only after you familiarized with the VNA and have a stronger
feeling about your use case, that you might or might not feel like changing
the firmware. This is not very difficult, but again, there is no real need to do
so from the beginning. However, if you decide to do so, check the end of
this chapter, where we will show in detail how to run the upgrade process.
The first firmware dates back to 2016 in conjunction with the kit sold by
edy555. This is open-source, so people picked it up and several streams of
firmware evolved since. You can write and compile your own version if you
want.
edy555: https://github.com/ttrftech/NanoVNA/releases
hugen79: https://github.com/hugen79/NanoVNA-H/releases
qrp73: https://github.com/qrp73/NanoVNA-Q/releases
reald: https://github.com/reald/NanoVNA/releases
All four of them run on any currently available version of the NanoVNA
(or NanoVNA-H). However, they will not run on the NanoVNA-F!
You will now probably ask, which one you should aim for when
upgrading. The answer is: it depends, but it does not matter too much, since
all four cover all major functionality and they do so using very similar user
interfaces. Many users, including I, have problems with a small text size on
this tiny screen. Thus, my favorite at the time of writing is hugen79s ''AA''
version, since this provides a larger text size. By the time you are reading
this book, there might be other versions with other advantages as well. My
best advice is to subscribe to the NanoVNA user group at groups.io and
check the Wiki pages. There, people like Gyula Molnar try their best to keep
up to date and from time to time provide comparison tables between the
various versions.
2. First steps
Although we very much doubt that you have not already switched on
your NanoVNA by now, let's do this again and together. If you have a model
without a battery in front of you, connect the NanoVNA with the USB-C
cable to a suitable power source like a computer USB port. At this time,
nothing else needs to be connected to the device.
On the NanoVNA, there are very few control elements, all of them
located on the far side of the device.
Text and lines on the screen come in up to four colors plus white. All
information shown in a specific color is linked to the respective graphical
information. How many of these lines are shown, is configurable as we will
see later on. You can also choose for each color, whether this information is
related to S11 (= CH0) or S21 (= CH1) measurements.
On the left side of the screen, you will see which calibration set is in use
and some details about it. This will look like ''C0'' and some letters below it.
We will deal with calibration in chapter Three.
On the right side of the top line, there is a number, most probably ''1:''
and a frequency next to it. This is the frequency, where the marker with this
number currently resides. You can choose to have up to four markers. On the
charts, markers are shown as triangles with their numbers inside.
The bottom line gives information about the frequency range, which the
current setup covers. Mostly this will be a start and a stop frequency, but it
also possible to choose a center frequency and a span or a fixed frequency.
This text is in white.
Two methods exist for controlling the device. There is a switch with a
lever to the right side of the power switch. This multi-switch can be pushed
to the left or right side and it can be pushed down. With the lever, it is
possible to navigate through the menu as well as move the markers on the
screen. Alternatively, the screen can be tapped on with a stylus. There are
dedicated styli available at computer shops. Please do not use any sharp
instrument as the screen can be damaged. For the start, you can use your
fingers, but you will soon see, that this method is very coarse.
If you use a stylus, but you constantly miss the intended spot, your
screen and touchpad might be misaligned. In this case, jump to section 7 of
this chapter first and calibrate your screen.
Now either push down the multi-switch or tap on the screen. Any of
these actions will open the top menu.
The menu is structured into several levels. Selecting one command will
either provoke a direct action like setting a frequency or bring you down to
the next menu level. The bottom command in all but the top-level reads ''<
BACK'' and will bring you a level up. Although the menu structure is very
similar between different versions of firmware, minor variations do exist.
Two blue LEDs next to the power switch indicate the status of the
device, however, you do not need to pay a lot of attention to them. The LED
to the left of the power switch blinks during a charging process and is
permanently enlightened during the power-on of the device. The LED to the
right of the power switch blinks with each frequency sweep.
The NanoVNA is switched off by sliding the power switch to the left.
There is no other shutdown process.
3. Traces
For each trace, there is a text line in the left upper part of the screen and
a line of the same color (yellow, blue, green and magenta) in the chart. As
mentioned earlier, up to four traces can be displayed on the NanoVNA at the
same time. For the sake of clarity, however, it is often better to reduce the
number of traces. Each trace can be switched off and on individually. And
for each trace the channel and the format, as well as the display scaling, are
user-definable. At any time, there is always exactly one trace active for
manipulation. It is identified by the inverted channel information in the text
display.
Talking about the text lines, let’s look at them closer. The structure of a
line is always the following:
Channel_Format_Scale_Measured value(s)
Examples include:
Such a line always starts with the channel on which the data is measured.
This can either be “CH0” or “CH1”.
Next is the format of the measured data. The following formats are
currently available:
After the format and separated by a blank space is the scaling for the
charts. For linear charts, this gives the delta value between two horizontal
lines. A typical example is "10dB/". This means, that between any two
horizontal lines the value changes by 10 dB. For Smith and polar charts, the
scale is relative to full scale. Most probably, you will keep this at the default
value of 1.OFS, if you set this to a value of 2.OFS on a polar chart, for
example, the radius of any point shown on the chart will be halve of the
value at a setting of 1.OFS.
At the end of any line, there is the direct reading of the measured data.
This can be either one number, as for SWR or phase, or two numbers plus
units as for complex impedance values. When using the NanoVNA
standalone, these numbers will give the most precise measurement results.
4. Markers
5. Chart types
There are three types of charts used on the NanoVNA. These are
automatically selected together with the type of information chosen by the
“FORMAT” command. They are:
Linear
Fig. 14: Linear chart
There are always 9 horizontal lines. The scaling is adjustable using the
''SCALE/DIV'' and ''REFERENCE POSITION'' commands. With the first
one, the numerical difference between two lines is set, whereas the second
command sets the origin to the respective line number. The origin is marked
by a small triangle on the left side of the respective horizontal line.
Smith Chart
There is much more to Smith charts, but this is outside of the scope of
this book. However, we encourage the reader to dig deeper into this
fascinating chart type.
Polar Chart
Polar charts are used for displaying complex numbers, like real and
imaginary parts of the complex reflection or transmission coefficient, which
is defined as:
If more than one trace is displayed and if they are using different chart
types, all of them are printed at the same time. This is the case with the
default calibration C0 and has the potential to baffle the first time user.
We will now show with some examples, how traces, formats, and
markers are handled. Not all possible combinations will be dealt with, but
having worked through the examples you should be in a position to set your
NanoVNA working environment in any way you want to have it. These
examples are for getting familiar with the menu structure only, you will find
examples for real live measurements in chapter Five. It is a good idea, to
have a printed menu structure map in front of you for reference now.
When you switch on the NanoVNA for the first time, it will start up
using the factory calibration, which has four traces active. Especially for the
beginner, this can be very confusing. Thus, in our first example, we will
deactivate all but one trace. Afterward, we will add complexity as we
familiarize ourselves with the device.
Don't worry, you cannot break anything, even if you go astray during
these examples. Just switch the NanoVNA off and on again, and you will be
back to the factory settings. Please don't expect any precise results just now,
we are still working with the default calibration. As we will see in chapter
Three, sound calibrations are a must for reliable results.
Now, choose the menu item ''DISPLAY''. Push the multi-switch to the
right once to highlight it. If you push too often, the following item is
highlighted. In this case, push the multi-switch to the left to go up one item.
If you push the multi-switch too often and the marker leaves the menu either
side, the main menu will disappear. In this case, just start all over by pushing
down the multi-switch again. Once the correct command is highlighted, push
the multi-switch down to activate the command. If you work with a stylus,
just tap on the command ''DISPLAY''.
When the next menu opens, select the command ''TRACE'' to finally
enter the selection of traces. There is a list from TRACE 0 to TRACE 3,
each highlighted in its respective color. Now either select ''TRACE 1'' using
the multi-switch and push or tap on ''TRACE 1''. This will make trace 1 the
active trace, which is indicated by highlighting the channel info at the
beginning of the corresponding text line. Then push or tap a second time to
deactivate trace 1. Now the color highlighting of the command will
disappear. Repeat the process for ''TRACE 2'' and ''TRACE 3'', which leaves
just ''TRACE 0'' highlighted in yellow. Whenever a trace is deactivated, the
corresponding text line, as well as the line on the chart area, disappears.
Finally, close the menu either by moving the selection outside by repeatedly
pushing the multi-switch to the far left or far right, or by tapping the stylus
far outside the menu area on the screen.
Open Home menu > DISPLAY > TRACE > TRACE 1 > TRACE 1
TRACE 2 > TRACE 2
TRACE 3 > TRACE 3
Close Menu
There is only one trace left - which is good - but this trace still shows the
logarithmic magnitude of the reflected signal in dB. Which, by the way,
should be a number close to zero for the whole frequency spectrum, as
currently there is an open-end (infinite impedance) on CH0.
Now, we will switch the trace to SWR measurement. Open the menu by
either pushing down the multi-switch or tap anywhere on the screen. The
menu will open at the last screen, which in our case was the traces-menu. We
have to go up one level by selecting the ''← BACK'' command. Next choose
the ''FORMAT'' command, as we want to set the current trace to another
format. You will see a list of formats. More formats are available on the
second format page, which would be accessible by selecting ''→ MORE".
We do not need this second page, as the ''SWR'' command is already on the
first page (if you switched to the second page accidentally, just go back to
the first one by using the ''← BACK'' command). Now select the command
''SWR''. That's it: You just turned your NanoVNA into an antenna analyzer!
Please bear in mind, that these measurements are not precise since the
NanoVNA is still not properly calibrated. We will see in chapter Three how
to calibrate.
In this example, we will again change traces and adjust the frequency
range as well as chart scales. We will also make use of two markers at the
same time. Let us assume, that we want to measure the reflected and
transmitted signal of a DUT, which is inserted between CH0 and CH1. A
low pass filter for the 40 m band could be a good use case for that.
Restart the NanoVNA by switching off and on. Remove anything from
the CH0 and CH1 connectors. The first step is to reduce traces so that only
trace 0 and trace 1 are left. You know, how to do this, don't you?
Open Home menu > DISPLAY > TRACE > TRACE 2 > TRACE 2
TRACE 3 > TRACE 3
There are now only the yellow and blue traces left. The first, yellow text
line is set on CH0 with a LOGMAG format at a 10 dB scaling. The
measured value should be close to 0.00 dB as the open end completely
reflects the incident signal. The second trace in blue is set to CH1, again in a
LOGMAG format and a 10 dB scaling. As CH0 and CH1 are currently not
connected, there is no transmitted signal and any reading is solely due to
noise or non-perfect isolation. Numbers can differ but should be below -60
dB at the lower end of the frequency span, which is 50 kHz. If one or the
other trace is not set to LOGMAG format, this can be changed by the
process which we learned in the first example. In case the traces are not set
to ''CH0'' and ''CH1'' resp., highlight the affected channel by selecting the
trace, go back to the next menu level and select ''CHANNEL''. Now select
the correct channel.
We will now set the lower end of the frequency span to 1.5 MHz with the
command ''START''. Most probably, you will still see the trace menu on your
screen now. Hit the ''← BACK'' command to move one level up. Now select
''← BACK'' again and you are on the home menu. At the home menu, select
''STIMULUS''. You will see a choice of the following commands for
controlling the frequency range and sweeps:
In our example, we use the ''START'' command first to set the lower end
to 1.5 MHz. After selecting the command, a numerical keypad opens up:
You will find the numbers 0 to 9 and delete (''←''), as well as units (''x1''
to ''G''). When using the multi-switch, move the cursor through the field by
pushing the switch left or right until the intended symbol is highlighted.
Then push the switch down to select this symbol. With a stylus, just tap on
the symbol. First enter a number, followed by a unit. After selecting the unit,
the entered frequency is set and the numeric keypad disappears. Any
combination of numbers and units is possible. In our case, entering 1500
followed by selecting ''k'' will set the lower frequency end to 1.5 MHz. As
will 1.5 followed by ''M'' or even 1500000 followed by ''x1''.
At the lower-left corner of the screen, you will see ''START 1.500MHz'',
indicating the new lower end of the frequency sweep. Next, we repeat a
similar procedure for the upper end, which we will set at 30 MHz. Invoke
the menu again and now select ''STOP''. Enter 3 and 0 and select the unit
''M''. This sets the higher end of the scan to 30 MHz and closes the menu.
Summing up, this is, what we did to set a new frequency range:
Home menu > STIMULUS > START > 1 > 5 > 0 > 0 > k
Open menu > STOP > 3 > 0 > M
Another method would have been to select a center frequency first and a
frequency span afterward. Using the command ''CENTER'' and ''SPAN'' you
can also set a range. A center frequency of 10 MHz and a span of 6 MHz
will lead to a sweep from 7 to 13 MHz. If you want to measure at one
frequency only, you can set this frequency with the command ''CW FREQ''.
Next, let us adjust the scale of the reflected (S11) signal on CH0. There
are two settings, which affect this scale. One is the scaling per division of the
vertical scale, which can be set with the command ''SCALE/DIV''. The other
one is the origin of the vertical scale, set with the command ''REFERENCE
POSITION''.
Before changing either, the trace has to be selected, for which the scale
will be changed. This is done by selecting the respective trace at the
''TRACE'' menu. In our case we select ''TRACE 1''.
Enter the menu again and select ''REFERENCE POSITION''. Now, this
is a bit tricky. The reference position only works for linear charts. The
reference position is the position of the vertical origin and is defined as line
number, counted from the bottom. The horizontal line at the very bottom
bears the number 0 and the line at the top of the screen the number 8. Any
number outside this range will bring the reference point outside of the
screen. A small triangle in the respective color to the left of the chart marks
the current position of the reference point. Default values for the reference
points are 7 for the logarithmic magnitude format, 4 for PHASE, DELAY,
REAL, IMAG and REACTANCE charts and 0 for SWR, LINEAR and
RESISTANCE charts. We choose a value of 4 and observe, that the yellow
line for the S11-signal moves down to the middle of the screen.
In the last section, the following commands have been applied for
changing a scale:
Home menu > DISPLAY > SCALE > SCALE/DIV > 5 > x1
Open menu > REFERENCE POSITION > 4 > x1
Finally, we have a closer look at markers and will add a second marker.
One way of using markers is as an alternative for setting the frequency
sweep range with the “STIMULUS” command. Just set the active marker to
a specific frequency and select “MARKER” from the home menu, followed
by one of the commands “→START”, “→STOP”, “→CENTER” or
“→SPAN” and the NanoVNA will change the frequency range accordingly.
This section is only relevant for users who chose to control the
NanoVNA with a stylus. Sometimes the screen and the resistive pad on top
of it get out of sync. This happens on other similar devices as well. On the
NanoVNA, such a misalignment can be corrected in most firmware versions.
During the remainder of this chapter, we will show, how such an upgrade
is done via a standard Windows 10 PC. Users of earlier versions of Windows
can follow the same procedure but might encounter problems with a driver.
There are also ways for Mac- and Linux users. Please refer to the wiki of the
nanovna-users group at Groups.io in such a case.
You will get two tools: DFU File Manager and DfuSe Demo. The DFU
File Manager is not needed if the firmware is available in the .dfu file
format, which is usually the case. If there are S19, HEX or BIN file formats
available, you can generate a .dfu file out of these with the DFU File
Manager first.
New versions will provide the ''-DFU'' under the ''CONFIG'' command at
the home menu. Selecting this will offer ''RESET AND ENTER DFU''. This
command sets the NanoVNA directly in the DFU mode to upgrade.
Switching the device off and on again will bring back normal operation.
Now the NanoVNA must be switched off and on to start it with the new
firmware.
Three: Calibration
1. Reason and definitions
This leads to the definition of the reference plane, which is the location
where the DUT will be connected to the NanoVNA. Sometimes, this is
directly at the SMA connectors of the device, like in the upper part of the
following picture. However, normally it will be at the end of some attached
cables like in the lower part.
Fig. 23: Defining the reference plane
It is very important, that the SOLT calibrators are fitted at the position of
the reference plane during the calibration process! Doing so removes the
effects on the measured data of everything which is inserted between the
NanoVNA and the reference plane. For some setups (e.g. when measuring
an amplifier), an attenuator has to be inserted to protect CH1. Inserting the
attenuator between the reference plane and NanoVNA ensures the validity of
the results.
As the SOLT (short, open, load, through) calibrators are well defined, the
firmware ''knows'' what to expect when they are connected one after the
other. The short introduces a reflection of the incident wave at the fixed end.
Ideally, the incoming wave is reflected and its phase is shifted by 180°. With
the open calibrator attached, again all of the incident wave is (ideally)
reflected, but now there is no phase shift. The load calibrator, on the other
hand, provides a perfect match and accordingly none of the incident wave
should be reflected. Finally, the through connector directly connects CH0 to
CH1, so the incident wave is expected to travel without loss and phase
change to the second port. After having measured what the real signals are
during the calibration process and comparing it with the expected values, the
firmware builds a model of the errors and applies this model to future
measurements on DUTs. Such a model is simply called calibration and can
be stored on the NanoVNA.
2. Calibration management
For now, we will talk about calibrations in the context of using the
NanoVNA on a standalone basis. If you use the device connected to a
computer and with software, the calibration process might no longer take
place inside the firmware but can be moved to the software on the PC. Such
an external calibration is discussed in chapter Four.
The NanoVNA allows for 5 calibration sets (some firmware versions: 4)
to be saved in memory. They are stored using the commands CAL > SAVE >
SAVE n, where n is a number from 0 to 4. After storing, the device can be
switched off, but the data remains. Any calibration set can be restored and
used by choosing RECALL > RECALL n from the home menu.
The letters below the first line indicate which type of error correction is
available with the active calibration set. Directivity requires calibration with
a load, Reflection an open and Source Match a short calibrator. These three
are the minimum required for an S11 calibration. The through connector is
necessary for Transmission Tracking and for the Isolation, and you will need
at least one load (better: two loads). For a full calibration, all five letters
must be shown.
Storage space 0 is different from the other ones, in that the NanoVNA
will always startup using this calibration. But you can easily pull up the
other sets with ''RECALL''.
Although it is called calibration set, saving such a set not only includes a
calibration, but also the frequency sweep range and the settings for traces,
formats, and markers.
3. Calibration process
Most users connect their DUTs with short (15 to 30 cm) coaxial cables
(''pigtails'') to the NanoVNA. These can be made of RG 174 or RG 316 (see
chapter One) with male SMA connectors and stay attached to the device.
Their other ends define the reference plane. This is the position where the
SOLT calibrators have to be connected via a female-female through
connector.
Fig. 25: Attaching the O- via the T-connector and cable to CH0
Replace the open calibrator by the short calibrator and select ''SHORT''.
Then exchange for the load and press ''LOAD''. This is all that is needed for
an S11 calibration, which could be finished by selecting ''DONE''. For a full
calibration however, unscrew the through connector with the load and attach
both to the end of the cable to CH1. For highest precision, you should have
a second load and through calibrator ready which you screw to CH0, if you
don't, leave the CH0 cable open. Select ''ISOLN''. Finally, remove the load(s)
and connect the two cables together using the through calibrator. Select
''THRU'' and leave the calibration with ''DONE''. This will change the menu
to the save menu. Always finish a calibration by storing it by selecting
''SAVE n'' with n being the number of the storage space.
Now the calibration is safely stored and the device is ready for
measurements now or some other time. Retrieving the calibration is as easy
as selecting ''RECALL'' on the home menu, followed by ''RECALL n'' with n
being the storage space number.
One final word of caution. Like for many other precision instruments, a
thermal effect has been observed for the NanoVNA. For up to about half an
hour after switching on the NanoVNA, especially if the battery is being
charged during that time, readings can drift. This seems to be most
pronounced for very small and very large values, i.e. far away from the
nominal 50 Ω. If you encounter such a drift and need ultimate precision,
have the NanoVNA warm-up before calibration and measurements.
By now, you have learned everything that you need to successfully use
the NanoVNA on a standalone basis. If you want to know, how you can
improve precision and handling by using dedicated software for the device,
continue reading the next chapter. For some real-world examples of how to
use the NanoVNA, go to the final chapter Five.
Four: Software
There are a couple of reasons, why users connect the NanoVNA to
another devices. The battery is one. Connected to a USB-A port, the
NanoVNA will be powered externally. Even a simple power bank will do for
that purpose. Another reason is readability. Arguably, the readings on the
screen of the NanoVNA are small, low resolution and difficult to read for
some users. Connected to a computer, tablet or even smartphone, the data is
shown on that other device and typically much better to read. Documentation
via screenshots or S-parameter files (see chapter One) is another reason to
use software. Some software also offers increased precision for the
calibration process. It is also possible to talk directly to the firmware using
serial communication, as we will see at the end of this chapter.
1. NanoVNA Saver
The software comes as one .exe file, which after starting opens a black,
DOS-like window for a couple of seconds. A few seconds later the main
window will pop up and fill the screen of your computer.
Fig. 26: NanoVNA Saver
Connect the NanoVNA with the USB cable to any USB port of the
computer and switch it on. Check the ''Serial port control'' area at the lower,
left corner of the NanoVNA Saver window. It will look like in figure 27.
Now push ''Rescan'' and the field to the left of the button will be
populated with the port number assigned to the NanoVNA. In my case, this
is Port 4. Push ''Connect to NanoVNA'' to start the connection.
Fig. 28: NanoVNA connected to NanoVNA Saver
The sweep (e.g. frequency range) control resides in the upper left corner
of the window. Not only can you set the range in many ways (start/stop,
center/span, numbers in Hz or other units), but there is also the fantastic
feature of segmented sweeps. You will record from earlier chapters, that the
NanoVNA firmware sweeps with a fixed set of 101 points. This can be a
major shortcoming when trying to scan a wide frequency range and still
needing high-frequency resolution. NanoVNA Saver tackles this issue by
allowing to cut a sweep into several segments of 101 points each. Afterward,
these segments are seamlessly put together to give a wider range. The
number of segments used is manually entered in the ''Segments'' field.
The sweep control also offers the ''Sweep settings…'' button for
increased functionality, out of which the possibility to average over multiple
sweeps and eliminate outliers reduces noise significantly. There is also the
possibility to set sweeps for most ham radio bands with the push of one
button.
Fig. 30: Sweep settings
NanoVNA Saver does not use the firmware calibration sets of the device.
It ignores them. But the software allows superior handling of multiple
calibration sets and enhanced error correction by including data about the
calibration standards, i.e. the S, O, L and T calibrators.
These settings should be saved under a telling name for future use (blue
circle in figure 31).
The calibration process itself is similar to the one using the firmware.
Pushing the ''Calibration assistant'' button (green circle) starts a guided tour
through the process. After the SOL-calibration (S11-calibration) you can stop
and apply or continue with ''Yes'' to a full calibration. Again, enter a name
and save the calibration. Now the calibration window can be closed and the
NanoVNA put to use.
Markers can be inserted and moved either by clicking into one of the
charts and pulling or by entering a frequency in one of the marker fields.
Measured data at the markers frequencies is shown in the middle of the
window.
There are more examples of the NanoVNA Saver in use in chapter Five
about use cases.
NanoVNA Saver can create and save S-parameter files, which contain S-
data in a standardized form. Many other tools, including RF-simulation
software like SPICE and RFSim99, can read those files and include the DUT
as a kind of black box. Push the ''Files…'' button on the main window and
choose the file format (S1P for S11-parameters and S2P for S21-
parameters).
2. NanoVNA-Web-Client
This software, written by cho45 comes in two versions. One is an app for
android devices like smartphones. It can be downloaded from Google´s Play
Store. Another possibility is to run it directly on a website. To use the web
application, you need to use the Google Chrome browser and need to enable
this flag: chrome://flags/#enable-experimental-web-platform-features.
Otherwise, your device won't show up. A pop-up from your browser will
appear and, if the device is connected to the PC, it will be on the list and you
can select it.
Fig. 34: NanoVNA Client on a smartphone
3. NanoVNASharp
5. Serial communication
Connect your NanoVNA via USB to your computer. Start PuTTY and
select ''Serial'' as the Connection type. Then enter the correct COM Port (If
you have trouble identifying the port for your VNA, open the Device
Manager (Start / Settings / Control Panel / System / Hardware / Device
Manager). Look for a Dropdown-Menu called "Connections (COM &
LPT)". Open it and check for a device called "Serial USB-Device (COM*)".
Remember the COM Port number and enter it in PuTTY.)
Fig. 36: PuTTY settings
Now click “Open” and a window for the serial communication pops up.
Fig. 37: Serial communication window
There is a certain set of commands for the NanoVNA. Try and type in
''version'', followed by hitting enter. This will return the currently installed
firmware version of the NanoVNA.
We will put the device to use, either standalone or together with the
NanoVNA Saver software. Of course, other software (see chapter Four) will
also do.
In each section we describe the DUT and the targeted results first, before
the chosen measurement setup is shown. Finally the results and insights
gained are illustrated by charts and pictures.
1. Loading coil
DUT
Our first DUT is a loading coil for a 40 m short vertical antenna. We are
interested in its inductance and quality. Earlier simulations with an online
tool suggest values close to 10 µH and an effective series AC resistance of
about 1.4 Ω. Especially the resistance might be demanding to measure, since
it is very low and thus far away from the characteristic 50 Ω impedance.
Setup
The loading coil is measured by its reflected signal S11 on CH0 only. We
prepare a female SMA connector for PCBs by removing all ground
connectors but one and solder the leads of the coil to it (figure 38).
Fig. 38: DIY multipurpose connector
With this connector, the coil will be attached to CH0 via a pigtail cable
with male SMA connectors on both ends. We decide to use the NanoVNA in
conjunction with the NanoVNA Saver software for superior calibration and
the possibility to average over several sweeps. Accordingly the NanoVNA is
hooked up to a laptop PC by the USB cable.
Fig. 39: Measurement setup
In the NanoVNA Saver software the frequency sweep range is set from
1.5 to 30 MHz. This not only covers the working frequency but some area of
interest around and advises the software to average over 25 sweeps and
discard some outliers to reduce noise.
With these settings, the calibration process is run and the calibration
saved to the PC. During the calibration process the coil is removed and
successively replaced by the calibrators. As we do not need a full calibration
we can apply the data already after the SOL process.
Results
For graphical representation of the results we choose the S11 quality
chart and the S11 R+jX chart.
The measured quality chart confirms, that the coil is suitable for the 40 m
band, as its quality peaks around 7 MHz. The right chart reveals, that the coil
is self resonant at about 29 MHz.
Setting the red marker to 7.2 MHz brings detailed information about the
coil.
DUT
Setup
Results
After calibration and measurement sweep we first visit the S21 Gain
chart and see a characteristic band pass filter shape, peaking around around
14 MHz.
Fig. 45: S21 Gain
After placing a marker to the center frequency, many more details are
shown.
At 14.3 MHz the insertion loss is 1.77 dB, which is good. And the
impedance of 38.6 – j12.8 Ω leading to a SWR of 1.47, shouldn’t pose any
problem in the receiver where this filter belongs, too.
DUT
Setup
Now we attached the first cable to the CH0 pigtail, using a SMA-female
to BNC-female adapter.
Select 2 traces (DELAY and PHASE), both on CH0 and one marker.
When looking at the chart, it gets very clear, that there is a disruption at
about 20% of the time axis. The DELAY spikes down and the PHASE
abruptly changes from 0° to 180°. Moving the marker to this position not
only reveals the exact time (9.54 ns), but also gives a direct reading of the
distance from the reference plane to the defect. Which in our case reads 944
mm and is very close to the position of the short, induced by the tee.
Closing remarks
We hope that you enjoyed our tour around the NanoVNA and this book
helped getting your feet wet. This is really a device which is fun to play with
and a high quality measuring instrument at the same time. Given the low
price tag, there is no reason, why the NanoVNA should not find it’s way into
every shack or on every workbench. With this book, we tried to remove the
presumably highest hurdle on this way, namely the absence of a
comprehensive manual in the box.
It goes without words, that there are many more use cases, tips and tricks
than a book can realistically cover. Like in most similar situations, the
WWW is your friend here. We specifically invite you to join the nanovna-
users group at groups.io where you will find lively and supportive
discussions.
This is the first edition of "A guide to the NanoVNA", so comments and
suggestions for improvements are very welcome. Please contact the authors
by email: oe1cgs@oevsv.at.