Premium 8.5 GHz SOLT calibration kit (PC3.5 male)

The Premium 8.5 GHz SOLT Calibration Kit with PC3.5 Male Connectors, order code TA346, is designed for laboratories, production facilities, telecom development teams and research organisations that require dependable VNA calibration with low connector-related uncertainty.

The kit contains mechanical calibration standards that must be connected manually during the calibration sequence.

It includes:

• Short standard
• Open standard
• 50 Ω load standard
• Through adaptor
• Precision PC3.5 male interfaces
• Four-piece, five-port assembled construction
• Full S-parameter characterisation
• Calibration data linked to the kit serial number
• Tight-tolerance stainless steel connectors
• Protective carrying case

Pico Technology supplies the standards as an assembled five-port SOLT unit. The assembly can be separated for individual use, inspection, cleaning or refurbishment if one standard becomes damaged.

Premium Manual SOLT Calibration

SOLT calibration uses four known reference conditions:

• Short
• Open
• Load
• Through

These standards allow the vector network analyser to calculate correction terms for systematic measurement errors, including:

• Directivity
• Source match
• Load match
• Reflection tracking
• Transmission tracking
• Forward-path measurement errors
• Reverse-path measurement errors
• Isolation or crosstalk, where included in the procedure

The TA346 is a manual calibration kit. Each standard is connected separately when requested by the VNA calibration software.

It should not be described as:

• An electronic calibration module
• An automated E-Cal kit
• A USB-controlled accessory
• A one-touch calibration device
• An oven-stabilised module

Pico separately offers the TA518, TA519 and TA520 electronic E-Cal products for automated calibration.

Precision PC3.5 Male Interfaces

The TA346 uses precision PC3.5 male connectors.

PC3.5 is a precision 3.5 mm coaxial interface designed for repeatable RF and microwave measurements. It is mechanically compatible with properly specified SMA female connectors, while providing tighter manufacturing tolerances than standard-grade SMA calibration interfaces.

The male kit is suitable for measurement setups terminating in:

• PC3.5 female test leads
• SMA female test leads
• Female-ended RF fixtures
• Female device ports
• PC3.5 female port adaptors
• Female calibration reference planes

The corresponding premium female calibration kit is the TA347.

300 kHz to 8.5 GHz Frequency Coverage

The TA346 is characterised across a frequency range of:

• 300 kHz to 8.5 GHz

This supports calibration for measurements involving:

• RF filters
• Amplifiers
• Antennas
• Attenuators
• Couplers and splitters
• Cables and connectors
• Matching networks
• PCB transmission lines
• Wireless modules
• Cellular components
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices
• GNSS equipment
• RFID and IoT products
• General RF and microwave components

The complete range should be written as 300 kHz to 8.5 GHz, rather than only stating 8.5 GHz.

Four-Piece, Five-Port Construction

Pico describes the TA346 as a four-piece, five-port calibration kit.

The assembly contains:

• One short standard
• One open standard
• One load standard
• One two-port through adaptor

Together, these provide five PC3.5 male connection ports.

The modular design allows the kit to be:

• Stored as one protected assembly
• Disassembled during calibration
• Inspected individually
• Cleaned more easily
• Repaired or refurbished if one standard is damaged

This construction helps extend the usable life of a premium calibration kit.

Serial-Number-Specific Calibration Data

Each TA346 is supplied with traceable calibration data linked to the individual kit serial number.

The characterisation represents the measured frequency-dependent behaviour of the:

• Short standard
• Open standard
• Load standard
• Through adaptor

The VNA uses this information to correct for the non-ideal electrical behaviour of the standards.

Characterisation data helps account for:

• Open-standard capacitance
• Short-standard inductance
• Standard electrical delay
• Connector parasitics
• Load mismatch
• Through-adaptor loss
• Through-adaptor phase response

Pico states that its manual kits are fully characterised and supplied with traceable calibration data rather than relying only on idealised standard models.

Premium-Grade Calibration Standards

Pico Technology offers standard-grade and premium-grade manual SOLT kits.

The premium kit is appropriate where connector repeatability and measurement uncertainty are particularly important.

Common use cases include:

• Reference calibration
• Network metrology
• Precision RF development
• Measurement assurance
• Production validation
• Research laboratories
• Calibration-controlled test systems

Load Standard Performance

The TA346 load standard provides the following published return-loss performance:

Corrected return loss applies when the supplied characterisation data is used during calibration.

A well-characterised load contributes to accurate correction of:

• Directivity
• Source match
• Load match
• Reflection tracking
• Low-reflection device measurements

Open Standard Performance

The open standard has the following published return-loss limits:

The open standard is not treated as an ideal open circuit. Its actual frequency-dependent response is included in the supplied calibration data.

Short Standard Performance

The short standard provides:

The characterisation accounts for the actual delay, loss and inductive behaviour of the short standard.

Through-Adaptor Performance

The through adaptor provides:

• Maximum insertion loss of 0.20 dB
• Characterisation up to 8.5 GHz
• Precision PC3.5 male interfaces
• Magnitude and phase data linked to the kit serial number

The through adaptor is used to calculate forward and reverse transmission correction terms during two-port calibration.

Traceable Calibration Data

Pico supplies the new TA346 with traceable calibration data linked to its serial number.

Traceable characterisation supports:

• RF research
• Product development
• Quality assurance
• Production testing
• University laboratories
• Measurement verification
• Telecom component testing
• Calibration-controlled environments
• Network metrology
• Measurement assurance programmes

A separate NABL calibration certificate should only be mentioned where RevineTech has confirmed that it is supplied under its own calibration scope for this specific kit.

The official Pico listing confirms traceable data and a protective case, but does not identify an NABL certificate as a standard manufacturer inclusion.

Typical Manual Calibration Workflow

A normal two-port SOLT procedure includes:

1. Allow the VNA, test leads and calibration standards to stabilise.
2. Inspect and clean all PC3.5 and SMA mating interfaces.
3. Load the calibration data linked to the TA346 serial number.
4. Select the required two-port SOLT calibration.
5. Connect the short standard when requested.
6. Connect the open standard.
7. Connect the load standard.
8. Connect the through adaptor between the two test ports.
9. Apply the correct connector torque at every stage.
10. Complete and save the calibration.
11. Validate the setup using a characterised check standard.
12. Connect the device under test without disturbing the calibrated cables.

Correct handling remains essential because a precision calibration kit cannot compensate for dirty, damaged or incorrectly torqued connectors.

Connector Care and Torque

PC3.5 standards should be handled carefully to protect the centre conductor and reference plane.

Good practice includes:

• Inspecting connectors before every use
• Keeping protective caps fitted during storage
• Avoiding rotation of the device body while tightening
• Cleaning only with approved RF connector methods
• Using the specified torque wrench
• Avoiding excessive mating cycles
• Preventing side loading on the connectors

Pico lists the TA356 dual-break torque wrench for SMA, PC3.5 and K-type connectors.

Correct torque supports:

• Repeatable contact pressure
• Stable phase measurements
• Better calibration repeatability
• Longer connector life
• Lower connection-related uncertainty

Calibration Verification

A check standard may be measured after calibration to confirm that the complete measurement setup is working correctly.

Compatible Pico check standards include:

• TA430 insertable SMA male-to-female standard
• TA431 non-insertable SMA female-to-female standard

Verification can help identify:

• Incorrect calibration sequences
• Connector contamination
• Damaged test leads
• Cable movement
• Incorrect torque
• Reference-plane errors
• Measurement drift
• Setup mistakes

The SOLT kit establishes the VNA error correction. A check standard independently verifies the calibrated measurement system.

Recalibration of the TA346

Pico product code CC048 is the recalibration service for existing premium male or female SOLT kits.

The service applies to:

• TA346 premium PC3.5 male SOLT
• TA347 premium PC3.5 female SOLT

The existing kit must be returned to Pico after obtaining an RMA number. Updated calibration data is supplied on USB memory.

Recalibration may be considered when:

• The laboratory calibration interval has expired
• The kit has undergone frequent mating cycles
• Measurement verification shows unexpected deviation
• Internal quality procedures require renewed traceability
• Connector condition is uncertain
• The kit has been transported frequently
• The standards are used for reference measurements

Compatible Instruments

The TA346 can be used with:

• PicoVNA 106
• PicoVNA 108
• Compatible 50 Ω third-party vector network analysers
• Measurement systems supporting characterised PC3.5 or SMA standards

The selected measurement range must remain within the kit’s 300 kHz to 8.5 GHz characterisation range.

Applications

The Pico TA346 is suitable for:

• Vector network analyser calibration
• RF filter testing
• Amplifier characterisation
• Antenna measurements
• Cable and connector analysis
• Coupler and splitter testing
• PCB transmission-line measurements
• Matching-network development
• Wireless module testing
• Cellular component validation
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth development
• GNSS measurements
• RF production testing
• Network metrology
• Measurement assurance
• Research laboratories
• Engineering education
• Precision reference calibration