Standard 8.5 GHz SOLT calibration kit (SMA male)

The Standard 8.5 GHz SOLT Calibration Kit with SMA Male Connectors, order code TA344, is a manually operated mechanical calibration kit for PicoVNA and compatible 50 Ω vector network analysers.

The kit includes:

• SMA male short standard
• SMA male open standard
• SMA male 50 Ω load standard
• SMA male through adaptor
• Four-piece, five-port construction
• 300 kHz to 8.5 GHz characterisation
• Serial-number-specific traceable calibration data
• Tight-tolerance stainless steel connectors
• Protective carrying case

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

Standard-Grade Manual SOLT Calibration

SOLT calibration uses four known reference conditions:

• Short
• Open
• Load
• Through

During calibration, each mechanical standard is connected manually when requested by the VNA software.

The calibration allows the analyser to calculate corrections for systematic measurement errors such as:

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

The TA344 is not an electronic calibration module. It should not be described as USB-controlled, automatically switched or oven stabilised.

SMA Male Connector Configuration

The TA344 provides SMA male interfaces across its short, open, load and through standards.

It is suitable for measurement setups terminating in:

• SMA female test cables
• SMA female VNA port adaptors
• Female-ended RF fixtures
• Female connectorised devices
• Female calibration reference planes
• RF assemblies with female cable ends

The corresponding standard-grade female kit is the TA345.

The TA344 should not be described as having mixed male and female calibration ports. All five ports in the assembled SOLT kit are SMA male.

300 kHz to 8.5 GHz Frequency Coverage

The TA344 is characterised from 300 kHz to 8.5 GHz.

This frequency range supports VNA 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 equipment
• GNSS products
• RFID and IoT systems

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

Four-Piece, Five-Port Construction

Pico describes the TA344 as a four-piece, five-port SOLT kit.

The assembly consists of:

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

Together, these provide five SMA male RF connection ports.

The modular format allows the standards to be:

• Stored as one assembled unit
• Separated during calibration
• Inspected individually
• Cleaned and maintained
• Refurbished if one component becomes damaged
• Reused without replacing the complete kit

This construction is practical for laboratories where the standards are used regularly.

Serial-Number-Specific Calibration Data

Each TA344 kit is supplied with traceable calibration data linked to its individual serial number.

The data characterises the real frequency-dependent response of the:

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

This allows the VNA to compensate for non-ideal electrical behaviour, including:

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

The calibration data supplied for the individual TA344 should be used instead of generic or ideal standard definitions.

Standard-Grade Working Calibration Kit

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

Pico notes that calibration standards can be a major contributor to overall VNA measurement uncertainty. Some laboratories therefore use premium standards for reference work and standard-grade standards for regular calibration and transfer measurements.

Load Standard Performance

The TA344 load standard provides the following published return-loss performance:

Corrected return loss applies when the supplied serial-number-specific characterisation data is used during calibration.

The characterised load contributes to 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 infinite impedance. Its frequency-dependent capacitance, delay and connector response are represented in the supplied characterisation data.

Short Standard Performance

The short standard provides:

The supplied data accounts for the real delay, loss and inductive behaviour of the short standard.

Through-Adaptor Performance

The through adaptor provides:

• Maximum insertion loss of 0.25 dB
• Characterisation up to 8.5 GHz
• Two SMA male interfaces
• Serial-number-specific magnitude and phase data

It is used to calculate forward and reverse transmission corrections during two-port SOLT calibration.

Typical Manual Calibration Procedure

A normal two-port calibration process includes:

1. Allow the VNA, cables and calibration standards to reach a stable temperature.
2. Inspect and clean all SMA connectors.
3. Load the calibration data linked to the TA344 serial number.
4. Select the required two-port SOLT procedure.
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 recommended SMA connector torque.
10. Complete and save the calibration.
11. Verify the setup with a characterised check standard.
12. Connect the device under test without disturbing the calibrated cables.

The kit corrects systematic VNA errors, but final measurement quality also depends on test cables, connector condition, torque, cable movement and environmental stability.

Connector Care

SMA calibration standards require careful handling.

Recommended practices include:

• Inspecting connectors before each use
• Keeping protective caps fitted during storage
• Cleaning connectors using approved RF procedures
• Avoiding rotation of the standard body while tightening
• Using the recommended torque wrench
• Avoiding over-tightening
• Protecting the centre conductor
• Minimising unnecessary mating cycles

Connector wear, contamination or incorrect torque can increase measurement uncertainty even when the correct calibration data is applied.

Calibration Verification

A characterised check standard can be measured after calibration to verify the complete measurement setup.

Compatible Pico check standards include:

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

Verification can help identify:

• Incorrect calibration sequencing
• Connector contamination
• Damaged test cables
• Cable movement
• Incorrect torque
• Reference-plane errors
• Measurement drift
• Setup configuration mistakes

The TA344 establishes the VNA error correction, while a check standard independently evaluates the corrected measurement setup.

Compatible VNA Systems

The TA344 can be used with:

• PicoVNA 106
• PicoVNA 108
• Other compatible 50 Ω vector network analysers
• VNA software supporting characterised SMA male calibration standards

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

Applications

The Pico TA344 is suitable for:

• Vector network analyser calibration
• RF filter testing
• Amplifier characterisation
• Antenna measurements
• Cable and connector analysis
• Attenuator testing
• Coupler and splitter analysis
• PCB transmission-line measurements
• Matching-network development
• Wireless module testing
• Cellular component validation
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth development
• GNSS measurements
• RFID and IoT product testing
• Production-line RF testing
• Research laboratories
• University RF laboratories
• Engineering education
• Working-standard calibration
• Measurement assurance