When thinking of RF/microwave test-and-measurement equipment, bulky benchtop instruments are what often come to mind. However, some manufacturers are now offering smaller, portable test instruments. One company that is known for building test instruments in small sizes is Copper Mountain Technologies, which specializes in vector network analyzers (VNAs). One of the company’s product lines currently on the market is the Cobalt series of VNAs. Copper Mountain also offers a product line of 1-port VNAs which, in its own words, delivers “lab-grade performance in a handheld device.”
The company was kind enough to loan me an R180 1-port VNA, the newest addition to the 1-port VNA product line. Introduced earlier this year, the R180 covers a frequency range of 1 MHz to 18 GHz. It is well suited for both cable and antenna measurements, among other use cases. Material testing is another specific usage of note.