TAPR / Ten-Tec VNA Software Updates

 

You can check whether your current version is the most recent by looking at the build number in the about menu and comparing it to this list.

 

Make sure to ‘REFRESH’ this page in your browser to display the latest version (otherwise you may see an older cached version).

 

If you would like to download the software, right-click the appropriate link, and select “Save Target As …”   to save to your computer.

 

 

 

Date:           March 8, 2010

 

Package

Date

Status

Version

.NET runtime

Windows Setup

Win98, ME, 2000, NT

Windows Setup XP

[32 bit OS only]

Windows Setup Vista, Win 7

[ 32 bit OS only ]

Instruction Manual

Vector Network Analyzer

March 7, 2010

ALPHA

3.1.1

2.0

Version 3.1 cannot run on Windows 98/ME/2000/NT

 

3.1.3718.19694

 

XP: Download then unzip the files. Run by double-clicking the setup.exe file.

 

 

3.1.3718.19694

 

Vista / Win 7: Download then unzip the files. DO NOT double-click setup.exe. 

 

Instead RIGHT-CLICK setup.exe and select “Run as Administrator…”

 

Driver files are also installed in the ./TAPR/VNA/Drivers

directory.

 

ALPHA: Not tested on Vista / Win 7. See release note below.

Instruction Manual Issue 6 (Preliminary)

September 27, 2008

BETA

2.1.6

2.0

2.1.3192.40899

 

February 4, 2007

Release

2.0

2.0

2.0.2591.24355

 

Instruction Manual Issue 5

August 13, 2006

Release

1.6

1.1

1.6.2416.21766

 

Instruction Manual Issue 4

Signal Generator

August 8, 2008

Release

2.0

2.0

2.0

 

 

January 4, 2006

Release

1.1

1.1

1.1

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

September 30, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

VNA FAQ

 

 

Release Notes

 

Vector Network Analyzer                 Release 2.0.2591.24355          Executable name: VNAR3

 

Latest stable release.

 

Vector Network Analyzer                 Alpha 3.1.3718.19694             Executable name: VNAR3

 

Installation under Windows XP is automatically handled by the installer (same as before).

 

Windows Vista and Windows 7 do not allow the direct installation of XP-compatible device drivers. Workarounds exist to indirectly install the device drivers. For full instructions on the options, read the Microsoft article:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927524

Another copy of the device drivers is installed in ./TAPR/VNA/Drivers (or wherever you chose to install).

 

3.1.1 Fixes an error that prevents Instrument Calibration from running successfully.

Adds a new Fixture calibration mode: “Log”.  The default mode is still “Linear”. This refers the frequency spacing between calibration points. “Linear” spaces the points about 117 KHz apart across the entire instrument range of 200 KHz – 120 MHz. “Log” mode spaces them about 0.1% apart. Existing fixture cal files are forwards-compatible, the software knows that they were taken in linear mode. The new Log mode gives a much closer cal spacing at lower frequencies, and wider cal spacing at higher frequencies. Linear mode has coarse Q handling at low frequencies and very fine Q handling at high frequencies. The Log mode provides the ability to compensate for fixture resonances of about the same Q across the entire frequency range. The Log mode is useful for example to compensate for a high-pass filter used to reject strong AM-broadcast-band interference during measurements.

 

3.0.0 Is functionally equivalent to version 2.1.6. except for the directories where it stores the instrument calibration file and where the user application configuration is stored, and the command-line argument processor no longer prepends the installation directory. These changes are needed for compatibility with Windows Vista and Windows 7.  It has been compiled with VS2008. It has been tested under Windows XP – both Administrative and Non-Administrative user. MS documentation indicates this should make it OK for Vista and Win 7. I do not have the capability to test with either of these operating systems, thus the ALPHA status designation.

 

If you download and are able to successfully operate with Vista or Win 7 – please send an email to:  n5eg@tapr.org letting me know which OS, and whether you were running as administrative or non-administrative user.  Once it’s been verified on Vista / Win 7, the status can be upgraded from ALPHA.

 

Version 3 and later cannot target Windows 98, ME, 2000, or NT because support for those operating systems was dropped by Microsoft from the Visual Studio 2008 toolset.

 

 

Vector Network Analyzer                 Beta  2.1.3192.40899              Executable name: VNAR3

 

2.1.6 (build 3192.40899) adds detection of an apparent unshielded S21 receive measurement. Because the VNA uses a broadband detector, if the device under test is not well shielded an external interference source can contaminate S21 measurements at all frequencies rather than just near the frequency of the interfering source. A caution note is placed on the screen when showing S21 measurements if the receive detector appears to be detecting excess noise ingress.

 

2.1.5 (build 3181.21991) adds a menu item to change the background color. This may be useful if you want to capture screenshots directly from the CRT for use as a graphic in some other document or application and the color your system [Inactive::Captiontext] has chosen doesn’t show up well.

 

Additionally, a power-saving mode has been added to the target code. This powers down the I- and Q- DAC multipliers in the VNA hardware when it is not sweeping, and re-enables them for each sweep. This results in a significant power reduction of the DDS chip when idle. If the instrument is continually sweeping it won’t make as much difference. The VNA still puts out full-strength signal after it’s done with a sweep at the last swept frequency (handy as a quick signal generator).

 

2.1.4 (build 3150.38355) adds another Export CSV Rectangular menu item to allow two options:

Export CSV Rectangular (North American format), and

Export CSV Rectangular (European format).

 

The North American/UK, and European versions of Excel use different CSV file separator characters. The two menu items allows generating files compatible with either version.

 

2.1.3 (build 3141.37297) improves exception handling, provides anti-aliasing of traces on the display, and slightly improved graphics updating (fewer screen redraws). This assembly includes a ‘strong name’ as a security enhancement. The program assembly is digitally signed using a private key. The public key used to check the signature validity is included within the assembly. The Microsoft loader will automatically validate the signature, if it’s OK the application will launch normally, if the signature check fails, the application will abort immediately with an ‘this application has encountered an error’ box. This check helps protect against bit-level changes or alterations of the executable file.

 

2.1.3 (build 3069.24376) very slightly improves the detector calibration convergence. Not worth updating unless you have problems with 2.1.2 or earlier converging.

 

2.1.2 (build 3053.25751) adds 0.5 dB/division display setting, and reorganizes the vertical menu into several sub menus to save screen height. It creates a new file version (1.0.5) for the saved measurement file, but can read (1.0.4) as well.

 

2.1.1 Added R+jX display modes.

 

2.1.x is a BETA Version of software. It requires that a new Detector Calibration be run. Detector Calibration is compatible with the different 2.1 beta versions, so you will only need to run it again if you get an error message. The possibility exists that the detector calibration may not converge for every unit, but I’ve not received any errors lately. If your 1meter cal cable is less than ~ 0.9 meters long, it might not converge.

 

Vector Network Analyzer                 Release 1.6.2416.21766          Executable name: VNAR3

 

Older release.

 

Signal Generator Software              Release 2.0                             Executable name: SGENR2

 

August 8 update provides a ‘strong name’ of the assembly as a security enhancement. No functional changes from the January 31 update.

 

January 31 update changes the Installer to fix incorrect prerequisite (executable is unchanged). Ported to NET 2.0.  Fixes a bug where the phase meter had a 180 degree error (sign flip). Also adds the ability to compensate for the VNA internal crystal oscillator error. The oscillator still drifts with temperature, but this cal reduces the fixed error a lot. The existing SGEN data file is not compatible, and the application will warn to reset the external / internal and oscillator compensation options. The new version is called SGENR2, the old one was called SGENR1.

 

Signal Generator Software              Release 1.1                             Executable name: SGENR1

 

Older Release. Lower frequency limit decreased down to 2,000 Hz. There is a high-pass pole at 50 KHz, so the output level starts decreasing (by 3 dB) at 50 KHz. The output waveform becomes very distorted below 25 KHz.