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.
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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 [ 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 |
XP:
Download then unzip the files. Run by double-clicking the setup.exe file. |
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 |
|
|
September 27, 2008 |
BETA |
2.1.6 |
2.0 |
|
||||
|
February 4, 2007 |
Release |
2.0 |
2.0 |
|
||||
|
August 13, 2006 |
Release |
1.6 |
1.1 |
|
||||
|
Signal Generator |
August 8, 2008 |
Release |
2.0 |
2.0 |
|
|
||
|
January 4, 2006 |
Release |
1.1 |
1.1 |
|
|
|||
|
Frequently Asked
Questions |
September 30, 2008 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
If you download and are able to successfully operate
with
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.