PicoVNA Interface Wizard for NI AWR
Design Environment – User’s Guide
pv-awr-ug-1 Copyright © 2019 Pico Technology. All rights reserved. 1/2
1 Introduction
The PicoVNA 106 Wizard for NI AWR is an application from Pico Technology that allows you to use
the PicoVNA 106 6 GHz vector network analyzer with AWR Design Environment (AWRDE).
2 Installing the application
Before installing, check that your system has the following:
1. Microsoft Windows .NET 4.5 or later
2. PicoVNA 2.17 or later
3. AWR Microwave Office 14 or later
To install, follow these steps:
1. Download the installer from Pico Technology. The file will be named
PicoVNAWizard_<version number>.exe.
2. Run the installer.
3. Accept any requests made by the installer and allow it to complete.
If successful, the installer will add PicoVNA Wizard shortcuts to your desktop and to the Pico
Technology folder in your Windows Start menu.
3 Using the application
1. Run PicoVNA 2 to set up your PicoVNA 106. Calibrate the device, set up your required
measurement, and save the configuration as a calibration and settings file.
2. Close PicoVNA 2.
3. Open the Windows Start menu and run the PicoVNA Interface Wizard. This will start the NI AWRDE
if it is not already running.
4. The wizard opens at the PicoVNA tab:
Check that the wizard shows the PicoVNA 106 part number and
serial number. This means that the program has successfully
connected to the device.
5. Click Load Settings and navigate to the file that you saved in
Step 1.
6. Select a 1-Port or a 2-Port measurement. (If the calibration and
settings file contains 1-port data, you will only be able to select the
1-Port option.) The Wizard automatically imports the system
impedance (Z
0
) from the settings file.
7. Check the boxes for the S-parameters that you wish to see plotted
within this tab.
8. Click Capture. Once data has been captured, the wizard will show
plots of the selected S-parameters. The blue traces are magnitude (in dB, on the left axis) and the
magenta traces are phase (in degrees, on the right axis). You can resize the PicoVNA Interface
wizard to show larger or smaller plots.
9. Once you have captured acceptable data, you can save the measured data to a file. The wizard
saves it in Touchstone (.SnP) format, with DB, MA or RI data format.
PicoVNA Interface Wizard for NI AWR
Design Environment – User’s Guide
pv-awr-ug-1 Copyright © 2019 Pico Technology. All rights reserved. 2/2
10. Click the MWO Datafile tab. This allows you to transfer data (in DB
format) to the AWRDE:
The Project Data Files list shows all files available in the AWRDE.
Once you have captured data, the selected file can be updated in
the AWRDE.
11. If you check the New Data File box, the AWRDE will use the
filename entered in the new filename box. If the file already exists,
the AWRDE will save a new file with a serial number appended to
the name.
If you add a File Comment, it will appear in the Touchstone header.
12. If your DUT is a passive component, using the Passive Component
tab will allow you to add a 0 Hz (DC) point to the data file
transferred to the AWRDE. This can be useful when characterizing
bias chokes for instance, where the DC resistance is important for
the simulation of the bias conditions of an amplifier. The available
options for the 0 Hz data are Ideal Open/Short/Thru and real
resistance. For a 2-port measurement, the wizard assumes a series
component and for 1 port a shunt component to ground.
13. If your DUT is an active component, click the Transistor tab. This
allows you to plot some figures of merit (FOMs) for the
component:
MSG: Maximum Stable Gain. Valid when K < 1.
K: Rollet Stability Factor. For stability, it is necessary
but not sufficient that K > 1.
B1: Another stability factor similar to K.
Should be > 0 for stability.
MAG: Maximum Available Gain (shown on plots as GMax).
Valid only when K > 1.
4 Troubleshooting
If you see NO VNA! in the device information box, it is likely that PicoVNA 2 is still running or has not
been shut down cleanly. The Load Settings button will not respond until this problem has been
corrected. Close PicoVNA 2 if it still running, and then restart the wizard. If the message appears again
or PicoVNA 2 is not still running, try switching the PicoVNA 106 off and on, and then restarting the
wizard.