Could someone please check if this is a valid Touchstone .s2p file

[drkirkby]

I've got an HP 8720D VNA, and have written my own code in C to grab data from the instrument. I suspect writing data in the format of a Touchstone .s2p file is most logical for a 2-port VNA, as .s2p is the format likely to be used if exchanging data with other software.

I wrote some C code based on the draft specification of a Touchstone .s2p file, with that idea that if at a later date I want to share that with someone, or other software, it would be the best format. However, I do not have any software able to read or write a Touchstone file, so I have no idea if my code is working properly or not.

The attached file is one I created while measuring all 4 S-parameters of a 3 dB N attenuator. Could some kind sole please check if this file looks reasonable and can be read by software which reads a touchstone file. Ideally I'd like to be sure several programs can read it, but any one person is unlikly to have access to lots of bits of software able to read Touchstone files.


Dave

 

[volker_muehlhaus]

Dave, the file is correct and loads properly.

 

[drkirkby]

Dave, the file is correct and loads properly.

Thank you. What software did you use to load it?

Dave

 

[volker_muehlhaus]

What software did you use to load it?

I checked with the Sonnet EM data display , and also double checked the file syntax.

 

[drkirkby]

I checked with the Sonnet EM data display , and also double checked the file syntax.

Thank you. Am I correcting in assuming you are using the Windows version of Sonnet?

I was a bit worried if the fact I wrote the code on a Sun SPARC workstation running Solaris (i.e. a Unix system) would cause any issues with PC based software, due to the Unix standard of using a LF as the end of line termination character while Windows using both a carriage return and a line feed.

I never gave any thought to trying the "lite" versions of programs like Sonnet. I somewhat doubt the "lite" versions would support import of .s2p files, but perhaps I am wrong.

Dave

 

[volker_muehlhaus]

I was a bit worried if the fact I wrote the code on a Sun SPARC workstation running Solaris (i.e. a Unix system) would cause any issues with PC based software, due to the Unix standard of using a LF as the end of line termination character while Windows using both a carriage return and a line feed.

Now that many EDA software runs on both Linux and Windows, it's common to accept both ways. But you are right, some software might be picky about that.

I never gave any thought to trying the "lite" versions of programs like Sonnet. I somewhat doubt the "lite" versions would support import of .s2p files, but perhaps I am wrong.

Yes, you are wrong. The result viewer in the Lite version can display Touchstone files as well.

 

[drkirkby]

Now that many EDA software runs on both Linux and Windows, it's common to accept both ways. But you are right, some software might be picky about that.

That was one of my concerns. The other of course initially was that I'd mis-interpreted the specification.

Yes, you are wrong. The result viewer in the Lite version can display Touchstone files as well.

Oh well, it is nice to be wrong some times! I'll download the Lite version of Sonnet.

Thank you very much for your help.

Dave

 

[biff44]

it works on agilent genesys

 

[drkirkby]

it works on agilent genesys

Thank you very much. Given it works with a couple of Windows based pieces software, I guess it is fairly likely to work with others, and I wrote the file on Solaris, so it should be usable by Linux software.

Dave