Wich equipment for designing you using up to 10GHz? Spectrum/network analyzers...

[Terminator3]

Is there any good and cheap solutions? I saw photos in old magazines, where S parameter drawn on Smith chart using old-tube display up to 20GHz, some old network analyzer? It would be interesting to hear what can be used nowdays, and what are approximate piece prices. Fro example, to build up an 10GHz laboratory, how much money would you spent. Maybe some kind of most popular RF equipment list exists on the internet.

And what minimum equipment requirements to get good result?

1. It looks like most useful thing is network analyzer. Maybe many papers come out this way: somebody played with network analyzer, then wrote clever theory paper with foolish incomplete theory. It is powerful thing, wich works even when incomplete theories does not.
2. Frequency counter. Can use cheap one with prescaler IC, or replace with DIY frequency counter

Less realistic:

3. Spectrum analyzer: can find problem with harmonics, spurs. And also if it can show waveform, analyze modulation.
Too expensive. To find 2*F harmonics need 2*F spectrum analyzer, wich is not 2x expensive, maybe 10x or 100x expensive.
Can analyze amplitude, phase noise.
Maybe can be "replaced" with reference RF source of known power and compare test board power to it in some simple way.

Materials:
read about many difficulties with SMA-connectors. Wrong connector gives bad measurement. But if found few good connectors i think they can be reused on many test boards.

 

[biff44]

well u are going to need lab equipment that at least goes to 10 GHz. An old 8566B spectrum analyzer can sometimes be had for $1000. The trick is to get one that is in or close to being in cal (and with a screen that u can still read). 8720A network analyzers go for maybe $6000 on ebay. U will need a signal source, a 8672A will set up back maybe $1000-1500, and is rock solid acting like a local oscillator, etc. A nice HP detector diode for $50 can measure amplitudes up to 18 GHz, An old power meter and power meter head will set u back $500 and are pretty much essential (if u can spring for it, there are fairly cheap NEW usb style power meters out there)

Old gear will be ...funky. Sometimes hard to get the data off the screen into your computer. but...it will get u started, and u can always rent for a month or so something better if there is a specific need.

 

[jiripolivka]

All depends on what you intend to do. If you want to develop and manufacture professional products, you should buy new and modern equipment, calibrated to NIST standards, otherwise you cannot compete with others.
If you want to play with your projects, then you could cooperate with a university group having such instruments. Otherwise you can rent modern instruments but it is more expensive than you think.
If you are a radio amateur and want to do a reasonable work, find a microwave group or enthusiasts, maybe they can share their instruments and knowledge.