Time Domain Analysis Using a Network Analyzer

Time domain analysis is useful for measuring impedance values along a transmission line and for identifying a device problem in time or distance such as discontinuity.The time domain testing result provides a more intuitive and direct look about the characteristics of the device-under-test(DUT).Compared with other measuring techniques,it gives more meaningful information concerning the broadband response of a transmission system by showing the effect of each discontinuity as a function of time or distance.This paper will focus on the time domain analysis using the vector network analyzers(VNAs).The intent is to provide engineers with frequency domain background and an in-depth view of how a time domain display is created from the frequency domain data(S-parameters)and how to apply the time domain display to common problems in RF systems.