The new standard in RF impedance
and material measurements.
Agilent
E4991A RF Impedance/
Material Analyzer
Technical Overview
Windows®-based user interface
• Windows®-based graphical user interface
(GUI) brings an intuitive view of
measurement settings and results.
• 8.4-inch TFT color LCD can display up to 5
traces (3 scalar and 2 complex parameters),
9 markers (1 reference marker and 8 markers),
and 801 sweep points.
High accuracy and adaptability
• Test head with 7 mm connector adapts
easily to various test fixtures.
• RF I-V technique enables highly accurate
measurements up to 3 GHz.
Versatile analysis functions
• Marker analysis and marker limit functions
reduce test time.
• Various test signals such as frequency, DC
bias and AC signal level are available.
• Equivalent circuit analysis function enables
easy modeling of components with 5
different multi-parameter models.
Built-in Visual Basic
®
for Applications (VBA)
programming function
• VBA offers easy
programming for
automation and
further detailed
analysis.
Data storage function
• Internal 31/2 - inch floppy disk drive and
hard disk drive are available.
• Store VBA program, calibration data,
and measurement data.
• CITIFILE format is supported for
automation tool users.
E4991A RF Impedance/
Material Analyzer
2
External VGA output
• Display measurement results on a
larger VGA monitor.
Parallel interface
• Support parallel interface printers.
External keyboard and mouse interface
• VBA programming made easy.
• Users can perform operations with a
mouse for more comfortable operation.
LAN interface
• Control other instruments or simplify
test-data sharing.
• Connect to a PC through remote user
interface software.
GPIB interface
• Controlled by external PC.
(cannot control external
instruments)
USB interface
• Control external instruments using the
82357A USB/GPIB interface.
• Support USB interface printers.
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Powerful Analysis
Functions to Meet
Your Needs
The Agilent E4991A RF impedance/
material analyzer provides a total
solution for making highly accurate,
repeatable and stable measurements
of surface mount devices (SMD)
and dielectric/magnetic materials.
Recent trends indicate that
wireless communications and
digital equipment operating
frequencies are getting higher,
while component sizes are getting
smaller. Component and equipment
manufacturing engineers need to
evaluate components they will be
using in their products under their
projected operating conditions.
The E4991A can evaluate passive
component's characteristics up to
3 GHz. Additionally, engineers must
measure SMDs as small as
0201(inch)/0603(mm).
Key Specifications
Agilent provides various test
fixtures for SMDs, designed to
help you obtain the impedance
parameters with high repeatability.
The E4991A offers impedance
measurement capabilities for
your needs today and into the
future.
• Accurate and versatile 3 GHz
impedance measurement
solution
• Analyze passive component
behavior
• Wide range of test fixtures
available
• PC connectivity features with
Windows®-based technology
Advanced Solution
for RF Impedance
and Material
Measurement
The E4991A provides a powerful
tool for component manufacturing
R&D engineers and circuit
designers of wireless and digital
equipment who want to evaluate
components from various perspectives. The following are
application examples:
Passive components
• RF impedance measurement
of chip components such as
ceramic capacitors, RF
inductors, ferrite beads, and
resistors
Semiconductors
• Capacitance-Voltage (C-V)
characteristics and
Equivalent Series Resistance
(ESR) measurements of
varactor diodes
Materials
• Permittivity and loss tangent
evaluation of plastics,
ceramics, printed circuit
boards and other dielectric
material
• Permeability and loss
tangent evaluation of ferrite,
amorphous and other
magnetic materials
Table 1. E4991A key specifications
E4991A RF Impedance/Material Analyzer
Operating frequency 1 MHz to 3 GHz (1 mHz resolution)
Impedance parameters |Z|, θZ, |Y|, θY, R, X, G, B, CS, CP, LS, LP, RP, RS, D, Q, |Γ|, θΓ, ΓX, Γ
Y
Material parameters
1
|εr|, εr’, εr", |µr|, µr’, µr", θ, tanδ
Basic impedance accuracy ±0.8%
Test port 7-mm connector
Sweep parameters Frequency, AC signal level, DC bias level
Calibration Open/short/50 Ω/low-loss capacitor
Fixture compensation Open/short, fixture electrical length
Mass storage 3
1
/2 -inch floppy disk drive (MS-DOS®format),
hard disk drive
Other features •Equivalent circuit analysis function
•Built-in VBA for internal programming
•Segment sweep
DC bias (Option E4991A-001)
DC level 0 V ~ ±40 V (1 mV resolution)
100 µA ~ 50 mA, –100 µA ~ –50 mA (10 µA resolution)
1. Option E4991A-002 is required
E4991A Provides
New Insights into RF
Passive Component
Behavior
The Agilent E4991A's enhanced
frequency coverage up to 3 GHz
is compatible with wireless
communication applications such
as W-CDMA, BluetoothTM, and
Wireless LAN. The E4991A’s wide
impedance coverage and versatile
measurement functions allow
analysis of RF chip inductors and
capacitors under actual operating
conditions. A wide range of test
fixturing solutions makes tiny
chip device measurements even
easier.
Quality Factor (Q) and
Equivalent Series Resistance
(ESR) are critical parameters for
the components used in mobile
communication equipment. Q and
ESR measurements require high
accuracy. Prior to the E4991A,
there was not a good solution
available over 2 GHz. The E4991A
offers much improved Q and ESR
accuracy over traditional network
analyzers; due to the enhanced
RF I-V technique that measures
voltage and current at the device
under test (DUT), along with the
innovative low-loss capacitor
calibration.
Table 3 provides a brief summary
of the key differences between
Agilent E4991A and network
analyzers.
Low-loss capacitor
calibration
The low-loss capacitor calibration of the E4991A improves
phase measurement accuracy,
which establishes a reference to
the reactance axis (-90 degrees)
in the impedance plane with its
near-zero resistance. Capacitors
and inductors are measured
close to the reactance axis in
the impedance plane, making
low-loss capacitance calibration
very effective for ESR and Q
measurements. (See Figure 1)
Figure 1. Ls-Q characteristics of a chip inductor
Table 3. Comparison of key characteristics of E4991A and network analyzers
E4991A Network analyzers
Device type 1 port devices such as inductors, 2 port devices such as filters,
capacitors, and others. amplifiers, and others.
Measurement |Z|, |Y|, θ, R, X, G, B, C, L, S-parameters, Γ, θ
parameters R, D, Q, Γ
Sweep • Frequency • Frequency
parameter • Test signal level • Test signal level
setting • DC bias voltage
• DC bias current
Fixturing • Selection from various * Prepare custom test fixture or
Agilent test fixtures use Agilent channel partner
• Built-in fixture compensation solution
function (Accuracy enhancement
at DUT connection)
Impedance • Accurate high Q device • Accurate impedance
measurement measurement due to low loss measurement around 50 Ω
accuracy capacitor calibration
• Accurate measurement over
non-50 Ω impedance
Other Equivalent circuit analysis function
Table 2. Q measurement accuracy (Typical)
4
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In-depth Device
Characterization
Intuitive graphical user
interface
The 8.4-inch color LCD with
Windows-based GUI brings an
intuitive view of measurement
settings and results. The E4991A
can display up to 3 scalar
and 2 complex parameters
simultaneously.
Figure 2 shows a measurement
result of a chip bead. You can
observe the |Z|, R and X parameters on the display at same time.
You can also assign each measurement trace in a separate window.
Windows-styled GUI brings the
added benefits of mouse operation
to the E4991A. Simply drag the
mouse over the area you are
interested in and you can zoom
in quickly and easily. (See Figure 3)
Figure 2. Flexible measurement trace assignment
Figure 3. Mouse operation example
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