Time domain reflectometry step to S-parameter conversion

1. A method for measuring s-parameters of a device under test (DUT), comprising:

automatically setting, by a network analyzer, switches of a fixture to:

(a) connect a driven port of the fixture to a first DUT port, while the driven port of the fixture is connected to a first pulser and a first sampler, and

(b) connect an un-driven port of the fixture to a second DUT port, while the un-driven port of the fixture is connected to a second sampler;

sending a first pulse through the driven port of the fixture, using the first pulser, while the driven port of the fixture is connected to the first DUT port and the un-driven port of the fixture is connected to the second DUT port;

acquiring, in response to sending the first pulse through the driven port of the fixture:

(c) a first reflected waveform at the driven port of the fixture, using the first sampler, while the driven port of the fixture remains connected to the first DUT port, and

(d) a first through waveform at the un-driven port of the fixture, using the second sampler, while the un-driven port of the fixture remains connected to the second DUT port;

automatically setting, by the network analyzer, switches of the fixture to:

(e) connect the driven port of the fixture to the second DUT port, while the driven port of the fixture is connected to the first pulser and the first sampler, and

(f) connect the un-driven port of the fixture to the first DUT port, while the un-driven port of the fixture is connected to the second sampler;

sending a second pulse through the driven port of the fixture, using the first pulser, while the driven port of the fixture is connected to the second DUT port and the un-driven port of the fixture is connected to the first DUT port;

acquiring, in response to sending the second pulse through the driven port of the fixture:

(g) a second reflected waveform at the driven port of the fixture, using the first sampler, while the driven port of the fixture remains connected to the second DUT port, and

(h) a second through waveform at the un-driven port of the fixture, using the second sampler, while the un-driven port of the fixture remains connected to the first DUT port;

calculating, by the network analyzer, s-parameters of the device under test in accordance with the first reflected waveform, the first through waveform, the second reflected waveform, and the second through waveform that were acquired using the first pulser, the first sampler, and the second sampler.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically setting switches of the fixture includes setting switches in the fixture automatically and sequentially according to a sequence table.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network analyzer calculates the s-parameters of the device under test in accordance with the first reflected waveform, the first through waveform, the second reflected waveform, and the second through waveform using the first pulser as an only pulser, and using multiple samplers, including the first sampler and the second sampler.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pulse and the second pulse are each a step or an impulse.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first reflected waveform includes a time domain reflectometry step;

the first through waveform includes a time domain transmission step;

the second reflected waveform includes a time domain reflectometry step; and

the second through waveform includes a time domain transmission step.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising acquiring, in response to sending the first pulse through the driven port of the fixture, a third through waveform at a second un-driven port of the fixture, using a third sampler, while the second un-driven port of the fixture remains connected to a third DUT port; and

wherein calculating, by the network analyzer, s-parameters of the device under test is performed further in accordance with the third through waveform.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein acquiring the first reflected waveform at the driven port of the fixture includes measuring an incident step followed by a reflected step, and separating the incident step from the reflected step.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating, by the network analyzer, s-parameters of the device under test is performed using s-parameters of the fixture.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculated s-parameters of the device under test by the network analyzer are causal.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculated s-parameters of the device under test by the network analyzer are reciprocal.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculated s-parameters of the device under test by the network analyzer are passive.

12. A network analyzer configured to measure s-parameters of a device under test (DUT), the network analyzer comprising:

a first pulser;

a first sampler;

a second sampler;

a fixture including:

a driven port that is connected to the first pulser and the first sampler,

an un-driven port that is connected to the second sampler, and

switches to switch the driven port and the un-driven port between a first DUT port and a second DUT port;

a control to automatically set switches of the fixture to:

(a) connect the driven port of the fixture between the first DUT port and the second DUT port, and

(b) connect the un-driven port of the fixture between the first DUT port and the second DUT port;

a control system to:

(c) send a first pulse through the driven port of the fixture, using the first pulser, while the driven port of the fixture is connected to the first DUT port and the un-driven port of the fixture is connected to the second DUT port, and

(d) send a second pulse through the driven port of the fixture, using the first pulser, while the driven port of the fixture is connected to the second DUT port and the un-driven port of the fixture is connected to the first DUT port;

a consumption and calculation system to:

(e) acquire, in response to sending the first pulse through the driven port of the fixture:

(i) a first reflected waveform at the driven port of the fixture, using the first sampler, while the driven port of the fixture remains connected to the first DUT port, and

(ii) a first through waveform at the un-driven port of the fixture, using the second sampler, while the un-driven port of the fixture remains connected to the second DUT port, and

(f) acquire, in response to sending the second pulse through the driven port of the fixture:

(iii) a second reflected waveform at the driven port of the fixture, using the first sampler, while the driven port of the fixture remains connected to the second DUT port, and

(iv) a second through waveform at the un-driven port of the fixture, using the second sampler, while the un-driven port of the fixture remains connected to the first DUT port;

(g) calculate s-parameters of the device under test in accordance with the first reflected waveform, the first through waveform, the second reflected waveform, and the second through waveform that were acquired using the first pulser, the first sampler, and the second sampler.