A guide to the NanoVNA

By

Christoph Schwärzler, OE1CGS

Maximilian Schwärzler, OE1SML

To Agnieszka,
a patient wife
and a loving mother.
 First Edition
Copyright 2020 © Christoph and Maximilian Schwärzler
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and
retrieval systems, without written permission from the authors, except in the
case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical
articles or in a review.
Trademarked names appear throughout this book. Rather than use a
trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, names are
used in an editorial fashion, with no intention of infringement of the
respective owner's trademark.
The information in this book is distributed on an "as is" basis, without
warranty. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of
this work, neither the authors nor the publisher shall have any liability to any
person or entity concerning any loss or damage caused or alleged to be
caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book.
 Contents
Why you should read this book
One: Hardware
Two: Firmware
Three: Calibration
Four: Software
Five: Use cases for the NanoVNA
Closing remarks
 Why you should read this book
So, you want to buy a NanoVNA. Maybe you just bought one and
realized that there is no manual in the box? Probably you are hearing
rumours about this cheap and tiny gadget and are wondering what you could
do with it.

In all these cases, this "how-to" guide provides answers and assistance. It
gives an overview of the currently available hard-, firm- and software and it
shows in a detailed and structured way, how to start using this fascinating
tool. There is also info about typical applications for the NanoVNA and how
to tackle them.

In fact, the NanoVNA is a very capable, precision measurement device

at a really low price. It can replace the occasional use of up to three bulky
instruments on your workbench and fits in the palm of your hand. Use cases
include measuring inductance, complex antenna impedance, chokes, gain,
and attenuation, align filters and find defects in coax cables, to name just
very few.

This book is written for the practitioner and you will not find a lot of
math inside. If you read this book, you are most probably a ham radio
hobbyist or even professionally enclined with high-frequency electronics.
Maybe studying EE or just best friend to a soldering iron. This book is four
you!

Chapter One explains the concept of a vector network analyzer (VNA),

gives info about the evolution of the NanoVNA and about currently
marketed hardware. For the potential buyer, it will be interesting to read
about differences in devices and how to buy. Sometimes small modifications
make sense and at the end of this chapter, these are discussed in detail.

After having read through chapter Two about the firmware you will
know about the various charts and how to read them and be able to control
the NanoVNA as a standalone device. You will also learn how you can
upgrade the firmware.
 Before getting any reliable results, the NanoVNA needs to be calibrated.
Chapter Three shows why and how.

Although the NanoVNA can be used standalone, there are cases when it
is useful to connect it to a computer, tablet or smartphone. Chapter Four
gives an overview of the available software and their respective features.

In the final chapter Five, we will show examples of common use cases
for the NanoVNA. This is hands-on and shall give the reader guidance for
the first experiments and food for thought for own work.

Technology is evolving fast, and so is the NanoVNA. This book was

finished in December 2019. It reflects the status of available hard-, firm- and
software at this time.
 One: Hardware
1. Vector Network Analyzer

This section deals with the fundamentals of vector network analyzers and
can be skipped safely by anybody familiar with the concept.

As the name already implies, the NanoVNA is a vector network

analyzer. Such a device must not be confused with any type of computer
network tool but is a sophisticated piece of hardware for measuring high-
frequency behavior of electronic systems, e.g. antennas, cables, inductors,
filters, and attenuators to name just a few. High frequency is a very general
expression, too. Concerning the NanoVNA, this starts somewhat short of
one hundred thousand Hertz and goes up to more than one Gigahertz. Some
professional (and significantly more expensive) VNAs are capable of
measuring even higher frequencies. By behavior, we mean physical
parameters related to electronics like complex resistance and phase shifting.

Two features distinguish a VNA from many other tools you probably
have used already. Number one, it measures amplitude and phase thus
providing complex numbers (hence the name vector) for most of the
measured parameters. Put differently: a VNA measures real as well as
imaginary parts of electrical features. Some readers will be familiar with this
concept because they already use vector antenna analyzers to optimize their
antennas. These give the antenna impedance as Z = R+jX instead of |Z| only,
like scalar antenna analyzers do. Feature number two is the fact, that VNAs
have (at least) two high-frequency connectors or ports, in tech lingo. Now,
this is different from an antenna analyzer, so let us have a closer look.

Radio waves are electromagnetic waves, just like visible light.

Accordingly and just for a moment, we will use optics to investigate the
measurement principle. The following figure shows an experimental setup to
measure an optical device such as a lens or a plain piece of glass. This piece
is generally called the device under test or DUT. We will frequently use this
abbreviation later on.
 Fig. 1: Optical measurement

From the left side, light is shed upon the DUT. When this incident light
hits the DUT, part of it is reflected and part is transmitted through. If the
intensity of the incident light is known, and the reflected as well as the
transmitted intensity is measured, the DUT is well characterized with
regards to its optical features. The reflected light tells a lot about the
air/DUT interface and the transmitted light about the translucence of the
DUT.

The same holds true for radio frequencies. The following figure shows a
typical VNA setup.

Fig. 2: RF measurement

Now it gets clear, why a VNA needs two ports. Through one (the left one
in figure 2) the incident HF-signal is emitted towards the DUT and at the
same time, the reflected signal is measured. Through the other port, the
transmitted signal is measured. Both ports measure amplitude as well as
phase, see above.
 This is exactly how the NanoVNA works. Port 1, marked “CH0” on the
NanoVNA acts as the output of the incident signal (hence it is also marked
“TX”) as well as measurement port for the reflected signal and port 2,
marked “CH1” (and “RX”) receives the portion of the signal which went
“through” the DUT.

To be precise, this is only half of the story. Looking at figures 1 and 2 it

is clear, that the incident signal can also emit from the right side instead from
the left side. Now reflected would be on the right side, too and transmitted
on the left. The DUT would be inspected from the other side. Only now, a
complete characterization of the DUT would be achievable. Many
professional VNAs do perform this two-way characterization. Still, it is
possible to measure two-way with the NanoVNA. Just measure twice,
turning the DUT manually around between. This is not 100% the same as a
real two-way process but gets very close. However, in most cases, a one-way
measurement is all you will need.

Finally, let's briefly talk about S-parameters (scatter parameters). These

are the mathematical representation of the reflection and transmission
characteristics of a DUT. S-parameters typically bear two indices, and the
convention is that the first index is the measurement port and the second
index the port where the incident signal is provided.

S11 = Measured at port 1, incident from port 1 (i.e. Reflection)

S21 = Measured at port 2, incident from port 1 (i.e. Transmission)

Given that the NanoVNA only provides a signal at port 1 (CH0), the two
above are the only ones that you will encounter on this device.

Professional VNAs often will also measure S22 (Reflection from port 2
backward) and S12 (Transmission from port 2 back to port 1).

A complete set of S-parameters will bear all relevant information about

the DUT in a mathematical form and can be processed by specialized
simulation software like SPICE or RF-Sim. Files containing this information
are created by the NanoVNA in connection with software like NanoVNA
Saver as we will see in chapter Four.
 If you want to dig deeper into S-parameters we recommend Application
Note 95-1 “S-Parameter Techniques” by Hewlett-Packard.

2. History of the NanoVNA

The current design of the NanoVNA and the name was created several
years ago by a Japanese ham under the pseudonym “edy555”. His first
design ideas with a different DDS (frequency generator) seem to date back
to 2013, but the current design with a significantly reduced parts count and
based on the Si5351A was published by him in 2016.

Edy555 himself references a German kit, the VNWA3 which was based
on the concept of using a cheap computer soundcard, published by Tom
Baier, DG8SAQ in the Mar/Apr 2007 issue of QEX ("A Low Budget Vector
Network Analyzer for AF to UHF").

In the summer of 2016, edy555 announced to produce the NanoVNA,

which was apparently done afterwards, but the kits were predominantly sold
in Japan. Edy555 was also involved in the original firmware and continues
to support the firmware (see chapter Two). He decided to open-source
hardware and firmware to avoid bad clones, which undoubtedly was key to
future development and the current popularity of the NanoVNA.

It was not until a Chinese ham, Gen Hu (pseudonym ''hugen'') adapted

the design slightly by changing the power supply and started to mass market
the NanoVNA, that the device created international interest. In agreement
with Edy555, hugen sells his product under the name NanoVNA-H. Hugen
also runs his version of the firmware.

As of today, several companies started to sell the NanoVNA with only

minor design differences. We will talk about those in the next section.

There is also a spin-off design with a larger 4'' screen, called the
NanoVNA-F. Running on a different microprocessor, the NanoVNA-F also
needs different firmware. This device is marketed and readily available too,
but comes with a significantly higher price tag of about 130 € (150 US$).
 3. Hardware versions

All currently sold versions of the NanoVNA are based on edy555s

design concept with hugens modification. The following block diagram
shows the operating principle.

Fig. 3: Block diagram

A Si5351A clock generator is controlled by the Cortex MCU and

provides the measurement frequency. It also generates a slightly (5 kHz)
different mixing signal which is provided to all mixers. The measurement
signal goes directly to one of the three mixers (SA602A), which after mixing
with the mixing signal to the audio band, produces the reference signal in the
form of I and Q signals. Those signals bear all the information about the
amplitude and phase needed for further processing. They are fed to one
channel of the soundcard chip AIC3204. The measurement signal also enters
a bridge, via which it is provided at port 1. At the same port, the reflected
signal from the DUT enters the bridge from the other direction and is fed to
another mixer. This one generates the reflected I and Q signals, which enter
the second soundcard channel. Finally, the transmitted signal from the DUT
enters via port 2 and is directly fed to the third mixer. Now I and Q of the
through signal are produced and passed on to the third soundcard channel.
The codec passes on all three audio information (amplitude and phase) to the
MCU, where the firmware processes it and displays it on the 320 x 240
pixels resistive touch screen. User interaction is entered via a special push
and lever switch or via the touch screen. The USB-C connector has two
functions. It powers the NanoVNA resp. charges the battery and it passes on
serial data to an external computer if needed. There is also a dedicated
battery management IC (IP5303) for up- and down-conversion between 5V
and battery voltage.

This setup allows direct measurements at frequencies up to 300 MHz.

Due to a clever trick this range can be significantly extended. For
frequencies above 300 MHz, harmonics are used. Since the Si5351A
generates a square wave signal, there are harmonics galore. However, the
quality of the results diminishes at higher frequencies. Early firmware
allowed for scans up to 900 MHz, newer versions go up to 1.5 GHz.

Main technical data:

PCB: 54 mm x 85.5 mm x 11 mm
Frequency range: 50 kHz to 1.5 GHz
RF output:-13 dBm (typ.)
Frequency error: < 0.5 ppm
Measurement range: 70dB (50kHz-300MHz), 60dB (300M-
600MHz), 50dB (600M-900MHz)
Port SWR: < 1.1
Display: 2.8 inch TFT (320 x240)
Tracks: 4, marks: 4, saved settings: 4 or 5 (depending on
firmware)
USB interface: USB type-C communication mode: CDC
(serial)
Power: USB 5V, 120 mA or internal battery (if available)
Number of scanning points: 101
 The detailed schematics are publicly available, but cannot be reproduced
meaningfully in this book. If you are interested in electronics we highly
recommend to download it, e.g. at https://www.n1fd.org/wp-
content/uploads/2019/10/NanoVNA-Schematic.pdf

However, there are slight differences between the devices sold online
and the potential buyer should be aware of those before ordering.

Enclosure

Most devices come without any protective enclosure, except two pieces
of PCB on top and at the bottom. The top one has an opening for the screen.
It bears the name and labels the two ports. The bottom one is either blank or
labels the two ports by ''TX'' and ''RX''. Between those two PCBs and held
together by four spacers, is the main PCB with all the electronics as SMT
with most of the parts facing downwards and the screen upwards.

Fig. 4: NanoVNA, white model

 As we understand, the only version currently sold with a protective
enclosure is the one marketed by hugen himself and comes in a black plastic
case.

Fig. 5: NanoVNA, black model (NanoVNA-H)

Battery and battery management

Some models are shipped without battery. Sellers typically argue with
transport restrictions for Li-ion technology. However, many other devices
include a battery. This makes the NanoVNA a field-deployable device, and
especially suitable for antenna measurements. Models without battery
typically also lack the diode D2 but otherwise include everything needed for
retrofitting the battery. This can be done easily, as we show further down.

Shielding
 Some NanoVNAs have shielded ports. There is one metal shield
covering CH0 and including the rear part of the SMA connector as well as
the associated mixers for power out and reflection. A second shield is for
CH1, again including the rear end of the connector and the mixer for
transmission.
 Fig. 6: No shields / shields

Other models employ no shielding. What seems to be a clear

disadvantage, in theory, is still under discussion in practice. We compared
our two models (one with and the other without shields) and found no
difference up to 900 MHz. However, there might be a difference if the
device is used in an HF-polluted environment.

Although it has been done by some users, soldering shields to the PCB is
not straightforward and if done wrongly can even worsen the performance.
Given the sketchy upside, we do not advise to perform this retrofit.

There seems to be a standardized color-coding concerning shields:

Models in white come without and models in black with them. Please do not
count on that however and check in any case before ordering.

Accessories

The NanoVNA needs proper calibration to show any meaningful data.

This is done by consecutively measuring with a short-, an open- and a 50 Ω
load as well as by connecting CH0 and CH1 with a through connector
(SOLT-calibration). Those three calibrators (figure 7) are thus frequently
needed and if you do not happen to own these already, you should order a
model including those. It has been reported, that all SOL calibrators
currently shipped with any NanoVNA model are of viable quality. There
seem to be differences in the quality of the through connector (SMA, female
to female) provided, but they are minor and hard to tell without professional
equipment. If you are not heading for highest precision or very high-
frequency measurements, you can safely ignore, otherwise buy a connector
from an established manufacturer, but be prepared to spend a significant
portion of the price of the NanoVNA just on that.
 Fig. 7: SOLT calibrators

Most probably, you will also need cables to connect the DUT. These are
short (0.2 to 0.3 m) coaxial cables with male SMA connectors on both sides.
Models on the market differ in including those or not. If they are included,
they are mostly of the RG 174 type, which is perfectly fine for the lower end
of the frequency range. However, if you intend to measure at frequencies of
600 MHz and above, you might want to consider using RG 316 cables,
which must be ordered separately and will cost a few dollars each. You will
need two of those.
 Fig. 8: RG 174 and RG 316 cables

For outdoor usage, especially on antennas, it might be preferable to use

different connectors, like BNC on the far side of the cables. Keep in mind,
that in this case, you will also need corresponding SOLT-calibrators.

The NanoVNA can be linked to a computer, tablet or smartphone via a

USB-C connector. This allows the usage of dedicated software (see chapter
Four) and is imperative for models without battery to be powered up. For
doing so a cable USB-type-C to USB-type-A is needed, and to our
knowledge included with all models. Still, please check before ordering or
buy separately.

4. Buying hardware

As of December 2019, there are several sellers of hardware around. They

can all be traced back to some form of Chinese production. Differences in
the NanoVNA hardware normally are minor, however, it is best to check
thoroughly before ordering:

Does it have a USB-C connector? (a must)

Are SOLT-calibrators included? (a must, unless you already
own some)
Is a USB-C to USB-type-A data cable included (a must, unless
you already own a such a cable. Important: You will need a date
(=OTG) cable to connect the NanoVNA to a computer, power only
does not suffice)
Is a battery installed? (Very convenient, but can be retrofitted if
not included)
Are shields installed? (Split opinions on this, but very hard to
retrofit)
Does it come in an enclosure? (Very convenient, can be
retrofitted by printing an enclosure on a 3D-printer)
Other accessories included? (RG 174 or RG 136 cables, USB-
C to USB-C for connecting to a smartphone, stylus, box)
Is the price tag acceptable?

As far as price is considered, this should be somewhere between 30 €

and 55 € (34 US$ and 62 US$), depending on the configuration. In many
cases this includes shipping. Probably the best way to buy is online. You will
find offers on eBay, but also directly on Chinese websites like AliExpress or
Banggood.

We can not and do not want to give explicit buying recommendations.

However, one thought to take into consideration: To our knowledge, the only
major hardware developer of the NanoVNA, who is currently involved in
marketing the device is hugen79. His store sells the NanoVNA-H at
Alibaba.com.

We bought two very different devices, one a NanoVNA-H fully

configured with battery and shields, which came in a nice box full of
accessories and second a cheap “white” NanoVNA without anything except
SOL and USB-cable. Both do their job excellently.
 5. Hardware modifications

From the previous chapters, it is clear, that it might be worthwhile to

perform one or the other modification to a NanoVNA. It really depends on
which version was in your post box.

We will not talk about adding shields since this is demanding and the
possible improvement still under discussion (see the previous chapter).

Retrofitting a battery

If your model came without battery however, you really should consider
adding one. This is actually very easy. There are two items, which you will
have to get hold of first: A LiPo battery 3.7 V with a maximum thickness of
6 mm, so it will fit between PCBs. Such a battery will probably store about
500 mAh and cost between one and three €. This is where I ordered my
battery. The other item is a simple diode, like a 1N4148. Preferably an
SMD-model of size 0805. This directly fits on the PCB. Many other types
will do as well, even a TTH version can be bent and soldered.

Now open the bottom screws of the NanoVNA and remove the bottom
cover. You will have direct access to the solder side of the PCB. If you put
the SMA connectors to the right side, look at the upper part on the left side.
It will look like this:
 Fig. 9: Battery connector and D2 missing

There are empty solder pads next to the ''BAT'' and ''D2'' silkscreen.
Close to the left battery pad, there is a ''+'' sign, this is where the (red) lead to
the positive side of the LiPo has to be soldered to. The other pad is for the
(black) negative lead. The diode ''D2'' connects the battery with the voltage
sensing input of the MCU. Therefore the voltage drop of the diode directly
influences the battery level as shown on the display. Standard firmware
assumes a 0.7 V drop, but there are firmware versions which allow for
changing this through serial port communication (see chapter Four). When
soldering the diode, it is important to ensure the right direction, which is
with the bar facing downwards. The following figure shows the PCB after
soldering:
 Fig. 10: Retrofitting a battery

We recommend securing the battery to the PCB with a strip of two-sided

adhesive tape. Now screw the bottom cover back in place and switch the
NanoVNA on. Not only should it run on battery now, but you should also
see a battery level indicator in the upper left corner of the screen. A fully
charged 500 mAh battery will give you about 2.5 hours of mobile operation.

A word about caution: It has been noted that the battery management IC
IP5303 is capable of charging with more than 1 A, which is way too much
for 500 mAh LiPos. As most batteries include some form of overcurrent
protection (like the one we recommend above), this should not bring trouble
along. Nevertheless, if you want to be on the safe side, avoid charging with a
dedicated USB charger and use computer USB 2.0 ports instead. Typically,
these are limited to a current of 500 mA.
 Adding an enclosure

The open sandwich structure of many models is prone to acquiring dirt.

Furthermore, connections as well as controls (especially the lever) are
mechanically exposed. There are several ways to add some form of
protection to the NanoVNA. The most efficient way of doing so is to 3D
print an enclosure. There are a couple of designs available for download on
various platforms. We used the design by Hagster from Thingiverse:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3818979, which also offers a small
compartment for stowing away the SOLT calibrators.

Fig. 11: Protective enclosure

This design keeps the original bottom and top covers but adds a
protective frame around the NanoVNA. Print the two parts of the frame,
open the screws on one side of the VNA, put on the respective frame and
screw the cover back in place. Repeat with the other side.
 If you do not have access to a 3D-printer, try your local library or a
maker club. Alternatively, download and have a commercial print service
produce one for you.
 Two: Firmware
1. Introduction

If you are new to the NanoVNA, it is best to stick to the firmware which
was delivered with your device for the moment. All currently available
models come with a more or less recent, in any case, usable firmware
version. It is only after you familiarized with the VNA and have a stronger
feeling about your use case, that you might or might not feel like changing
the firmware. This is not very difficult, but again, there is no real need to do
so from the beginning. However, if you decide to do so, check the end of
this chapter, where we will show in detail how to run the upgrade process.

The first firmware dates back to 2016 in conjunction with the kit sold by
edy555. This is open-source, so people picked it up and several streams of
firmware evolved since. You can write and compile your own version if you
want.

As of December 2019, there are four major streams of firmware, all

available from GitHub:

edy555: https://github.com/ttrftech/NanoVNA/releases

hugen79: https://github.com/hugen79/NanoVNA-H/releases

qrp73: https://github.com/qrp73/NanoVNA-Q/releases

reald: https://github.com/reald/NanoVNA/releases

All four of them run on any currently available version of the NanoVNA
(or NanoVNA-H). However, they will not run on the NanoVNA-F!

You will now probably ask, which one you should aim for when
upgrading. The answer is: it depends, but it does not matter too much, since
all four cover all major functionality and they do so using very similar user
interfaces. Many users, including I, have problems with a small text size on
this tiny screen. Thus, my favorite at the time of writing is hugen79s ''AA''
version, since this provides a larger text size. By the time you are reading
this book, there might be other versions with other advantages as well. My
best advice is to subscribe to the NanoVNA user group at groups.io and
check the Wiki pages. There, people like Gyula Molnar try their best to keep
up to date and from time to time provide comparison tables between the
various versions.

2. First steps

Although we very much doubt that you have not already switched on
your NanoVNA by now, let's do this again and together. If you have a model
without a battery in front of you, connect the NanoVNA with the USB-C
cable to a suitable power source like a computer USB port. At this time,
nothing else needs to be connected to the device.

On the NanoVNA, there are very few control elements, all of them
located on the far side of the device.

Fig. 12: Control elements

 The NanoVNA is switched on by sliding the power switch to the right
side. For a short moment, some hard- and firmware information is shown on
the screen after which the screen changes and looks like a chaos of colored
lines and text, similar to figure 12. The size of the text on your device,
however, may be smaller. This is because I already installed hugen79s ''AA''
firmware with increased font size.

Text and lines on the screen come in up to four colors plus white. All
information shown in a specific color is linked to the respective graphical
information. How many of these lines are shown, is configurable as we will
see later on. You can also choose for each color, whether this information is
related to S11 (= CH0) or S21 (= CH1) measurements.

On the left side of the screen, you will see which calibration set is in use
and some details about it. This will look like ''C0'' and some letters below it.
We will deal with calibration in chapter Three.

On the right side of the top line, there is a number, most probably ''1:''
and a frequency next to it. This is the frequency, where the marker with this
number currently resides. You can choose to have up to four markers. On the
charts, markers are shown as triangles with their numbers inside.

The bottom line gives information about the frequency range, which the
current setup covers. Mostly this will be a start and a stop frequency, but it
also possible to choose a center frequency and a span or a fixed frequency.
This text is in white.

Two methods exist for controlling the device. There is a switch with a
lever to the right side of the power switch. This multi-switch can be pushed
to the left or right side and it can be pushed down. With the lever, it is
possible to navigate through the menu as well as move the markers on the
screen. Alternatively, the screen can be tapped on with a stylus. There are
dedicated styli available at computer shops. Please do not use any sharp
instrument as the screen can be damaged. For the start, you can use your
fingers, but you will soon see, that this method is very coarse.
 If you use a stylus, but you constantly miss the intended spot, your
screen and touchpad might be misaligned. In this case, jump to section 7 of
this chapter first and calibrate your screen.

Now either push down the multi-switch or tap on the screen. Any of
these actions will open the top menu.

The menu is structured into several levels. Selecting one command will
either provoke a direct action like setting a frequency or bring you down to
the next menu level. The bottom command in all but the top-level reads ''<
BACK'' and will bring you a level up. Although the menu structure is very
similar between different versions of firmware, minor variations do exist.

Some models of the NanoVNA ship with a menu structure printed on

paper.

Fig. 13: Sample menu structure, as provided with some models

 If your model did not come with one, we highly recommend to download
it from the internet, print and keep handy during your first encounters with
the device. A search for “NanoVNA menu structure” should bring you there.

When using a stylus, just tap on a command to invoke it, or tap

somewhere on the screen area outside of the menu to close the menu. In
order to navigate using the switch, push the lever of the multi-switch to the
right to move the current selection down, and push left to move the selection
up. Bringing the selection either way outside the menu closes it. Pushing the
multi-switch down will activate the currently selected command.

Besides calibration data, which includes the settings of traces, formats,

and markers, the current versions of the firmware store no data. If the
NanoVNA is used standalone, all measured data has to be read from the
screen and noted by hand. Only by connecting it to a computer, is it possible
to store data digitally. This will be discussed in chapter Four.

Two blue LEDs next to the power switch indicate the status of the
device, however, you do not need to pay a lot of attention to them. The LED
to the left of the power switch blinks during a charging process and is
permanently enlightened during the power-on of the device. The LED to the
right of the power switch blinks with each frequency sweep.

The NanoVNA is switched off by sliding the power switch to the left.
There is no other shutdown process.

3. Traces

Data is measured with traces, where each trace represents specific

information about the DUT. This information can be one number like SWR,
or impedance which in turn consists of two numbers (real and imaginary).

For each trace, there is a text line in the left upper part of the screen and
a line of the same color (yellow, blue, green and magenta) in the chart. As
mentioned earlier, up to four traces can be displayed on the NanoVNA at the
same time. For the sake of clarity, however, it is often better to reduce the
number of traces. Each trace can be switched off and on individually. And
for each trace the channel and the format, as well as the display scaling, are
user-definable. At any time, there is always exactly one trace active for
manipulation. It is identified by the inverted channel information in the text
display.

Talking about the text lines, let’s look at them closer. The structure of a
line is always the following:

Channel_Format_Scale_Measured value(s)

Examples include:

CH1 LOGMAG 10dB/ -20.74dB

CH0 SMITH 1.0FS 8.75Ω 7.61µH
CH1 SWR 1.00/ 1.38
CH0 PHASE 90°/ -161.928°

Such a line always starts with the channel on which the data is measured.
This can either be “CH0” or “CH1”.

Next is the format of the measured data. The following formats are
currently available:

LOGMAG: Magnitude of signal in decibel relative to the incident signal

PHASE: Phase of signal in degrees relative to the incident signal
DELAY: Group delay versus frequency, typically in picoseconds or
nanoseconds
SMITH: Complex impedance at the selected port, real in Ω, imaginary
in H or F. Chart is normalized to plot 50 Ω in the center
SWR: Standing wave ratio
POLAR: Complex reflection resp. transmission coefficient, zero in center
LINEAR: Norm of the complex reflection resp. transmission coefficient
REAL: Real part of the complex reflection resp. transmission coefficient
IMAG: Imaginary part of the complex reflection resp. transmission
coefficient
RESISTANCE: Real part of the impedance in Ω
REACTANCE: Imaginary part of the impedance in Ω

After the format and separated by a blank space is the scaling for the
charts. For linear charts, this gives the delta value between two horizontal
lines. A typical example is "10dB/". This means, that between any two
horizontal lines the value changes by 10 dB. For Smith and polar charts, the
scale is relative to full scale. Most probably, you will keep this at the default
value of 1.OFS, if you set this to a value of 2.OFS on a polar chart, for
example, the radius of any point shown on the chart will be halve of the
value at a setting of 1.OFS.

At the end of any line, there is the direct reading of the measured data.
This can be either one number, as for SWR or phase, or two numbers plus
units as for complex impedance values. When using the NanoVNA
standalone, these numbers will give the most precise measurement results.

4. Markers

Markers highlight a specific data point by a small, colored triangle.

Current firmware for the NanoVNA allows for up to four markers at the
same time. Any marker will bear a number from 1 to 4 inside the triangle
and is shown on every active trace. The active marker can be moved either
by pushing the multi-switch to the left or right or by tapping with the stylus
on the marker and pulling it to either side. All markers bearing the same
number will move also.

The frequency at which the active marker resides is numerically

displayed in the upper left area of the screen.

Most importantly, all numerical information for the traces is related to

the current position of the active marker.

5. Chart types

There are three types of charts used on the NanoVNA. These are
automatically selected together with the type of information chosen by the
“FORMAT” command. They are:

Linear
 Fig. 14: Linear chart

A linear chart comes along with the following formats: LOGMAG,

PHASE, DELAY, SWR, LINEAR, REAL, IMAG, RESISTANCE and
REACTANCE.

There are always 9 horizontal lines. The scaling is adjustable using the
''SCALE/DIV'' and ''REFERENCE POSITION'' commands. With the first
one, the numerical difference between two lines is set, whereas the second
command sets the origin to the respective line number. The origin is marked
by a small triangle on the left side of the respective horizontal line.

Smith Chart

Fig. 15: Smith chart

 The Smith chart is a great tool for simultaneously depicting several
parameters like real and imaginary parts of impedance and at the same time
show how they change with frequency. It is a relative graph, normalized to
the system's impedance. For the NanoVNA this is 50 Ω and any measured
signal with a pure real impedance of 50 Ω is shown right at the center of the
Smith chart. All points along the middle horizontal axis reflect solely real
impedance numbers. The leftmost of these points corresponds to zero Ohm
and the rightmost to infinity resistance. The NanoVNA displays information
on a smith chart after selecting the command ''SMITH''.

There is much more to Smith charts, but this is outside of the scope of
this book. However, we encourage the reader to dig deeper into this
fascinating chart type.

Polar Chart

Fig. 16: Polar chart

Polar charts are used for displaying complex numbers, like real and
imaginary parts of the complex reflection or transmission coefficient, which
is defined as:

Formula 1: Complex reflection coefficient

 In the above formula, Z0 is the system impedance (50 Ω for the
NanoVNA) and ZL is the complex impedance of the DUT. A polar chart is
invoked by the command ''POLAR''.

If more than one trace is displayed and if they are using different chart
types, all of them are printed at the same time. This is the case with the
default calibration C0 and has the potential to baffle the first time user.

6. Worked examples: Charts, traces, and markers

We will now show with some examples, how traces, formats, and
markers are handled. Not all possible combinations will be dealt with, but
having worked through the examples you should be in a position to set your
NanoVNA working environment in any way you want to have it. These
examples are for getting familiar with the menu structure only, you will find
examples for real live measurements in chapter Five. It is a good idea, to
have a printed menu structure map in front of you for reference now.

When you switch on the NanoVNA for the first time, it will start up
using the factory calibration, which has four traces active. Especially for the
beginner, this can be very confusing. Thus, in our first example, we will
deactivate all but one trace. Afterward, we will add complexity as we
familiarize ourselves with the device.

Don't worry, you cannot break anything, even if you go astray during
these examples. Just switch the NanoVNA off and on again, and you will be
back to the factory settings. Please don't expect any precise results just now,
we are still working with the default calibration. As we will see in chapter
Three, sound calibrations are a must for reliable results.

Example 1: SWR measurement

In our first example, the NanoVNA is configured to act as a simple

antenna analyzer, measuring the standing wave ratio. Please (re-)start the
NanoVNA by switching it (off and) on. As we only need one trace now, we
start by switching off the other ones.
 Either push down the multi-switch or tap with the stylus anywhere on the
screen. Instantly the home menu will be opened on the right side of the
screen:

Fig. 17: Home menu

Now, choose the menu item ''DISPLAY''. Push the multi-switch to the
right once to highlight it. If you push too often, the following item is
highlighted. In this case, push the multi-switch to the left to go up one item.
If you push the multi-switch too often and the marker leaves the menu either
side, the main menu will disappear. In this case, just start all over by pushing
down the multi-switch again. Once the correct command is highlighted, push
the multi-switch down to activate the command. If you work with a stylus,
just tap on the command ''DISPLAY''.

When the next menu opens, select the command ''TRACE'' to finally
enter the selection of traces. There is a list from TRACE 0 to TRACE 3,
each highlighted in its respective color. Now either select ''TRACE 1'' using
the multi-switch and push or tap on ''TRACE 1''. This will make trace 1 the
active trace, which is indicated by highlighting the channel info at the
beginning of the corresponding text line. Then push or tap a second time to
deactivate trace 1. Now the color highlighting of the command will
disappear. Repeat the process for ''TRACE 2'' and ''TRACE 3'', which leaves
just ''TRACE 0'' highlighted in yellow. Whenever a trace is deactivated, the
corresponding text line, as well as the line on the chart area, disappears.
Finally, close the menu either by moving the selection outside by repeatedly
pushing the multi-switch to the far left or far right, or by tapping the stylus
far outside the menu area on the screen.

Summing up, these are the actions taken so far:

Open Home menu > DISPLAY > TRACE > TRACE 1 > TRACE 1
TRACE 2 > TRACE 2
TRACE 3 > TRACE 3
Close Menu

The screen will now look like the following picture:

Fig. 18: Only one trace active

There is only one trace left - which is good - but this trace still shows the
logarithmic magnitude of the reflected signal in dB. Which, by the way,
should be a number close to zero for the whole frequency spectrum, as
currently there is an open-end (infinite impedance) on CH0.

Now, we will switch the trace to SWR measurement. Open the menu by
either pushing down the multi-switch or tap anywhere on the screen. The
menu will open at the last screen, which in our case was the traces-menu. We
have to go up one level by selecting the ''← BACK'' command. Next choose
the ''FORMAT'' command, as we want to set the current trace to another
format. You will see a list of formats. More formats are available on the
second format page, which would be accessible by selecting ''→ MORE".
We do not need this second page, as the ''SWR'' command is already on the
first page (if you switched to the second page accidentally, just go back to
the first one by using the ''← BACK'' command). Now select the command
''SWR''. That's it: You just turned your NanoVNA into an antenna analyzer!

These are the commands we used:

Open menu > ← BACK

FORMAT > SWR

Admittedly, the result is not mind-blowing. As CH0 is open-ended, the

SWR is way off and you will only see a straight yellow line, horizontally at
the top of the screen. The SWR numbers at the end of the text line will be
very high (actually implying infinity) as you can confirm by moving marker
1 around. By screwing the 50 Ω load on CH0 you can bring down the SWR
to 1, or at least very close to 1.

If you happen to have a suitable rubber antenna from a 2 m/70 cm

portable transceiver handy, you should attach it to CH0. Instantly, the screen
gets more interesting and could look similar to the following picture:
 Fig. 19: NanoVNA as antenna analyzer with 2m / 70 cm rubber antenna

Please bear in mind, that these measurements are not precise since the
NanoVNA is still not properly calibrated. We will see in chapter Three how
to calibrate.

Example 2: Attenuation of DUT, frequency and scale change, markers

In this example, we will again change traces and adjust the frequency
range as well as chart scales. We will also make use of two markers at the
same time. Let us assume, that we want to measure the reflected and
transmitted signal of a DUT, which is inserted between CH0 and CH1. A
low pass filter for the 40 m band could be a good use case for that.

Restart the NanoVNA by switching off and on. Remove anything from
the CH0 and CH1 connectors. The first step is to reduce traces so that only
trace 0 and trace 1 are left. You know, how to do this, don't you?

Open Home menu > DISPLAY > TRACE > TRACE 2 > TRACE 2
TRACE 3 > TRACE 3

There are now only the yellow and blue traces left. The first, yellow text
line is set on CH0 with a LOGMAG format at a 10 dB scaling. The
measured value should be close to 0.00 dB as the open end completely
reflects the incident signal. The second trace in blue is set to CH1, again in a
LOGMAG format and a 10 dB scaling. As CH0 and CH1 are currently not
connected, there is no transmitted signal and any reading is solely due to
noise or non-perfect isolation. Numbers can differ but should be below -60
dB at the lower end of the frequency span, which is 50 kHz. If one or the
other trace is not set to LOGMAG format, this can be changed by the
process which we learned in the first example. In case the traces are not set
to ''CH0'' and ''CH1'' resp., highlight the affected channel by selecting the
trace, go back to the next menu level and select ''CHANNEL''. Now select
the correct channel.

According to our assumption above, our hypothetical DUT is a low pass

filter for shortwave. We are neither interested in its response to very low
frequencies nor VHF or UHF. As the NanoVNA works with a fixed number
of 101 equally spaced measurement points, it is a good idea to always cut
down the frequency span to the area of interest. In our example, we want to
concentrate on frequencies between 1.5 and 30 MHz.

We will now set the lower end of the frequency span to 1.5 MHz with the
command ''START''. Most probably, you will still see the trace menu on your
screen now. Hit the ''← BACK'' command to move one level up. Now select
''← BACK'' again and you are on the home menu. At the home menu, select
''STIMULUS''. You will see a choice of the following commands for
controlling the frequency range and sweeps:

START: Lower end of the frequency range

STOP: Upper end of the frequency range
CENTER: Center frequency
SPAN: Frequency span around the center frequency, from lower to upper
end
CW FREQ: One single measurement frequency
PAUSE SWEEP: Pauses measurements, will be highlighted when
selected. Select again to restart sweeps

In our example, we use the ''START'' command first to set the lower end
to 1.5 MHz. After selecting the command, a numerical keypad opens up:

Fig. 20: Numeric keypad for entering frequencies

You will find the numbers 0 to 9 and delete (''←''), as well as units (''x1''
to ''G''). When using the multi-switch, move the cursor through the field by
pushing the switch left or right until the intended symbol is highlighted.
Then push the switch down to select this symbol. With a stylus, just tap on
the symbol. First enter a number, followed by a unit. After selecting the unit,
the entered frequency is set and the numeric keypad disappears. Any
combination of numbers and units is possible. In our case, entering 1500
followed by selecting ''k'' will set the lower frequency end to 1.5 MHz. As
will 1.5 followed by ''M'' or even 1500000 followed by ''x1''.

At the lower-left corner of the screen, you will see ''START 1.500MHz'',
indicating the new lower end of the frequency sweep. Next, we repeat a
similar procedure for the upper end, which we will set at 30 MHz. Invoke
the menu again and now select ''STOP''. Enter 3 and 0 and select the unit
''M''. This sets the higher end of the scan to 30 MHz and closes the menu.

Summing up, this is, what we did to set a new frequency range:

Home menu > STIMULUS > START > 1 > 5 > 0 > 0 > k
Open menu > STOP > 3 > 0 > M

Another method would have been to select a center frequency first and a
frequency span afterward. Using the command ''CENTER'' and ''SPAN'' you
can also set a range. A center frequency of 10 MHz and a span of 6 MHz
will lead to a sweep from 7 to 13 MHz. If you want to measure at one
frequency only, you can set this frequency with the command ''CW FREQ''.

Next, let us adjust the scale of the reflected (S11) signal on CH0. There
are two settings, which affect this scale. One is the scaling per division of the
vertical scale, which can be set with the command ''SCALE/DIV''. The other
one is the origin of the vertical scale, set with the command ''REFERENCE
POSITION''.

Before changing either, the trace has to be selected, for which the scale
will be changed. This is done by selecting the respective trace at the
''TRACE'' menu. In our case we select ''TRACE 1''.

Enter the ''DISPLAY'' menu and the ''SCALE'' sub-menu. Select

''SCALE/DIV'' and choose 5 dB/div. by selecting 5, followed by ''x1''. Now
the first line reads ''CH0'' followed by '', ''5dB/'' and the logarithmic
magnitude of the signal at the current position of the marker. Any visible
deviation from a straight line will be doubled in size.

Enter the menu again and select ''REFERENCE POSITION''. Now, this
is a bit tricky. The reference position only works for linear charts. The
reference position is the position of the vertical origin and is defined as line
number, counted from the bottom. The horizontal line at the very bottom
bears the number 0 and the line at the top of the screen the number 8. Any
number outside this range will bring the reference point outside of the
screen. A small triangle in the respective color to the left of the chart marks
the current position of the reference point. Default values for the reference
points are 7 for the logarithmic magnitude format, 4 for PHASE, DELAY,
REAL, IMAG and REACTANCE charts and 0 for SWR, LINEAR and
RESISTANCE charts. We choose a value of 4 and observe, that the yellow
line for the S11-signal moves down to the middle of the screen.

In the last section, the following commands have been applied for
changing a scale:

Home menu > DISPLAY > SCALE > SCALE/DIV > 5 > x1
Open menu > REFERENCE POSITION > 4 > x1

Finally, we have a closer look at markers and will add a second marker.
One way of using markers is as an alternative for setting the frequency
sweep range with the “STIMULUS” command. Just set the active marker to
a specific frequency and select “MARKER” from the home menu, followed
by one of the commands “→START”, “→STOP”, “→CENTER” or
“→SPAN” and the NanoVNA will change the frequency range accordingly.

By default, the NanoVNA will display one marker in the form of a

triangle. Actually, it is one marker per trace, all colored according to the
trace and identified by the number "1" inside. They all move simultaneously
when pushing the multi-switch or pulling one of them with the stylus. At the
same time, the current frequency at the position of the marker is displayed in
white text at the upper right corner of the screen, preceded by "1:" to
indicate that it is associated with marker number 1.
 By adding a second marker, not only two points of interest can be
highlighted, but their difference in frequency will be displayed directly on
the screen, which can be a very helpful tool. Up to four markers can be set
using the ''SELECT MARKER'' menu below the ''MARKER'' menu at the
home menu.

7. Adjusting the screen and touchpad

This section is only relevant for users who chose to control the
NanoVNA with a stylus. Sometimes the screen and the resistive pad on top
of it get out of sync. This happens on other similar devices as well. On the
NanoVNA, such a misalignment can be corrected in most firmware versions.

Initiate by choosing ''CONFIG'' on the home menu, followed by

''TOUCH CAL''. You will be asked to touch the upper left corner and
afterward the lower right corner. The quality of the calibration can be
checked by selecting ''TOUCH TEST'' and drawing on the screen.

8. Updating the firmware

We mentioned in the introduction to this chapter, that there is an active

group of people updating various streams of firmware. Any of the above-
mentioned versions will run on all NanoVNA or NanoVNA-H hardware as
of December 2019 (but not on the NanoVNA-F).

Typically, the current firmware version is briefly shown during startup or

can be viewed by selecting the command ''VERSION'' at the ''CONFIG''
submenu. Although our advice is to stick with the original firmware for your
first steps with the NanoVNA, along with your experience there will come a
time, when you want to upgrade. Reasons for doing so include new
measurement functionality (TDR is fairly new) or new display features, like
an increased text size in hugen79s ''AA'' versions.

During the remainder of this chapter, we will show, how such an upgrade
is done via a standard Windows 10 PC. Users of earlier versions of Windows
can follow the same procedure but might encounter problems with a driver.
There are also ways for Mac- and Linux users. Please refer to the wiki of the
nanovna-users group at Groups.io in such a case.

a. Download STSW-STM32080 from the ST site and install on your

PC

You will get two tools: DFU File Manager and DfuSe Demo. The DFU
File Manager is not needed if the firmware is available in the .dfu file
format, which is usually the case. If there are S19, HEX or BIN file formats
available, you can generate a .dfu file out of these with the DFU File
Manager first.

b. Download the firmware you want to upload to your NanoVNA

Please refer to the introductory section of this chapter to find a suitable

firmware version for you and where to download. If available, use versions
in .dfu format. Otherwise, convert with the DFU File Manager. Remember
where you save the firmware to.

c. Check the current firmware on your NanoVNA

New versions will provide the ''-DFU'' under the ''CONFIG'' command at
the home menu. Selecting this will offer ''RESET AND ENTER DFU''. This
command sets the NanoVNA directly in the DFU mode to upgrade.
Switching the device off and on again will bring back normal operation.

If the original firmware version is older, it might lack the ''-DFU''

command. In this case, you will have to open the device for your first
upgrade. After your first upgrade, you will probably never have to do this
again. Identify the ''BOOT0'' contact next to the ''VDD'' contact on the
populated side of the PCB. It is situated at the left, upper side as shown in
the following picture:
 Fig. 21: Position of the BOOT0 and VDD contacts

Briefly shortening those two contacts with a piece of wire will

immediately bring the NanoVNA into the DFU mode. Identical to the menu
invoked DFU mode, switching off and on brings the device back into normal
operation. So you can safely check this procedure out before you move on.

d. Connect the NanoVNA to your computer

Using the USB-C to USB-A cable, connect the NanoVNA to your PC

and switch on the VNA. Now enter the DFU mode with the appropriate
method for your device.

e. Use DfuSe Demo to upgrade the firmware

 Start DfuSe Demo and make sure that ''STM Device in DFU Mode'' at
''Available DFU Device'' is selected (Circle 1 in figure 22).

Fig. 22: DfuSe Demo step 1 (1, 2, 3 and 4)

It is advisable to store a backup of your current firmware first. Under

''Upload Action'' select ''Choose…'' (Circle 2), enter a name for the backup
and ''Upload'' the current firmware to your computer.

For selecting the new firmware to be uploaded to the NanoVNA click

''Choose…'' in the lower middle of the window (Circle 3) and select the .dfu
file from step b. The bottom bar of the window will turn green and tells you
''File loaded correctly''.
 Finally, write the new firmware to your device by hitting the ''Upgrade''
button (Circle 4), which will be active at this stage. If there is a warning
message about DfuSe Demo not being able to check the firmware, you can
safely ignore it. Do not interfere during the following process, which only
takes a few seconds. The process finishes by telling you ''Verify successful !''

Now the NanoVNA must be switched off and on to start it with the new
firmware.
 Three: Calibration
1. Reason and definitions

The NanoVNA is a very capable, high precision measurement device.

But unlike some other instruments, it needs careful calibration before
reliable measurement results can be expected. This is primarily due to the
fact, that a VNA provides phase information, not only magnitudes. Bear in
mind, that we are talking about a sensitivity of up to 70 dB. This is one in
ten million!

The phase of a signal is changed by many effects, not least by the

distance the signal has to travel. Even close to the speed of light, just a few
centimeters more or less will change the phase of a signal of a few hundred
million times per second.

This leads to the definition of the reference plane, which is the location
where the DUT will be connected to the NanoVNA. Sometimes, this is
directly at the SMA connectors of the device, like in the upper part of the
following picture. However, normally it will be at the end of some attached
cables like in the lower part.
 Fig. 23: Defining the reference plane

It is very important, that the SOLT calibrators are fitted at the position of
the reference plane during the calibration process! Doing so removes the
effects on the measured data of everything which is inserted between the
NanoVNA and the reference plane. For some setups (e.g. when measuring
an amplifier), an attenuator has to be inserted to protect CH1. Inserting the
attenuator between the reference plane and NanoVNA ensures the validity of
the results.

As the SOLT (short, open, load, through) calibrators are well defined, the
firmware ''knows'' what to expect when they are connected one after the
other. The short introduces a reflection of the incident wave at the fixed end.
Ideally, the incoming wave is reflected and its phase is shifted by 180°. With
the open calibrator attached, again all of the incident wave is (ideally)
reflected, but now there is no phase shift. The load calibrator, on the other
hand, provides a perfect match and accordingly none of the incident wave
should be reflected. Finally, the through connector directly connects CH0 to
CH1, so the incident wave is expected to travel without loss and phase
change to the second port. After having measured what the real signals are
during the calibration process and comparing it with the expected values, the
firmware builds a model of the errors and applies this model to future
measurements on DUTs. Such a model is simply called calibration and can
be stored on the NanoVNA.

Two types of calibrations can be identified for the NanoVNA. A full

calibration ensures that the reflected, as well as the transmitted measured
signals, are corrected. An S11 calibration on the other hand, only cares for
the reflected wave and can not be used for CH1 measurements.

2. Calibration management

For now, we will talk about calibrations in the context of using the
NanoVNA on a standalone basis. If you use the device connected to a
computer and with software, the calibration process might no longer take
place inside the firmware but can be moved to the software on the PC. Such
an external calibration is discussed in chapter Four.
 The NanoVNA allows for 5 calibration sets (some firmware versions: 4)
to be saved in memory. They are stored using the commands CAL > SAVE >
SAVE n, where n is a number from 0 to 4. After storing, the device can be
switched off, but the data remains. Any calibration set can be restored and
used by choosing RECALL > RECALL n from the home menu.

At any time, information about the currently active calibration set is

displayed on the left side of the screen in white text. The following picture
gives an example:

Fig. 24: Calibration information on the screen

When performing measurements, it is always a good idea to check this

calibration information to ensure valid results.

C0 (Capital or lower ''c'', followed by the calibration set number or ''*'')

D (Directivity)
R (Reflection)
S (Source Match)
T (Transmission Tracking)
X (Isolation)

The C is a capital letter if the currently selected frequency range is

identical to the one at the time of calibration. This ensures the best quality of
the results. If it is a lower case letter, this indicates that the current range is
not identical to the calibration range and the firmware is forced to inter- or
extrapolate data. In this case, the results might still be of indicative value,
but the quality will suffer. A star ''*'' after the letter means, that the
calibration set is not saved yet. If there is no letter c at all, this indicates that
no error correction is applied and the results are very unreliable. Using the
command ''CORRECTION'' toggles the correction on and off, where
highlighting indicates that it is switched on.

The letters below the first line indicate which type of error correction is
available with the active calibration set. Directivity requires calibration with
a load, Reflection an open and Source Match a short calibrator. These three
are the minimum required for an S11 calibration. The through connector is
necessary for Transmission Tracking and for the Isolation, and you will need
at least one load (better: two loads). For a full calibration, all five letters
must be shown.

Here are some examples:

C2 = valid calibration set, saved as number 2

c1 = calibration set saved as number 1 but applied to a different
frequency range
C* = valid calibration set, not yet saved
No C at all = no error correction applied, results unreliable!
D R S T X = full calibration, valid for reflection (S11) and transmission
(S21) results
D R S = partial calibration, valid for reflection (S11) measurements only

A brand new NanoVNA usually ships with a default full calibration in

storage space number 0, covering the frequency range from 50 kHz to 900
MHz. However, this calibration is not device-specific and accordingly not
very precise. You should replace it with a custom calibration rather sooner
than later.

Storage space 0 is different from the other ones, in that the NanoVNA
will always startup using this calibration. But you can easily pull up the
other sets with ''RECALL''.
 Although it is called calibration set, saving such a set not only includes a
calibration, but also the frequency sweep range and the settings for traces,
formats, and markers.

How you manage your calibration sets is totally up to you. However,

some users prefer to save a wide frequency sweep (50 kHz to 900 or 1500
MHz) in storage space 0. This allows for a quick overview of the frequency
response of a new DUT. The next storage spaces can be attributed to
frequency bands of interest, like HF, UHF or VHF. The last storage space
might be used for ad hoc calibrations, bespoke settings for the respective
problem at hand.

3. Calibration process

As we have seen earlier, a calibration is very specific, especially

regarding the measurement setup defining the reference plane. It might be
tempting to try and connect the DUT directly at the SMA connectors of the
NanoVNA, but this is not the recommended way. For one reason, this could
lead to excessive strain on the connectors, which are soldered directly to the
PCB. Additionally, SMA connectors only allow for a limited number of
coupling processes before the connection gets unreliable. Replacing cables is
easy, soldering a new connector to the PCB not.

Most users connect their DUTs with short (15 to 30 cm) coaxial cables
(''pigtails'') to the NanoVNA. These can be made of RG 174 or RG 316 (see
chapter One) with male SMA connectors and stay attached to the device.
Their other ends define the reference plane. This is the position where the
SOLT calibrators have to be connected via a female-female through
connector.

Before starting a calibration process, you have to set the frequency

range. The NanoVNA measures and calibrates at 101 equally spaced
frequencies within this range. For all other frequencies, the firmware needs
to inter- or extrapolate. Accordingly, it is best if the calibration range is
exactly the same as the measurement range later on. Use the process as
described in chapter Two. You can also set traces, formats, and markers to
your liking as these will also be saved, but this can be done later (even after
the first time saving) as well.

After switching on the NanoVNA, arrange the cables in a parallel, non-

overlapping fashion and open the home menu by pushing the multi-switch
down or by tapping on the screen with a stylus. Select CAL and you enter
the calibration menu. Now you need to ''RESET'' first in order to prepare for
a new calibration process, which is then invoked by ''CALIBRATE''. Attach
the through connector (see figure 7) gently but tight to the end of the cable
which is attached to CH0, followed by the open connector.

Fig. 25: Attaching the O- via the T-connector and cable to CH0

After selecting the ''OPEN'' command, the command gets highlighted

and the cursor moves to the next command ''SHORT''.

Replace the open calibrator by the short calibrator and select ''SHORT''.
Then exchange for the load and press ''LOAD''. This is all that is needed for
an S11 calibration, which could be finished by selecting ''DONE''. For a full
calibration however, unscrew the through connector with the load and attach
both to the end of the cable to CH1. For highest precision, you should have
a second load and through calibrator ready which you screw to CH0, if you
don't, leave the CH0 cable open. Select ''ISOLN''. Finally, remove the load(s)
and connect the two cables together using the through calibrator. Select
''THRU'' and leave the calibration with ''DONE''. This will change the menu
to the save menu. Always finish a calibration by storing it by selecting
''SAVE n'' with n being the number of the storage space.

This is the whole process of a full calibration again:

Home menu > CAL > RESET > CALIBRATE

Attach Open to CH0 > OPEN
Attach Short to CH0 > SHORT
Attach Load to CH0 > LOAD
Attach Load to CH1 (and a second load to CH1, if available) > ISOLN
Connect CH0 and CH1 with Through > THRU
DONE
SAVE n

Now the calibration is safely stored and the device is ready for
measurements now or some other time. Retrieving the calibration is as easy
as selecting ''RECALL'' on the home menu, followed by ''RECALL n'' with n
being the storage space number.

Restoring a saved calibration:

Home menu > RECALL > RECALL n

One final word of caution. Like for many other precision instruments, a
thermal effect has been observed for the NanoVNA. For up to about half an
hour after switching on the NanoVNA, especially if the battery is being
charged during that time, readings can drift. This seems to be most
pronounced for very small and very large values, i.e. far away from the
nominal 50 Ω. If you encounter such a drift and need ultimate precision,
have the NanoVNA warm-up before calibration and measurements.
 By now, you have learned everything that you need to successfully use
the NanoVNA on a standalone basis. If you want to know, how you can
improve precision and handling by using dedicated software for the device,
continue reading the next chapter. For some real-world examples of how to
use the NanoVNA, go to the final chapter Five.
 Four: Software
There are a couple of reasons, why users connect the NanoVNA to
another devices. The battery is one. Connected to a USB-A port, the
NanoVNA will be powered externally. Even a simple power bank will do for
that purpose. Another reason is readability. Arguably, the readings on the
screen of the NanoVNA are small, low resolution and difficult to read for
some users. Connected to a computer, tablet or even smartphone, the data is
shown on that other device and typically much better to read. Documentation
via screenshots or S-parameter files (see chapter One) is another reason to
use software. Some software also offers increased precision for the
calibration process. It is also possible to talk directly to the firmware using
serial communication, as we will see at the end of this chapter.

As of December 2019, there are a couple of programs available for the

NanoVNA, which we discuss in more or less detail during this chapter.

1. NanoVNA Saver

This is probably the most comprehensive software currently available for

the NanoVNA. It was created and is actively serviced by Rune Broberg. As
this software is based on Python it can be installed on Windows, Mac, and
Linux. Check it on GitHub, where you will find the latest release and
instructions for installation. The following information is based on the
NanoVNA Saver 0.2.1 release running on a Windows 10 computer.

The software comes as one .exe file, which after starting opens a black,
DOS-like window for a couple of seconds. A few seconds later the main
window will pop up and fill the screen of your computer.
 Fig. 26: NanoVNA Saver
Connect the NanoVNA with the USB cable to any USB port of the
computer and switch it on. Check the ''Serial port control'' area at the lower,
left corner of the NanoVNA Saver window. It will look like in figure 27.

Fig. 27: Device not connected

Now push ''Rescan'' and the field to the left of the button will be
populated with the port number assigned to the NanoVNA. In my case, this
is Port 4. Push ''Connect to NanoVNA'' to start the connection.
 Fig. 28: NanoVNA connected to NanoVNA Saver

Now your computer is ready to communicate with the NanoVNA.

The sweep (e.g. frequency range) control resides in the upper left corner
of the window. Not only can you set the range in many ways (start/stop,
center/span, numbers in Hz or other units), but there is also the fantastic
feature of segmented sweeps. You will record from earlier chapters, that the
NanoVNA firmware sweeps with a fixed set of 101 points. This can be a
major shortcoming when trying to scan a wide frequency range and still
needing high-frequency resolution. NanoVNA Saver tackles this issue by
allowing to cut a sweep into several segments of 101 points each. Afterward,
these segments are seamlessly put together to give a wider range. The
number of segments used is manually entered in the ''Segments'' field.

Fig. 29: Sweep control

The sweep control also offers the ''Sweep settings…'' button for
increased functionality, out of which the possibility to average over multiple
sweeps and eliminate outliers reduces noise significantly. There is also the
possibility to set sweeps for most ham radio bands with the push of one
button.
 Fig. 30: Sweep settings

All of these sweep settings are applied to measurements as well as the

calibration process.

NanoVNA Saver does not use the firmware calibration sets of the device.
It ignores them. But the software allows superior handling of multiple
calibration sets and enhanced error correction by including data about the
calibration standards, i.e. the S, O, L and T calibrators.

The calibration process is initiated by pushing the ''Calibration…'' button

in the lower-left corner. This will open a new window, which contains two
sections. The left part is for the actual calibration and the right part for
entering detailed information about the calibration standards themselves, if
available. Due to their physical properties, the calibration standards
introduce some complex resistance and phase delay. By knowing and
entering this data, an even higher degree of measurement precision is
obtainable. If you do not have these details, leave the box ''Use ideal values''
checked.

Kurt Poulsen, OZ7OU, a VNA calibration specialist measured the S, O,

L and T calibrators, which usually come together with a new NanoVNA. He
published the data for several configurations, out of which the most common
one is for attaching the calibrators at the SMA-male ends of connector cables
with a through connector. If you use this setup, uncheck the box (red circle)
and enter the following data:
 Fig. 31: Calibration setup

These settings should be saved under a telling name for future use (blue
circle in figure 31).

The calibration process itself is similar to the one using the firmware.
Pushing the ''Calibration assistant'' button (green circle) starts a guided tour
through the process. After the SOL-calibration (S11-calibration) you can stop
and apply or continue with ''Yes'' to a full calibration. Again, enter a name
and save the calibration. Now the calibration window can be closed and the
NanoVNA put to use.

After a measurement sweep, the data is shown in up to six small charts in

the right part of the main NanoVNA Saver window. How many and which
charts are displayed are just a few settings available to personalize the
software which can be changed under ''Displayed charts''.

Markers can be inserted and moved either by clicking into one of the
charts and pulling or by entering a frequency in one of the marker fields.
Measured data at the markers frequencies is shown in the middle of the
window.

For some popular cases, NanoVNA Saver offers automatic analyzers.

Push the ''Analysis…'' button and select your DUT from a pull-down list
including several types of filters and VSWR analysis.

Fig. 32: Sweep Analyzer

 Another feature of NanoVNA Saver worth mentioning is time domain
reflectometry (TDR). This method measures impedance in the time domain
and is capable e.g. of identifying lengths or distances to defects of antenna
cables. Pressing the ''Time Domain Reflectometry..." button produces a
picture similar to the following one.

Fig. 33: Example of TDR-Analysis

There are more examples of the NanoVNA Saver in use in chapter Five
about use cases.

Sometimes it is beneficial to see the results of two different

measurements on one chart. By pushing ''Set current as reference'' the first
data will not be replaced by a following sweep but showed together with it.

NanoVNA Saver can create and save S-parameter files, which contain S-
data in a standardized form. Many other tools, including RF-simulation
software like SPICE and RFSim99, can read those files and include the DUT
as a kind of black box. Push the ''Files…'' button on the main window and
choose the file format (S1P for S11-parameters and S2P for S21-
parameters).

2. NanoVNA-Web-Client

This software, written by cho45 comes in two versions. One is an app for
android devices like smartphones. It can be downloaded from Google´s Play
Store. Another possibility is to run it directly on a website. To use the web
application, you need to use the Google Chrome browser and need to enable
this flag: chrome://flags/#enable-experimental-web-platform-features.
Otherwise, your device won't show up. A pop-up from your browser will
appear and, if the device is connected to the PC, it will be on the list and you
can select it.
 Fig. 34: NanoVNA Client on a smartphone

A very handsome feature of the NanoVNA Client is the possibility to

create good quality screenshots of the original NanoVNA screen by using
the menu item ''Capture Device''. We used this throughout chapter Two of
this book.

In contrast to NanoVNA Saver, the NanoVNA Client software uses the

calibration sets, which are stored on the device. However, they can be
retrieved and saved from within the software.

Other functions include TDR measurements and saving S-parameter

files.

3. NanoVNASharp

NanoVNASharp is another software for the NanoVNA. It has a very

similar design and functionality as the NanoVNA Saver.

Fig. 35: NanoVNASharp

 4. Other software

There are other means of interfacing with the NanoVNA. People

successfully hooked it up to Matlab/Labview and Octave. Or give
NanoVNA Partner or TAPR VNA a try.

5. Serial communication

The NanoVNA communicates with any software through serial

communication via the USB-cable. It is possible to talk to the device in a
terminal session. This gives direct control and allows for certain settings,
which are currently not implemented in any software.

As Hyperterm is no longer included in newer versions of Windows, you

have to install a terminal program first. We recommend PuTTY for that
purpose. You can download the official PuTTY software from the putty.org
website. You will be redirected to another Website where you choose the
version you want to install. Because the PuTTY-Software is only for
Windows, we recommend to just install the latest Version (Pay attention to
the version you download, because there is a 32-bit and a 64-bit version).
After downloading the .msi File, open it and you'll be guided by a setup
wizard through the installation process.

Connect your NanoVNA via USB to your computer. Start PuTTY and
select ''Serial'' as the Connection type. Then enter the correct COM Port (If
you have trouble identifying the port for your VNA, open the Device
Manager (Start / Settings / Control Panel / System / Hardware / Device
Manager). Look for a Dropdown-Menu called "Connections (COM &
LPT)". Open it and check for a device called "Serial USB-Device (COM*)".
Remember the COM Port number and enter it in PuTTY.)
 Fig. 36: PuTTY settings

Now click “Open” and a window for the serial communication pops up.
 Fig. 37: Serial communication window

There is a certain set of commands for the NanoVNA. Try and type in
''version'', followed by hitting enter. This will return the currently installed
firmware version of the NanoVNA.

A complete command set is available here. Depending on your firmware

version, you can even set the bias (command ''vbat_offset''), which the
battery diode (see chapter One) introduces and increase the precision of the
battery indicator on the NanoVNA.

Looking for more information? Regularly check the Wiki of the

nanovna-users group at groups.io for updates or new software.
 Five: Use cases for the NanoVNA
This chapter is dedicated to some of the most common use cases for the
NanoVNA in a typical ham radio environment. In no way they can be
exhaustive or claim to be the only way to go for a given problem. We hope,
that the hands on type of description can assist the reader during her first
experiments and makes her wish for more.

We will put the device to use, either standalone or together with the
NanoVNA Saver software. Of course, other software (see chapter Four) will
also do.

In each section we describe the DUT and the targeted results first, before
the chosen measurement setup is shown. Finally the results and insights
gained are illustrated by charts and pictures.

1. Loading coil

DUT

Our first DUT is a loading coil for a 40 m short vertical antenna. We are
interested in its inductance and quality. Earlier simulations with an online
tool suggest values close to 10 µH and an effective series AC resistance of
about 1.4 Ω. Especially the resistance might be demanding to measure, since
it is very low and thus far away from the characteristic 50 Ω impedance.

Setup

The loading coil is measured by its reflected signal S11 on CH0 only. We
prepare a female SMA connector for PCBs by removing all ground
connectors but one and solder the leads of the coil to it (figure 38).
 Fig. 38: DIY multipurpose connector

With this connector, the coil will be attached to CH0 via a pigtail cable
with male SMA connectors on both ends. We decide to use the NanoVNA in
conjunction with the NanoVNA Saver software for superior calibration and
the possibility to average over several sweeps. Accordingly the NanoVNA is
hooked up to a laptop PC by the USB cable.
 Fig. 39: Measurement setup

In the NanoVNA Saver software the frequency sweep range is set from
1.5 to 30 MHz. This not only covers the working frequency but some area of
interest around and advises the software to average over 25 sweeps and
discard some outliers to reduce noise.

Fig. 40: Sweep settings

With these settings, the calibration process is run and the calibration
saved to the PC. During the calibration process the coil is removed and
successively replaced by the calibrators. As we do not need a full calibration
we can apply the data already after the SOL process.

Now the coil is attached again and measured.

Results
 For graphical representation of the results we choose the S11 quality
chart and the S11 R+jX chart.

Fig. 41: S11 Charts

The measured quality chart confirms, that the coil is suitable for the 40 m
band, as its quality peaks around 7 MHz. The right chart reveals, that the coil
is self resonant at about 29 MHz.

Setting the red marker to 7.2 MHz brings detailed information about the
coil.

Fig. 42: Loading coil data

The AC resistance consists of a real part of 1.7 Ω and an imaginary part

of + 442 Ω, which translates into an inductance of 9.77 µH at this frequency.
The calculated quality is 256. This data is well in agreement with the
simulation.
 2. Band pass filter

DUT

The second DUT is a double-tuned-circuit band pass filter for the 20 m

band. It is sold by QRP Labs as a kit and built on a bespoke PCB. We are
interested in the insertion loss, attenuation outside the pass band and the
impedance.

Setup

Such a filter measurement is a typical application for a VNA. It requires

a 2-port setup for retrieving the attenuation. As this specific filter is just one
out of series, all with the same PCB and connectors, we built an adapter,
which allows for these filters to be plugged in. We soldered SMA-female
connectors to the adapter, suitable for the pigtail connectors.

Fig. 43: Adapter

 Now the DUT can easily be connected to both ports of the NanoVNA.

Fig. 44: Setup for filter measurements

Results

After calibration and measurement sweep we first visit the S21 Gain
chart and see a characteristic band pass filter shape, peaking around around
14 MHz.
 Fig. 45: S21 Gain

With the help of NanoVNA Savers analysis tool, it is easy to come up

with a complete set of parameters for the filter.

Fig. 46: BPF Analysis

We learn, that the center frequency is 14.297 MHz and the -3 dB

bandwidth is 1.496 MHz. Although the center frequency is a bit on the high
side, generally the parameters are good and in agreement with the sellers
information. We could even try to trim down the center, no problem with a
tool like the NanoVNA.

After placing a marker to the center frequency, many more details are
shown.

Fig. 47: BPF details for center frequency

At 14.3 MHz the insertion loss is 1.77 dB, which is good. And the
impedance of 38.6 – j12.8 Ω leading to a SWR of 1.47, shouldn’t pose any
problem in the receiver where this filter belongs, too.

3. Antenna cable defect

DUT

Now we simulate a short somewhere in an RG-58 antenna cable. Finding

such a fault in an arranged cable can pose a major challenge, including
gymnastics and climbing. However, with the NanoVNA at hand, it is
possible to very precisely track down the distance to the short and go right
there. This is done by measuring the time the signal needs to travel to the
short (and back) and convert it into distance. To be clear, it need not be a
short, the Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) measurement method will
work on other defects too, as long as they bring along a significant change in
impedance.

Setup

For simulating the defect, we took a piece of about 1 m of coaxial cable,

attached a tee and continued with about 16 m of terminated RG-58. At the
tee we shortened the cable.

Fig. 48: Cable defect simulation setup

Now we attached the first cable to the CH0 pigtail, using a SMA-female
to BNC-female adapter.

This time, the NanoVNA is used mobile as a standalone device. For

TDR measurements it is generally advisable to start with a very wide
frequency range of 50 kHz to 900 MHz. This can be reduced later on, if
needed. We only need a S11 calibration for this purpose.

Select 2 traces (DELAY and PHASE), both on CH0 and one marker.

The important part is to switch the NanoVNA now into the

transformation mode (Home menu > DISPLAY > TRANSFORM). If your
firmware does not offer this mode, you should consider an upgrade (see
chapter Two).
 Fig. 49: TDR menu

It is key to enter the velocity factor of the cable at the "VELOCITY

FACTOR" command. This is entered in percent, so 66 x1 for a factor of
66%. Now select "LOW PASS STEP" followed by "TRANSFORM ON".
The menu disappears and the horizontal axis is no longer in Hertz, but in
seconds (actually: ns).

Fig. 50: TDR screenshots

When looking at the chart, it gets very clear, that there is a disruption at
about 20% of the time axis. The DELAY spikes down and the PHASE
abruptly changes from 0° to 180°. Moving the marker to this position not
only reveals the exact time (9.54 ns), but also gives a direct reading of the
distance from the reference plane to the defect. Which in our case reads 944
mm and is very close to the position of the short, induced by the tee.
 Closing remarks
We hope that you enjoyed our tour around the NanoVNA and this book
helped getting your feet wet. This is really a device which is fun to play with
and a high quality measuring instrument at the same time. Given the low
price tag, there is no reason, why the NanoVNA should not find it’s way into
every shack or on every workbench. With this book, we tried to remove the
presumably highest hurdle on this way, namely the absence of a
comprehensive manual in the box.

It goes without words, that there are many more use cases, tips and tricks
than a book can realistically cover. Like in most similar situations, the
WWW is your friend here. We specifically invite you to join the nanovna-
users group at groups.io where you will find lively and supportive
discussions.

This is the first edition of "A guide to the NanoVNA", so comments and
suggestions for improvements are very welcome. Please contact the authors
by email: oe1cgs@oevsv.at.

About the authors

Christoph Schwärzler, OE1CGS studied physics and business
administration in Vienna / Austria. Professionally, he works outside of the
technology arena, but keeps a keen interest in science. He has been into
amateur radio for many years, with a focus on DIY projects, which he
presents on his website www.oe1cgs.at. Chris is a member of the Austrian
Amateur Radio Society (ÖVSV).

Maximilian Schwärzler, OE1SML passed his first class amateur radio

exam last year at the age of thirteen and is currently climbing a steep
learning curve into this fascinating hobby. His focus is on digital
communication and programming. Max currently studies at the
Schottengymnasium in Vienna / Austria. Next to amateur radio, he shares a
passion for sailing with his dad and is a keen skier.