Tutorial

How to Compare Multiple S-Parameter Files

Load 2-8 Touchstone files simultaneously in RF View for vendor comparison, lot variation, or temperature analysis. Table Marker, Delta Marker, and BW Marker for multi-file comparison.

Use Cases for Multi-File Comparison

  • Vendor selection: Compare 4 filter suppliers' S21/S11 on same chart
  • Lot consistency: 10 samples from same supplier → check for outliers
  • Temperature drift: −40°C, 25°C, 85°C measurements overlaid
  • Sim vs measured: Simulation .s2p alongside measured .s2p
  • Before/after matching: Raw DUT and matched circuit S11 comparison

Loading Multiple Files in RF View

  1. Open RF View → S-Parameter Plot tab
  2. Tap folder icon → select first .s2p file → load
  3. Tap "+" (Add) icon → select second file → load
  4. Repeat: up to 8 files load simultaneously
  5. Each file gets auto-assigned a unique color
  6. Filename legend appears in the plot area

Table Marker for Side-by-Side Comparison

  Activate Table Marker mode:
  Marker bubble shows ALL loaded files' values at marker frequency

  Example with 4 vendor files loaded:
  At 1815 MHz marker:
  VendorA.s2p: S21 = −1.82 dB
  VendorB.s2p: S21 = −2.15 dB
  VendorC.s2p: S21 = −1.96 dB
  VendorD.s2p: S21 = −3.12 dB (FAILS spec)

  Move marker to rejection frequency (1750 MHz):
  VendorA: S21 = −52.1 dB ✓
  VendorB: S21 = −48.3 dB ✗ (spec: >50 dB)
  VendorC: S21 = −55.4 dB ✓
  VendorD: S21 = N/A (failed passband)

BW Marker Comparison

BW Marker reads bandwidth from the CURRENTLY SELECTED trace (highlighted). Switch between traces by tapping the legend to select each file:

  1. Tap VendorA trace in legend → BW Marker reads A's bandwidth
  2. Tap VendorB trace → BW Marker updates to B's bandwidth
  3. Record both values → compare: VendorA BW=40.5 MHz vs VendorB BW=38.9 MHz
RF View Multi-File: Up to 8 simultaneous files with color coding. Table Marker reads all simultaneously. BW Marker shows per-trace bandwidth. Delta Marker compares two specific traces. Free on Android.

Related Topics

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