RF Component Qualification with RF View

Component Qualification Workflow

Before committing to a component vendor for production, engineers must verify that the specified S-parameters are actually met — and that the performance is consistent across multiple units and lot dates. RF View streamlines this process with multi-file overlay and batch export.

Step 1: Collect S-Parameter Data

• Download .s2p files from each vendor's website (SimSurfing, product page, etc.)
• Request .s2p from vendor applications team if not publicly available
• Optionally: measure samples on your own VNA → save as .s2p
• Name files consistently: vendorA_partnum_lot123.s2p

Step 2: Visual Comparison

1. Load all vendor .s2p files simultaneously in RF View
2. Select S21 dB view → all passband responses visible
3. Immediately identify outliers: any trace with different IL or shifted center frequency
4. Switch to S11 → compare port match quality across vendors

Step 3: Quantitative Comparison via Table Marker

  Table Marker at passband center frequency (1815 MHz):
  Vendor A: S21 = −1.8 dB  ✓
  Vendor B: S21 = −2.3 dB  ✓ (marginal)
  Vendor C: S21 = −1.6 dB  ✓ (best)
  Vendor D: S21 = −3.1 dB  ✗ (fails <2.5 dB spec)

  Table Marker at TX rejection frequency (1750 MHz):
  Vendor A: S21 = −52.1 dB  ✓
  Vendor B: S21 = −48.3 dB  ✗ (fails >50 dB spec)
  Vendor C: S21 = −55.4 dB  ✓ (best)
  Vendor D: N/A (failed IL)

Step 4: Generate Summary CSV

Use RF View Batch Converter → Summary Export to generate a CSV with one row per vendor file:

  Vendor,    f0(GHz),  IL(dB),  BW3dB(MHz),  Rejection(dB),  S11(dB)
  VendorA,   1.8150,   1.8,     40.5,         52.1,           -15.2
  VendorC,   1.8140,   1.6,     41.3,         55.4,           -16.8

Step 5: Decision Criteria

Related Topics

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