8-14 Service Guide E8364-90026
General Purpose Maintenance Procedures PNA Series Microwave Network Analyzers
Error Terms E8362B, E8363B, E8364B
Isolation (E
XF
 and E
XR
)
Isolation, or crosstalk, is the uncorrected forward and reverse isolation error terms that 
represent leakage between the test ports and the signal paths. The isolation error terms 
are characterized by measuring transmission (S
21
, S
12
) with loads attached to both ports 
during the measurement calibration.isolation errors affect transmission measurements 
primarily where the measured signal level is very low.
The measurements most affected by isolation error terms are DUTs with large insertion 
loss. Since these terms are low in magnitude, they are usually noisy (not very repeatable).
Typical Cause of Failure  A loose cable connection or leakage between components in the 
test set are the most likely cause of isolation problems.
After verifying the cable and its connections, suspect the analyzer switch splitter, step 
attenuator, coupler, or receivers, and associated cabling.
To troubleshoot, refer to “Checking the Receiver Group” on page 4-52 or to “Checking the 
Signal Separation Group” on page 4-48.