The most powerful analyzer from OMICRON Lab. Its ultra-wide frequency range enables precise measurements from 10 mHz* up to 450 MHz.

The Bode 500 offers high linearity and a high dynamic range of > 120 dB to enable accurate vector network analysis, frequency response analysis, and impedance measurements. The switchable inputs provide 50 Ω termination and a high impedance setting with ac-coupled 1 MΩ for measurements on active systems and the use with external probes.

With 66 dB of dynamic range on the output and a maximum power level of 16 dBm, the analyzer offers enough signal injection power for loop gain and output impedance measurements on switching converters and power distribution networks (PDN).

These capabilities make the Bode 500 the instrument of choice for power integrity verifications and loop stability measurements.

This VNA is a silent, fanless, portable instrument that can be powered by Ethernet (PoE), USB (USB-PD), or a standard power supply. The analyzer offers a USB-C and an Ethernet interface for connection to the network or the control computer.

When used with the powerful Bode Analyzer Suite, the Bode 500 offers the same user experience and ease of use as the popular Bode 100.

Besides the Bode Analyzer Suite, the Bode 500 can be controlled directly via SCPI commands, enabling stand-alone, platform-independent automated measurements.

Download or watch the presentation from Florian Hämmerle of OMICRON Lab at this year’s 13th Power Analysis & Design Symposium “PDN Impedance Measurements Using Bode 500 and Picotest PDN Probes.”

The power delivery network (PDN) describes the complete system delivering the power from the power source (i.e. a battery or a AC/DC power supply) to the power sink (i.e. a processor or FPGA).

The PDN must be able to provide a sufficiently low source impedance such that the voltage drop does not exceed the limits when the maximum current is flowing. The faster the current transients, the more challenging this gets.

Adding decoupling capacitors to the PDN helps to provide a low impedance over a wide frequency range but also brings the risk of resonance peaks in the PDN. A simple PDN impedance measurement can help in verifying the PDN design.

It will reveal critical resonances that could lead to system failures. This presentation will cover the basics of dynamic output impedance and PDN impedance, focusing on measuring low impedance using the Bode 500 in conjunction with Picotest PDN probes.

Curve Fitting Feature Enables Measurement Based Electrical Models

The Bode Analyzer Suite, starting with version 3.50, includes an advanced SPICE modeling feature.

Now you can turn your test measurements into simulation models. This feature is available for BOTH the Bode 100 and the new Bode 500 VNAs.

This feature is best illustrated by this video.

It’s quite amazing and as simple to use as is shown in the video. You test your component’s impedance in any suitable manner. Then you can fit the data with pre-programmed (i.e., simpler) templates or you can let the full power of the curve fitting software chose an arbitrary network, synthesized to your percent error and weighting. You can check the fit and when finished, a simple button click exports the SPICE subcircuit netlist for use in your favorite simulation tool.

Benefits:

• Quickly generate measurement-based models
• Produce electrical models for challenging circuit structures (cable assemblies, passive devices, filters, VRMs, source impedance, beads, black-box, etc.)
• Electrical network synthesis from test data
• Produce models for parts lacking manufacturer support
• Test – simulation waveform overlay shows instant accuracy/error of the fit

Features:

• SPICE Model generation from test data
• Exports SPICE 3 compatible subcircuit netlist ready for use with any simulator
• Curve fitting with various circuit template structures – more useful for tolerancing
• General curve fitting algorithm for more accuracy – up to 20 poles
• Passivity option eliminates negative values
• User-defined % target error (Root mean squared error)
• Various weighting options
• Graphical display of test result, simulated waveform, and error
• SPICE model re-import for further optimization
• Series or Shunt synthesis option
• Laplace equation display