This paper proposes a new approach, the symmetric-reciprocal-match (SRM)
method, for calibrating vector network analyzers (VNAs). The method involves
using multiple symmetric one-port loads, a two-port reciprocal device, and a
matched load. The load standards consist of two-port symmetric one-port
devices, and at least three unique loads are used. However, the specific
impedances of the loads are not specified. The reciprocal device can be any
transmissive device, although a non-reciprocal device can also be used if only
the one-port error boxes are of interest. The matched load is fully defined and
can be asymmetric. We numerically demonstrated the proposed method's accuracy
with synthetic data and with measurements of coaxial standards using a
commercial short-open-load-reciprocal (SOLR) calibration kit with verification
standards. An advantage of the proposed method is that only the match standard
is defined, whereas the remaining standards are partially defined, either
through symmetry or reciprocity.Comment: GitHub: https://github.com/ZiadHatab/srm-calibratio