Two of the central concepts in the MS4640A Series VNA family that will enable the maximum functionality of the system are channels and traces.
Channel Concept
At a high level, the channel defines the sweep configuration and the calibrations for a measurement. Sixteen channels are possible and each can have a different frequency range, different power levels, different IF bandwidths and different RF calibrations (among other things). In a sense, 16 distinct VNAs within one instrument are possible with each one executing sequentially.
Trace Concept
The trace is a lower level concept that represents a data group. Sixteen traces are allowed per-channel and each can represent a different response parameter, can be on a different graph type, and have certain different levels of post-processing applied to it.
The objective of this section is to explore how the channels and traces can be setup, what possibilities are available, and what configurations are commonly used. Many of the functions of the VNA can be separated into per-channel and per-trace groups; the delineation of these functional groups is also an important part of this section.