NanoRFE VNA6000

VNA6000 (formerly NanoVNA V3) is a series of two port 6GHz vector network analyzers developed by NanoRFE/HCXQS offering performance comparable to higher end professional instruments in a small and portable form factor.

Existing portable VNAs weigh >2.5kg (heavier than a laptop; see table below). VNA6000 is the first VNA to reach professional level performance while weighing as much as a cell phone (300g), and is ideal for engineers on the go or working from home. VNA6000 can be used to characterize antennas, filters, duplexers, amplifiers, and more.

The improved measurement repeatability and low trace noise of the VNA6000 enables remote workers to complete most lab tasks without the logistics trouble of renting or sharing equipment, minimizing lost productivity.

Where to buy

Official stores

VNA6000 is only available from our direct store:

• Official store on Tindie (worldwide)

You are probably aware of the components shortage situation everyone is in right now, with many small businesses struggling to survive, as well as the flood of low quality clones becoming a major issue. We'd like to thank you for choosing to support us and supporting innovation by buying the original version!

Note: beware of clones of our older designs claiming to go to 6GHz but when tested are not able to measure accurately above 1GHz! To make measurements at these higher frequencies requires the entire signal path to be redesigned using RF rated parts and materials, impedances need to be tightly controlled, and all parts must be rated to handle the higher frequency, which adds significant expense. Even open source designs are not able to do it at below $300-500 BOM cost, and still have noticeable drift and repeatability problems. If you want useful and meaningful measurements, look for original NanoRFE analyzers!

Features

• 50kHz - 6GHz frequency range
• Low drift
  • Built-in temperature compensation minimizes drift
  • See video comparison
• High linearity
  • See measurements
• Improved measurement repeatability
  • <0.1dB typ
• High dynamic range
  • 110dB @ 5.8GHz (VNA6000-B)
• Adjustable IFBW
  • Enables optimal tradeoff between measurement speed and noise
  • Can measure narrowband devices
• Can be connected to a PC (NanoVNA-QT software)
  • S parameters export
  • Custom calibration kit parameters
  • Advanced calibration methods
  • Automatic continuous data acquisition
  • Supports Windows (7+), Linux, and MacOS
• Lightweight and easy to carry
  • Lower weight (300g) compared to other portable VNAs of similar performance (> 2.5kg)
• TDR with millimeter level resolution
• 4 inch touchscreen
• Programmatically access measurement data through a simple API
• Example Python program to read data from NanoRFE VNA6000: https://gist.github.com/nanovna/af6d7c93221a5673451e6f6e64f210e7

Feature comparison

	NanoRFE portable VNA series				Other portable VNAs
	V2 Plus4	V2 Plus4 Pro	VNA6000-A	VNA6000-B	KeyS FieldF N9912A	Anr MS2025B	R-S ZNH4
Max dynamic range	90dB	90dB	95dB	110dB	72dB	100dB	100dB
Freq. range (Hz)	50k - 4G	50k - 4G	50k - 6G	50k - 6G	2M - 6G	500k - 6G	30k - 4G
Trace noise	Low	Lower	Lower	Lower	Lower	Lower	Lower
Sweep time	0.25s	< 0.2s	< 0.2s	< 0.2s	< 0.1s	< 0.1s	< 0.1s
Adjustable IFBW		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Temperature drift compensation	✓	✓	✓	✓	?	?	?
TDR	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
TDR resolution	9mm	9mm	6mm	6mm	6mm	6mm	9mm
Weight	300g	300g	300g	300g	2.8kg	3.5kg	3.1kg
Touchscreen	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓
Buy	Official store	Official store	Official store	Official store

Typical performance

VNA6000-B

Documentation

User manual

Datasheet

Software

VNA6000 supports both NanoVNA-QT and NanoVNA-Saver software.

See Software downloads.

Firmware

New firmware releases typically contain bug and stability fixes. It is recommended but not necessary to update your device firmware to the latest version.

Version 20230711 (Latest version)

Updating the device firmware

1. Switch off the VNA6000.
2. Connect the VNA6000 to your PC using a USB cable.
3. Hold down ◀ and switch on the VNA6000.
4. Once white screen appears, release ◀.
5. The device should now show up on your computer as a USB serial port device.
6. Open NanoVNA-QT and select the device under the "Device" menu.
7. You will be prompted to flash a firmware binary, which you can download below.
8. The firmware update typically takes 5 - 10 seconds, and the VNA6000 will automatically reboot into the new firmware.
9. If the update process appears to be stuck, you can restart the update by repeating the steps above. Interrupting a firmware update will not brick your device, but you will need to flash the firmware again before the device will boot.

User groups / Forums

Discussion forum
https://groups.io/g/NanoVNAV3