265Keysight N9923A Handheld AnalyzerUser’s GuideC: Instrument CalibrationOver time, the active components in the FieldFox age and the performancemay degrade or drift. To ensure that the FieldFox is performing to thepublished specifications, you should have an instrument calibration performedperiodically.How Often Should I Calibrate my Instrument?You determine the calibration period which best meets your requirements.However, a 12 month calibration cycle is appropriate for most users.There are two things to consider: performance drift and connector wear.The instrument specifications are set to consider the performance drift thatmay occur over a 12 month period. Therefore, getting the instrumentcalibrated at 12 month intervals ensures that the analyzer maintainsperformance within the operating specifications. If you need the analyzer tomaintain more consistent operation, you may want to have the instrumentcalibrated more often.Connector wear is a bigger factor and depends on the number of connectionsthat are made. The test ports become noticeably worn after 500 to 700connections. This could represent about 12 months with average use. Withmore frequent connections, the calibration cycle should be sooner. You canextend the time between calibrations and thereby save money by usingconnector savers and by performing proper Connector Care. Learn more in“Connector Care Review” on page 261.How do I Get an Instrument Calibration?To get your Keysight instrument calibrated, send it to one of the KeysightTechnologies service centers. Please visit this website to learn how:www.keysight.com/find/calibration.
