Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHz
This work presents the validation of a low-cost measurement system based on an open-ended coaxial SMA (SubMiniature version A) probe for the characterization of complex permittivity in the microwave frequency range. The system combines a custom-fabricated probe, a vector network analyzer, and a dedi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/13/3935 |
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| author | Julia Arias-Rodríguez Raúl Moreno-Merín Andrea Martínez-Lozano Germán Torregrosa-Penalva Ernesto Ávila-Navarro |
| author_facet | Julia Arias-Rodríguez Raúl Moreno-Merín Andrea Martínez-Lozano Germán Torregrosa-Penalva Ernesto Ávila-Navarro |
| author_sort | Julia Arias-Rodríguez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This work presents the validation of a low-cost measurement system based on an open-ended coaxial SMA (SubMiniature version A) probe for the characterization of complex permittivity in the microwave frequency range. The system combines a custom-fabricated probe, a vector network analyzer, and a dedicated software application that implements three analytical models: capacitive, radiation, and virtual transmission line models. A comprehensive experimental campaign was carried out involving pure polar liquids, saline solutions, and biological tissues, with the measurements compared against those obtained using a high-precision commercial probe. The results confirm that the proposed system is capable of delivering accurate and reproducible permittivity values up to at least 6 GHz. Among the implemented models, the radiation model demonstrated the best overall performance, particularly in biological samples. Additionally, reproducibility tests with three independently assembled SMA probes showed normalized deviations below 3%, confirming the robustness of the design. These results demonstrate that the proposed system constitutes a viable alternative for cost-sensitive applications requiring portable or scalable microwave dielectric characterization. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ea35446a47bc4a0bb301682bcfa757e6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj-art-ea35446a47bc4a0bb301682bcfa757e62025-08-20T03:29:02ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-06-012513393510.3390/s25133935Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHzJulia Arias-Rodríguez0Raúl Moreno-Merín1Andrea Martínez-Lozano2Germán Torregrosa-Penalva3Ernesto Ávila-Navarro4Elche Microwave Laboratory (EMwLab), Engineering Research Institute of Elche (I3E), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, 03202 Elche, SpainElche Microwave Laboratory (EMwLab), Engineering Research Institute of Elche (I3E), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, 03202 Elche, SpainElche Microwave Laboratory (EMwLab), Engineering Research Institute of Elche (I3E), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, 03202 Elche, SpainElche Microwave Laboratory (EMwLab), Engineering Research Institute of Elche (I3E), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, 03202 Elche, SpainElche Microwave Laboratory (EMwLab), Engineering Research Institute of Elche (I3E), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, 03202 Elche, SpainThis work presents the validation of a low-cost measurement system based on an open-ended coaxial SMA (SubMiniature version A) probe for the characterization of complex permittivity in the microwave frequency range. The system combines a custom-fabricated probe, a vector network analyzer, and a dedicated software application that implements three analytical models: capacitive, radiation, and virtual transmission line models. A comprehensive experimental campaign was carried out involving pure polar liquids, saline solutions, and biological tissues, with the measurements compared against those obtained using a high-precision commercial probe. The results confirm that the proposed system is capable of delivering accurate and reproducible permittivity values up to at least 6 GHz. Among the implemented models, the radiation model demonstrated the best overall performance, particularly in biological samples. Additionally, reproducibility tests with three independently assembled SMA probes showed normalized deviations below 3%, confirming the robustness of the design. These results demonstrate that the proposed system constitutes a viable alternative for cost-sensitive applications requiring portable or scalable microwave dielectric characterization.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/13/3935complex permittivityopen-ended coaxial probelow-cost systemSMA-based dielectric sensormicrowave measurementdielectric spectroscopy |
| spellingShingle | Julia Arias-Rodríguez Raúl Moreno-Merín Andrea Martínez-Lozano Germán Torregrosa-Penalva Ernesto Ávila-Navarro Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHz Sensors complex permittivity open-ended coaxial probe low-cost system SMA-based dielectric sensor microwave measurement dielectric spectroscopy |
| title | Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHz |
| title_full | Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHz |
| title_fullStr | Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHz |
| title_full_unstemmed | Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHz |
| title_short | Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHz |
| title_sort | validation of a low cost open ended coaxial probe setup for broadband permittivity measurements up to 6 ghz |
| topic | complex permittivity open-ended coaxial probe low-cost system SMA-based dielectric sensor microwave measurement dielectric spectroscopy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/13/3935 |
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