A NanoVNA 2.0 is in the Works: Same Price, Frequency Range up to 3.5 GHz, Higher Dynamic Range

Previously we've been posting about the NanoVNA which is an open source VNA project by @edy555 / ttrftech that has recently become extremely affordable at less than US$50 for a fully assembled unit thanks to Chinese manufacturing (or a little more if you order it via Amazon).

Over on the NanoVNA groups.io forums we've seen discussion about a NanoVNA hardware version 2.0 being in the works and it could be ready as soon as January 2020.

  1. The nanoVNA [v2] will eventually reach 3GHz (and at a similar price to version 1).
  2. It's going to be based on the adf4350 + si5351.
  3. The 3 mixers are replaced with one higher spec mixer (ad8342) that is switched between the 3 channels.
  4. A variable gain amplifier is added at baseband using one opamp and switched feedback resistors for improved dynamic range.
  5. The Audio codec is removed and the stm32 built in ADC is used instead.
  6. The performance should be comparable or better to V1.
  7. Info about the baseband VGA design: A RFIC switch is used to switch the shunt resistor in the feedback path. The switch is basically "transparent" because the off state capacitance is in the femtofarad range (it is an RF switch) which is negligible at the IF frequency. The on state resistance is small compared to the resistors being switched in. Since the amplifier gain is mainly dictated by the feedback network, and the switch is "transparent", there is nothing other than the tempco of the physical resistors that can cause a temperature dependence. The RFIC used is the same as for the receiver RF switch, and it turns out all the maxscend switches do not have the shunt diode problem (most RF switch ICs have parasitic diodes from RF input to ground which will start to conduct at lower frequencies), so it has no theoretical lower frequency limit and can be applied at the IF frequency. This is a big improvement over using normal analog switch ICs which have capacitance in the pF range.
  8. Info about linearity: The code will perform a calibration of each VGA step on boot up. Since there is no temperature dependence the calibration only needs to happen once.

The layout designer has also posted, noting that the price will remain the same (roughly $50), but there will be several improvements including a wider frequency range, better dynamic range, and an improved PC interface.

Hi, NanoVNA V2 layout designer here. Here is what I know:

  •  V2 won't have a bigger display because it is too expensive
  • frequency range will go to at least 3.5GHz; PLL limit is 4.4GHz.
  • ADF4350 is used because of cost reasons; ADF4351 is more expensive by a factor of 5.
  • The layout is already fairly packed, so modular is not possible without a huge form factor.
  • Layout and shielding are much improved for higher dynamic range.
  • Price will be around the same as the existing NanoVNA. The design is already cost limited, so we can not do anything that will further add cost.
  • PC interface will be completely reworked. A binary protocol will be used similar to the xaVNA (we are going for full compatibility with the xaVNA PC software). If you are writing custom PC software for the Nano, please make sure the USB interfacing part is well abstracted away and easy to change.

The development timeline is going to be pretty long (by Chinese standards at least). We will iterate on PCB layout to get the best dynamic range. I think we might see initial (quantity limited) sales in ~3 months.

The NanoVNA Version 1.0
The NanoVNA Version 1.0

Just as a footnote, we received several emails from readers who wanted to make sure we note the credit edy555 should get. Originally edy555 had planned to produce his own units, but due to a Chinese ham enthusiast who had good intentions the design became popular and was soon cloned. We note that the NanoVNA v2.0 does not appear to be affiliated with edy555.

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Andrew

They’re not getting rid of the awful three-way rocker thing that never does what you ask it to? A two-way rocker (without the terrible mush problem) and two OK/Cancel type buttons would be *far* better and worth a few dollars.

Bilbo

Gerald, You are living in a dream land, probably Faux news and Alex the loon Jones as your info…please wake up and join the 21st century…and for gawd sakes, get a grip on reality and what is really happening in this world. The rest of the world is utterly fed up with the US and its behavior…as of today, the Chinese have a 100 times better chance to get the support of the rest of the world than the US whose only friends are it s vassal countries.

Andrew

You should probably learn how the reply button works if you don’t want to look like an idiot.

Marty Wittrock

What I REALLY want to see if someone hacking the current VNA because it has ALL the fixins’ to be a . . . . wait for it . . . . SOFTWARE DEFINED TRANSCEIVER..!!

It has an output that generates from 50 kHz to 900 MHz (currently) and also has a measurement port that can act like a receiver. All it’s going to take is someone with a lot of spare time and ingenuity to make an SDR from the NanoVNA. Decent screen size, all the functionality in place…It just seems like a natural like the Red Pitaya was as a test instrument until Pavel Demin got ahold of it and made it a wonderful SDR.

I’d love to see it happen with the NanoVNA…

73 de Marty, KN0CK

PG1T

I don’t get this “ADF4350 is used because of cost reasons; ADF4351 is more expensive by a factor of 5”

If I looked up prices, ADF4350 costs ~$6 each and the ADF4351 costs ~$7 each if you buy a thousand pieces from Analog Devides. That is not a factor of 5.

RCinFLA

I bought a N1201SA in Oct 2019. Although is operates as the N1201SA model with the FW limiting the low end freq to 137.5 MHz it has the AD4351 chip installed in the unit I received. I wonder if others have found this also. Unfortunately I have not found FW to reload allowing the lower 35 MHz end range on my unit.

My guess is the original setup for AD4350 vs AD4351 is just a grade out based on internal VCO build tolerance range of the IC lot processing. As lot processing tolerance is improved over time there may be no reason to continue the AD4350 grade compromise.

IU1CYF

Any info about the number of measurement point? more than the actual 100 of the Nano VNA ?
73 de IU1CYF

Jeff

Hi,
what will be the frequency coverage of this new VNA

Jeff

n6grg

New with this VNA. The following was said :”The RFIC used is the same as for the receiver RF switch, and it turns out all the maxscend switches do not have the shunt diode problem (most RF switch ICs have parasitic diodes from RF input to ground which will start to conduct at lower frequencies)” I see no lower freq number, anyone know what it is ?

PG1T

I’m wondering how hard it would be to modify the firmware to use the device with another (larger) display.At some point I might want to use a bigger display – they are not that much more expensive for me – but the ones I find on ebay do not always have the same display controller. Is it simply a matter of including a different library?

Please note, I ám not complaining about the current display, It’s actually impressive.

John Cunliffe

I would be thrilled if someone would come up with software that would use a computer monitor to simple display everything the nano displays without all the extra remote abilities. So, just like…connect the nano to the computer, execute the software and the monitor becomes an extension of the units display… even a little lag would be acceptable. Since I am not a software writer I guess it will stay a dream. And why would one want it? Because our old eyes are challenged with small screens even the one in the currently used software that only can display one function at a time per window and thus are still small when multiple functions are applied.

PG1T

It already exist, search for NanoVNASaver or for NanoVNASharp. I didn’t get it to work yet but I might have broken the usb port.

KV4PC

NanoVNA-F has a 4.3″ display. Costs a bit more than double. I believe it has more capability and a larger memory as well.

IU1CYF

It seems that it has the same memory… (Number of calibration points: 101)

N0YWB

The nanoVNA V2 will support a 4.3 inch LCD display. You can use the PC app for an even larger display. https://groups.io/g/nanovna-users/topic/nanovna_v2/34272222

European Guy

“If you buy cheap, you buy twice” – German (not Chinese!) proverb.

By the way: one still needs to pay taxes on importing, even as a private person. And ecologically and socially chinese manufactoring and worldwide transport is questionable.

Nate B

Welp, that’s a quick way to immediately kill sales of the current NanoVNA. Everyone’s gonna wait now.

Also, happy Sputnik day!f

Dave H

That’s called the “Osborne effect.”

freedomf

“recently become extremely affordable at less than US$50 for a fully assembled unit thanks to Chinese manufacturing”

Reknown for its quality components and workmanship…lol.

Ignilux

China is no different than any other country in that it is capable of producing both fine tools and utter trash. The only catch is that it’s often quite difficult to tell which is which until it’s in-hand.

lo

“Reknown for its quality components and workmanship…lol.”
You are probably speaking for you, workmanship in China is better than what you will ever be able to provide (if you ever produced anything, which i doubt), not to mention the average IQ in China is far superior than yours and most average IQ of western countries. For you information the 21st century is Chinese, no longer American, and by the way the new silicon valley is ShenZhen.

bilbo

Correct, reality of what is really happening in this world is vastly screwed in the US and parts of Europe mainly because of the biased reporting, the delusion of grandeur and lack of education especially in the US. They do not realize that they are becoming obsolete and all their bluster will not change that.

RodF

bilbo, be assured that many of we Americans do indeed realize it… most acutely so. Sigh!

Gerald Anderson

I’m not saying that China produces 100% garbage, but lo, you’re a Chinese troll.

I’ve worked in electronics for four decades. The quality of Chinese-made goods is directly proportional to the amount of foreign involvement and/or Communist party involvement in the project. Basically, if you’re not on top of the people there constantly monitoring and adjusting for quality, you will inevitably get garbage. If you are right on top of things, you can get a great quality product for less money. But you have to physically be there, be monitoring what’s going on regularly and giving feedback.

When it comes to the high Chinese IQ being “far superior” to any other country in the West, this has been debunked as thoroughly false. See https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/8537/are-there-more-people-with-genius-iqs-living-in-china-than-there-are-people-tota for an explanation of why, but the short answer is that it’s a statistical impossibility to have the results that China has. My own experience is that there are a lot of hard-working extremely intelligent Chinese nationals, but the hundreds of millions of Chinese in the rural areas that have flooded the cities are terrible to work with and extremely parochial. This is what happens when a mass murderer like Mao kills more than 50 million educated and/or business owner Chinese.

The rest of the world will not allow China to get out of control. Between the Hong Kong protests, the systematic internment of 2 million Uighurs, the horrendous pollution problems (sunny in Beijing usually looks like fog with 1/4 mile visibility), the ecological disaster of Guiyu, dammed rivers and similar, tens of trillions of RMB wasted on empty ghost cities that are crumbling and uninhabitable, and the ridiculous aggression of the “nine dash line” that infringes on the sovereignty of all South China Sea countries, China will eventually be contained. Trade and financial market access will become limited, sanctions put in place, manufacturing alternatives in other countries will become more viable. The CCP – the greatest mass murdering organization of all time – and its leader Xi will eventually fail as all dictatorships and totalitarians have in history. The 21st century will not be allowed to fall into a unipolar world based on the Chinese.