Blue VNA
Free App
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About Blue VNA
This application can be used to fully control a miniVNA Vector Network Analyzer. Is still in beta so your feedback is essential to make it better. Current version has the following features:
- fully control the data acquisition from a miniVNA, with or without the Extender;
- work over USB, bluetooth or WiFi (if available);
- support for all Smartphones and Tablets with a resolution higher than 320x240, based on Android version 2.2 or higher;
- can display reflection data in rectangular or Smith Chart mode;
- intuitive and wizard based calibration interface to speed up the calibration procedure;
- calibration data is saved in the configuration file for each mode (Antenna/Transmission/Frequency), so no need to repeat the procedure each time you start the application;
- if no calibration data is available at startup, calibration procedure is initiated automatically;
- offline mode support allows you to load and/or save vectorial data without connecting to a miniVNA. This mode can be used to play with all the features available for both Standard and Pro versions. Some sample files are included in the package;
- internal Smartphone memory is used if no SD card available;
- export data in CSV, ZPLOTS or S1P formats compatible with many existing applications;
- save PNG screenshots;
- demo capture file included to be able to play with the application even without a VNA;
- virtual LED to display current connection mode: BLUE – Bluetooth connected, YELLOW – BT connection in process, RED – Error connecting over Bluetooth, GREEN – Offline Mode;
- automatically enter Offline Mode at startup if Bluetooth is disabled;
- antenna (reflection) and Transmission modes support with the following features:
- gesture (Multi Touch) support for horizontal zoom and frequency shift without a new capture;
- parameters that can be measured : SWR, |Z|, Return Loss, Phase, Rs, |Xs| for miniVNA and signed Xs for miniVNA Pro;
- you can select one of the predefined bands (all HAM bands), HF (0.1 – 30MHz), or a custom frequency interval (anywhere between the frequency range of the connected analyzer);
- select parameter to display (using different colors);
- an on screen marker can be activated / deactivated and freely moved by dragging it around the screen;
- display all the parameters values at the marker position (only the ones you manually selected);
Frequency generator mode with the following features:
- 2 independent channels (for miniVNA pro) or 1 channel (for miniVNA standard);
- normal or sweeper mode;
- independent attenuator control per each channel (from -60dB to 0dB), only for miniVNA Pro;
- adjustable phase difference between the channels (0-180 deg);
- extremely easy AND intuitive operation, even with small screen devices;
- possibility to manually enter the frequency through a numeric keypad;
- working in manual frequency set OR continuous (live) mode;
- rotary knob to change parameters in both manual or live modes. The knob provides acceleration;
- lock mode to prevent accidentally settings changes;
- frequency calibration can be done in a very intuitive mode from Generator mode.
Cable data mode with the following features:
- background control graphs for Phase and Loss, calculation is done automatically;
- just connect the cable to be measured at the DUT connector with the other end open;
- include a list of well-known coax cables and their Velocity Factor;
- measure and calculate cable length from less than 1m to hundreds of meters;
- cable length is measured in 2 steps, for a better precision (second step reduce the frequency interval);
- operate in meter or feet mode;
- measure cable loss for different frequencies from 0.1 To 180/200 MHz;
- can work in Offline mode, if the cable was measured before and data saved in a file.
X-tal mode:
- measure resonance frequency, R and Q in manual or auto mode
More details are available in the included help or on my web site.
Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Dan YO3GGX
- fully control the data acquisition from a miniVNA, with or without the Extender;
- work over USB, bluetooth or WiFi (if available);
- support for all Smartphones and Tablets with a resolution higher than 320x240, based on Android version 2.2 or higher;
- can display reflection data in rectangular or Smith Chart mode;
- intuitive and wizard based calibration interface to speed up the calibration procedure;
- calibration data is saved in the configuration file for each mode (Antenna/Transmission/Frequency), so no need to repeat the procedure each time you start the application;
- if no calibration data is available at startup, calibration procedure is initiated automatically;
- offline mode support allows you to load and/or save vectorial data without connecting to a miniVNA. This mode can be used to play with all the features available for both Standard and Pro versions. Some sample files are included in the package;
- internal Smartphone memory is used if no SD card available;
- export data in CSV, ZPLOTS or S1P formats compatible with many existing applications;
- save PNG screenshots;
- demo capture file included to be able to play with the application even without a VNA;
- virtual LED to display current connection mode: BLUE – Bluetooth connected, YELLOW – BT connection in process, RED – Error connecting over Bluetooth, GREEN – Offline Mode;
- automatically enter Offline Mode at startup if Bluetooth is disabled;
- antenna (reflection) and Transmission modes support with the following features:
- gesture (Multi Touch) support for horizontal zoom and frequency shift without a new capture;
- parameters that can be measured : SWR, |Z|, Return Loss, Phase, Rs, |Xs| for miniVNA and signed Xs for miniVNA Pro;
- you can select one of the predefined bands (all HAM bands), HF (0.1 – 30MHz), or a custom frequency interval (anywhere between the frequency range of the connected analyzer);
- select parameter to display (using different colors);
- an on screen marker can be activated / deactivated and freely moved by dragging it around the screen;
- display all the parameters values at the marker position (only the ones you manually selected);
Frequency generator mode with the following features:
- 2 independent channels (for miniVNA pro) or 1 channel (for miniVNA standard);
- normal or sweeper mode;
- independent attenuator control per each channel (from -60dB to 0dB), only for miniVNA Pro;
- adjustable phase difference between the channels (0-180 deg);
- extremely easy AND intuitive operation, even with small screen devices;
- possibility to manually enter the frequency through a numeric keypad;
- working in manual frequency set OR continuous (live) mode;
- rotary knob to change parameters in both manual or live modes. The knob provides acceleration;
- lock mode to prevent accidentally settings changes;
- frequency calibration can be done in a very intuitive mode from Generator mode.
Cable data mode with the following features:
- background control graphs for Phase and Loss, calculation is done automatically;
- just connect the cable to be measured at the DUT connector with the other end open;
- include a list of well-known coax cables and their Velocity Factor;
- measure and calculate cable length from less than 1m to hundreds of meters;
- cable length is measured in 2 steps, for a better precision (second step reduce the frequency interval);
- operate in meter or feet mode;
- measure cable loss for different frequencies from 0.1 To 180/200 MHz;
- can work in Offline mode, if the cable was measured before and data saved in a file.
X-tal mode:
- measure resonance frequency, R and Q in manual or auto mode
More details are available in the included help or on my web site.
Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Dan YO3GGX
All Application Badges
Free
downl.
downl.
Android
1.6+
1.6+
Bug
buster
buster
Android app
App History & Updates
What's Changed
Changes in 0.9.6-3:
- full screen (immersive mode) with Android >= KitKat - navigation buttons are now hidden
Solved bugs:
- Bluetooth broken again in Android 6. Add back ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION permission as this is required for Bluetooth discovery
- files saved with version < 0.9.5-1 are loaded incorrectly
App forum:
http://www.yo3ggx.ro/forum/viewforum.php?f=4
Please send me a mail if you have any issue with the application before giving a low rating in Play Store. Thank you. Dan
Changes in 0.9.6-3:
- full screen (immersive mode) with Android >= KitKat - navigation buttons are now hidden
Solved bugs:
- Bluetooth broken again in Android 6. Add back ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION permission as this is required for Bluetooth discovery
- files saved with version < 0.9.5-1 are loaded incorrectly
App forum:
http://www.yo3ggx.ro/forum/viewforum.php?f=4
Please send me a mail if you have any issue with the application before giving a low rating in Play Store. Thank you. Dan
Version update Blue VNA was updated to version 0.9.6-3
Version update Blue VNA was updated to version 0.9.4-6
Version update Blue VNA was updated to version 0.9.4-5
Version update Blue VNA was updated to version 0.9.3-1
What are users saying about Blue VNA
S
by S####:
by S####:
It is the best application I've tried for my VNApro antenna analyzer. This Smartphone integration is better than the similar application on PC.
D
by D####:
by D####:
Thanks Dan for this wonderful app. I bought a miniVNA tiny because of this app. I did a quick Cable test with the 0.2m RG223/U cable with a known velocity factor of 0.66, but the results after a Run, kept showing length of cable is 0.15m. That is 25% difference. Not sure what did I not do right? I test the cable with the laptop software and that was accurately measured at 0.66 velocity factor, and length as 0.2m. Appreciate your advise
S
by S####:
by S####:
Used to work extremely well via bluetooth but now fails (unusable) with a lot of Java exceptions since phone upgraded to 6.0.1 - is this a known issue?
D
by D####:
by D####:
Awesome app
S
by S####:
by S####:
It has a picture of the Tiny on playstore, but it won't work with the Tiny, the Tiny has no bluetooth, and the app has no USB connection!!!! Gave it some score as the screen looks pretty.
O
by O####:
by O####:
Nice & easy 2 used. Thanx again
F
by F####:
by F####:
This is the app to use if you've got a miniVNA and an Android device. Works very well with my Vodafone tablet and OTG USB cable. Thanks Dan!
T
by T####:
by T####:
Best app for miniVNA
T
by T####:
by T####:
It has a picture of the Tiny on playstore, but it won't work with the Tiny, the Tiny has no bluetooth, and the app has no USB connection!!!! Gave it some score as the screen looks pretty.
T
by T####:
by T####:
I think this is a great app. I was able to start using it with my miniVNA Pro without any knowledge of how vector network analyzers work and get useful results. When I got my miniVNA Extender the application supported it. I've used the application on a Galaxy Note 2, Nexus 5 and Nexus 7. It's worked perfectly on all,. I use the Android application more than I use the software installed on my laptop. Five Stars. I'd like to buy the author a Beer.
T
by T####:
by T####:
Tnx Dan for this application and your support. Great job!
T
by T####:
by T####:
I've amended this review to 5 stars, since the USB issue has been resolved, and was done within 24 Hours, so an app that now suits exactly what I need with the VNATiny when in the field, working on my smart phone and tablet perfectly. Some info in porting calibration files between platforms if possible would be good, and maybe a free run function in the future would be nice also. Many Thanks for the App and prompt response.
T
by T####:
by T####:
I can't really give a proper review as there is no option to connect over USB OTG. Also I cannot appear to open menu at all. Using mini vna tiny so Bluetooth not fitted here. Nexus 7. Hope to try again soon. Thank you for the app.
R
by R####:
by R####:
Cool
Y
by Y####:
by Y####:
This is great software I am using my Toshiba tablet working great. Did start out with the tablet now finding the device,found blue tooth but that was it . After a wile playing around with it. It hit me I had to update the minivna with the newest FW after the update we were up and running. This is a great product I would recommend it to all Hams. Hocked to my antenna tuner via a switch, makes it a snap to tune my antenna to the best swr.. Thanks again Dan for this great software..
C
by C####:
by C####:
Really impressed by this compared to the Java driver. Didn't bother to read the Help file as it was so straightforward. Using with a Nexus 10 and OTG connector. Compared the sweep of my end fed wire antenna (1 to 30MHz) on Rigol 1030A and the Blue VNA with good correlation.
P
by P####:
by P####:
Best
H
by H####:
by H####:
Nice & easy 2 used. Thanx again
E
by E####:
by E####:
I use BlueVNA with a MiniVNA Pro and a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Android tablet. From the very first try, BlueVNA has run just fine. It installed correctly, connected properly with my network analyzer and has operated as expected. It's a most excellent program and makes a handy device even more versatile and portable. Controlling a MiniVNA with a tablet running BlueVNA allows the use of the MiniVNA almost anywhere! This program and an Android handheld device are an extremely useful combination for any MiniVNA owner/user.j
M
by M####:
by M####:
This is great software I am using my Toshiba tablet working great. Did start out with the tablet now finding the device,found blue tooth but that was it . After a wile playing around with it. It hit me I had to update the minivna with the newest FW after the update we were up and running. This is a great product I would recommend it to all Hams. Hocked to my antenna tuner via a switch, makes it a snap to tune my antenna to the best swr.. Thanks again Dan for this great software..
M
by M####:
by M####:
Run it on my HTC desire HD . Far better than the droid version on the manufacturer page.
M
by M####:
by M####:
Very good tool and well designed. It was not working with an older firmware version of mini-VNA (2.1) but now, after I did the firmware upgrade to the latest version (2.6), it is working. Thank you Dan for this unique tool.
H
by H####:
by H####:
Thank you for working so hard on this software so we can use it.
W
by W####:
by W####:
Mulo
Z
by Z####:
by Z####:
Nice & easy 2 used. Thanx again
D
by D####:
by D####:
I use BlueVNA with a MiniVNA Pro and a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Android tablet. From the very first try, BlueVNA has run just fine. It installed correctly, connected properly with my network analyzer and has operated as expected. It's a most excellent program and makes a handy device even more versatile and portable. Controlling a MiniVNA with a tablet running BlueVNA allows the use of the MiniVNA almost anywhere! This program and an Android handheld device are an extremely useful combination for any MiniVNA owner/user.j
C
by C####:
by C####:
This is great software I am using my Toshiba tablet working great. Did start out with the tablet now finding the device,found blue tooth but that was it . After a wile playing around with it. It hit me I had to update the minivna with the newest FW after the update we were up and running. This is a great product I would recommend it to all Hams. Hocked to my antenna tuner via a switch, makes it a snap to tune my antenna to the best swr.. Thanks again Dan for this great software..
C
by C####:
by C####:
Run it on my HTC desire HD . Far better than the droid version on the manufacturer page.
C
by C####:
by C####:
Very good tool and well designed. It was not working with an older firmware version of mini-VNA (2.1) but now, after I did the firmware upgrade to the latest version (2.6), it is working. Thank you Dan for this unique tool.
Z
by Z####:
by Z####:
Thank you for working so hard on this software so we can use it.
Q
by Q####:
by Q####:
Mulo
Y
by Y####:
by Y####:
Extremely good program! I use BlueVNA with a MiniVNA Pro and a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Android tablet. From the very first try, BlueVNA has run just fine. It installed correctly, connected properly with my network analyzer and has operated as expected. It's a most excellent program and makes a handy device even more versatile and portable. Controlling a MiniVNA with a tablet running BlueVNA allows the use of the MiniVNA almost anywhere! This program and an Android handheld device are an extremely useful combination for any MiniVNA owner/user.j
Y
by Y####:
by Y####:
Great with mini vna pro Thank you for working so hard on this software so we can use it.
L
by L####:
by L####:
Vna pro Run it on my HTC desire HD . Far better than the droid version on the manufacturer page.
by S####:
MiniVNA Tiny works as supposed with my Samsung Galaxy J5 over a standard OTG USB cable. No problems. Many thanks for this. I can't define the number of samples on the calibration though. I think it has a fixed number of cal points. (update 19/08/2016: I've noticed that there is some great discrepancy on the measurements between the Android Blue VNA and the desktop application vna/J 3.1.9. For example, the cable loss of a 0.5m RG58 at 144MHz is given as 0.6dB, while on the vna/J as 0.28dB, which is half of the BlueVNA calculation. I can, however, suspect that the limited cal points on the BlueVNA, compared with the 20000 cal points on the vna/J I used can be a reason for this difference.)