Rohde & Schwarz introduces NTS standards for RF power calibration up to 170 GHz

A new calibration reference

Rohde & Schwarz announced its R&S NTS thermoelectric RF power transfer standards on 13 October 2026. The manufacturer positions the passive, analog sensors as replacements for aging thermistor standards, serving national metrology institutes, calibration laboratories and industrial measurement teams.

Source: Rohde & Schwarz presents unique R&S NTS transfer standards for RF power traceability applications up to 170 GHz

Frequency coverage and integration

The launch includes coaxial models covering DC to 67 GHz and a waveguide model extending to 170 GHz through a WR 6.5 connection. Rohde & Schwarz specifies a maximum input power of +20 dBm and a four-wire DC heater connection for power substitution.

According to the company, the sensors can connect to calibrated DC nanovoltmeters and fit existing microcalorimeter arrangements without another base unit. Software support is intended to help laboratories move from thermistor-based references to thermoelectric devices.

Source: Rohde & Schwarz presents unique R&S NTS transfer standards for RF power traceability applications up to 170 GHz

LANGOM perspective

For a laboratory renewing its reference equipment, the useful procurement question is how each model fits the measurement chain already in service. Teams should specify the frequency bands, connectors, transfer procedures and reporting requirements they actually need before comparing quotations. The family headline does not mean every sensor covers the entire frequency range.

An evaluation should also budget for procedure updates, operator training and a comparison against the current reference. Retaining familiar instruments may simplify a transition, but the full uncertainty budget still needs review for the selected setup. Temperature handling, connection repeatability and the way calibration data enter laboratory software deserve explicit acceptance criteria.

For technical project managers, this makes the announcement a reason to review the calibration roadmap. A purchase decision should follow a documented trial on representative workloads, with ownership of recalibration and ongoing support agreed before the new reference enters routine service.

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