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Sensors
Volume 25
Issue 13
10.3390/s25133935
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHz

by
Julia Arias-Rodríguez
*,
Raúl Moreno-Merín
,
Andrea Martínez-Lozano
,
Germán Torregrosa-Penalva
and
Ernesto Ávila-Navarro
Elche Microwave Laboratory (EMwLab), Engineering Research Institute of Elche (I3E), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sensors 2025, 25(13), 3935; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25133935
Submission received: 4 May 2025 / Revised: 5 June 2025 / Accepted: 23 June 2025 / Published: 24 June 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Microwave Sensors and Their Applications in Measurement)
Versions Notes

Abstract

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.
Keywords: complex permittivity; open-ended coaxial probe; low-cost system; SMA-based dielectric sensor; microwave measurement; dielectric spectroscopy; calibration; reproducibility complex permittivity; open-ended coaxial probe; low-cost system; SMA-based dielectric sensor; microwave measurement; dielectric spectroscopy; calibration; reproducibility

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MDPI and ACS Style

Arias-Rodríguez, J.; Moreno-Merín, R.; Martínez-Lozano, A.; Torregrosa-Penalva, G.; Ávila-Navarro, E. Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHz. Sensors 2025, 25, 3935. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25133935

AMA Style

Arias-Rodríguez J, Moreno-Merín R, Martínez-Lozano A, Torregrosa-Penalva G, Ávila-Navarro E. Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHz. Sensors. 2025; 25(13):3935. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25133935

Chicago/Turabian Style

Arias-Rodríguez, Julia, Raúl Moreno-Merín, Andrea Martínez-Lozano, Germán Torregrosa-Penalva, and Ernesto Ávila-Navarro. 2025. "Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHz" Sensors 25, no. 13: 3935. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25133935

APA Style

Arias-Rodríguez, J., Moreno-Merín, R., Martínez-Lozano, A., Torregrosa-Penalva, G., & Ávila-Navarro, E. (2025). Validation of a Low-Cost Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Setup for Broadband Permittivity Measurements up to 6 GHz. Sensors, 25(13), 3935. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25133935

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