Abstract: An apparatus for testing passive two terminal devices in the VHF range comprises an electrical signal generator whose frequency is variable over the VHF range, a distributed constant line having a first end connected to the generator and a second end connected to the device to be tested. A resistive .pi. network is connected to the first end of the line to measure directly the values of the incident wave and of the reflected wave or the maxima and the minima of the total wave at the first end of the line are detected, so as to determine the coefficient of reflection of the line connected to the device to be tested.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a measuring unit (300) which receives a component to be tested (Cx) in series with a reference impedance in a measuring chain, a clock (100) suitable for applying repetitive stimulating pulses to the measuring chain, means for resetting the voltage at the terminals of the reference impedance to zero during each inactive half-cycle of the stimulating pulses, sampling means (400) which sample the response at instants which are progressively shifted relative to the stimulating pulses, and a processing unit (200) which analyzes the samples taken by the sampling unit to deduce the parameters of the tested item using a Foster model.