Antenna

Measurements
Antenna
Measurements
Antenna Measurements
Introduction
Antenna range
Radiation patterns
Amplitude
Phase
Gain measurements
Antenna polarization
Scale model measurements
Introduction
The basic parameters to describe an antenna:
Far field patterns (amplitude and phase)
Gain and directivity
Polarization
Efficiency
Input impedance
Current distribution
Most antennas are measured in their receiving mode.
Most of the methodology for measuring the characteristics of antennas was
developed before and during World War II.
The ideal condition for measuring far-field radiation characteristics is the
illumination of the test antenna by plane wave: uniform amplitude and phase
r > 2D
2
/ Maximum phase error from an ideal plane wave : 22.5
0
Antenna Ranges
The facilities for antenna measurements are called antenna ranges (AR).
They can be categorized as outdoor ranges and indoor ranges.
According to the principle of measurement, they can be also categorized as:
reflection ranges, free-space ranges, and compact ranges.
Reflection Ranges
R
0
h
s
R
D
Source antenna
Source antenna image
Receive antenna
h
r
R
s
Reflection ranges are usually of
the outdoor type..
They are used to measure the patterns
of moderately broad antennas operating
in the UHF (500-1000 MHz) to the
16GHz frequency region.
Free-Space Ranges
The free-space ranges are designed to provide reflection-free propagation of the EM waves.
Outdoor free-space ranges: elevated ranges and slant ranges.
Indoor ranges: anechoic chambers, near-field ranges.
Free-Space Ranges
A. Elevated ranges
Elevated ranges are used to test physically large antennas.
Both antennas (the transmitting and the receiving) are
mounted on high towers or buildings.
The terrain beneath is smooth.
The transmitting antenna has very low side lobe level.
The line-of-sight is always clear.
B. Slant ranges
The slant ranges are more compact than the elevated ranges.
The test antenna is mounted at a fixed height on a non-conducting
tower while the source antenna is mounted near the ground. The
first null is pointed toward ground to suppress the reflection.
Compact Ranges
C. Anechoic chambers
Tapered chamber
We can move the source near the apex at the
lower end of the frequency and further away as
the frequency increases to produce nearly
constructive interference with the direct rays
at the test location.
Anechoic chamber are mostly utilized in the microwave region.
provide convenience and controlled EM environment, an all-weather capability and security.
Inner surface are covered with special RF/microwave absorbers.
two types: rectangular chambers and tapered chambers.
Compact Ranges
The Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR) is
a collimating device which generates nearly
planar wave in a short distance (about 10 to
20 m).
Parabolic
curve
feed
Quiet
zone
Single paraboloid compact range
Test zone
Compact Ranges
An offset feed is used for the reflector to prevent aperture blockage and to reduce the
diffraction from the primary feed structure.
The quiet zone is typically 50-60% the size of the reflector.
Acceptable deviations for most CATRs are: less than 10
0
phase error, less than 1dB
ripple and taper amplitude deviations.
Low-gain feed antennas are used to decrease the amplitude taper.
Amplitude and phase ripples in the quiet zone are primarily caused by diffraction
from the edges of the reflector. There are two popular ways to reduce it: serrated-edge
reflectors and rolled-edge reflectors.
serrated-edge reflector
rolled-edge
reflectors
Four configurations: the single paraboloid;
the dual parabolic cylinder, the dual shaped-
reflector, the single parabolic cylinder.
Compact Ranges
Dual parabolic cylinder compact range
feed
Quiet
zone
First reflector
Second reflector
Dual shaped-reflector compact range
Quiet
zone
feed
Sub-reflector
Main
reflector
The single paraboloidal reflector CATR is easy to implement and costs less. Feed spillover
into the quiet zone is low.
Because of the boresight of the feed antenna is directed at almost 90
0
to the plane wave
propagation direction, quiet zone contamination is relatively high for the dual parabolic
cylinder configuration. However the cross polarization is relatively low for this design.
The shape of the sub-reflector maps the high-gain feed pattern into a nearly optimum
illumination of the main reflector. The dual shaped-reflector design results in a very
high illumination efficiency. Thus the spillover is reduced and the sensitivity is increased.
Near Field/Far-Field Methods
The field amplitude, phase and polarization are measured in the near field of the
test antenna, which is in radiating mode. The near-field data is then transformed to
far-field patterns using analytical methods.
The NF/FF method begins with measurement of the magnitude and phase of the
tangential electric field radiated by the test antenna at regular intervals over a well-
defined surface: a plane, a cylinder, or a sphere in the near field. By the principle of
modal expansion, The sampled E field data is used to calculate the angular spectrum
of plane, cylindrical or spherical waves, which matches closely the radiated field
angular distribution.
The far-field radiation pattern of any aperture (surface) is the Fourier transform of
the aperture field distribution.
Far-field pattern measurements
The far-field patterns are measured on the surface of a sphere of constant radius.
Any position on the sphere can be identified by two angular coordinates ( . ) of
the spherical coordinate system.
In general, the pattern of an antenna is 3-dimensional. Because it is impractical to
measure a 3-D pattern, usually two 2-D pattern cuts are measured and they must be
orthogonal.
Receiver
Polarization
positioner

Source
control
Positioner
control
Test positioner
indicators
Pattern
recorder
Test
antenna
source
Simple block diagram of a pattern
measuring system.

Phase
measurement
circuit
Test
antenna
Reference
Test
Probe
Phase pattern measuring system
Gain measurements
Usually, free-space ranges are used to measure the gain of antennas operating above 1 GHz.
Between 0.1-1GHz, ground-reflection ranges are utilized. Below 0.1 GHz, the gain is
measured in situ.
Gain is the most important figure-of-merit parameter of an antenna.
Two methods: absolute-gain and gain-transfer ( or gain-comparison)
Absolute-gain measurements
The methods are based on Friis transmission formula.
There are two basic methods: two-antenna method and three-antenna method.
A. Two-antenna method
)] ( log 10 )
4
( log 20 [
2
1
) (
10 10
t
r
dB
P
P R
G + =

Two identical test antenna, one is transmitting and the other is receiving.
Assuming that the antennas are well matched in terms of impedance and polarization.
R: antenna separation P
r
: received power P
t
: transmitted power
Gain measurements
B. Three-antenna method
If the two antennas in the measuring system are not identical, three antennas must be
employed and three measurement must be made.
All three combinations:
) ( log 10 )
4
( log 20 ) ( ) (
1
2
10 10 2 1
t
r
dB dB
P
P R
G G + = +

) ( log 10 )
4
( log 20 ) ( ) (
1
3
10 10 3 1
t
r
dB dB
P
P R
G G + = +

) ( log 10 )
4
( log 20 ) ( ) (
2
3
10 10 3 2
t
r
dB dB
P
P R
G G + = +

From these equations, the gains of all three antennas can be determined.
antenna 1 and antenna 2
antenna 1 and antenna 3
antenna 2 and antenna 3
Gain measurements
Gain-Transfer (Gain-Comparison) measurements
This technique needs a gain standard whose gain is known.
Two sets of measurements are performed.
I. The test antenna is in receiving mode, and the received power P
T
is recorded;
II. The test antenna is replaced by standard gain antenna and its received power P
s
is measured. The geometrical arrangement is kept intact and the transmitted power
is maintained same.
) ( log 10 ) ( ) (
10
s
T
dB s dB T
P
P
G G + =
G
T
: gain of test antenna G
s
: gain of standard antenna
If the test antenna is circularly or elliptically polarized, two orthogonal linearly polarized
gain standards must be used in order to obtain the partial gains corresponding to each
linearly polarized component. The total gain of the test antenna is:
) ( log 10 ) (
10 TH TV dB T
G G G + =
G
TV
: the partial gain with respect to vertical polarization
G
TH
: the partial gain with respect to horizontal polarization
Polarization measurements
A general polarization of an antenna is described by polarization ellipse (the axial ratio and
the tilt angle), as well as the sense of rotation (clockwise or counter-clockwise, right-hand or
left-hand).
The polarization measurement techniques are classified into three general categories.
I. Partial methods: provide partial polarization information.
II. Comparison methods: yield complete polarization information but require a polarization
standard.
III. Absolute methods: yield complete polarization information and require no polarization
standard.
Polarization-pattern method
This method can only determine the polarization ellipse in a given direction of radiation but
not the sense of rotation.
The antenna under test can be either in transmitting or in receiving mode. The probe antenna
must be linearly polarized. Usually it is a dipole.
probe
Test antenna
Polarization measurements
Linearly polarized
If the test antenna
is linearly polarized, the output voltage will be proportional to sin .
is circularly polarized, the polarization pattern is a circle.
is elliptically polarized, a typical dumb-bell contour is obtained.

Circularly polarized
Polarization
pattern
Polarization
ellipse
Elliptically polarized
If the polarization of an entire plane is needed to know, the test antenna (working in the
receiving mode) is rotated over the desired plane while the probe is used as a source. The
pattern obtained is called as the axial ratio pattern. From this pattern, the ratio of the outer
envelope to the inner one for a given angle represents the axial ratio of the polarization in
that direction.
Scale model measurements
In some cases, such as with antennas on the ships,
aircraft, spacecraft, etc., the antenna and its supporting
structure are too heavy in weight or too big in size to be
moved or accommodated by the antenna ranges. We use
geometrical scale model to perform antenna measurements.
The principle of geometrical scale model
Permittivity
Permeability
Velocity
Impedance
Antenna gain
l=l/n
t=t/n
= /n
C=C/n
L=L/n
A
e
=A
e
/n
2
f=nf
=n
Length
Time
Wavelength
Capacitance
Inductance
Echo area
Frequency
Conductivity
Unchanged parameters Scaled Parameters
The whole structure is scale modeled by a factor of n.
The ideal scale modeling requires exact replicas both
physically and electrically.
The 1/15th scale model of V-22 aircraft
in Villanovas anechoic chamber