Full-wave optimization of large Compact Antenna Test Ranges

Abstract

The challenges related to the increasing physical size of satellite platforms carry over to a number of related areas, including the design of Compact Antenna Test Ranges (CATRs) capable of handling such structures. In the present paper, we consider the design of a large CATR and use state-of-the-art Computational Electromagnetics (CEM) software, based on full-wave methods to fully include the important diffraction effects, to perform various parameter studies and ultimately allow full-scale optimization of a CATR.