{"title":"Robotically Controlled Pattern Measurements of 60 GHz Phased Array Antenna","authors":"C. Matos, Jiantong Li, N. Ghalichechian","doi":"10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906311","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906311","url":null,"abstract":"The characterization of antenna radiation patterns in the millimeter wave band are particularly challenging. This is due to the fact that a misalignment of just a few millimeters between the probe and the antenna can generate substantial measurement errors. This paper describes a strategy to reduce measurement errors by introducing a highly precise measurement system using a 6-axis small robotic arm to characterize the performance of a phased array antenna operating at 60 GHz. The position accuracy of the robotic arm itself is approximately 20 μm and a maximum far field distance of approximately 380 mm can be achieved. The robot is programmed to perform a spherical trajectory around the array with stops every 0.5° along the path to gather the measured gain. It operates continuously by communicating with a computer, which triggers the network analyzer at preprogrammed locations. The system is tested initially using two horn antennas as the antenna under test (AUT), and the results are presented.","PeriodicalId":339768,"journal":{"name":"2019 Antenna Measurement Techniques Association Symposium (AMTA)","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134457276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Proposed Changes and Updates on IEEE Std 1128 - Recommended Practice on Absorber Evaluation","authors":"Zhong Chen, V. Rodriguez","doi":"10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906362","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906362","url":null,"abstract":"The last published version of the IEEE Std 1128 is the 1998 edition. It is titled “Recommended Practice for RF Absorber Evaluation in the Range of 30 MHz to 5 GHz”. Over the years, the document has been used widely for absorber evaluations in electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) applications as well as in antenna and microwave measurement applications. Besides the obvious frequency range which needs to be expanded to satisfy today’s applications, several areas are in need of an update. The proposed document will change the upper frequency limit to 40 GHz (with provisions in the document to potentially extend above 40 GHz based on test methods). Measurement uncertainties were not discussed in the IEEE Std. 1128 – 1998. In the new edition, measurement instrumentation and test methods are expected to be updated with guidance on estimating measurement uncertainties. In the proposed document, a section on absorber evaluations for high power applications is planned, and fire properties and test methods will be included.","PeriodicalId":339768,"journal":{"name":"2019 Antenna Measurement Techniques Association Symposium (AMTA)","volume":"26 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132134381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Compact Reconfigurable Millimeter-Wave Antenna Measurement System Based Upon an Industrial Robot","authors":"J. Jerauld, F. Yuen, N. Landy, T. Driscoll","doi":"10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906384","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906384","url":null,"abstract":"Echodyne has recently completed and qualified a new millimeter-wave antenna measurement system for characterization of beam-steering antennas such as our Metamaterial Electronic Steering Arrays (MESAs). Unlike most far-field systems that employ a standard Phi/Theta or Az/El positioner, we use a six-axis industrial robot that can define an arbitrary AUT coordinate system and center of rotation. In different operational modes, the robot is used as an angular AUT positioner (e.g., Az/El) or configured for linear scan areas. This flexible positioning system allows us to characterize the range illumination and quiet zone reflections without modification to the measurement system. With minor modifications, the system could also be used in a planar-near field configuration. Range alignment can be easily performed by redefining the coordinate system of the AUT movement in software. The approximate 5.2-meter range length is within the radiating near-field of many arrays of interest, so we employ spherical near-field (SNF) correction when necessary, using internally-developed code. Specialty tilted absorber was installed in the chamber to improve quiet zone performance, over standard absorber treatment for similar aspect ratio ranges. Narrower ranges often have specular reflections that exceed 60° and benefit from the specialty tilted absorber designed to reduce the angle of incidence. We present an overview of the measurement system and some initial measurement data, along with lessons learned during design and integration.","PeriodicalId":339768,"journal":{"name":"2019 Antenna Measurement Techniques Association Symposium (AMTA)","volume":"168 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114304742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Culotta-López, B. Walkenhorst, Quang Ton, D. Heberling
{"title":"Practical Considerations in Compressed Spherical Near-Field Measurements","authors":"C. Culotta-López, B. Walkenhorst, Quang Ton, D. Heberling","doi":"10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906454","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906454","url":null,"abstract":"The major drawback of Spherical Near-Field (SNF) measurements is the comparatively long measurement time, since the scanning of a whole sphere enclosing an Antenna Under Test (AUT) is required to calculate the Spherical Mode Coefficients (SMCs) required for the computation of the far field. Since the SMCs prove to be sparse under certain conditions, efforts have been made to apply compressed-sensing techniques to reduce the measurement time by acquiring a smaller number of sampling points. These approaches have been successfully tested in simulation using classically acquired measured data. This decouples the measurements from practical problems, such as basis mismatch due to the finite precision of the mechanical positioner and environment effects. In this paper, results from a sparse data acquisition performed with a physical system are reported. To decouple the error introduced by the approach itself from the error introduced by non-idealities in the measurement system, an AUT is measured using both traditional near-field sampling and compressed near-field sampling. The classically acquired data is used both as reference and as source to simulate a synthetic compressed measurement. The effects introduced by real considerations are calculated by comparison between the synthetic compressed measurement and the acquired one, while the error of both is evaluated by comparison to the reference measurement. The results further demonstrate the viability of this method to accelerate SNF measurements and pave the way for further research.","PeriodicalId":339768,"journal":{"name":"2019 Antenna Measurement Techniques Association Symposium (AMTA)","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116275135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Improvements in the Measurement of Very Low Cross Polarization Using the Three Antenna Polarization Technique","authors":"A. Newell, D. Gentle, P. Vizcaino, Z. Tian","doi":"10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906327","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906327","url":null,"abstract":"The Three-antenna polarization measurement technique is used to determine the axial ratio, tilt angle and sense of polarization of three antennas from measurements on each of three antenna pairs. The three antennas are generally nominally linearly polarized and the measurement data consists of the change in amplitude from the initial antenna orientation where they are co-polarized to the orientation where one of the antennas is rotated about its axis to the null amplitude position. The sign of the phase change is also noted and the phase change at the null position is known from theoretical calculations to be either plus or minus 90 degrees. The correct sign is determined from the sign of the phase change. For antennas with axial ratios in the range of 50 to 80 dB that will be used as near-field probes or as feeds for reflector antennas, it is imperative to measure the polarization parameters as accurately as possible. The primary source of uncertainty in the measurement is due to scattered signals in the measurement range that arise from multiple reflections between the two antennas and from the absorber on the chamber walls. For antennas with very large axial ratios, the scattered signals can be larger than the true measurement signal. These scattered signals can change the sign of the phase and produce large errors in the amplitude at the null. If the separation distance between the antennas is adjusted after rotating to the null to produce a maximum amplitude, the scattered signal is in phase with the true measurement signal. If the distance is adjusted for the minimum at the null, the scattered and true signals are out of phase. Measurements at these two positions will produce the best measurement of the phase sign and the true amplitude. But if measurements are being performed at a number of frequencies, the maximum and minimum amplitude positions will be different for each frequency, and this will complicate automated multifrequency measurements. New improvements have been developed in the details of the measurements that greatly improve the determination of the phase sign and the amplitude at the null for multiple frequency measurements and these will be described and illustrated in the following paper. With these improvements, the estimated uncertainty of a 60 dB axial ratio is on the order of 1.8 dB. A new technique has also been developed to improve the source correction of the pattern data for probes with large axial ratios that guarantees that the on-axis polarization of the pattern data will be identical to the results of the Three-antenna measurement. The probe correction processing will then produce the highest accuracy results for the polarization of the AUT.","PeriodicalId":339768,"journal":{"name":"2019 Antenna Measurement Techniques Association Symposium (AMTA)","volume":"8 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115391053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Generalized Test-Zone Field Compensation","authors":"T. M. Gemmer, D. Heberling","doi":"10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906330","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906330","url":null,"abstract":"Antenna measurement errors occur due to reflections and diffractions within the measuring chamber. In order to extract and correct the undesired signals, a technique based on test-zone field compensation and spherical wave expansion is applied to Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR) and Spherical Near-Field (SNF) measurements of a base transceiver station antenna. The required spherical test-zone field is acquired by simulating the corresponding measurement environment with the multi-level fast multipole method. Due to the numerical complexity of the problem, only the parts of the chamber with a significant influence on the measurement results are modeled. Comparing the determined directivities after applying the correction method, an exact overlap is achieved between the SNF and CATR solution.","PeriodicalId":339768,"journal":{"name":"2019 Antenna Measurement Techniques Association Symposium (AMTA)","volume":"128 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115462008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P. Massaloux, T. Benoudiba-Campanini, P. Minvielle, J. Giovannelli
{"title":"Indoor 3D Spherical Near Field RCS Measurement Facility: A new high resolution method for 3D RCS Imaging","authors":"P. Massaloux, T. Benoudiba-Campanini, P. Minvielle, J. Giovannelli","doi":"10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906458","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906458","url":null,"abstract":"Indoor RCS measurement facilities are usually dedicated to the characterization of only one azimuth cut and one elevation cut of the full spherical RCS target pattern. In order to perform more complete characterizations, a spherical experimental layout has been developed at CEA for indoor Near Field monostatic RCS assessment [3]. This experimental layout is composed of a 4 meters radius motorized rotating arch (horizontal axis) holding the measurement antennas while the target is located on a polystyrene mast mounted on a rotating positioning system (vertical axis). The combination of the two rotation capabilities allows full 3D near field monostatic RCS characterization. 3D imaging is a suitable tool to accurately locate and characterize in 3D the main contributors to the RCS. However, this is a non-invertible Fourier synthesis problem because the number of unknowns is larger than the number of data. Conventional methods such as the Polar Format Algorithm (PFA), which consists of data reformatting including zero-padding followed by an inverse fast Fourier transform, provide results of limited quality. We propose a new high resolution method, named SPRITE (for SParse Radar Imaging TEchnique), which considerably increases the quality of the estimated RCS maps. This specific 3D radar imaging method was developed and applied to the fast 3D spherical near field scans.In this paper, this algorithm is tested on measured data from a metallic target, called Mx-14. It is a fully metallic shape of a 2m long missile-like target. This object, composed of several elements is completely versatile, allowing any change in its size, the presence or not of the front and / or rear fins, and the presence or not of mechanical defects, … Results are analyzed and compared in order to study the 3D radar imaging technique performances.","PeriodicalId":339768,"journal":{"name":"2019 Antenna Measurement Techniques Association Symposium (AMTA)","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123896740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Measurements on extended objects for radar field probes","authors":"P. Wei","doi":"10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906351","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906351","url":null,"abstract":"An extended long object usually gives rise to a bright reflection (a glint) when viewed near its surface normal. To take advantage of this phenomenon and as a new concept, a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) on the RCS measurements, taken within a small angular range of broadside, would yield a spectrum of incident wave distribution along that object; provided that the scattering is uniform per unit length, such as from a long cylinder [1, 2]. In this report, we examine the DFT spectra obtained from three horizontal long objects of different lengths (each of 60, 20, and 8 feet). Aside from the end effects, the DFT spectra looked similar and promising as an alternative to the conventional field probes by translating a sphere across a horizontal path.","PeriodicalId":339768,"journal":{"name":"2019 Antenna Measurement Techniques Association Symposium (AMTA)","volume":"101 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122639162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Topology for Maintaining Symmetry in Hybrid LPDA-Broadband-Dipole Antennas","authors":"J. Mclean","doi":"10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906352","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906352","url":null,"abstract":"Topologies for hybrid LPDA-broadband-dipole antennas (hybrid antennas) are systematically presented and evaluated regarding their ability to provide symmetric response as defined and required in recent standards. The symmetry property of the hybrid antenna is fundamentally related to the intrinsic infinite balun, the choke structure, and the matching transformer for the broadband dipole, if one is employed. In general, hybrid antennas incorporating matching transformers are more symmetric if the transformer is effectively center-tapped. More specifically, in a hybrid antenna employing an impedance matching transformer derived from an equal-delay hybrid, the sum port can be advantageously connected via a low-impedance load to the center of a symmetric choke arrangement. A specific topology for a hybrid LPDA-broadband-dipole antenna is given here which employs a 1:4 impedance transforming balun between the LPDA and broadband dipole but at the same time provides symmetry such that the antenna satisfies the requirements given in recent standards. Thus, the advantages of the impedance transforming balun are realized, but the symmetry of the antenna is maintained. Finally, it is shown that a hybrid antenna satisfies the symmetry requirements if a 180° rotation about the bore sight axis is equivalent to a 180° electrical phase shift in the source and that this behavior is obtained with a combination of 2-fold rotational symmetry in the radiating structure and electrical symmetry in the intrinsic balun structure.","PeriodicalId":339768,"journal":{"name":"2019 Antenna Measurement Techniques Association Symposium (AMTA)","volume":"58 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130264238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Adding Phase to the Rotating-Source Antenna Polarization Measurement Method","authors":"J. Massiot","doi":"10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906450","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.23919/AMTAP.2019.8906450","url":null,"abstract":"The rotating-source measurement method is usually described as an amplitude only measurement method and the axial ratio is the only characteristic that can be measured. The article illustrates how adding a phase measurement allows to get the sense of polarization and to calculate the circular partial gains over a full cut-plane of the antenna under test. Simulations and a measurement example are shown.","PeriodicalId":339768,"journal":{"name":"2019 Antenna Measurement Techniques Association Symposium (AMTA)","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116683075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}