Implementation of QRHA on Data Acquisition Process for Microwave Tomography

Implementation of quad-ridged horn antenna (QRHA) on data acquisition process for microwave tomography is investigated through simulation and experimentation. The QRHA which has quadratic ridge profiles is applied as it offers a wide bandwidth and dual polarization characteristics. The used QRHA is fabricated using 3D printing technique based on polylactic acid (PLA) material. The data acquisition process is performed by using a set of QRHA as transmitter and receiver antennas. A tree trunk with a hole in the center is employed as a model for object examination, whereby it is placed in between the transmitter and receiver antennas. The result of data acquisition process formed as transmission coefficient (S21) is then processed for further reconstruction purpose. From the implementation, it shows that the magnitude of S21 obviously decreases as the presence of object between the antennas. In addition, the measured S21 has also the similar trend to the simulated one for varied object positions.