The bi-polar planar near-field measurement technique, part II:near-field to far-field transformation and holographic imaging methods

A novel customized bi-polar planar near-field measurement technique is presented in a two-part paper. This bipolar technique offers a large scan plane size with minimal “real-estate” requirements and a simple mechanical implementation, requiring only rotational motions, resulting in a highly accurate and cost-effective antenna measurement and diagnostic system. Part I of this two-part paper introduced the bi-polar planar near-field measurement concept, discussed the implementation of this technique at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and provided a comparative survey of measured results. This paper examines the data processing algorithms that have been developed and customized to exploit the unique features of the bi-polar planar near-field measurement technique. Near-field to far-field transformation algorithms investigated include both interpolatory and non-interpolatory algorithms due to the a typical arrangement of the bi-polar near-field samples. The algorithms which have been tailored for the bi-polar configuration include the optimal sampling interpolation (OSI)/fast Fourier transform (FFT), Jacobi-Bessel transform, and Fourier-Bessel transform. Additionally, holographic imaging for determination of antenna aperture fields has been incorporated to facilitate antenna diagnostics. Results for a simulated measurement of an array of infinitesimal dipoles and a measured waveguide-fed slot array antenna are included. Appropriate guidelines with respect to the advantages and disadvantages of the various processing algorithms are provided     

Phaseless bi-polar planar near-field measurements and diagnosticsof array antennas

Antenna near-field measurements typically require very accurate measurement of the near-field phase. There are applications where an accurate phase measurement may not be practically achievable. Phaseless measurements are beginning to emerge as an alternative microwave antenna measurements technique when phase cannot be directly measured. There are many important aspects for successful implementation of a phaseless measurement algorithm. This paper presents appropriate phaseless measurement requirements and a phase retrieval algorithm tailored for the bi-polar planar near-field antenna measurement technique. Two amplitude measurements and a squared amplitude optimal sampling interpolation method are integrated with an iterative Fourier procedure to first retrieve the phase information and then construct both the far-field pattern and diagnostic characteristics of the antenna under test. In order to critically examine the methodologies developed in this paper, phaseless measurement results for two different array antennas are presented and compared to results obtained when the near-field amplitude and phase are directly measured     

模式滤波技术在平面近场天线测量中的应用

为了修正平面近场测量中的多次反射误差,介绍了模式滤波修正技术在平面近场测量中的应用,提出了一种合适的模式滤波函数.推导出模式滤波修正技术的相关公式并进行了数值仿真,仿真结果表明通过利用模式滤波技术对平面近场天线测量结果进行后处理能够有效地改善测量结果.     

超低副瓣天线平面近场测量取样方式的新准则

采用实验的方法给出了用平面近场技术测量超低副瓣天线时收发天线之间的近区测试距离以及取样密度的选取准则 ,提出了超低副瓣天线测量对测试系统温度漂移的要求 ,并给出了满足系统温度漂移要求的测试方式。依据新的选取准则 ,实测了最佳角锥喇叭和波纹喇叭天线的 E面方向图。测试结果说明 ,该选取准则具有良好的重复性 ,且重复精度为 60 d B± 2 d B     

Effect of random errors in planar near-field measurement

Expressions that relate the signal-to-noise ratio in the near field to the signal-to-noise ratio in the far field are developed. The expressions are then used to predict errors in far-field patterns obtained from near-field data. A technique for measuring the noise in the calculated far-field pattern by calculating the spectrum in the evanescent region from a single-dimensional oversampled scan is also described     

天线时域平面近场测试的误差分析

天线时域近场测试技术对误差体系研究的缺失,导致测试结果的不确定度分析一直无法完成.为解决这一问题,以天线时域平面近场测试为例,对时域近场测试的误差进行研究,给出时域测试区别于频域测试技术的四个误差项:探头调制误差、信号源稳定度误差、时间采样间隔误差、时间采样长度误差.在给出误差项后,对误差的产生机理进行了讨论,通过仿真和实测给出了误差对测试结果的影响.     

The bi-polar near-field antenna measuring system at Wroclaw University of Technology

This paper presents a near-field antenna measurement system that was developed in-house. The capabilities of our bi-polar system were extended by a backward-projection processing of data. The amplitude and phase distribution within the array elements can thus be reconstructed. Major applications of the presented near-field system are in research on advanced beamforming, and in investigations into large-scale integration of lightweight arrays. The results presented were obtained for planar microstrip arrays, and for a phased array operating between 5 GHz and 12 GHz.     

Linear spiral sampling for the bipolar planar near-field antennameasurement technique

This paper investigates linear spiral sampling for bipolar planar near-field antenna measurements. This sampling scheme is, depending on range implementation, the most rapid polar near-filed data acquisition mode. The near-field to far-field transformation is performed using a modified optimal sampling interpolation (OSI)/fast Fourier transform (FFT) approach. Measured far-field pattern results for a waveguide-fed slot array antenna are presented and are shown to have excellent agreement with results obtained from a conventional bipolar measurement     

"时间窗"对天线时域平面近场测试结果的影响

天线时域近场测试技术是一种新兴的、测试宽带场和工作在窄脉冲激励下天线辐射场的高效的测试技术.因为它可以利用"时间窗"技术进行信号处理,使其相对频域测试具有独特的优势.本文在已建立的天线时域近场测试系统的基础上,从实验的角度,对"时间窗"参数在天线时域平面近场测试中的影响进行验证分析.举例了三个波段标准天线方向图的测试分析结果,并得出初步结论.     

Strategy to avoid truncation error in planar and cylindrical near-field antenna measurement setups

A simple and effective method to avoid the truncation error in antenna near-field measurements is presented. The method can be applied to planar or cylindrical near-field setups, whenever it is possible to vary the distance between the antenna under test and the probe during the scanning procedure.     

基于未知源域重构的无相位近场测量技术

天线的远场对于研究天线辐射特性具有重大意义,由于远场的直接测量有着诸多限制,近场测量技术计算远场因其简洁准确的特点得到广泛应用. 然而,传统的近场测量技术要求获取近场区的幅度和相位分布才能发挥作用,随着天线频率的升高,人们想要在近场区获取准确的相位信息变得十分困难. 为了解决该技术难题,文中提出一种无相位近场测量技术. 利用一个封闭面上的幅度信息重建或猜测出包围待测天线的球面切向电场分布,并采用遗传算法进行全局优化,其最初为四组随机数据,经过数次优化后将逐渐接近准确结果. 仿真结果表明,本文方法能够在忽略相位信号的前提下,计算出准确的远场辐射特性.     

Aperture sampling requirements in planar near-field and patterncalculations

The paper covers a simple idea. If we sample an aperture, we can obtain valid patterns over a limited angular region about the normal to the aperture. The same expression can be used with near-field measurements. I reduced the expression to a nomograph. A nomograph allows one to rapidly test various choices. In the second half of the paper, I answer questions caused by the February column which discussed polarization (Milligan, IEEE Antennas. Propag. Mag., vol.38, no.1, p.56-8, 1996)     

Pilot signal-based real-time measurement and correction of phase errors caused by microwave cable flexing in planar near-field tests

Millimeter and submillimeter wave receivers in scanning planar near-field test systems are commonly based on harmonic mixing and thus require at least one flexible microwave cable to be connected to them. The phase errors originated in these cables get multiplied and added to the phase of the final detected signal. A complete submillimeter setup with on-the-fly measurement of phase errors is presented. The novel phase error correction system is based on the use of a pilot signal to measure the phase errors caused by cable flexing. The measured phase error surface in the quiet-zone region of a 310 GHz compact antenna test range (CATR) based on a hologram is shown as an application example. The maximum measured phase error due to the cable within a 80/spl times/90 cm/sup 2/ scan area was 38/spl deg/.     

Prediction of far-field from uniform and non-uniform under-sampled near-field data in planar near-field antenna measurements

In near-field antenna measurements various forms of uniform and non-uniform sampling techniques have been widely deployed. Considering the fact that the near-field pattern of any antenna is a spatially quasi-band-width-limited function of space coordinates, Shannon's theorem simply defines the sampling frequency. Based on the sampling theorem, in order to precisely reconstruct a band-limited signal from its samples, the sampling frequency must be at least twice as much as the signal's bandwidth. Through the simulations and theoretical evaluations this research shows that if the near-field pattern is either uniformly or non-uniformly under-sampled due to any practical reasons, yet a good estimation of far-field pattern can be obtained especially if the antenna under test (AUT) is a directive high-gain or super high-gain antenna. Also the time efficiency of far-field prediction from under-sampled near-field data is discussed and the advantages and disadvantages are highlighted.     

Unified theory of near-field analysis and measurement: Nonmathematical discussion

A new unified theory of near-field analysis and measurement emphasizes highly accurate, extremely efficient data processing to yield, e.g., radiation, receiving, and scattering patterns, and absolute gain values. The theory includes 17 types of plane rectangular and plane radial scanning, a more accurate and efficient plane polar scanning, spherical scanning, various types of circular cylindrical scanning, many procedures for determining complex dyadic scattering patterns, the extrapolation method for gain and effective area, and application of symmetry analysis to scattering and inverse scattering analysis. High accuracy is obtained by expressing the fields as linear combination of exact solutions of the differential equations involved (Maxwell's in the electromagnetic (EM) cases) and by using exact expressions for their transformations under coordinate changes. High efficiency is obtained with natural orthogonalities of both the solutions and transformation coefficients with respect to integration, especially summation, and implemented with the fast Fourier transform (FFT) as an approximation-free symmetry decomposition. The unified theory is based upon relativistic and gauge invariances, symmetry analysis, and the scattering matrix theory; it yields all the preceding facets and systems, both electromagnetic and scalar, and the single unified notation, general equations, and explicit expressions for the quantities which vary with the physical or scanning system. A nonmathematical discussion of other papers on the theory is provided. Many of the conceptual errors of the literature are corrected. The advantages and limitations of near-field measurements are described, and scanning systems are compared.     

The near field of dipole antennas, part I: Theory

The theoretical and experimental evaluation of the electromagnetic fields in the immediate vicinity of resonant dipole antennas is presented. This type of antenna is widely used with portable and mobile radio transmitters. The work presented herein has been motivated by the concern that future Radio Frequency Protection Guides with respect to human exposure to nonionizing electromagnetic radiation might be expressed strictly in terms of the intensity squared of the electric or magnetic fields. It is shown in the results that it is possible to detect relatively high intensity electromagnetic (EM) fields in close proximity to resonant dipoles even for very low levels of radiated power (1 mW and less). The paper is divided into a theoretical section and an experimental section because its goals are twofold. First, the formulas for the correct evaluation of the EM fields in the close proximity to dipole antennas are established. Second, it is shown that such EM fields, which can be theoretically predicted and experimentally verified with satisfactory accuracy, are indeed strong enough to violate proposed Radio Frequency Protection Guides even for very low levels of radiated power. Thus portable radios are rendered virtually useless, although the same guides permit exposures to much higher levels of power in the far field. Part I of the paper is essentially theoretical and expresses the fields near dipole antennas in terms of cylindrical waves, which lend themselves to closed form integration. The asymptotic expressions of some components of the field are particularly simple for close distances (in terms of wavelength) from the antenna. The correctness of the solution is checked by evaluating how closely boundary conditions are satisfied. Results have shown that previously used formulas for evaluating field intensity very near dipole antennas can give incorrect values.     

时域近场测量采样平面选择分析

利用平面波谱展开理论和时域有限差分法对几种典型天线的远场方向图建模计算,分析和比较了不同采样平面对远场的影响,以及平面波谱理论对强、弱方向性天线的适用性,为进一步误差分析修正奠定了基础。     

随机误差对超低副瓣天线平面近场测量的影响

导出了平面近场测量中近场幅相随机误差所引起的误差谱的解析表达式。利用计算机模拟和统计平均的方法研究了近场幅相随机误差对超低副瓣天线平面近场测量结果的影响 ,并给出不同口径尺寸的超低副瓣天线的平面近场测量 ,为保证- 5 5 d B副瓣± 5 d B的测试精度 ,所能允许的近场幅相随机误差的最大起伏度     

Tutorial 15: control theory, part I

Control theory is the branch of engineering that tries to answer questions like "given a system configured in a particular fashion, will the system behave reasonably?" That is, control theory deals with analyzing systems. Control theory also tries to answer the question "given a system with (negative) feedback, what can I add to my system to see to it that my system will meet its specifications?" That is, control theory deals with designing systems, too.     

A novel portable bipolar near-field measurement system for millimeter-wave antennas: construction, development, and verification

As new antenna designs require higher frequencies and smaller sizes, traditional large-scale antenna measurement systems become ill-suited for such measurements. External mixing, room-sized chambers, and expensive test equipment add large costs and burdens to antenna measurement systems. A smaller and more cost-effective system is presented in this paper. Using the bipolar planar scanning technique developed at UCLA, a portable millimeter-wave antenna measurement system has recently been constructed. The system was designed to fit on the end of a standard optical table, and enjoys the spacesaving and accuracy inherent to the bipolar planar configuration. Simple construction of the chamber allows for relatively easy assembly and disassembly, and allows movement of the system from one table to another, if needed. Antennas of diameters up to 24 in can be accommodated, and scan planes of up to a diameter of 60 in can be measured. Millimeter-wave frequencies from around 30 GHz to 67 GHz can be measured, with potential extension to higher frequencies. Planar nearfield- to-far-field techniques are used to construct the antenna's far-field patterns from the measured near field. In particular, the post processing follows the OSI/EFT method for pattern reconstruction and diagnostics. The design of the scanner configuration allows the incorporation of the phase-retrieval techniques developed for the bipolar configuration. These phaseless measurements allow the use of scalar millimeter-wave test equipment, with much lower cost than comparable vector test equipment.