On the characterization of a reflector impulse radiating antenna (IRA): full-wave analysis and measured results

There is a growing demand for impulse radiating antennas (IRAs) to receive and transmit short pulses. The basic concepts of IRA are reviewed and the far-field pattern versus frequency of an ideal IRA is characterized based on the fundamental properties of IRA. It is shown that the transmitted pulse is ideally in the form of a time derivative of the input pulse. The physical optics simulation results show that the far-field characteristics of a parabolic reflector are very close to an ideal IRA if it is fed properly. The reflector IRA was constructed, analyzed and measured at UCLA. The near-field and far-field characteristics of the reflector IRA are studied using both the method of moments (MoM) full-wave simulations and the frequency domain measurements. In this paper, the radiation mechanism of the reflector IRA is studied using a detailed current distribution on the parabolic reflector and the feeding structure at different frequencies. Applying either the calculated current distribution on the reflector IRA or the measured near-field results, it is seen that the aperture field intensity of the parabolic reflector is not the same in the two principle planes and as a result the beam-widths in the two principle planes are different. The far-field patterns of the antenna are measured and the calculated far-field patterns support the measured results. The calculated current distribution results provide a guideline on how to properly change the feeding structure to achieve a more uniform aperture field and increase the antenna radiation efficiency.     

Spatial sampling and filtering in near-field measurements

A sample spacing criterion and a data minimization technique for measurements made over the surface of a plane in the near field of an antenna are presented. The sample spacing is shown to depend on the distance from the antenna to the measurement plane, and on the extent to which evanescent waves can be neglected. The near-field data minimization technique utilizes two-dimensional spatial filtering to effect a significant reduction in computational effort required to calculate selected portions of the far-field pattern. Far-field patterns of anXband antenna calculated from near-field measurements are presented and compared with those measured on a standard far-field range. The far-field calculations are repeated for several near-field sample spacings and for various post-filter sample rates.     

Near-field diagnostics of small printed antennas using theequivalent magnetic current approach

A near-field to far-field transformation based on the antenna representation by equivalent magnetic current (EMC) sources has been proposed and validated experimentally on large high-directivity antenna arrays. In this paper, the use of EMC is extended to the diagnostics of low-directivity printed antennas. The limitation of the near-field to far-field transformation applied to EMC models of low-directivity antennas, caused by the finite dimensions of the antenna ground plane, is demonstrated. A method to partially overcome this limitation by including the contribution of diffracted rays is implemented, and its effectiveness is demonstrated with antenna prototypes. It is shown that the agreement between the far-field patterns measured in an anechoic chamber and the patterns computed from the EMC model obtained from the near-field measurements is significantly improved upon, within a sector of ±90° with respect to the antenna boresight in the E plane. The influence of the near-field sampling density and topology of the EMC model on the accuracy of the predicted far-field pattern is examined     

Far-field patterns of spaceborne antennas from plane-polar near-field measurements

Certain unique features of a recently constructed plane-polar near-field measurement facility for determining the far-field patterns of large and fragile spaceborne antennas are described. In this facility, the horizontally positioned antenna rotates about its axis while the measuring probe is advanced incrementally in a fixed radial direction. The near-field measured data is then processed using a Jacobi-Bessel expansion to obtain the antenna far fields. A summary of the measurement and computational steps is given. Comparisons between the outdoor far-field measurements and the constructed far-field patterns from the near-field measured data are provided for different antenna sizes and frequencies. Application of the substitution method for the absolute gain measurement is discussed. In particular, results are shown for the 4.8-m mesh-deployable high-gain antenna of the Galileo spacecraft which has the mission of orbiting Jupiter in 1988.     

Monitoring techniques for phased-array antennas

The problem of monitoring phased-array antennas in general and microwave landing system (MLS) in particular is considered. Various methods of monitoring phased-array antennas are suggested. One is based on changes in the far-field radiation pattern arising from defects in the array. Another method uses the near-field to far-field transformation, based on the concept of the plane-wave spectrum, for the detection of defects in the antenna. A third method is based on near-field measurements and uses the properties of the Fresnel integral. The methods were simulated on the computer and, where possible, were tested by experiment. A comparative assessment of the methods is given, and an operational monitoring system is suggested for the MLS phased army.     

A plane-polar approach for far-field construction from near-field measurements

It is well-known that the far field of an arbitrary antenna may be calculated from near-field measurements. Among various possible nearfield scan geometries, the planar configuration has attracted considerable attention. In the past the planar configuration has been used with a probe scanning a rectangular geometry in the near field, and computation of the far field has been made with a two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (FFT). The applicability of the planar configuration with a probe scanning a polar geometry is investigated. The measurement process is represented as a convolution derivable from the reciprocity theorem. The concept of probe compensation as a deconvolution is then discussed with numerical results presented to verify the accuracy of the method. The far field is constructed using the Jacobi-Bessel series expansion and its utility relative to the FFT in polar geometry is examined. Finally, the far-field pattern of the Viking high gain antenna is constructed from the plane-polar near-field measured data and compared with the previously measured far-field pattern. Some unique mechanical and electrical advantages of the plane-polar configuration for determining the far-field pattern of large and gravitationally sensitive space antennas are discussed. The time convention exp (j omega r) is used but is suppressed in the formulations.     

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     

Synthesis of near-field patterns of arrays

A new technique of synthesis of near-field (NF) amplitude and phase patterns of linear, planar, of volume arrays of finite size or arrays located on a planar contour of finite size is presented. The array could consist of point dipoles or directive elements. The criterion for prescribing the NF (amplitude and phase) pattern information in the synthesis problem for unique determination of array excitation currents is also stated. The proposed near-field synthesis technique is based on the potential integral solution of source currents, Nyquist sampling of the near-field data and the technique of linear least square approximation (LLSA). The NF pattern synthesis technique is illustrated to synthesize a variety of NF patterns with a number of array configurations. Application of the proposed NF pattern synthesis technique to minimize distortion in far-field patterns of arrays mounted on a conducting platform and to realize array antennas with low sidelobes in the near and far field is also presented.     

Evaluation des cadences de mesure de champs proches au moyen de sondes modulées

The problems involved in the direct far-field measurements of large antennas have led to the development of the near-field measurement technique. According to this method, the far-field pattern of the antenna is calculated from the near-field measurements close to the antenna. The only inconvenience in this technique is the slow rate of measurements. This slowness is due to the mechanical displacement of the measuring probe or the test antenna. The modulated scattering technique is a method to reduce the measurement time while preserving acceptable levels of accuracy. This article is mainly concerned with estimating the possible measurement rates in typical configurations.     

Comparison of measured and calculated mutual coupling in the near field between microwave antennas

Measurements of near-field mutual coupling between two moderate sized microwave antennas were performed and compared to coupling calculated using recently developed computer programs. Required input data for the programs are the complex far-field radiation patterns of the antennas and various geometrical factors describing the relative positions and orientations of the two antennas. Measured and calculated coupling as a function of both transverse and radial displacement showed good agreement.     

An antenna for dual-wavelength radiometry at 21 and 32 GHz

Accurate multiwavelength remote sensing of the atmosphere requires antennas with the same beamwidth at the various frequencies of operation. A single offset antenna with a corrugated feed which meets this criterion at 20.6 and 31.65 GHz is described. The planar near-field (PNF) scanning facility at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) was utilized to measure the near-field patterns of the overall antenna for various feed positions, and with an apodizer placed on the reflector. Comparison of the far-field patterns, calculated using PNF methods, yielded the optimum configuration. In addition, the facility was used as a far-field range to measure the radiation pattern of the feed. The antenna is presently installed at Stapleton International Airport, Denver, CO, in a dual-channel radiometric system which continuously remotely senses water vapor and liquid, and it is performing satisfactorily.     

由极平面近场测量确定天线远区辐射场

文章讨论了极平面近场测量确定天线远区辐射场的基本公式，采用Ｊａｃｏｂｉ－Ｂｅｓｓｅｌｓ级数展开方法求解电磁流模系数。通过对１．２ｍ反射面天线极平面近场扫描的实测结果与远场测量结果的比较，证明了该方法的有效性。     

Analysis of pyramidal horn antennas using moment methods

A hybrid numerical technique is developed for electrically large pyramidal horn antennas radiating in free space. A stepped-waveguide method is used to analyze the interior surfaces of the horn transition. The electric field integral equation (EFIE) is employed on the outer surfaces of the pyramidal horn including the radiating aperture. Meanwhile, the magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) is used on the aperture to relate the aperture fields and those in the horn transition The resultant hybrid field integral equation (HFIE) is solved numerically by the method of moments. This formulation is both accurate and numerically stable so that high-gain microwave pyramidal horns can be analyzed rigorously. Far-field radiation patterns, both computed and measured, are presented for three electrically-large X-band horn antennas. The comparisons demonstrate that this method is accurate enough to predict the fine pattern structure at wide angles and in the back region. Computed far-field patterns and aperture field distributions of two smaller X-band horns are also presented along with a discussion on the validity of the approximate aperture field distributions routinely used in the analysis and design of pyramidal horns     

Planar near-field scanning in the time domain .2. Sampling theoremsand computation schemes

For part 1 see ibid. vol.47, no.9, p.1280 (1994). Two computation schemes for calculating the far-field pattern in the time domain from sampled near-field data are developed and applied. The sampled near-field data consists of the values of the field on the scan plane measured at discrete times and at discrete points on the scan plane. The first computation scheme is based on a frequency-domain near-field to far-field formula and applies frequency-domain sampling theorems to the computed frequency-domain near field. The second computation scheme is based on a time-domain near-field to far-field formula and computes the time-domain far field directly from the time-domain near field. A time-domain sampling theorem is derived to determine the spacing between sample points on the scan plane. The computer time for each of the two schemes is determined and numerical examples illustrate the use and the general properties of the schemes. For large antennas the frequency-domain computation scheme takes less time to compute the full far field than the time-domain computation scheme. However, the time-domain computation scheme is simpler, more direct, and easier to program. It is also found that planar time-domain near-field antenna measurements, unlike single-frequency near-field measurements, have the capability of eliminating the error caused by the finite scan plane, and thus can be applied to broadbeam antennas     

Evaluation of adaptive phased array antenna, far-field nullingperformance in the near-field region

A theory for analyzing the behavior of adaptive phased array antennas illuminated by a near-field interference test source is presented. Conventional phased array near-field focusing is used to produce an equivalent far-field antenna pattern at a range distance of one to two aperture diameters from the adaptive antenna under test. The antenna is assumed to be a linear array of isotropic receive elements. The interferer is assumed to be a bandlimited noise source radiating from an isotropic antenna. The theory is developed for both partially and fully adaptive arrays. Results are presented for the fully adaptive array case with single and multiple interferers. The results indicate that near-field and far-field adaptive nulling can be equivalent. The adaptive nulling characteristics studied in detail are the array radiation patterns, adaptive cancellation, covariance matrix eigenvalues, and adaptive array weights     

数字多波束天线测试研究

探讨数字多波束天线的测试方法,对于数字多波束天线远场、近场测试的基本原理及优缺点进行了研究。详细分析了近场环境下数字多波束天线测试误差,研究了误差消除的方法。通过对误差的修正,得到较好的测试效果,从而得出数字多波束天线在近场测试结果完全可以代替远场测试的结论。     

Measurements of complex antenna factor by the near-field 3-antennamethod

The near-field 3-antenna method for measuring the complex antenna factor (CAF) is proposed in order to reduce the effect of the measurement site and background noise. The transmission coefficients in the far-field region are calculated from those measured in the near-field and theoretically obtained near-field correction factors (NCF). The CAF of monopole antennas are measured using the proposed method in a frequency range up to 6 GHz. From the measurement results, the dependency of CAF values on the antenna distance is small. These results indicate that our theory including the NCF is applicable for the measurements of the CAF of simple-structure antennas     

Far-field uncertainty due to random near-field measurement error

Recent planar near-field scanning tests with ultralow-sidelobe antennas have confirmed that random near-field measurement errors will ultimately limit the accuracy of far-field patterns. A formulation is outlined for estimating the spectral signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) arising from noncorrectable near-field random measurement errors. The formulation applies to arbitrarily directive test antennas and probes-even nulling probes. A far-field parameter, called the scan plane coupling factor, may be computed directly from the near-field data, and then used to form the spectral SNR. The accuracy of the spectral SNR is confirmed by simulation and by actual tests with low-sidelobe AWACS array antenna     

Decreasing antenna beamwidth with increasing scan angle

All antennas, including phased arrays, exhibit beam broadening in the near field and also beam broadening in the far field at scan angles off broadside. For scan angles in the near field, the effective aperture is reduced, thereby producing less beam broadening due to the near field. At any scan angle, there is a near-field distance at which the broadside far-field beamwidth plus broadening equals the scan angle far-field beamwidth plus broadening. For larger scan angles, the beamwidth is less than at broadside. Calculations of this phenomenon are made for uniform linear and for tapered circular apertures.     

Multilevel Surface Decomposition Algorithm for Rapid Evaluation of Transient Near-Field to Far-Field Transforms

A fast multilevel algorithm with reduced memory requirements for the evaluation of transient near-field to far-field transforms is presented. The computational scheme is based on a hierarchical decomposition of an arbitrary shaped enclosing surface over which the near-fields of an antenna or a scatterer are given. For surface subdomains at the highest decomposition level, the angular-temporal far-field patterns are calculated directly from the known near fields over a sparse angular grid of directions and a short temporal duration. The multilevel computation comprises angular and temporal interpolations thus increasing angular resolution and temporal duration of radiation patterns while aggregating the subdomain contributions between successive decomposition levels. These steps are repeated until obtaining the transient far-field response of the whole enclosing surface. The computational complexity of the proposed algorithm is substantially lower than that of the direct evaluation. Reduction in memory requirements is obtained by formulating the algorithm as a marching-on-in-time windowed scheme. This approach allows for embedding of the accelerated transforms within existing near-field modeling tools.