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Abstract— Measurements and strategies for the calculation of radar cross-sections in the shorter millimeter wave region, especially of objects that include rough surfaces, are discussed. Because of decreasing wavelength, roughness becomes more significant in this spectral region, but also more difficult to characterize. A tabletop radar cross-section measurement system was set up to measure scattering from canonical objects and rough objects with regular or random patterns using a swept frequency continuous wave system. Random, rough objects of different surface roughnesses were measured and fit to statistical distributions governed by optical speckle theory. In this paper we consider the inclusion of optical speckle theory in the electromagnetic codes to address both issues associated with the characterization of target surfaces and the time required for numerical calculations.
Abstract— In this study we analyze a canonical outdoor antenna measurement environment from automotive industry’s perspective, with the goal of identifying relevant parameters related to range design and analysis. Specifically, we examine to what extent simple ray tracing models are able to describe range behavior. Comparisons were made between simple ray tracing models, free space scenario, and full wave calculations were presented. This is further put into context by incorporating common environmental factors into the analysis, such as asphalt driveway, grass, antenna supporting structure, and control room’s nearby presence. We examine the differences between outcomes generated by different models, while taking into account common frequency bands of interest for the automotive industry, including FM, RKE, DAB, TV, and higher frequency applications. Field distribution around AUT location is profiled and presented for multiple scenarios, as well as for different transmit/reference antennas.
Abstract— A special X-band PEC-backed dipole with integrated split coaxial balun was designed, fabricated, and tested for feeding a low-profile parabolic reflector. The aperture size and height of the reflector is 7.876” and 2.0315”, respectively. The reflector is covered with a 1/16” Teflon sheet radome for weather protection. The antenna has a measured peak gain of 23.72dB and first side lobe level of less than –25dB at 10.2GHz in both E and H planes. The worst case 3dB beamwidth is 11.09o in the H-plane. The -10 dB reflection coefficient bandwidth of this design is from 9.5 to 11 GHz. The E and H plane patterns were designed to have similar tapering and minimum coupling between TX and RX reflector antennas in an array configuration. Within an array configuration the measured coupling level is less than -66dB from 9.5 to 11 GHz.
Abstract— In order to achieve precise antenna pattern measurement in mm-wave frequency region, we propose a cylindrical near-field antenna measurement system using photomixing technique with UTC-PD. Due to this system, we can use an optical fiber as the transmission line of mm-wave signal and downsize the mm-wave signal source. Accordingly, we can achieve flexible cable movement and suppress the disturbance from the waveguide components. In this paper, we will show the measured near-field distribution on cylindrical coordinate by the proposed system and calculated far-field antenna pattern of standard gain horn antenna in W-band.
The core technology to this innovative chamber design is the invention of a new feed structure which integrates the design of the chamber’s wall, and reduces the multipath effects from the walls. In this design, the absorbing materials are integrated as a part of its feeding wall thereof to produce a homogeneous property on the plane, i.e., the plane parallel to the feeding wall. The material attached to the other walls has a non-homogeneous property on the plane parallel to its corresponding attached wall, which allows the scattering of incident field in a widely spread fashion.
Abstract— This paper presents an original way for the design simulation, implementation, and measurement of a multiband flexible textile antenna. The aim is to realize an antenna with a dipolar radiation at several resonance frequencies. The radiating element is a monopole antenna. This antenna naturally exhibits a dipole and a quadripole radiation pattern for the first and second resonance frequency respectively. This behavior is due to the current distribution on the antenna. To constrain the second mode to change into a dipolar radiation pattern, two decorrelated and non-radiating parasitic elements are added to the antenna. At this second resonance frequency, the current distribution is different from the one of the quadripolar mode by the parasitic elements. The dimensions of these parasitic elements are defined by electromagnetic simulations and measurements. To validate this method, the monopole antenna is studied. The radiating element of the antenna is sewn on the textile flexible substrate. This substrate was previously characterized in terms of relative permittivity and losses. The near-field magnetic field and the far-field radiation pattern are studied in simulations and measurements.
surfaces overagroundplane hasbeenusedfor anumber ofultra--wideband(UWB) applications.Thispaperdiscussespracticalchallenges associatedwithaccuratecharacterization andverificationofmultilayer UWBantennasdesignedfor highpowerapplications.Akeydesignconstraintforhighpowerantennasisanextremelylowimpedancemismatch atthefeedterminalsneededtoefficientlycoupleenergyintothe antenna.Carefuldesign and optimization oftheantennalayersandradiatingsurfacecantheoreticallyachievetherequiredefficiencies.However,verificationofthedesignischallengingduetopracticallimitations ofboththeantennafabricationprocessand measurementmethodologies.Analysisoftheantennaarchitecturefromatestandevaluationperspective isusedtoidentify potentialmeasurementriskareasandguidethedevelopmentofanincremental testmethodologydesignedtomitigateorbetter understand therisks.Laboratory testcouponswere fabricatedandmeasuredtodetermineconstitutivelayerandcompositestack--up performance.Throughtheincrementaltestingmethodology,developerswereabletodeterminethat prototypeperformancewas limitedduetothevariabilityofetchedresistor valuesonthe drivenlayer.Thepaperconcludes withashortdiscussionoffrequencyscalabilityandsummaryofplansforfuturetests.
Abstract— Antenna arrays works at their peak performance when they are well calibrated at the factory. Once they are employed in a real environment, they might be subject to unpredictable disturbances. That’s why recalibration after operational deployment is required but is usually not done due to practical difficulties. In some applications such as Direction Finding (DF), direction of arrival estimation is susceptible to the antenna model errors. However, the evolution of Direction finding antenna, as the strong integration of an antenna array mounted on a vehicle and the use of more efficient antennas tend to increase this type of disturbances. This paper proposes to evaluate the benefit of an in-situ measurement system for detecting and compensating the disturbance of antenna radiation. The influence of permanent scatters on one hand and variables (open door…) on the other hand in the vicinity of antenna array is investigated. We present a quantitative study of a biased calibration using a model combining 3D electromagnetic simulation, a complete receiver model and a MUSIC direction of arrival algorithm characterization. Two antennas arrays with same height are compared: a standard dipole array and an electrically small UWB antenna array.
Abstract— A fully polarimetric compact radar range operating at a center frequency of 100 GHz has been developed for obtaining radar cross section, inverse synthetic aperture radar imagery and high range resolution profiles on targets and structures of interest. The 100 GHz radar range provides scale-model RCS measurements for a variety of convenient scale factors including W-Band (1:1 scale), C-band (1:16 scale), and S-band (1:26 scale). An overview of the radar range is provided in this paper along with measurement examples of ISAR scale-model imaging, scale-model through-wall imaging, and preliminary kHz sweep-rate Doppler that demonstrate a few of the diverse and unique applications for this system. The 100 GHz transceiver consists of a fast-switching, stepped, CW microwave synthesizer driving dual-transmit and dual-receive frequency multiplier chains. The stepped resolution of the system’s frequency sweep is sufficient for unambiguous resolution of the entire chamber. The compact range reflector is a CNC machined aluminum reflector edge-treated with FIRAM™-160 absorber serrations and fed from the side to produce a clean quiet zone. This range is the latest addition to a suite of compact radar ranges developed by the Submillimeter-Wave Technology Laboratory providing scale-model radar measurements at nearly all of the common radar bands.
Abstract—It is well-known that a complete bistatic set of near-.eld scattering data is required to compute far-.eld radar cross section (RCS) quantities. In many practical applications, however, only monostatic scattering data is available. Almost all algorithms for the transformation of monostatic near-.eld data are based on the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image representation.Since these algorithms are often acceleratedbythe fastFouriertransform(FFT),they usuallypose manylimitations on the measurement procedure such as regularly spaced grids and separate treatment of the different polarizations due to scalar processing. In this paper, a novel and .exible algorithm is presented which is not based on the FFT but on multi-level fast multipole method (MLFMM) principles. Therefore, it is similar to the fast irregular antenna .eld transformation algorithm (FIAFTA) which has been designed for the transformation of antenna .elds and measurements. Numerical results of different scenarios show that these principles can also be successfully applied to monostatic scattering data. In summary, this approach is superior to existing algorithms, because it provides more .exibility while it is still very ef.cient.
The use of pre-conditioning interpolation schemes, as a possible means of enhancing the performance of previously introduced adaptive acquisition algorithms for spherical near-field (SNF) test time reduction, is evaluated. Investigations have been carried out to establish whether the adaptive SNF approach is suited to test engineering practice are reported. The pre-conditioning method involving the acquisition of two orthogonal polar cuts on the near-field sphere and the separate linear interpolation of two complex spherical components of the NF data is shown to be the preferred scheme. This method is evaluated for three different antennas using specific acquisition rules, and decision functions related to directivity, amplitude error, and side lobe level.
Abstract—Four arm Log-Periodic (LP) antennas are frequency independent antennas that are capable of producing dual circular polarizations from the same aperture and over the same bandwidth making them more versatile than commonly used spiral antennas. In this paper we present a four arm LP that is capable of being a high power radiator. Each pair of arms of the LP is fed with a microstrip line that functions as both an impedance transformer and a 180° balun, thereby greatly simplifying the required beamformer. The antenna is tested successfully up to 500W of input CW power. Post high power characterizations of the antenna (far-field gain, radiation patterns, and VSWR) for linear polarization are presented and the stable high power performance of the antenna is demonstrated. With an appropriate beamformer, good quality circular polarization can be expected. Presented results should pave the way for use of the LP in relevant wideband high power applications.
Abstract—The 3D reconstruction algorithm of DIATOOL is applied to the prototype feed array of the BIOMASS synthetic aperture radar, recently measured at the DTU-ESA Spherical Near-Field Antenna Test Facility in Denmark. Careful analysis of the measured feed array data had shown that the test support frame of the array had a significant influence on the measured feed pattern. The 3D reconstruction and further post-processing is therefore applied both to the feed array measured data, and a set of simulated data generated by the GRASP software which replicate the series of measurements. The results of the diagnostics and the corresponding improvement of the feed array field obtained by removal of the undesired effect of the frame are presented and discussed.
Abstract—This paper describes the approach of solving the electromagnetic scattered field of semicircular array using numerical method (MoM). Considering the variable number of elements, uniform radius of element, element spacing, azimuth plane as inputs of the numerical model and distributed complex current coefficients, scattered E-field are extracted as the outputs. The desired input and output to the artificial neural network are pattern values and number of elements respectively. The purpose of applying neural network is to change from lengthy analysis and design cycles required to develop high performance systems to very short product development times. The work allows the designer to achieve any desired values of pattern without requiring the usage of more elements. The generated data is divided in to training and test sets, for observing the error behavior with the progress of training. It is proved that the network gives a high success rate.
Abstract—Mutual coupling is a major issue in phased array antennas, especially when steering the beam to low angles, causing bandwidth and gain reduction. Such coupling arises from the presence of adjacent elements that produce scattering and absorption effects during low-angle beam steering. The scattering effect comprises of structure-mode scattering and antenna-mode scattering. The absorption effect happens when the EM energy received by an adjacent element is dissipated into the system. In addition, lattice scattering from the periodic structures of antenna elements and feed lines in phased arrays also produces undesired scattering modes that limit the frequency upper bound and maximum scan angles.
Abstract— Attempts to produce robust, objective, and quantitative measures of similarity between antenna pattern data sets using statistical methods have been widely reported in the open literature [1, 2]. Hitherto, such techniques have primarily been restricted to the purposes of comparing two or more images as a means in itself. However, no measurement can be considered to be completely free from error, and as such each data set inevitably contains an associated uncertainty. Therefore, in contrast to previous work, this paper discusses and extends some commonly used comparison techniques to take account of the finite, non-zero, measurement uncertainties that complicate the comparison process. Results are presented that illustrate the effectiveness of the comparison method and conclusions drawn.
Abstract—High absorption rate due to the field enhancement at the terminals of a bowtie nanoantenna is utilized to develop a nano-meter thick and highly efficient thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system. A nano-meter size block of Indium Gallium Arsenide Antimonide (InGaAsSb), a low bandgap semiconductor (Eg = 0.52 eV) is used for infrared (IR) energy absorption and also used as an antenna load. At the desired frequency (180THz) where the maximum quantum efficiency of the dispersive InGaAsSb material is observed, InGaAsSb load presents a high resistance and capacitance. For conjugate impedance matching, a high impedance plasmonic bowtie nanoantenna operated at its anti-resonance mode is developed and an inductive nano transmission line stub is used to compensate for the high capacitance of InGaAsSb load. The bowtie nanoantenna loaded with 30 cubic nanometer InGaAsSb block shows 23.5 of the field enhancement which is the ratio between field intensity at the antenna’s terminals and the incident field intensity. The infinite array of the bowtie nanoantenna backed by a metallic reflector is shown to absorb ~ 95% of the incident power at the desired band. A nano-meter thin TPV system using the bowtie nanoantenna array can show 1.5 times higher efficient than the bulk InGaAsSb TPV cell.
Abstract — Nearfield Systems Inc. (NSI) has been contracted by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Waterloo to install a unique antenna test system with multiple configurations allowing it to characterize a wide variety of antenna types over a very wide bandwidth. The system employs a total of 10 positional axes to allow near-field and far-field testing in various modes of operation with great flexibility. A 4 m x 4 m planar near-field (PNF) scanner is used for testing directive antennas operating at frequencies up to 110 GHz with laser interferometer position feedback providing dynamic probe position correction. The PNF’s Y-axis can also be used for cylindrical near-field (CNF) testing applications when paired with a floor mounted azimuth rotation stage. A single phi-over-theta positioner permits both spherical near-field (SNF) testing from L-band to W-band and far-field testing down to 0.2 GHz. This positioner is installed on a translation stage allowing 1.8 m of Z-axis travel to adjust the probe-to-AUT separation. In addition, a theta-over-phi swing arm SNF system is available for testing large, gravitationally sensitive antennas that may be easily installed on a floor mounted rotation stage. In order to ensure system and personnel safety, a complex interlock system was designed to reduce the risk of mechanical interference and ease the transition from one configuration to another. The system installation and validation was completed in March 2013. We believe that this facility is unique in that it encompasses all commonly used near-field configurations within one chamber. It therefore provides a perfect environment for the training of young engineers and could potentially form the baseline of future academic test facilities. This paper will outline the technical specifications of the scanner and discuss the recommended applications for each configuration. It will also describe the details of the safety interlock system.
Abstract— Several gain measurement techniques exist for near-field antenna ranges. These include Comparison-gain, Direct-gain and Three-antenna gain methods. Each technique has its own unique advantages and disadvantages in terms of accuracy, cost and measurement time. Range operators must understand the differences between these techniques in order to properly configure their test system to best suit their requirements. This paper surveys each of the gain techniques and identifies the relative advantages of each. As part of the survey, all three techniques were performed on three types of near-field antenna measurement systems: Planar, Cylindrical and Spherical. The results of this paper provide the reader with a practical understanding of each technique, the formulas required, and real-world examples for the trade-offs needed to outfit a range for fast and accurate gain measurements while balancing cost and schedule.
Abstract -We propose a method of utilizing near-field spherical measurements so as to obtain the back lobes of high gain antennas without sacrificing the accuracy of the far-field, high-gain main lobe prediction. While a spherical scan is perfectly adequate to gauge the relatively broad back lobes, it is in general inadequate to capture the required details of a sharp forward peak. We overcome this difficulty through recourse to our Field Mapping Algorithm (FMA), which latter allows us to assemble planar near-field data based upon the spherical measurements actually acquired. In particular, planar data of this sort on the forward, main-lobe side offers the standard route to predicting the desired, high-gain, far-field pattern. Our spherical-to-planar FMA near-field data manufacture showed excellent agreement with direct planar near-field measurements for a slot array antenna, each one of them, naturally, underlying a common, far-field, high-gain pattern.