1997 Technical Papers

A Large Combination Horizontal and Vertical Near-Field Measurement Facility for Satellite Antenna Characterization

Author: John Demas

Publication: AMTA 1997

Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies

A large horizontal near field measurement facility has been validated and commissioned at Lockheed Martin’s Sunnyvale, CA facility. The new measurement facility will be used for characterizing antennas for a variety of satellites over a frequency range of 1 – 26.5 GHz. A horizontal near field scanner with a 14m x 7.8m (46’ x 26’) effective scan area has been designed to allow for 9.8m (32’) of vertical clearance permitting zenith oriented satellites to be easily positioned within the range and tested in an efficient manner. The facility will soon support the measurement of antennas that are in a vertical orientation. This is accomplished with a novel add-on that allows vertical planar near field scanning on the same range. The vertical scanner has an effective coverage area of 13.6m (45’) horizontal x 9m (30’) vertical. The system is being used to test commercial communications satellites.

A Turnkey Near-field Measurement System For Pulse Mode Applications

Authors: David S. Fooshe, Kenneth Thompson, Matt Harvey

Publication: AMTA 1997

Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies

NSI recently delivered a Turnkey Near-field Antenna Measurement System (TNAMS) to the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Crane Division (NSWC-CD) in Crane Indiana. The system supports characterization and calibration of the Navy's active array antennas. TNAMS includes a precision 12' x 9' vertical planar near-field robotic scanner with laser optical position measurement system, dual source microwave instrumentation for multiple frequency acquisition, and a wide PRF range pulse mode capability. TNAMS is part of the Active Array Measurement Test Bed (AAMTB) which supports testing of high power active arrays including synchronization with the Navy's Active Array Measurement Test Vehicle (AAMTV), now under development. The paper summarizes the hardware configuration and unique features of the pulse mode capability for high power phased array testing and the TNAMS interface to the AAMTV and AAMTB computers. In addition, range test data comparing antenna patterns with various pulse characteristics is presented.

Cylindrical Near-Field Measurement of L-Band Antennas

Authors: John Chenoweth, Terrance Speicher

Publication: AMTA 1997

Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies

Andrew Corporation, founded in 1937 and headquartered in Orland Park, Illinois, has evolved into a worldwide supplier of communication products and systems. To develop a superior, high performance line of base station products for a very competitive marketplace, several new antenna measurement systems and upgrades to existing facilities were implemented. This engineering project developed an indoor test range facility incorporating design tool advantages from among Andrew Corporation’s other antenna test facilities. This paper presents a 22-foot vertical by 5-foot diameter cylindrical near-field measurement system designed by Nearfield Systems Incorporated of Carson, California. This system is capable of measuring frequencies ranging from 800 MHz to 4 GHz, omnidirectional and panel type base station antennas up to twelve feet tall having horizontal, vertical or slant (+/- 45 degree) polarizations. Far-field patterns, near-field data and even individual element amplitude and phases are graphically displayed.

Innovative Mechanical Designs For Scanners

Authors:John Demas, Terrance Speicher

Publication: AMTA 1997

Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies

Nearfield Systems Incorporated (NSI) provides antenna measurement systems to domestic and foreign, commercial and government customers with sophisticated requirements that demand custom solutions for RF, mechanical, thermal or software applications. NSI is continuously adapting existing designs to seek cost effective solutions for each customer’s demanding specification. This paper discusses numerous near-field scanner designs to meet a variety of applications. Presented are designs for several vertical planar scanners, horizontal scanners, tilted planar scanners, and special scanners designed to attach to structures to test antennas in-situ.

The Alignment of a Spherical Near-Field Rotator using Electrical Measurements

Authors: Allen C. Newell, Greg Hindman

Publication: AMTA 1997

Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies

The mechanical rotator must be correctly aligned and the probe placed in the proper location when performing spherical near-field measurements. This alignment is usually accomplished using optical instruments such as theodolites and autocollimators and ideally should be done with the antenna under test mounted on the rotator. In some cases it may be impractical to place the alignment mirrors on the AUT or optical instruments may not be available. In these and other cases, it is desirable to check alignment with electrical measurements on the actual AUT and probe. Such tests have recently been developed and verified. Appropriate comparison and analysis of two near-field measurements that should be identical or have a known difference yields precise measures of some rotator and probe alignment errors. While these tests are independent of the AUT pattern, judicious choice or placement of the antenna can increase the sensitivity of the test. Typical measurements will be presented using analysis recently included in NSI software.

The Implementation of a Spherical Near-Field Measurement System in Mainland China

Authors: Greg Hindman, Hanjian, Wei-Bin Ye

Publication: AMTA 1997

Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies

Far-field range testing has been the standard at the Southwest China Research Institute of Electronic Equipment (SWIEE) and at other facilities in mainland China. SWIEE has recently commissioned a new spherical near-field measurement system from Nearfield Systems Inc. (NSI) and Hewlett Packard (HP) to improve its antenna measurement capability. The nearfield system provides significant advantages over the older far-field testing including elimination of weather problems with outdoor range testing, complete characterization of the antenna, and improved accuracy. This paper will discuss the antenna types at SWIEE tested with the NSI/HP near-field system, and the results being achieved.

A Compact Range for Radar System Testing

Authors: Virginia V Jory, Dylan Oxford

Publication: AMTA 1997

Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies

This paper discusses the design, fabrication, installation, and testing of a Scientific-Atlanta Model 5702 Compact Range used for radar system testing. The unique feature of this compact range is that it provides a plane wave target source for automated closed loop radar system testing. Techniques employed for meeting and verifying stringent specifications such as phase and amplitude gradients over the quiet zone are discussed. Results from closed loop testing of radar systems in the compact range are also presented.

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