Simplified Spherical Near-Field Accuracy Assessment
Authors: Greg Hindman, Allen C. Newell
Publication: AMTA 2006
Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies
Spherical near-field measurements have become a common way to assess performance of a wide variety of antennas. Published reports on range error assessments for spherical near-field ranges however are not very common. This is likely due to the perceived additional complexity of the spherical near-field measurement process as compared to planar or cylindrical measurement techniques. This paper will establish and demonstrate a simple procedure for characterizing the performance of a spherical near-field range. The measurement steps and reporting can be largely automated with careful attention to the test process. We will summarize the process and document the accuracy of a spherical near-field test range at NSI using the same NIST 18 terms commonly used for planar near-field measurements.