Use of Vector Isometric Rotations in the Measurement of Imperfectly Aligned Antennas
Author: Stuart F. Gregson, Michael J. Carey
Publication: AMTA 2008
Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies
Most traditional antenna measurement techniques presume that the antenna under test (AUT) is accurately aligned to the mechanical axes of the test range. Sometimes, however, it is not possible to achieve such a careful antenna alignment [1]. In these cases, standard post processing techniques can be used to accurately correct antenna-to-range misalignment. Alternatively, similar results may be obtained by approximation in the form of piecewise polynomial interpolation. When carefully employed, this method will result in only a small increase in uncertainty, but with a significant reduction in computational effort.
This paper describes this far-field alignment correction method, which is closely related to standard active alignment correction methods [2]. This paper then proceeds to use numerical simulation as well as actual range measurements to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method. Finally, the utility of this technique in the presentation of far-field antenna pattern functions is illustrated.