Wireless Antenna Measurements

Author: Dr. Donald G. Bodnar

Publication: (MPD) Microwave Product Digest

Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies

We are witnessing an explosive expansion of RF transmitting and receiving products due to consumer demand for wireless voice and data connectivity and the availability of cost-effective technology to produce such products and services. Developers of these new products are keenly interested in the pattern, gain and polarization of their products. Traditional antenna measurement equipment can provide the needed information but usually at a prohibitively high price since such test equipment was designed for general purpose, very high precision aerospace applications. Many of the features needed in aerospace antenna measurements are not required in wireless applications. For example, aerospace measurements are often made at 35 or 95 GHz while wireless communication devices often work at 800 or 1,900 MHz. In addition, phase and amplitude measurements are made in the aerospace applications while wireless measurements usually only require amplitude information.