Novel method and system for time domain antenna holography

Description of the offer:

This technology relates to a new holographic method for utilization in antenna diagnostics.

Holographic methods for antenna diagnostics are extensively used to verify the excitation or the detection of failures of individual elements in antenna arrays and to determine the surface accuracy of antenna reflectors used in radio telescopes.

The specific technology is a novel, fast method and system enabling the use of time domain holography for antenna diagnostics. It also provides a novel method that permits the reconstruction of time-varying far field distribution across the antenna aperture from direct time domain measurements. The antenna under test is placed and aligned in an antenna test range and the antenna or the range antenna is excited with an ultra-short duration voltage pulse and the antenna voltage radiation pattern in the time domain is measured using a digitising oscilloscope connected to the antenna under test or the range antenna. The measured radiation pattern, if necessary, is converted to far field. The resulting time-varying far field distribution across the antenna aperture is then reconstructed using time domain holography. Electrical properties of the antenna are directly retrieved from direct analysis of the holographic plot.

Innovations and advantages:

A wide range of electrical properties of an antenna, such as element failure diagnostics in array antennas and details of the feed network design, can be directly retrieved from direct analysis of the time-varying far field distribution.

Domain of Application:

The approach is particularly useful for analysis of propagation effects, reverse engineering of array feed networks and substrate electrical properties. The comparison of antenna states is very attractive for qualification testing, where the antenna is subjected to a number of different tests and its electrical performance should remain the same before and after every test. At present, due to the slowness of antenna testing in the frequency domain, antenna performance is merely evaluated by measuring the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) at the antenna terminals before and after mechanical or environmental tests. In view of the shorter time needed for time domain measurements and the insight provided, time domain holography is recommended in order to increase the accountability of testing results.

• Commercial Communications
• Data Communications
• Microwave and satellite components (including antennae and amplifiers)
• Mobile communications, pagers and cellular radio