Design and validation of a compact radio frequency measurement system for volumetric near-field scans

This work presents a modular near-field (NF) measurement system derived from the open-source 3-D printer project RatRig V-Core 3.1. Rather than requiring individual solutions for specific measurement tasks, the system at hand serves as a centralized measurement platform for a wide range of planar and volumetric measurements. It enables automated measurements in a controlled environment with a working volume of 510 × 450 × 910mm. Concepts from Cartesian 3-D printer mechanics are leveraged to achieve high positional accuracy, with positioning errors below 20 μm. The overall cost is significantly reduced compared to conventional measurement systems, using off-the-shelf components. The modular architecture allows for pairing the setup with different measurement instruments. The influence of moving cables is investigated, and amplitude and phase stability better than 0.6 dB and 5° at 60 GHz is maintained across the full scan volume. An exemplary NF measurement of a horn antenna in the V-band is conducted and compared to simulation, showing good agreement. The system is released as an open-source project (AntRig-Measurement-System) that provides mechanical design files, automation software, and instructions for assembly and use. The proposed measurement system combines a compact, portable, cost-effective, yet flexible implementation that is easy to replicate and use, and offers accuracy comparable to that of conventional solutions.

Content

Subjects

Antenna measurements

mechatronics

millimeter wave measurements

near-field (NF) radiation pattern

NF scan

DDC Class

621.38: Electronics, Communications Engineering

004: Computer Sciences

629: Other Branches

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https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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publishedVersion

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Design_and_Validation_of_a_Compact_Radio_Frequency_Measurement_System_for_Volumetric_Near-Field_Scans-1.pdf

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