Introduction

Diamond Engineering has pioneered a new, enhanced method for measuring antennas we’ve aptly coined the Single Antenna Measurement method.  Years of research and development have resulted in perfecting this known methodology, which allows one to determine antenna gain and pattern parameters using the image created by a conductive plane located relative to the antenna phase center.  This methodology has been shown to be more accurate and much faster than the traditional 3-point method which involves simple S11 measurements. Expensive VNAs are not required and measurements between 1-meter and 3-meter become trivial.

Mirror Method Application

The easiest way to utilize the mirror method is by using Diamond Engineering’s DE04-2 Automated Reference Frame, single antenna real-time vector S-Parameter gain measurements may be performed using Diamond Engineering’s proprietary software algorithm.  The mirror plane is made parallel using a laser and an optically flat mirror.  Through this process, one is able to attain gain and phase, beamwidth and partial pattern.  While our positioner and software are not required to deploy the single mirror method, it is a plug-and-play style way to utilize it.

Minimum Requirements

To perform this method, required equipment includes:

• single antenna
• power source
• single-port VNA
• optically flat surface
• means of holding this flat surface perfectly parallel with the AUT*
• analysis software to capture and analyze data
  * In this unique setup, the AUT also serves as the reference antenna

Diamond Engineering can supply all of these components or you can acquire them independently.  However, our engineers have spent many years studying and mastering this concept.  As a result, we’ve developed what we believe is the optimum positioner for the Single Antenna Measurement Method.  Our DE04-2 Automated Reference Frame system has been engineered to perfectly mount the necessary mirror above.  We offer a package including this positioner, the optically flat surface and antenna measurement software which are all designed specifically for this application.

This system can also be utilized for holding a reference antenna, a device under test (DUT) or materials under test (MUT). This unique frame can be moved on the Z-Axis (horizontal in reference to positioner), rotated on the azimuth axis a full 360 degrees or tilted between +/- 10 degrees.  The DE04-2 can also accommodate material for measurement from 1 to 4 sq. ft using Diamond Engineering’s Material Measurement Software as a separate option.

More information on every component described above

Mike Hillbun’s peer-reviewed study

Published in Microwave Journal, January 2022 edition.  Link to publication.