Fast and Accurate RCS Calculation for Squat Cylinder Calibrators [Measurements Corner]

Squat metal cylinders are commonly used as calibrators in radar cross section (RCS) measurements. In this paper, based on electromagnetic scaling principles and complex exponential (CE) model, a novel procedure for accurate RCS calculation of squat cylinder calibrators is proposed. Using the currently developed technique, calculation of the ultrawideband (UWB) RCS amplitude and phase for a set of squat cylinders with a specified diameter-to-height ratio (DHR) can be implemented in real time, as soon as the CE model has been developed from the UWB data for a single cylinder of any size, which may be calculated using exact numerical solutions such as the method of moment (MoM). Examples demonstrate that, in RCS measurements, the uncertainty of CE model calculation is well within 0.03 dB for ka5, meeting the requirements for almost all RCS calibration applications.