Error analysis techniques for planar near-field measurements

A combination of techniques is described for reliably estimating the magnitude of each error arising in planar near-field measurements. They include mathematical analysis, computer simulation, and measurement tests. There are three primary applications for these tests: in designing a measurement facility, the requirements of each part of the measurement system can be specified to meet a given level of accuracy; during actual measurements, the experimenter can identify, and reduce where necessary, potential sources of error in the measurement; and when a measurement has been completed, the estimated uncertainty in the measurement can be obtained with confidence and ease. The latter application has been used in many measurements to verify that the planar near-field technique produces high-accuracy results competitive with any other measurement technique