Time domain and infra-red analysis of ridged horn antennas

In the development of an HP8510B network analyzer based, PC-AT controlled microwave antenna test facility a broadband antenna standard was sought. Early on in the range study, a ridged horn was constructed according to available published material. Calculations from design curves and theory suggested an approximate 1.5-7.5 GHz bandwidth. The paper attempts to indicate the regions and dimensions of a ridged horn that are critical to antenna performance. This is achieved via a `post construction´ analysis of the antenna in the time domain (TD) and frequency domain (FD). Further interesting data regarding antenna characteristics is found during infra-red investigation of the horn aperture