Fast measurements and diagnostics on radar antennas using compact cylindrical NF range

The spherical near-field antenna measurement system StarLab has evolved to cover the entire frequency band from 800MHz to 18GHz [1, 2, 3]. The system is based on probe array technology and the Advanced Modulated Scattering Technique (A-MST) [4, 5]. The StarLab system offers the speed advantages of a probe array, while the mechanical rotation in elevation allows for unlimited angular resolution over the full 3D sphere. By adding a linear scanner, the StarLab system can be converted to a compact cylindrical near field measurement system. This system is particularly well-suited for measurements of base stations and other sectorial type array antennas often used in radar applications. This paper describes the innovative design aspects of the StarLab as a cylindrical near-field measurement system. The system validation testing has been performed using the inverse source technique [9-11]. Measurement of radiation patterns are discussed with particular attention to radar antennas.