Compact multi-probe antenna test station for rapid testing of antennas and wireless terminals

Rapid characterization and pre-qualification measurements are becoming more and more important for the ever-growing number of small antennas, mobile telephones and other wireless terminals. There is a need driven by the wireless industries for a smart test set-up with reduced dimensions and capable of measuring radiating devices. Satimo has developed a compact, mobile and cost-effective test station called StarLab which is able to perform rapid 3D measurements of the pattern radiated by wireless devices. The StarLab equipment is derived from Satimo´s StarGate systems which are now well established spherical near field test ranges. StarLab uses a circular probe array to allow for real time full elevation cuts and volumetric 3D radiation pattern measurement within a few minutes. It operates between 400 MHz and 6 GHz and can be configured for passive measurements and also cableless active measurements. This paper describes in detail the multi-probe antenna test station and its different configurations for passive and active measurements. The accuracies for gain and power measurements are also presented as well as considerations on the total radiated power measured by the equipment. Additionally, calibration issues are discussed. Finally, measurements performed with the StarLab test station at Satimo are shown and illustrate the capabilities of the system. The measurement results are validated by comparison to the results obtained in other test ranges.