A new approach on broadband calibration methods for free space applications

The application of free space measurements depends on the practicability of the respective calibration procedure. Due to necessary changes of the distance between used antennas or a precise positioning of calibration standards, the suitability of free space setups is limited. This contribution deals with a calibration technique for free space applications, which uses the change of the electrical length by means of small frequency variations. Thus, this technique enables free space calibrations without the necessity of antenna displacements. Furthermore, the bandwidth of this procedure is not limited due to ambiguities of mechanical displacements during the calibration procedure. Additionally, the presented calibration technique is based on the Thru-Line-Network (TLN) method. Hence, symmetrical and reciprocal measurement objects can be characterized within the calibration procedure.