An Antenna Pattern Measurement Technigue Using Wide band Channel Profiles to Resolve Multipath Signal Components

Wideband channel measurements have been used extensively to determine path loss and time dispersion characteristics of radio channels (e.g., [1], [2], [7]). The principles used to temporally resolve individual received signal components for wideband propagation measurements can be applied to antenna pattern measurements to achieve more accurate results. Multipath, a propagation phenomenon which occurs when reflecting or scattering objects exist in an environment, causes inaccuracies in measured patterns when narrowband signals (e.g. continuouswave) are used to perform far-field antenna measurements. Using the wideband technique described in this paper, the effects of multipath can be completely eliminated from pattern measurements. The method described here is especially useful when antenna range dimensions are limited in space or when multipath signal components caused by distant reflectors are irreducible.