Error Correction in Ku-Band Phased Array Measurements

Far-field characterization of array antennas can require many sequential measurements. In preparing such measurements, the necessary antenna repositioning and rotation can introduce small displacements. These displacements are not as important at low frequencies, but can be a significant fraction of a wavelength at the Ku-, Ka-, and millimeter-wave bands. Therefore, it is important to correct for them to obtain accurate array measurements. In this letter, we present a mathematical model describing the expected phase response of each antenna element for a given physical offset. This error model is applied to Ku-band measurements of an 8 × 8 dipole array. It is demonstrated that small movements of the antenna during measurement can be corrected via the proposed post-processing technique.