An automated process for efficiently measuring the patterns of all elements located in a phased-array antenna

An automated technique for measuring element patterns of the elements located in a phased array antenna is described and demonstrated. The procedure utilizes Hadamard encoding applied to the beamformer in an iterative fashion as the measurement positioner moves the probe relative to the array. A coherent receiver and cross-correlator decoder are used to extract the desired element patterns. This paper experimentally shows that it is possible to measure all individual element patterns within the array simultaneously. The new technique is easily automated and eliminates the need for manually removing cables and installing terminations, as was necessary using the prior art.