Bringing numerical simulation and antenna measurements together

Electromagnetic analysis of antennas in complex scenarios require accurate numerical modelling solvers. A fundamental requirement to achieve truthful results is the accurate representation/modelling of the source antenna. However, in many practical cases a full-wave representation of the physical antenna is either unfeasible or unavailable in the format required by the desired computational electromagnetic (CEM) tool. This paper describes an innovative procedure enabling measured antenna data to be used as numerical sources in commercially-available computational environments. The proposed method is based on the equivalent current representation of the antenna when measured in isolation or in a suitable environment locally representative of the full complex structure. The equivalent current representation is highly accurate, even when the antenna is placed in close proximity, or mounted directly on the complex structure. The method is fully general and can be used with general antenna in complex environments of arbitrary shape and complexity. The accuracy and effectiveness of the procedure has been illustrated by an example of an offset-fed reflector. The complete reflector system has been measured and compared with results from the proposed procedure using a measured feed and numerical modelling of the reflector. As further validation, the results have been compared to a dedicated computation analysis of the full antenna model.