A Multipurpose and Reconfigurable mm-Wave Scanner System for Accurate Measurements of Passive/Active Antenna array, Array Calibration, Radome and Material Characterization

In this paper, the design, implementation and validation of a mm-Wave multipurpose system to perform antenna measurements, active antenna array calibration, material characterization, and radome testing is presented. The proposed system was developed based on a modular architecture that shares one set of instrumentation and two sets of antenna probes for five different operation modes without the need of changing the setup. This novel configuration enables a flexible, unique, and cost-effective solution for mm-Wave applications that operate from 75 GHz to 110 GHz. The proposed scanner includes a visual interface that guarantees autonomous operation permitting accurate measurements in all operational modes. The scanner was implemented and validated using different mm-Wave components, providing highly accurate measurements for each mode. Measured results for near-field, far-field, material and radome tests present excellent agreement with simulation results.