Extended Near-Field Capabilities for the Compact Antenna Test Range at the University of Pretoria

The rapid evolution of wireless connectivity has brought about new measurement challenges in the field of antenna testing. On a previous occasion, it has been reported how a mobile cylindrical near-field scanner has been introduced into the anechoic chamber that houses the compact antenna test range at the University of Pretoria [1]. This system has been used very successfully over a number of years now for the evaluation of cellular base-station antennas that would otherwise have been too large for the compact range. The measurement system has continuously been extended, with spherical near-field scanning being one of the substantial recent additions. This mode of operation is very useful for the measurement of smaller indoor base-station antennas as well as for the characterization of near-field probes and standard-gain antennas.