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CALIBRATION OF A DIPOLE ANTENNA BY HORN ANTENNAS I N A FREQUENCY RANGE FROM 1.0 GHz TO 2.5 GHz T a t s u i c h i KAWANA, Masatoshi OSAKABE and Kunimasa KOIKE Radio Equipment I n s p e c t i o n and Anritsu Corporation Communications Research Laboratory(CRL),H.P.T. C e r t i f i c a t i o n I n s t i t u t e , 5-7-2. 1800. O n n a Kanaeawa 2-1. Nukui-Kitamachi. L-Chome Koaanei-shi ToQo i 8 4 Japan Yashio Shinagawa, Tokyo'liO Japan Tokyo Ja& Abstract Experiments on d i p o l e antenna c a l i b r a t i o n a r e c a r r i e d out t o e s t a b l i s h a field-strength standard i n a frequency range from 1.0 CHz t o 2.5 GHa, using pyramidal standard g a i n horn antennas. A d i r e c t connection method for e v a l u a t i o n of t h e d i p o l e antenna balun l o s s is a l s o i n v e s t i g a t e d a t 1.2 GHz and 1.7 GHz. 1. I n t r o d u c t i o n To respond t o t h e i n c r e a s e i n mobile r a d i o equipment, a new frequency band is r e q u i r e d t o be a l l o c a t e d . I n o r d e r t o r e s o l v e t h i s problem, t h e use of a higher frequency range( 1-3 GHz ) of t h e UHF band is under study i n Japan. It is expected t h a t c a l i b r a t i o n of a f i e l d s t r e n g t h meter o r its antenna in t h i s frequency range w i l l be required. Originally, the f i e l d strength s t a n d a r d of 30 Hz t o 1 GHz was e s t a b l i s h e d by t h e NBS by means of t h e s t a n d a r d antenna method and t h e s t a n d a r d f i e l d method using loop antennas and d i p o l e antennas[ 1 I. Subsequent study concerning a f i e l d s t r e n g t h s t a n d a r d h i g h e r than 1 GHz presented o t h e r methods t h a t do n o t need e x t e n s i v e measurement space, such as e s t i m a t i n g f a r - f i e l d c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of an antenna based on d a t a measured a t t h e n e a r - f i e l d region[2]. However, t h i s method is n o t n e c e s s a r i l y a p p r o p r i a t e f o r c a l i b r a t i o n of l i n e a r antennas which a r e g e n e r a l l y used f o r mobile r a d i o equipment because of t h e i r broad radiation pattern. This paper first r e p o r t s a d i p o l e antenna c a l i b r a t i o n experiment made by s u b s t i t u t i n g it f o r a standard pyramidal horn antenna i n s i d e an anechoic chamber i n a frequency range of 1.0 CHz t o 2.5 CHz. Secondly, l o s s of a p a r a l l e l l i n e type balun of t h e d i p o l e antenna is i n v e s t i g a t e d . 2. Measurements of horn antenna g a i n i n an anechoic chamber

where

it Pr

: Transmitting power : Distance between antennas : Receiving power : Wave l e n g t h .

The dimensions of t h e anechoic chamber are as follows: l e n g t h 20 meters, width 1 5 meters, and h e i g h t 7 meters. Its o p e r a t i o n frequency is from 130 MHz t o 7 GHz. Figure 2 shows that measured g a i n C approaches t h e t h e o r e t i c a l value as t h e d i s t a n c e l e n g t h e n s , but does n o t reach it. Table 1 i n d i c a t e s g a i n comparisons of t h e o r e t i c a l values and measured ones from 1.0 CHz t o 2.5 CHz, and shows t h a t d i f f e r e n c e s range between +0.06 dB and -0;25 dB. Each maasur'ed g a i n corresponds with that obtained a t t h e most d i s t a n t antenna position.
Calculation

Figure 2. Horn antemu gain - Distance.

' 1
3
13'6
13.5

e:
,

Mens.

(dB)

3 . 0

1.5

L.0
(11,)

L . 0

L.5

5.0
(m)

Diahnco Frequency 1 . 0 Glia

1.2 .-

Distance Measurement 13.69 dB

I t is well-known t h a t t h e pyramidal horn antenna i s used as a s t a n d a r d g a i n antenna due t o t h e good coincidence of t h e o r e t i c a J 3 a i n and experimental gaip, Also i t s when measured a t an a p p r o p r i a t e s i t e . convenient size design i n this frequency range makes it easy t o handle and i t s high gain is advantageous i n avoiding i n t e r f e r e n c e r e r a d i a t e d from surrounding materials. Average g a i n C of two horn antennas was f i r s t measured by means of t h e two antenna method ( Equation 1 i n an anechoic chamber t o confirm t h e i r s u i t a b i l i t y in an antenna c a l i b r a t i o n system ( F i g u r e 1 ).
Trans. horn
MtONla

Calculation 13.70 dB 1L.91 - .

Difference -0.01 dB

1.5 1 . 7
2 . 0 2 . 5

16.40 16.98 15.57 16.99

1L.66 16-15 16.93 15.63 16.91

-0.25 -0.25 -0.05

t0.06 -0.08

Table 1 . Horn antenna gain.

(a > Construction

6-g(b)
10 d 6

------------_
Insertion loes measurement

Receiv. horn antenna

source

appar5tus

apparatus

@ 9 r 1 '

--_-_-_-_
1 1

--=,---

10 dB

antem Figure 1. Measurement system.

Pad

Slotted l i n e

signs1 aource

T h i s work was c a r r i e d o u t a t t h e Communications Research Laboratory (CRL).

.(

Reflection measurement

"
. e . -

H __--

10

dB

Power meter

10 d B *

Pad

50 ohma

Termination

Pi-e

3.

pole antenna ~

u losa n measurement system.

CH2822-5/90/0000-W16 S01.00

1990 EEE

417
Corrections were made t o e r r o r s i n t h e measured gain caused by phase d i f f e r e n c e a t t h e antenna f r o n t end[31. Losses i n c a b l e s , matching apparatus ( s t u b t u n e r s , s l o t t e d l i n e ) and c o a x i a l a d a p t o r s were measured p r e c i s e l y , and taken i n t o account. I n t h e s e measurements, VSWRs a r e less than 1.07 which makes t h e mismatch l o s s w i t h i n 0.005 dB. Bowman r e p o r t e d t h a t a c o n d i t i o n , 1R/b2>4( b: dimension of a p e r t u r e 1, is necessary t o o b t a i n a g a i n io. 1 dB[4]. This measurement accuracy within experiment s a t i s f i e s t h a t condition. The s t r e n g t h of r e f l e c t e d waves r e r a d i a t e d from t h e surrounding s i x absorber m a t e r i a l s was estimated by observing t h e v a r i a t i o n i n t h e measured gain curves i n Figure 2. The v a r i a t i o n tends t o be w i t h i n 0.02 dB a t t h e f u r t h e s t antenna p o s i t i o n . The e r r o r s due t o t h e r e f l e c t e d waves a r e assumed t o be on t h e same order. The horn antennas and coaxial-adaptors used i n t h i s experiment a r e manufactured by t h e CRL i n l i n e with s t a n d a r d s p e c i f i c a t i o n s [ l , 51.

FYequency 1.2 GHz

Direct connection method 0.48 dB

Calibration method 0.30 dB

Table 2. Comparison of d i p o l e antenna balun l o s s . The r e s u l t s a r e shown i n column 2 of l o s s L from L Table 3 a s O.L$dB a t 1.2 G H s and 1.04 dB a t 1.7 CHa. Estimation of t h e balun l o s s by t h e c a l i b r a t i o n using t h e horn antenna Received power P o f t h e d i p o l e antenna and received power P of t i e horn antenna a r e measured i n t h e c a l i b r a t i o n hprocedure and a r e compared i n Figure 1. For t h e horn antenna, t h e c o a x i a l adaptor loss and mismatch l o s s are estimated. The antenna g a i n i s given i n Table 1 , as previously described. For t h e d i p o l e antenna, t h e mismatch l o s s i s estimated. This antenna g a i n is t h e o r e t i c a l l y estimated a s 2.27 dB a t 1.2 GHz and 2.24 dB a t 1.7 GHz, based on t h e resonance impedance given i n s e c t i o n 3.2a. I n t h i s case, balun loss is an unknown f a c t o r . A s a result of t h e comparison of P and P , t h e d i f f e r e n c e is seen t o correspond with $he remhaining unknown f a c t o r , t h e balun l o s s , which i s shown i n . 3 dB and 0.78 dB for 1.2 column 3 of t h e Table 2 as 0 G H z and 1.7 G H s , r e s p e c t i v e l y . The balun loss value obtained by t h e d i r e c t connection method is about 0.2 dB l a r g e r than t h e one obtained by t h e c a l i b r a t i o n procedure. This d i f f e r e n c e is small enough t o show t h e v a l i d i t y of t h e d i r e c t connection method. c.

3.

C a l i b r a t i o n of a d i p o l e antenna and i n v e s t i g a t i o n of i t s balun l o s s

3.1 C a l i b r a t i o n Figure 1 i n d i c a t e s t h e arrangement used f o r c a l i b r a t i o n . The procedures are a s follows: Standard power d e n s i t y P ( per u n i t a r e a ) a t t h e f r o n t end of t h e horn a n t e h a is determined by t h e following equation:

......(2)
I n t h i s procedure, t h e p r e v i o u s l y measured antenna gain, coaxial-adaptor l o s s , mismatch l o s s and c a b l e s a r e s u l t , standard l o s s are a l l taken i n t o account. A f i e l d s t r e n g t h E i s given as E

=eo,
: intrinsic

4 . Error e s t i m a t i o n and c o n s i d e r a t i o n
After r e s e t t i n g t h i s same c a l i b r a t i o n system about one month later i n t h e anechoic chamber, measurements were a g a i n performed. The d i f f e r e n c e i n data between t h e f i r s t and second tests was within 0.1 dB. Accuracy of t h e power meter is 0.01 dB. Losses i n matching apparatus ( s t u b t u n e r , s l o t t e d l i n e ) and c a b l e s , and matching l o s s a r e measurable with a n accuracy of 0.01 dB. The t o t a l e r r o r is estimated t o be i n t h e range of 0.1-0.3 dB, mostly due t o t h e horn antenna g a i n e r r o r .

......(3)

where Zo

impedance of f r e e space: 1 2 0 7 .

C a l i b r a t i o n i s conducted by s u b s t i t u t i n g t h e d i p o l e antenna f o r t h e horn antenna a t e x a c t l y t h e same p o s i t i o n ( f r o n t end of t h e horn ). 3.2 I n v e s t i g a t i o n antenna of the balun loss of the dipole

5 . Conclusion
Based on t h e s e experiments and c a l c u l a t i o n s , i t has been shown that two methods, t h e d i r e c t connection method and c a l i b r a t i o n by a horn antenna, give a c l o s e approximation of balun l o s s i n a d i p o l e antenna. While t h e horn antenna c a l i b r a t i o n is t h e well-known method to measure antenna gain in r'requencies above 1 CHz, t h e d i r e c t connection method t o measure balun l o s s i s u s e f u l f o r d i p o l e antennas using t h e parallel l i n e type balun i n t h e higher frequency range of t h e UHF band. References
[ 1 F.M. Creene,"NBS f i e l d - S t r e n g t h Standards and Measurements( 30Hz t o 100014Hz) ,Proc. IEEE, 1967, Vol. 55, NO. 6 , pp. 970-981 ( 2 ) A.C.Newell,"Calibration of Microwave Antenna Gain

a. Construction of t h e d i p o l e antenna Main p a r t s of t h e d i p o l e antenna a r e shown i n Figure 3 ( a ) where two i d e n t i c a l antennas a r e connected end-to-end while o r i e n t e d opposite t o each o t h e r . The element dimensions are as follows: t o t a l l e n g t h is half-wave ( 5 p e r c e n t s h o r t e n i n g ) ; diameter is 4 mm. Operating frequency i s 0.47 GHz t o 1.7 CHz. Resonance impedance i s c a l c u l a t e d by Hallen's t h e o r y as 71-72 ohms, based on antenna dimensions ( 1.2 GHz-1.7 GHz 1. Estimation of balun loss by t h e d i r e c t connection method. Figure 3(c) illustrates the procedure for measuring t h e s t r e n g t h of a r e f l e c t i o n wave occurring a t t h e connection p o i n t , by measuring t h e VSWR i n t h e s l o t t e d l i n e . R e f l e c t i o n loss L is c a l c u l a t e d from t h e VSWR. Figure 3(b) i l l u s t r a t e s the procedure for measuring i n s e r t i o n loss. The lower c i r c u i t ( d o t t e d l i n e r o u t e ) has a l o s s when passing through j u s t c a b l e s and 10 dB pads. So, t h e d i f f e r e n c e between output of t h e upper antenna system c i r c u i t and output of t h e lower c i r c u i t ( d o t t e d l i n e r o u t e ) g i v e s t h e The i n s e r t i o n l o s s L. obtained insertion loss L h e r e c o n t a i n s t h 2 above s t a t e d r e f l e c t i o r ? loss L Then, balun loss is estimnted by s u b t r a c t i n g r e f l e c t i 6 n b.

Standards~1,Proc.IEEE,1986,Vo1.7L,No.l,pp.129-1~2.
[ 3 ] NRL Report 4433, Naval Research Laboratory, USA. [ A ] R.R.Bouman,rlField S t r e n g t h Above 1 C1iz:Measurement Procedures. f o r Standard-Antennas" ,Proc.IEEE, 1967, Vo1.55,No.6,pp.981-990. . [ 5 1 S.A. Schelkunoff, Electromagnetic F!aves. New York:

D.Van.Host.,l913,pp.363-365.