EE 491 PROJECT

LABVIEW BASED AUTOMATIC ANTENNA PATTERN MEASUREMENT AND GAIN CALCULATION

SUBMITTED BY: smail YILDIZ Gksenin BOZDA SUPERVISOR: Asst. Prof. Dr. A.Sevin AYDINLIK BECHTELER
Fall, 2010 2011
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CONTENTS
ABSTRACT............... 3

A)INTRODUCTION

1.LABVIEW PROGRAMMING. 5 2.ANTENNA PATTERN&GAIN... 5

B)MEASUREMENT SYSTEM 6 1.SETTING UP LABVIEW 9 2.BUILDING VIs. a)Turn Table Control SubVIs. b)Signal Generator SubVIs. c)Spectrum Analyzer SubVIs.
15 15 19 20

3.SETTING UP HARDWARE. 22

C)MEASURUMENTS 1.Antenna Pattern Measurement a)Horn Antenna.

24 27 27

b)Log-Periodic Antenna. 30 2.Antenna Gain Calculation.. 31 a)Horn Antenna.. 31 b)Log-Periodic Antenna 32

D)CONCLUSION.

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E)REFERENCES. 34

ABSTRACT
The ambition of the project is developing an automated antenna pattern measurement and gain calculation system. Hardware components of the system are used in remote mode and they are controlled by a computer program written in LabView. All of the antenna measurements are done in a anechoic chamber. Finally, antenna patterns are got on polar diagrams and gains are calculated automatically.

A)INTRODUCTION
As a result of the growth in wireless communications, the design and testing of antennas takes on renewed importance. Two important performance characteristics of antennas are their radiation pattern and their gain. The pattern is plotted to describe how power radiation varies with direction around the antenna and the gain is simply defined as the product of the directivity by efficiency. The ambition of this thesis project is developing an automated antenna pattern measurement and gain calculation system. Hardware requirements of the system are a signal generator, a spectrum analyzer, a turn table with controller and a laptop. All hardware components are used in remote mode and connection of them with laptop is supplied by GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus) cables. Remote applications and the other automation process are managed and controlled by software solution of the system, LabView.

1.LABVIEW PROGRAMMING
Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench, a product of National Instruments, is a powerful software system that accommodates data acquisition, instrument control, data processing and data presentation. LabVIEW that can run on PC under Windows, Sun SPAR stations as well as on Apple Macintosh computers, uses graphical programming language (G language), departing from the traditional high level languages such as the C language, Basic or Pascal. All LabVIEW graphical programs , called Virtual Instruments or simply VIs, consist of a Front Panel and a Block Diagram. Front Panel contains various controls and indicators while the Block Diagram includes a variety of functions. The functions (icons) are wired inside the Block Diagram where the wires represent the flow of data. The execution of a VI is data dependant which means that a node inside the Block Diagram will execute only if the data is available at each input terminal of that node. By contrast, the execution of a traditional program, such as the C language program, follows the order in which the instructions are written. LabVIEW incorporates data acquisition, analysis and presentation into one system. For acquiring data and controlling instruments, LabVIEW supports IEEE-488 (GPIB) and RS-232 protocols as well as other D/A and A/D and digital I/O interface boards. The Analysis Library offers the user a comprehensive array of resources for signal processing, filtering, statistical analysis, linear algebra operations and many others. LabVIEW also supports the TCP/IP protocol for exchanging data between the server and the client.

2.ANTENNA PATTERN & GAIN

Antenna pattern can be called as amplitude pattern or radiation pattern. The antenna pattern is a graphical representation in three dimensions of the radiation of the antenna as a function of angular direction. Antenna radiation performance is usually measured and recorded in two orthogonal principal planes (such as E-Plane and H-plane or vertical and horizontal planes). The pattern is usually plotted either in polar or rectangular coordinates. The pattern of most base station antennas contains a main lobe and several minor lobes, termed side lobes. A side lobe occurring in space in the direction opposite to the main lobe is called back lobe. Antenna patterns are generally used in normalized type. A normalized pattern means that the power/field with respect to its maximum value yields a normalized power/field pattern with a maximum value of unity (or 0 db). The maximum gain of an antenna is simply defined as the product of the directivity by efficiency. If the efficiency is not 100 percent, the gain is less than directivity. When the reference is a loss less isoterapic antenna, the gain is expressed in dBi. When the reference is a half-wave dipole antenna the gain is expressed in dBd. (1 dBd = 2.15 dBi)

B) MEASUREMENT SYSTEM
Our measuremet system is based on LabView programing. It supplies us to configure and control the neccessary devices and process the collected data. The measurement are done measurements in a anechoic chamber that is a room to design for stopping reflections of either sound or electromagnetic waves. Figure 1 is general hardware structure of the system.

Figure 1 (General Hardware Structure)

Signal generator generates the signal with desired power and frequency for transmission signal and this signal is sent by the transmitted antenna. The receiver antenna is placed on a turn table and it is connected to spectrum analyzer. This receiving sub system provides us to observe the radiated signal between 0 and 360 degree with desired steps or ranges. For each d step, we get the data of radiated signal from spectrum analyzer. Then, the collected data is written in a text file. At the same time, this is sourced to draw pattern of antenna on p plot diagram. Maximum power value is selected among the data to calculate the gain. All of this operations are managed with the LabView program set on a laptop.

Figure 2 (LabView Front Panel User Interface) Figure 2 is Front Panel of the software and it is used as a user interface. User selects the visa address of each device and determines speed, d start-stop degrees, step size for turn table; signal type, frequency, power for signal generator; reference level, center and span frequencies for stop spectrum analyzer. After determining all configurations program is run. While program is running user can observe radiated signal for each rum signals step on the black boxes. As soon as program finishes, antenna pattern is drawn on the white box.
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Figure 3 (Labview Build Diagram) Figure 3 is Block Diagram of the software and it is called VI. All configuration, control, arithmetic and logic operations are done in the diagram. We have 5 main subVIs and they also have their own several subVIs. 3 of main subVIs are used to configure the necessary devices and two of them in the loop are used to other operations such as turning the table, getting data and measurement. Additional these VIs, a Additionally, for loop is used to draw normalized polar diagram and a math node is used for gain calculation.
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1.SETTING UP LABVIEW
a) Install LabView 8.0
LabView 8.0 has three CDs and we use two of them for installation. The first CD has LabView main program, the second CD has MAX (Measurement and Automation) program and the other one has some drivers. Installation steps are shown below. drivers.

Figure 4

Figure 6

Figure 7

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Figure 8 Second CD is taken and Rescan Drive button is clicked clicked.

Figure 9

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b) Install Agilent 14.1

Although our laboratory instruments have their own GPIB ports, our computers do not have any GPIB port but our computers have many USB ports. To get communication between these different ports, we have to use a converter device (GPIB to USB). Our GPIB to USB converter is produced by Agilent. On the other hand, LabView program is developed by National Instruments. In LabView, MAX is used to control and get a communication with instruments. MAX usually detects so many devices using GPIB, USB or etc. But, if the GPIB to USB converter is not produced by National Instrument, MAX does not detect the devices. To resolve this incompatibility, we have to do some extra process.

Figure 10 Firstly, we have to install the driver of our converter (Agilent 82357A, shown in above). In this project, we use Agilents converter so we have to install Agilent 14.1 driver.

Figure 11
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Figure 12

Figure 13 After installing Agilent driver, now we can connect the converter between PC and instrument. When we plug the instrument, a window appears on the Agilent program and we enter the GPIB address of instrument. Then, we see the instrument on the left side of Agilents program. To detect this instrument with MAX, we also fallow these steps.

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c) Measurement & Automation (MAX) Explorer Configuration

Figure 14 As we see above, MAX is opened and Tools/NI-Visa/Visa Options/Passports is selected and /Passports NI-VISATulip.dll NI-VISA Passport for Tulip is checked at the right of the window. After VISA restarting the MAX, we get a new tab Soft Front Panel/VA-Agilent Visa Assistant Utility Agilent under Tools tab.

Figure 15
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When we selected VA-Agilent Visa Assistant Utility, a window that helps us to configure the Agilent instrument appears. We select Browse button and choose this path C:\\Program Files\Agilent\IO Libraries Suite IO Suite\Bin\iocfg32.exe

2.BUILDING VIs a)Turntable SubVIs

Our turntable is a product of Innco Systems, Germany. A controller called CO 2000 and produced by Innco systems is used for controlling the turntable. CO 2000 controller has a GPIB port so we use this port for communication. Its default GPIB address is 7 and this communication. number is used in the program . Two main subVIs are generated. One of them is for configuration, the other one is for manipulation. Turntable Configuration VI

Figure 16 Left side of VI includes controls and the right side includes indicators/connection nodes. We choose the GPIB address of turntable for VISA session control. Start ,Stop and Step size are entered by user in degree and user enters the turning speed of turntable in a ran from 1 range to 8. When we look at the right side, we see a VISA resource name out, this indicator shows us which visa address is used in the vi. TF (True-False) case helps us determining the False) rotation direction of turntable (clockwise or counter clockwise). Start, stop and step size clockwise). buffers show the values of initially determined.
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Figure 17 (inner part of turntable configuration VI, it has also four different subVIs) e

Figure 18 (initialize VI of turntable configuration VI)

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Figure 19 (Speed Control subVI of turntable configuration VI) Control

Figure 20 (This subVI makes turntable to go to desired degree) This

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Turntable control VI This VI has two different version but it includes only one subVI. One of the versions is used for counter clockwise direction and the other one is used for clock direction clockwise.

Figure 21 ( Counter Clockwise turning subVI)

Figure 22 (Clockwise turning subVI)

Note: All of the string commands can be found between the pages 35 and 43 in the service manual of Innco Systems.
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b)Signal Generator SubVI )Signal

This VI is used for the configuration of the desired transmitted signal. We can adjust signal type, frequency and power. Our signal generator is Agilent Agilent/HP 83620B and its necessary visa drivers are found on the library of National Instrument web-site.

Figure 23

Figure 24 (Developed signal generator VI including NI drivers)

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c)Spectrum Analyzer SubVI

We developed two subVIs for Spectrum Analyzer. One of them is used for configuration and the other one is used for measurements. Our spectrum analyzer is Agilent/HP 8565E and its necessary visa drivers are found on the library of National Instruments web web-site. Spectrum Analyzer Configuration VI

Figure 25 (We can adjust center and span frequency, amplitude scale and reference lev We level)

Figure 26 (Developed Spectrum analyzer Configuration VI including NI drivers)

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Spectrum Analyzer Measurement VI

Figure 27

Figure 28

NOTE: All of the necessary drivers for the used devices can be found on the web site of National Instruments at the LabVIEW developer zone. ments
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3. SETTING UP HARDWARE
Connection between laboratory instruments is supplied with GPIB cables. An USB GPIB is used to connect laptop to instruments. Signal generator, spectrum analyzer and turntable controller are connected to each other. Usb side of usb gpib is connected to laptop and the other side is connected to one of the instruments. Almost 5 meters coaxial cable and many connectors are used. Coaxial cables are supplied connection between instruments and antennas. Connectors are used to connection between different types of inputs. Signal generator is connected to transmitter antenna, spectrum analyzer is connected to receiver antenna, turntable controller is connected to turntable with its own cable.

Fig.29 (Coaxial cable)

Fig.30 (Connector)

Fig.31 (Connector)

Figure 32 (Coaxial cable is connected to an instrument with a connector)

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Fig.33 (GPIB cable)

Figure 34 ( Instruments are ready to measurement)

Figure 35 (Antennas are ready to measurement in the anechoic chamber)

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C) MEASUREMENT
A major difficulty encountered when trying to measure antenna patterns is a phenomenon called multipath distortion, in which unwanted reflections of the transmitted signal arrive at the antenna under test and interfere with the direct signal. The multipath distortion signal distorts the measured antenna pattern. Another characteristic of multipath distortion is that all the reflected signals arrive at the test antenna with a time delayed from the direct signal. However, we can reduce multipath distortion effects by using a large, open outdoor test site for the antenna range or by taking measurements inside an anechoic chamber. An anechoic chamber has walls that absorb RF radiation, reducing the reflected signals. We chose LabVIEW software for digital data collection and display control on the antenna range. We can apply LabVIEW signal-processing techniques to the pattern measurement data to reduce the range multipath distortion effects. To mitigate the multipath distortion effects, we used time-domain processing of the received signals.For the measurement, we used far field
technique where the antenna under test (AUT) is place in the far field of a range antenna.

d=
=

where d=far field distance, D=maximum dimension of antenna, =wavelength

f=

= 5.83GHz

We can do our measurement until 5.83GHz For 1GHz:

= =

3 108 9 =0.3m 1 10

Path Loss: PL =20log(

) = 20log(

. .

) = 42dB

Cable Loss(Measured): 6.7dB

For 2GHz:

= =

3 108 =0.15m 2 109

Path Loss: PL =20log(

) = 20log(

. .

) = 48dB

Cable Loss(Measured): 9.06dB

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For 3GHz:

= =

=0.1m

Path Loss: PL =20log(

) = 20log(

= 51.5dB

Cable Loss(Measured): 15.84 .84dB

All of the used antennas are linearly polarized so it provides to analyze the antenna as a radiation pattern.

AH SAS-571 Horn Antenna: 571

E - Plane

H - Plane

Frequency Range: Antenna Factor: Gain (dBi): Maximum Continuous Power: 3dB Beam width (E-Field): Field): 3dB Beam width (H-Field): Field): Impedance:

700 MHz - 18 GHz 22 to 44 dB 1.4 to 15 dBi 300 Watts 48 30 50

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SAS-510-2 Lop-Periodic Antenna: Periodic

H - Plane E - Plane

Frequency Range: Antenna Factor: Gain: Maximum Continuous Power: uous 3dB Beam width (E-Field): Field): 3dB Beam width (H-Field): Field): Impedance:

290 MHz 2 GHz 14 - 32 dB 6.5 dBi 1000 Watts 45 100 50

HLP-3003C Compact Hybrid Log Periodic Antenna: 3003C

H - Plane

E - Plane

Frequency Range: Gain: Maximum Continuous Power: Impedance:

30 MHz 3 GHz 6 dBi 100 Watts 50

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1.Antenna Pattern Measurement a) Horn Antenna

H-Plane Measurements: For a linearly polarized antenna, the plane containing the magnetic field vector and the direction of maximum radiation". For base station antenna, the H-plane usually coincides with the horizontal plane.

For 1GHz:

For 1.5GHz:

For 2GHz:

For 2.5GHz:

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For 3GHz:

For 4GHz:

E-Plane Measurements: "For a linearly polarized antenna, the plane containing the electric field vector and the direction of maximum radiation". For base station antenna, the E-plane usually coincides with the vertical plane.

For 1GHz:

For 1.5GHz:

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For 2GHz:

For 2.5GHz:

For 3GHz:

For 4GHz:

E-Plane
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H-Plane

Original Pattern

b) Log Periodic Antenna

H-Plane Measurements Plane For 300MHz: For 1GHz:

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2. Antenna Gain Calculation

We developed two different way for calculation of antenna gain. The first way is based on ways determining all of the losses and the gains in measurement system and the key idea of the measurement second way is comparative (relative) me measurement of antenna gains. The First Way: The key idea of this way is that power desiring to transmit have to equal to sum of all losses and gains. Initially, we determined the two main losses caused from coaxial cables and path loss.

1GHz for Horn Antenna: (13+6+RX Gain)=( 23.33)+(6.7+42) Gain)=(-23.33)+(6.7+42) RX Gain=6.37dBi 2GHz for Horn Antenna: (13+6+RX Gain)=( 28.83)+(9.06+48) Gain)=(-28.83)+(9.06+48) RX Gain=9.23dBi 3GHz for Horn Antenna: (13+6+RX Gain)=( 37.33)+(15.84+51.5) RX Gain=11.0 Gain)=(-37.33)+(15.84+51.5) Gain=11.01dBi Frequency Calculated Gain
1GHz 2GHz 3GHz 6.37 9.23 11.01

Original Gain
7.3 8.6 10

The Second Way: The key idea of this way is calculating the gain comparatively or relatively. We use two antennas, one of them is ref reference that its gain is known before, the others gain is desiring to find. The formula shown below helps us to understand the way and o calculate the gain.

a)Horn Antenna 1GHz for Horn Antenna: Gain =7.3 = 7.3dBi

2GHz for Horn Antenna: Gain =7.3

= 9.02dBi

3GHz for Horn Antenna: Gain =7.3

= 11.7dBi Original Gain(dBi)

7.3 8.6 10 31

Frequency Calculated Gain(dBi)

1GHz 2GHz 3GHz 7.3 9.02 11.7

b)Log-periodic Antenna 300MHz for Log Periodic Antenna: Gain =7.3

. . . .

= 3.54dBi

1GHz for Log Periodic Antenna: Gain =7.3 Frequency Calculated Gain(dBi)
300GHz 1GHz 3.54 6.78

= 6.78dBi Original Gain(dBi)

5.6 7.2

As a result of several measurements and calculations, it is clear that the second way is more accurate because losses are ignored.

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D) CONCLUSION
The importance and utilization area of antennas are getting increased and as a result of this situation, characterization problem of antenna is being critical day by day. So many systems are designed by researchers at universities and so many systems are produced commercially by companies to solve this critical problem. In this thesis project, we developed an antenna characterized system. LabView provide a highly effective and efficient solution for our system. The pattern and directivity of antenna is measured almost same as the original values. The gain is calculated by two different methods and the results of these calculations are almost same as the originals, too. As a conclusion, the initial ambitions of the our thesis project are reached. Measurements and calculations are acceptable and reliable.

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E) REFERENCES
Books
1. Bishop, Robert H. , Labview Student Edition 6i, National Instruments 2. LabVIEW Getting Started, National Instruments, April 2003 3. Jeffrey Travis, Jim Kring, LabVIEW for Everyone: Graphical Programming Made Easy and Fun, Printice-Hall Third Edition 4. David M. Pozar, Microwave Engineering, John Willey & Sons Second Edition

Papers
1. S. Burgos., S. Pivnenkot, 0. Breinbjergt, M. Sierra-Castafier, Comparative Investigation of Four Antenna Gain Determination Techniques (pdf) 2. Leonard Skaloff, DeVry College of Technology, GPIB Instrument Control (pdf) 3. Innco Systems, Operating and Service Manual (pdf) 4. Tips on Using agilent GPIB Solutions in National Instruments LabVIEW Environment, Agilent Technologies 2009 USA (pdf)

Web-Sites 1. http://zone.ni.com/dzhp/app/main (NI LabVIEW Developer Zone)

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