Device for measuring characteristics of an electromagnetic field, particularly for the radiation diagram of an antenna

• US 6,914,571 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2000
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agence Spatiale Europeenne
• Original Assignee: Agence Spatiale Europeenne
• Inventors: Jensen, Palle Frank, Frandsen, Aksel B., Lemanczyk, Jerzy Michal
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vanore, David A.
• Application Number:
  US09/599,438
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 250/304, 250/515.1, 250/505.1, 250/453.1, 250/454.11, 250/455.11, 324/457, 324/458, 324/500, 455/91, 455/115, 455/106, 375/224, 340/653, 343/703
• US Class Current: 343/703
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/10 Radiation diagrams of antennas

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for measuring characteristics of an electromagnetic field emitted by a source being tested, comprising a radiating element (8), a support (6) for said radiating element and a mount (5) on which said support is fastened. It is characterized in that it comprises a screen (7) carried by said support (6) and interposed between said radiating element (8) and said mount (5), and in that said screen (7) is adapted to reflect the beams (R₁, R₂) impinging upon it so as to re-emit and scatter them into space, along determined directions (R′₁, R′₂). In the measuring device wherein said radiating element (8) is associated with the sighting axis (Δ), so as to point the measuring device (4) along determined measuring directions, said screen (7) can be shaped such that said determined directions (R′₁, R′₂) include large amplitude angles with said sighting axis (Δ). The measurement site can comprise an anechoid chamber (9) enclosing said source and having walls (90).

Claims

1. A probe device for measuring a radiation pattern of an electromagnetic field radiated by an antenna under test, comprising:

a probe mount on which a support is fastened; and

a wave reception element and a reflective screen mounted on said support, said wave reception element being located between said antenna and said reflective screen,

wherein waves emitted by said antenna under test are reflected away from said probe mount by said reflective screen such that said waves do not impinge upon said probe mount,

wherein said screen is so shaped that when said antenna under test is disposed on a measurement site comprising an anechoic chamber enclosing said antenna and said probe device within walls made of a material absorbing wave lengths associated with the electromagnetic radiations from said antenna and said probe device is used as a measuring probe device for determining the characteristics of said antenna under test, said waves reflected by said screen are directed towards said absorbing walls.

2. A probe device for measuring a radiation pattern of an electromagnetic field radiated by an antenna under test, comprising:

a probe mount on which a support is fastened;

a wave reception element and a reflective screen mounted on said support, said wave reception element being located between said antenna and said reflective screen; and

a movable carrying device configured to support and move the probe device to scan a predetermined surface when the probe device is used as a measuring probe device for determining the characteristics of said antenna under test and the latter is fixed,

wherein waves emitted by said antenna under test are reflected away from said probe mount by said reflective screen such that said waves do not impinge upon said probe mount.

3. A probe device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said predetermined surface is planar.

4. A probe device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said predetermined surface is cylindrical.

5. A probe device for measuring a radiation pattern of an electromagnetic field radiated by an antenna under test, comprising:

a probe mount on which a support is fastened; and

a wave reception element and a reflective screen mounted on said support, said wave reception element being located between said antenna and said reflective screen,

wherein waves emitted by said antenna under test are reflected away from said probe mount by said reflective screen such that said waves do not impinge upon said probe mount,

wherein said screen is shaped and arranged around a central axis of symmetry to be effective to direct said reflected waves away from said central axis, said wave reception element is a conical horn, said support is a wave guide with a circular cross section arranged as an extension of said conical horn with a same central axis of symmetry, and said mount is a rectangular plate transverse to said central axis.

6. A probe device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said screen is a conic skirt having a circular cross section around said axis, inclined by an acute angle with respect to said central axis towards said probe mount.

7. A probe device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said acute angle equals 45 degrees.

8. A probe device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said wave reception element, said support, said probe mount, and said screen are made of a metallic material.

10. A probe device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said wave reception element, said support, said probe mount, and said screen are made of a metallic material.

11. A probe device as claimed in claim 5, for use within the hyper frequency range of said antenna for measuring a radiation diagram of said antenna.

9. A probe device for measuring a radiation pattern of an electromagnetic field radiated by an antenna under test, comprising:

a probe mount on which a support is fastened; and

a wave reception element and a reflective screen mounted on said support, said wave reception element being located between said antenna and said reflective screen,

wherein waves emitted by said antenna under test are reflected away from said probe mount by said reflective screen such that said waves do not impinge upon said probe mount, and said probe device is used within the hyper frequency range of said antenna for measuring a radiation diagram of said antenna.

12. A measuring probe configured to measure characteristics of an electromagnetic field radiated by an electromagnetic source, the probe comprising:

a wave reception element;

a support configured to support the wave reception element and to be mounted to a probe mount; and

a screen interposed between the wave reception element and the probe mount,

wherein waves emitted by said electromagnetic source are reflected away from said probe mount by said screen such that said waves do not impinge upon said probe mount,

wherein when the probe is used in an anechoic chamber including absorbent walls configured to absorb wavelengths associated with the electromagnetic source, the screen is configured to scatter the reflected waves toward the absorbent walls.

13. A measuring probe configured to measure characteristics of an electromagnetic field radiated by an electromagnetic source, the probe comprising:

a wave reception element;

a support configured to support the wave reception element and to be mounted to a probe mount;

a screen interposed between the wave reception element and the probe mount; and

a moveable carrying device configured to support and move the probe when scanning a predetermined surface,

wherein waves emitted by said electromagnetic source are reflected away from said probe mount by said screen such that said waves do not impinge upon said probe mount.

14. The probe according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined surface includes a planar surface.

15. The probe according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined surface includes a cylindrical surface.

16. A measuring probe configured to measure characteristics of an electromagnetic field radiated by an electromagnetic source, the probe comprising:

a wave reception element including a conical horn;

a support configured to support the wave reception element and to be mounted to a probe mount; and

a screen interposed between the wave reception element and the probe mount,

wherein waves emitted by said electromagnetic source are reflected away from said probe mount by said screen such that said waves do not impinge upon said probe mount,

wherein the screen is configured about a central axis of symmetry along at least one predetermined measuring direction such that the screen scatters the reflected waves away from the central axis.

17. The probe according to claim 16, wherein the support includes a wave guide having a circular cross section configured as an extension of the conical horn.

18. The probe according to claim 17, wherein the probe mount includes a rectangular plate transverse to the central axis.

19. A measuring probe configured to measure characteristics of an electromagnetic field radiated by an electromagnetic source, the probe comprising:

a wave reception element;

a support configured to support the wave reception element and to be mounted to a probe mount; and

a screen including a conical skirt having a circular cross section around a central axis, inclined by an acute angle relative to the central axis toward the probe mount, the screen interposed between the wave reception element and the probe mount,

wherein waves emitted by said electromagnetic source are reflected away from said probe mount by said screen such that said waves do not impinge upon said probe mount.

20. The probe according to claim 19, wherein the acute angle is 45 degrees.

21. A measuring probe configured to measure characteristics of an electromagnetic field radiated be an electromagnetic source, the probe comprising:

a wave reception element;

a support configured to support the wave reception element and to be mounted to a probe mount; and

a screen interposed between the wave reception element and the probe mount,

wherein at least one of the wave reception element, the support, the probe mount, and the screen includes a metallic material,

wherein waves emitted by said electromagnetic source are reflected away from said probe mount by said screen such that said waves do not impinge upon said probe mount.