Out-of-band antenna characterization

Abstract

The objective of this project is to study the in-band performance of the C, S and L-band blade antennas and from the in-band performance; their out-of-band characteristic is studied. It is important to study the out-of-band performance so that we could understand the electromagnetic compatibility, susceptibility and immunity of the system. This will allows us to determine the reliability of the antenna in this electromagnetic rich environment as well as how it might affect the performance of other systems due to unintended electromagnetic radiation. This report will start with exploring the different techniques used in antenna measurement, namely the near-field measurement technique and the far-field measurement technique as well as a description of the various antenna parameters used in characterizing antenna performance. Secondly, it will cover the experiments which were carried out to obtain the measurements of the blade antenna in the anechoic chamber using a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) and the measurements of the dielectric media. Next, the experimental results were plotted. The antennas were then modeled and simulations were carried out in CST microwave studio. Simulation results of varying geometry were obtained, before analyzing and comparing against the experimental results. Further simulations were also carried out to attempt in characterizing the out-of-band resonant frequency.