Quantifying the real-world performance of the antenna is an essential part of successful wireless product design, however, accurate testing is difficult to achieve without careful control of the test environment. In order to fully understand the performance of an antenna, it should be tested in a reflection-free environment. This is usually achieved using an RF anechoic chamber.

Radtenna’s indoor test range is a far field measurement system installed in a fully anechoic chamber. The Chamber is fully lined on all surfaces (walls, floor, and ceiling) with carbon embedded absorber materials from Soliani to simulate a free space environment.

Antenna Performance Measurement

The key performance parameters measured include: peak gain, gain versus angle, efficiency, directivity, polarization and the 2D or 3D far field radiation patterns. The Anechoic test chamber and associated measurement equipment operate within the 0.4 GHz to 8GHz frequency range and are therefore suitable for measuring antenna performance for a vast range of wireless technologies.

Inside the chamber is a standard measurement antenna and a Positioner on which the DUT is mounted. Two measurement Positioners are available, a DAMS 6000/FSM system from Dimond Engineering, which is suitable for measuring small and medium antennas/products and a Radtenna designed turntable which can be used to test larger antenna systems.

The facility can be configured for measurement of externally driven antennas and for self-driven embedded systems.

The performance of your antenna will ultimately enhance or impair your wireless product’s success, so why risk including an untested component? It would be unthinkable to launch a product without thoroughly testing the hardware and software, but the antenna is often ignored. Far field testing in an anechoic chamber is an accurate and accepted way to evaluate antenna performance and give you confidence that it’s performing as intended.

Why test your product's antenna?

Cost

Antenna testing can be complex and certainly requires specialized equipment and facilities, which most companies are unlikely to have in house. The larger test houses are often booked out for months in advance and can charge a considerable amount, even for basic testing. Radtenna have the facilities and specialized knowledge to evaluate your antenna without the high cost and delay to your program. We can evaluate your antenna within days and quickly enhance your understanding of your product’s performance with minimal expenditure. Evaluations are available from only £275.00

Key Specifications

  • Chamber: 1.5m x 2.5m SIDRAT 1 Chamber, lined with Soliani HPP30 ultra-broadband Carbon loaded polyurethane foam absorbers, which provide 25db attenuation @ 500 MHz and 40dB attenuation @ 3GHz.
  • Test antenna 1: HyperLog 4060 400MHz – 6 GHz Logarithmic-periodic
  • Test antenna 2: Compower AH-118 700MHz - 18GHZ Horn Antenna
  • Test antenna 3: RFecho OBH-690 600MHz-9GHz Horn Antenna
  • Positioner: Dams 6000 DC- 18GHZ antenna measurement systems with Full Spherical Mount (FSM)
  • Software: DAMS Antenna Measurement Studio