PRIME Antenna Inc Antenna Test Team Adam Straubinger

PRIME Antenna Inc. Antenna Test Team Adam Straubinger Alan Condino Thanh Hong Sam Gregorio Ronnie Berg

Background Information • Antennas • Serves as a “transducer”

• Test: Requirements Power vs radiation angle Power vs frequency patterns • Compare results with established data

Major Tasks/System Components • Design and build an anechoic test chamber • Power Supply • Motor and Motor Driver • Integrate test equipment into the anechoic test chamber • Test, gather, analyze and interpret data

SYSTEM COMPONENTS • Anechoic Test Chamber • Motor and Motor Driver Power Supply • Computer/Hardware Interface • Testing Program • Test Equipment and Interface

Antenna Range Block diagram

TEST CHAMBER • Anechoic • Wooden Box

ROTARY TURNTABLE • Height adjustable from 12”– 24” • 4” machinist’s rotary table

Motor Drive Stepper Motor

Block Diagram of Motor Drive

Manual Motor Control

Power Supply • The Power supply converts 115 V 60 Hz input from a wall socket and is connected to a step down transformer module, rectified and filtered to +10 V and +5 V.

Block Diagram of Power Supply

Block Diagram of Optical Sensor

Graphic User Interface • Automated antenna testing through Lab. VIEW graphic user interface (GUI). • Antenna position and GPIB control for data acquisition. • Test data collected is processed and displayed graphically. • Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench. http: //www. ni. com

Graphic User Interface

Automated Antenna Testing • Start by selecting test frequency and power. • Select azimuth test parameters. • Ready to Test

Automated Antenna Testing • Select desired instrumentation. • Select data achieving options.

Automated Antenna Testing • Begin Auto Test • Measured Power and testing progress is displayed.

Automated Antenna Testing • End of Test

Single Step Mode • Press STEP for each step. • Test equipment is controlled manually

Error Checking • Press STEP • for each step. Test equipment is controlled manually

Test Signal Reference • Signal • generation to 3. 2 GHz Power output from -136 to +10 d. Bm.

Power Measurement • Signal measurement to 6. 2 GHz • -166 d. Bm sensitivity.

Review of Expenses Chamber/Contruction Rotary Table Stepper Control RF Cables/Connectors Total Costs Subsidized Costs $380 $129 $40 $599 $349 Final Expenses $250

Conclusions Accomplishments • A viable automated RF testing chamber • Accurate automated testing system

Questions?