Reference antenna

Article summary

A reference antenna is an antenna with known performance. It is normally used to calibrate other systems. During a relative calibration, an antenna's phase center offset (PCO) and phase center variations (PCV) are computed with respect to the reference antenna which is normally assigned zero PCV values. A relative calibration is therefore biased by the phase advance/delay experienced by the reference antenna. In contrast, during an absolute calibration, the antenna being tested is moved via a robot so that a particular satellite is received at different angles by the test and reference antennas. This allows the reference antenna effects to be cancelled, leaving behind only the PCO and PCV of the test antenna. Reference antennas are built with particular care taken to make them simple, robust and repeatable. In a common usage scenario a reference antenna would be used as a transfer standard. First the reference antenna's performance is measured using high accuracy measurement facility. This test may be done using an electromagnetic anechoic chamber or another type of antenna test range (see Antenna measurements). The antenna is then measured using a second antenna test facility. The results from the two are compared, the comparison can reveal the accuracy of the second test facility. It can also be used to calibrate the second facility.…

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