StarLab is a near-field multi-sample system with spherical geometry. Antenna radiation patterns in the far field are obtained indirectly by sampling the field near the antenna. The sampled near field is then transformed into a far field using very accurate algorithms based on spherical wave expansion. The spherical geometry used for sampling is the most versatile and allows measurements of both omnidirectional and directional antennas.
StarLab uses a circular probe array to provide real-time evaluation slices and 3D volumetric radiation pattern measurements within minutes. It operates in a range between 650 MHz and 6 GHz and can be configured for both passive and active measurements.
The StarLab software allows real-time visualisation of the measured radiation patterns, setup of measurement configurations, calibrations, determination of the antenna phase centre and the field on the antenna aperture, current distribution on metallic surfaces, post-processing and visualisation of the measurement data.
In addition to the AMA free-field measurement system, Starlab is an important tool for accompanying antenna developments at the Institute.
Image: Enno Kapitza for DLR
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