Antennas are an integral part of many modern products. These include PDA’s, digital cameras, audio systems, security sensors, vehicle components, toys, computer peripherals and domestic appliances. The performance of these products is greatly influenced by the design of the antenna integrated into them. A need therefore exists for a fast, accurate, and cost-effective method of measuring antenna radiation patterns.

The Company is evaluating the technical and commercial feasibility of an innovative system that overcomes the effects of multipath propagation, which causes measurement inaccuracies in existing systems. In essence, the new system provides accurate and robust measurements by specifically compensating for the effects of unwanted signals and noise, rather than by attempting to remove, or minimize, them through the use of screens or baffles in outdoor antenna ranges, or by using an anechoic chamber. The compensation is achieved through the use of an equalization technique, the characteristics of the equalizer(s) being determined from a special measurement of the antenna range under consideration.

Equalization is a well established technique in digital radio systems, particularly in mobile communications. However, its applicability to antenna measurement systems is not yet proven and is being investigated through computer simulation. Fizzle Technologies aims to develop an antenna radiation–pattern measurement system, producing acceptable accuracy at an economic cost, and early work has produced encouraging results.
The system and method under investigation is generally applicable and may be implemented within any antenna radiation pattern measurement system where accuracy is required. For example, it may be implemented (i.e. retro-fitted) to improve accuracy in existing outdoor and indoor antenna measurement ranges, as an additional feature comprising combinations of hardware and software. Most importantly however, the basic idea leads to the design of a completely new type of real-time 3-D range in which sensors are placed on the surface of an imaginary sphere surrounding the AUT, and an anechoic chamber is not required. The underlying invention is covered by UK Patent application No: 0130842.8.