Abstract
This paper proposes a pattern distortion coefficient as a new figure of merit to quantitatively evaluate both mutual coupling and pattern distortions in multi-antenna systems. The proposed coefficient is defined as a cross correlation between unaffected and affected far-field patterns of antennas under test, and the input patterns are weighted using a Gaussian function to consider the target operation angle. The feasibility of the proposed approach is validated using a two-antenna system composed of an inverted-F antenna and a microstrip patch antenna, and the amount of mutual coupling is adjusted by changing the distance between the two antennas. The evaluation is further extended to a single-antenna system with a conducting wall that produces strong platform effects with serious pattern distortions. The results demonstrate that the proposed figure of merit provides quantitative insight into the amplitude and phase distortions of far-field patterns that can be caused by both mutual coupling and platform effects.
Highlights
Military mobile platforms, such as naval ships and unmanned aerial vehicles, are equipped with multiple antenna systems operating on different frequency bands to perform various missions: radar, electronic warfare (EW), and communications [1,2,3]
We proposed the pattern distortion coefficient as a new figure of merit (FoM) for the quantitative evaluation of both mutual coupling and pattern distortions in multi-antenna systems
The feasibility of the proposed FoM was confirmed by fabricating the inverted-F antenna (IFA) and the patch antenna resonating at 1.41 GHz and 6.05 GHz, respectively, to describe the two-antenna system exhibiting a mutual coupling environment
Summary
Military mobile platforms, such as naval ships and unmanned aerial vehicles, are equipped with multiple antenna systems operating on different frequency bands to perform various missions: radar, electronic warfare (EW), and communications [1,2,3]. We propose a pattern distortion coefficient as a new FoM for quantitatively evaluating both mutual coupling and pattern distortions in multi-antenna systems. The proposed coefficient is defined as a cross correlation between unaffected and affected far-field patterns of an antenna under testing (AUT) for any cause: mutual coupling, platform effects, or both. If we are interested in the effect of only a low-band antenna, the proposed pattern distortion coefficient should be calculated by analyzing the far-field patterns of the AUT with and without the low-band antenna. The evaluation was further extended to a single-antenna system mounted beside a conducting wall that generated strong platform effects to provide a quantitative insight into the amplitude and phase distortions of far-field patterns. The results confirm that the proposed FoM can well-describe pattern distortions caused by both mutual coupling and platform effects
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