Measurement of electrically large array antennas in small anechoic chambers [Measurements Corner]

A post-processing procedure that yields accurate array-antenna radiation-pattern estimations is described. By resorting to this strategy, measurements of large array antennas inside small anechoic chambers become feasible. The method employs an adequate phase-correction derived from an optical ray approach, under the assumption that the elementary radiators themselves are electrically small and can be measured under far-field conditions inside the relevant anechoic chamber. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is demonstrated by examining the case of a nonuniform linear array antenna.