A compact range fed by an array of log-periodic dipole antennas

Compact ranges have traditionally used reflector antennas for illumination, but these are typically only usable at high frequencies, such that the reflector is a substantial number of wavelengths in width. For lower frequencies, control of the aperture illumination is better achieved by using an array antenna. Some numerical antenna pattern synthesis methods, stemming from the more generalised `regularisation methods´, derived by Mautz and Harrington (1975), are suitable for synthesising antenna patterns in the near field as well as the far field. The design procedures discussed are based on these methods. Similar work has been reported by Hill (1985) and Koepke (1986) who designed and built an array of seven Yagi-Uda antennas for an experimental compact range. In order to investigate the criteria for use of the array in wideband applications, the work reported used an array of log-periodic dipole antennas (LPDAs) and was based on extensions of the principles established by Hill