Practical issues in advanced antenna pattern comparison

This paper addresses some of the practical considerations and numerical consequences of using the advanced antenna pattern comparison (AAPC) method to improve the accuracy of antenna measurements in compact ranges. Two main issues are of particular importance: (1) appropriateness of circle-fitting algorithm results to the measured data; and (2) ambiguous circles due to the distribution of the data. These issues deal specifically with Kasa´s (1976) circle-fitting procedure-an essential part of the AAPC method-and provides useful checks for conditions commonly met with the use of this technique. We also address the single interfering wave case that the AAPC method tacitly assumes.