Far-field pattern estimation on long array antennas by 1D equivalent electric current distribution

Far field antenna pattern measurement requires very long distance for high gain antennas used in cellular base station systems. Its distance, more than tens of hundreds meters, is difficult to set up inside high accurate anechoic chamber. Near field measurement is an alternative pattern measurement with a drawback of time consuming to pick up 2D scanning plane. High speed and accurate measurement techniques are necessary for production tests before shipping in industries. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a simple far-field estimation by scanning one-dimensional electric current distribution near the antenna. Simulation results show that radiation patterns are estimated with high accuracy quickly for long shaped antennas.