Future+Work

Tags: [|Absorbing panels], [|Agilent E4402B spectrum analyzer], [|Agilent U2001A power sensor], [|Antenna characteristics test], [|Antenna Controller], [|Antenna under test (AUT)], [|Arduino Uno R3 microcontroller], [|Far-field], [|Free-space VSWR test], [|Lab computer], [|LabVIEW VI], [|Monopole antenna], [|Quiet zone], [|Roomba robot], [|Transmit antenna]

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=FUTURE WORK=

This page outlines the proposed ideas from past senior design groups, Dr. Richie, or members of Microwave Seminar that have not yet been implemented or planned to have been implemented in the antenna range. These ideas include preliminary ideas that were not ruled out nor followed-up, along with tasks that the senior design groups expressed would be worth doing if time permitted. After viewing this page, you will be informed about all of the future considerations made by the past senior design teams that have worked on the antenna range which have not yet been fully addressed.

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 * ==== Contents ====
 * Adjust Anechoic Chamber
 * Procure New Equipment
 * Testing ||

Adjust Anechoic Chamber

 * [[image:range panels.jpg width="332" height="222" align="right" caption="Blue absorbing panels."]]According to the 2013-2014 E55 senior design team, members of the Microwave Seminar mentioned that the anechoic chamber geometry is not effective judging by their test results. This ties into the most pressing matter of the antenna range, which is to adjust the geometry of the anechoic chamber in order to place the "quiet zone" in the far-field. It is speculated that the change that will most likely improve this issue will be that the back wall relative to the transmitted signal be moved farther away.
 * The issue was revealed by the 2015-2016 E55 senior design team when the free-space VSWR test was performed. It was revealed that the quiet zone in the range is currently located between 2.17 and 2.30 meters from the transmit antenna. This is an issue because the antenna range is designed to be a far-field range, with the far-field being greater than 2.67 meters from the transmit antenna.
 * Adjusting the anechoic chamber could include:
 * Changing the location of the pedestal
 * Modifying the setup of the blue and black absorbing panels
 * Constructing new wall panels
 * The "noise floor" is a characteristic of the antenna range that would be useful for antenna testers to know. The power sensor is known to have a noise floor near 60 dBm. Until the noise floor of the antenna range is known, testers will have marginally better results with the spectrum analyzer.

Procure New Equipment

 * The antenna range can have its functionality improved with the purchasing of new equipment.
 * Webcam to allow user to monitor anechoic chamber from the room with the lab computer
 * Upgrade transmit antenna to broadcast on wider range of frequencies
 * Roomba robot so it does not need to be borrowed from Dr. Johnson
 * Upgrade Arduino Uno R3 microcontroller board or accessories

Testing

 * [[image:Antenna Controller.PNG width="215" height="278" align="right" caption="Antenna Controller program."]]While the Antenna Controller program has a lot of functionality for the current need, it too can be improved mainly to allow users to modify the code to their application if needed. For example, a LabVIEW VI (Virtual Instrument) can be designed as a testing program. This modification would open up the possibility of conducting an antenna characteristics test with continuous rotation.
 * The Agilent U2001A power sensor could have more benchmarking tests performed on it at different frequencies to verify its accuracy.
 * The receive antenna used in the free-space VSWR test, the monopole, was confirmed to have been tested with the spectrum analyzer, except its results were not properly documented. To ensure that this antenna is fit for future tests, another task for future work is to obtain the antenna characteristics of this antenna for reference.