Demonstrator Platform for Antenna Array Calibration

This paper presents a hardware platform for antenna array calibration research in tower top electronics. The platform has eight phase and amplitude controlled transmit channels and a novel antenna coupler array structure which provides nonradiative calibration capability. The phase and amplitude of each channel can be varied between 0 and 360° and over 25dB respectively under full software control. The platform has been used to test and develop array calibration routines which achieve amplitude variances of less than 1dB and phase variances of less than 5° measured between eight channels at the antenna connections.