A Simple Measurement Method for Estimation of Active Reflection Coefficient for Large Planar Array Antennas

Paper i proceeding, 2025

For large planar array antennas, one key performance metric is the active reflection coefficient of each radiating element. However, verifying this coefficient through measurement typically requires extensive S-parameter data, as all mutual couplings between ports must be accounted for. This process is not only time-consuming but also increases the risk of wear and tear on coaxial connectors-such as SMA-due to frequent connecting and disconnecting. In this paper, we propose a simplified method to estimate the active reflection coefficient using measurements of the embedded element radiation patterns, significantly reducing human effort and minimizing connector handling during network analyzer measurements.