Antenna Characteristics Measurements Automation using LabView
This project aims to automate antenna measurements. Antenna is an integral and ubiquitous component of great majority of systems. The antenna characteristics are often fundamental in determining the overall system effectiveness. Hence it is vital that such characteristics can be measured efficiently
2025-06-28 16:25:07 - Adil Khan
Antenna Characteristics Measurements Automation using LabView
Project Area of Specialization Electrical/Electronic EngineeringProject SummaryThis project aims to automate antenna measurements. Antenna is an integral and ubiquitous component of great majority of systems. The antenna characteristics are often fundamental in determining the overall system effectiveness. Hence it is vital that such characteristics can be measured efficiently and effectively.
The efficient measurement system ought to be simple to setup and run and must be cost effective. It should be accessible via readily available and reliable hardware components. Similarly effectiveness aims to measure the desired characteristics with acceptable accuracy and precision so that the results can be used in determining the overall system characteristics along with other matrices.
The system goals are proposed to be achieved by leveraging industry standard measurement and automation solution provided by National Instruments. By using the visual programming and the NI hardware eco system a modular measurement system is proposed. The interface part is separated from computational part. Each computational routine is implemented as a separate module.
Additional hardware is also designed and programmed to carry out allied tasks.
In the end a complete antenna pattern measurement system is designed that is modular, accessible and reliable. Such system has fundamental importance in measuring key characteristics of the antenna.
Project ObjectivesMain objectives of the proposed system are;
- Design of modular antenna pattern measurement system.
- Implementation using National Instrument's eco system.
- Versatility at hardware level, can use multiple hardware for signal acquisition.
- Standard computational routines for robust and reliable measurements.
- Design of hardware for allied processing (antenna rotation).
- Integration of all subsystems so that flexibility in extending the system is easy for end-user.
- Extension at core level to include more antenna characteristics in special and RF functions and characteristics in general.
- To provide a system that can be readily reconfigured for diverse hardware.
- To provide a system that is easily extendible and reprogrammable at software level
- To leverage LabVIEW functionality in system level design with RF and antenna components characteristics are handled transparently
The project uses NI LabView as software programming language. The antenna pattern measurement is written as virtual instrument that could be integrated with any hardware.
Hardware integration is done by writing interface software. Initially USRP is used as a low cost, readily available and robust radio data acquisition system. All the interface code is kept as a separate module in software implementation. This would aid in future extensions involving diverse hardware from NI eco-system.
Another integral component of the project is development of rotating antenna mounts to spatial sampling. To fully integrate the system with NI myRIO is used as real time hardware processing unit. myRIO is programmed via myRIO toolkit. The program directly runs on myRIO processor.
Integration of data from and to desktop and myRIO processor is also implemented. This presents a unique challenge. This is solved via shared variables.
All the hardware is hence is accessible via single VI. Finally output is shown on a polar plot.
The graphical prototype of our project is as follows.
The project benefits many sectors as the measurement technology undercuts almost every aspect of engineering, hence by extension humanity. Having access to reliable, low cost, robust and easy to use measurement tool for antenna pattern radiation one can readily incorporate system level diagnostics into design at early stage. This could help in saving costs by discovering the limitations earlier in the system development.
The antenna pattern measurement is a cumbersome and costly affair yet a necessary one. Cost associated with acquiring equipment traditionally used in antenna measurement could easily run into millions. Once the equipment is acquired the operation is cumbersome requiring a specialized person to operate it. Thus a design engineer must depend on equipment and person to get the required antenna characteristics.
The developed system provides a low cost alternative that can be used in subset of the scenarios by a person not trained in antenna pattern measurement. A simple mount and click interface would readily allow a technical person not versed in pattern measurement to measure antenna pattern and concentrate on system level design.
Technical Details of Final DeliverableThe final system includes a rotary and a stationary mount on which antenna under test (AUT) and reference antenna are mounted. A hardware interface controls the rotary movement of the reference antenna. The measurement hardware (USRP in this case) is connected to AUT. The signal generation is also done by the USRP.
A GUI presents the parameters which can almost always be left as default. A simple push button would start sending the radiation from one antenna which is received by other. A measurement routine receives the signal, cleans it and then rum the pattern measurement code. The results are conveniently shown on the polar plot and saved as data file as well.
Final Deliverable of the Project HW/SW integrated systemCore Industry TelecommunicationOther IndustriesCore Technology Internet of Things (IoT)Other TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Good Health and Well-Being for People, Quality Education, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Partnerships to achieve the GoalRequired Resources| Item Name | Type | No. of Units | Per Unit Cost (in Rs) | Total (in Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total in (Rs) | 79000 | |||
| Prototype components | Equipment | 1 | 35000 | 35000 |
| Prototype development | Equipment | 1 | 35000 | 35000 |
| Stationery and Printing Cost | Miscellaneous | 1 | 5000 | 5000 |
| Miscellaneous | Miscellaneous | 1 | 4000 | 4000 |