Antenna measurements at ASTRON by students from University of Twente

© ASTRON

Electrical engineering students from University of Twente have the opportunity to follow a master course 'Smart antennas & propagation'. This course is given by Mark Bentum (ASTRON & UT) and Gert-Jan van Werkhoven (Thales Nederland & UT). As a part of this course they have to design, construct and measure a small antenna array. Because the university does not have the proper antenna measurement facilities the students came to ASTRON to do their measurements.

The measured antennas are patch antennas using foam as a substrate. The patches and microstrip lines are cut from conductive copper tape. The measurements are performed in the near field antenna measurement room. The measured near field is transformed to the far field by software. Michel Arts prepared the antenna measurement system in order to do the measurements and performed them.

After the measurements Mark showed the students the ASTRON-facilities and the Dwingeloo Radio Telescope. They also went to Westerbork to see the WSRT.