Implementation of QRHA on Data Acquisition Process for Microwave Tomography

Implementation of quad-ridged horn antenna (QRHA) on data acquisition process for microwave tomography is investigated through simulation and experimentation. The QRHA which has quadratic ridge profiles is applied as it offers a wide bandwidth and dual polarization characteristics. The used QRHA is fabricated using 3D printing technique based on polylactic acid (PLA) material. The data acquisition process is performed by using a set of QRHA as transmitter and receiver antennas. A tree trunk with a hole in the center is employed as a model for object examination, whereby it is placed in between the transmitter and receiver antennas. The result of data acquisition process formed as transmission coefficient (S
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) is then processed for further reconstruction purpose. From the implementation, it shows that the magnitude of S
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obviously decreases as the presence of object between the antennas. In addition, the measured S
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has also the similar trend to the simulated one for varied object positions.