A Compact, Broadband, and Calculable Electromagnetic Field Source for Quality Assurance in EMC Testing

The aim of this article is to describe the design, realization, and characterization of a compact, broadband, and calculable electromagnetic field source. The source has been extensively used as a traveling reference radiator in proficiency tests of radiated emission measurements. The result of its characterization has been validated by more than 500 measurements over the frequency range from 50 to 6000 MHz in semianechoic (3 and 10 m) and fully anechoic (3 m) chambers. The use of the source as a reference radiator for emission measurements could be extended to other testing facilities, such as transverse electromagnetic waveguides and reverberation chambers.