A Novel Method for Near-Field Scanning of Phased Arrays at mmWave Frequencies

Near-field scanning of phased arrays and other antennas traditionally use mechanical scanning techniques that are relatively slow. Switched probe arrays have been used to remove the positioning time for at least one axis of motion, but still suffer from various limitations. Recent advancements in phased array design and calibration methods offer an alternative with potentially near-instantaneous capture of near-field data using digital coding techniques. This paper will investigate the technique and several variations of possible implementations.