EMC antenna calibration and the design of an open-field site

Testing electronic equipment for radiated emissions requires the accurate calibration of antennas. This in turn entails the use of a high-quality measurement site. The design of an open-field site for the calibration of antennas in the frequency range 30-1000 MHz is described. An antenna that is used as a primary standard must have a calculable antenna factor since there are uncertainties in quantifying the quality of the site and hence of setting up a known field. The design of a standard dipole antenna and the S-parameter characterization of its balun/matching network is described, followed by methods for calibrating the antenna factor of antennas.