IEEE T M S A C T I O N S ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION, VOL. AP-32, NO.
6 , JUNE 1984
Measurement Distance Effectson Low Sidelobe Patterns
R. C. HANSEN, FELLOW, IEEE
Abstract-Because of the current strong emphasis on low sidelobe anten-
nas, the effects ofmeasurement distance in distorting patterns are reexam-
ined. Previous calculations have nsed obsolete or suboptimum aperture
distribntions. The Taylor ff linear distribution is a versatile highly efficient
and robust optimum distribution; its use here allows a single curve of
sidelobe measurementerror versus measurementdistance (normalized to far
field distance 2D*/X) for a given sidelobe level. The calculations give data
from a uniform distribntion to a 60 dB Taylor. For example, the first
sidelobe of a 40 dB Taylor pattern is in error 1 dB at a distance of 6 D * A .
INTRODUCTION
T HE 2 D 2 / h far-field distance criterion, whichgives a quadratic
phase error over the aperture withedge value of n/8,has long
beenused formeasurementof antennas. Forantennaswith
moderate sidelobe level (-25 dB) the pattern errorsare negligible,
and directivity errors are of the order of 0.1 dB Silver [ 6 ] .How-
ever, lower sidelobes have been a reality for some time. Kelly, in
the late 1950's, measured an initial sidelobelevel of -39 dB from
a linear slot array, with each slot in the end o f a waveguide [4].
This was an impressive accomplishment for that time. The AWACS
array, built by Westinghouse, demonstrated asidelobe level of
-50 dB without radome. And the interest in low sidelobes con-
tinues.
It has long been recognized that low sidelobe antennas may re-
quirelonger measurement distances. Rhodes [SI investigated
measurement distance requirementsforconventionalantennas.
Theeffect on low sidelobeChebyshev patterns was briefly in-
vestigated by Kelly [4]. Hacker [ 11 utilized a Hamming distribu-
tion and showed that measurementdistance must be considerably
longer than 2 D 2 / h for antenna pattern fidelity. More recently,
Hacker and Schrank [2] have investigated measurement distance
requirementsfor various aperturedistributions,buttheir aper-
ture distributions are either idealistic o r suboptimal. This paper
reduces the consideration of a plethora of fancy aperture distri-
butions to essentially only the Taylor 2, as this proves to be an
excellent widelyused lowsidelobedistribution. Using this dis-
tribution, it is possible to derive and calculate sidelobe measure-
menterror versusdistance as a single curve foreach sidelobe
level.
LOW SIDELOBE DISTRIBUTIONS
Most aperturedistributions whichresult in space factors
(patterns) with low sidelobes are based on circa 1945 technology;
the distribution is a simple function which is readily integrable to
another simple function, or combination of functions. Examples
are the cosine-on-a-pedestal, which is a half-cycle of cosine plus
a constant, and the Hamming, which is a whole cycle of cosine
plus a constant. It is, however, the zeros of the space factor that
control both the sidelobe level and envelope, and the aperture
stored energy or Q, and not the easy integrability.Taylor [7]
showedthattheaperturestored energy (andtheconcomitant
Manuscript received September 12, 1983; revised January3, 1984.
The author is at P.O. Box 215, Tarzana, CA 91356
0018-926)3/84/0600-0591$01.OO 0 1984 IEEE
591
sensitivity to errors) depends upon the aperture amplitude taper.
And he also showed that a distribution with pedestal (nonzero
value at the edges) is more effective in loweringsidelobes. Per-
haps most important, Taylor established the concept thata space
factor should be designed withzeros placed to providedesired
patterncharacteristics,andthattheformofthe space factor
and its transform, the aperture distribution, could be written in
terms of the zeros. With theready availabilityof computers,
the implementation of space factors designed on physicalprin-
ciples has become easy. Use of distributions only because they
are integrable,and fairly goodis no longer good engineering.
For example,the widelyusedHamming distribution (g(x) =
0.54 f 0.46 cos np) has ahighest (fourth) sidelobe at -42.7
dB. However, the Taylor of 42.7 dB is 2 percent more efficient
at no cost. Most of these obsolete space factors have irregularly
spaced zeros.
A low Q, robust (low sensitivity to errors) aperture distribu-
tion requires a space factor with sidelobe envelope that is asymp-
totically llu, where u = D/X sin 8. This,as shown by Taylor,
requires the spacing ofzerostoapproachunityfor large u
(angles near 90"). If this spacing is maintained,the sin m/nu
space factor and associated uniform aperture distribution results.
Achieving sidelobes lower than the - 13.26 dB of this requires the
close-up zeros to be adjusted. There are various ways of accomp-
lishing this, and that of Taylor([7] ,Hansen [3]) appears close t o
optimum. He shiftedthe nearzeros by replacing u in the sin
m/m space factor by d n 2 ,with B a constant that con-
trols the sidelobe level. This distribution is the highly efficient
Taylorone-parameterdistribution. A modestimprovement in
beamwidthand directivity at a minor costin robustness is
achieved bymakingthefirst ii sidelobes equal level. Actually,
there isa transitionfrom thenearly equal level sidelobes to
thoseunderthe l/u envelope. This Taylor Z distributionthen
covers most practically useful antenna line source distributions;
as 6 goes from one to maximum, the space factor goes from the
modified sin m/mc tothe equivalent ofthe Chebyshev. Of
course, the sidelobe envelope can be allowed to decay faster than
l/u;the Bickmore-Spellmire (see Hansen [3])two-parameter
distribution uses envelope decay as a second parameter. But for
antennaapplications,thecost in beamwidthand directivity is
usually too large to accept an envelope with a decay faster than
l / u . Thus the Taylor ii aperture distribution (and space factor)
is theonlyonethatneedsto be considered in designing low
sidelobe line source antennas. It is used herein to evaluate meas-
urement distance requirements.
RADIATING NEAR FIELD PATTERN OF TAYLOR
Z DISTRIBUTION
The Taylor 6 far field space factor (pattern) is often written
as
-
F(u) = - n
n-l 1 - u*/z;
sin TU
nu n = l 1 - u 2/n2
592 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS A N D PROPAGATION, VOL. “ - 3 2 , NO. 6,JUNE 1984

but is alternatively written as a sum of 2Z - 1 sinc beams, where TABLE I

MAXI” MONOTONICI?
sinc x = sin x/.:
-
n-1 SLR A
F(u) = 2
n=-Ti+l
Fn sinc .(u + n) (2) 20 n3
30 7
40 11
where the coefficientsF, are 50 17
60 23
n-1
[(E - I)!]
Fn =
(E+ n - I)!@ - n - l)! Calculationsweremadewith this formulaand also bydirect
Romberg integration of the integral in (7). For values of y of six
or less, the single precision Fresnel integral result gives a sidelobe
calculationerror of less than 0.1 dB at the -60 dB level. For
larger distances, a Romberg order 7 gave better than six s i M 1 -
cant figure accuracy with similar results.

RESULTS
and the dilation factoris
- The behavior of antenna patterns in the radiating near-field
n region has long been understood: as the measurement distance
iJ=
JA2 + (ii - +)z decreases, the first sidelobe rises as does the null between it and
themain beam. Atsomedistancethefirstsidelobebecomesa
It can beSeen thatthe space factorcontainszerosbeyond
shoulder on the side of the main beam. The second sidelobe does
ii attheintegers,withthe first Z zerosmodifiedtoadjust
not rise appreciably until the first sidelobe has been swallowed.
thefirst 7i sidelobes. The dilation factor cr merges the Ti zeros Farther out sidelobesarealmostunaffected.Calculationshave
into the rest.Again, the advantages of this space factor accrue shown that the change in first sidelobe level is essentially inde-
from the close-to-ideal placement of zeros. The aperture distribu- pendent of E, which affects primarily the transition region from
tion isgiven by. uniform to tapered sidelobes. Accordingly, all calculations were
madeforthe largestvalue of ii that yields amonotonicaper-
ture distribution. These values are given in Table I. In this table,
sideloberatio (SLR) is used;it is theratioof main beam to
with p the line source variable which is k1 at the ends and zero at first sidelobe and is just the inverse of sidelobe level.
the center. In the far field, the space factor above is, of course, Fig. 1 shows the important results from this study: change in
the Fourier transform (FT) of this aperture distribution. When a firstsidelobelevelversusmeasurementdistanceratioforline
pattern measurement is madea t a finite distance, the space factor sources with uniform, 2 0 , 3 0 , 4 0 , 50, and 60 dB SLR It may be
is the FT with a quadratic phase error. For any reasonable meas- noted that the calculations result in straight lineslog-log on paper.
urement distance (small or modest errors) the amplitude change Each cume is terminated at that distance where the sidelobe has
from the observation point to various points on the aperture is become a shoulder on the main beam with n o dip. The utility of
negligible even at the -60 dB sidelobe level. Similarly, the phase these curves is evident. For example, maintaining a 1 dB or less
is sufficiently well approximated by the quadratic term, so the sidelobe error for a linear array with 40 dB SLR requires a meas-
near field space factor is urement distance of 6 D 2 / X . For a 60 dB SLR antenna the same
accuracy requires a distance of 12 D * / X These universal curves
can be used for all linear antennas and for one dimension of a
rectangularantenna.Thesecondsidelobeheightchangesonly
slowly; for example, for a 60 dB Taylor source, the second side-
Call the ratio of measurement distance to far-field distance y:
lobe error is roughly 1 dB at 2 D 2 / h . In contrast, the first side-
R lobe error is over 2 dB at 8 D z / X . The results can also be used
Y=- approximately for patterns where individual sidelobes have pre-
2D2 / h
scribed heights; precise results for these cases necessitatesa d c u -
where D is the aperture length.
lation using the exact aperture distribution. For circular Taylor
Then the edge phase error 0 is /3 = n/8y. By completing the -
n space factors, it is expected that the results will be similar for
square in the integral, the resultis in the form of a sum of Fresnel
the same sidelobe ratio.
integrals:
Sometypicalpattern behavior is shown in Figs. 2-5 for
a 40 dB Taylor space factor with ii = 11. The ideal pattern at
greatdistance(notshown)hasdeepnullsandafirstsidelobe
level of exactly -40 dB. Fig. 2 at 6 DZ/hshows the first side-
lobes and nulls rising, and in Fig. 3 at 4 D 2 / X , the first lobe has
[c@) - C(B)+ jW)l been shouldered. In Figs. 4 and 5 at 2 DZ/h,the second sidelobes
where the Fresnel integral arguments are and nulls are rising.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Suggestions of R. A. Hurd are acknowledged with pleasure.
HANSEN: LOW SIDELOBE PATTERNS 593

I
I i
,
I I circles indicate shoulder I !

2
L

Fig. 3. Taylor space factor for SLR = 40 dB, N-bar = 11 at 4DzA.

R U
Y = -
2D2/ i.
Fig. 4. Taylor space factor for SLR = 40dB,N-bar = 11 at 2Dz/X.
Fig. 1 . Sidelobe change versus normalized measurement distance for Taylor fi
line source.

Fig. 5. Taylor space factor for SLR = 4

O d
B,N-bar = 11 at D2/h.

Fig. 2. Taylor space factor for SLR = 40 dB, N-bar = 11 at 6D2/X.

REFERENCES
111 P.S. Hacker, Internal memo, Westinghouse Electric Corp., 1967.
[2] P.S. Hacker and H. E. Schrank, “Range requirements for measuring low
and ultralow sidelobe antenna patterns,” IEEE Trans.Antennas Propu-
gat., vol. AP-30, pp. 956-966, Sept. 1982.
[3]
~. R. C. Hansen, Microwme Scunning Antennas, vol. 1. New York
Academic: 1964, ch. 1.
[4] K. C. Kelly, Internal memo, Hughes Aircraft Co., Culver City, CA:
1958.
594 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION, VOL. AP-32, NO. 6 ,JUNE 1984

[a D. R. Rhodes, “On minimum range for radiation patterns,” Proc. Z R E , From 1964 to 1965 he formed and was Director of the Test Mission Analysis
vol. 42, pp. 1408-1410, Sept. 1954. Office, responsible for computer programs for the planning and control of
[q S. Silver, Microwave Antenna Theory and Design. vol. 12, Rad Lab classified Air Force satellites. From 1966 to 1967 he was Operations Group
Series, NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 1949. Director of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory Systems Engineering office of
u] T. T. Taylor, “Design of line source antennas for narrow beam width Aerospace Corporation, with responsibilities for flight.crew training, simula-
and low sidelobes,” IRE Trans. Antennas Propagat., vol. AP-3, pp. tor, the software system for mission profiles, and mission control center
16-28, 1955. equipment and displays. Since 1971 he has been a Consulting Engineer for
antennas and systems related problems at R. C. Hansen, Inc.
Dr. Hansen has many professional activities including: Chairman of
R. C. Haasea (S’47-A’49-”55-SM’56-F’62) re- Commission VI of URSI-US (1967-1969), Chairman of the 1958 WESCON
ceivedtheB.S.E.E.degreefromtheMissouriScboo1 Te~hnicalProgram ComnliW, Chairman Of GAP (1963-1964 and 1980),
of Mines and the Ph.D. degree from the University of Chairman of Standards Subcommittee 2.5 which revised Methods of Testing
Illinois in 1955. Antennas, Editor of GAP Newsletter (1961-1963), member GAP AdCom
From 1949 to 1955 he worked in the Antenna (1959-1974 and 1980-1984), member IEEE Publications Board (1972-1974),
Laboratory of the University of Illinois on ferrite and Director IEEE, 1975. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Electrical
loops, streamlined airborne antennas, and DF and Engineering, is a registered hofessional Engineer in California and England,
homing systems. He was Section Head of the Micro- and is a member of the American Physical Society, Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi, Eta
wave Laboratory of Hughes Aircraft Co., working Kappa Nu, and Phi Kappa Phi. Hewas awarded an honorary Doctor of
on surface wave antennas, slot arrays, near fields and Engineering degree by the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1975. He has written
radio power transfer, electronic scanning and steer- many papers on electromagnetics, has been an Associate Editor of Microwave
able arrays, and dynamic antennas. In 1960 he he- Journal since 1969, was Associate Editor of Radio Science (1967-1969).
came a Senior Staff Member of the Telecommunications Laboratory of STL, Associate Editor of Microwave Engineer’s Handbook (1971). Editor of
Inc., engaged in communication satellite telemetry, tracking, and command. He Microwave Scanning Antennas, vol. I (1964) vol. II and III (1966), Editor of
was Associate Director of Satellite Control, responsible for converting the Air Signifcant Phased Array Papers (19731, and Editor of Geometric Theory of
Force satellite control network into a real-time computer-to-computer network. Diffraction (1981).