Abstract: A near-field test system for a phased array antenna includes a probe, a beam forming network, and a computing system. The probe is disposed at a fixed position in a near-field of the phased array antenna and transmits a test beam toward a fixed location on the phased array. The beam forming network is coupled to the phased array and includes a plurality of phase shifters and a beam summer. The phase shifters steer received beams for each antenna element of the phased array to form a planar wave front. The beam summer is coupled to the phase shifters and combines power of the received beams. The computing system is coupled to the beam forming network and scales combined power of the received beams and generates a virtual spectrum for the phased array antenna from scaled power of the received beams.

Abstract: A near-field test system for a phased array antenna includes a probe, a beam forming network, and a computing system. The probe is disposed at a fixed position in a near-field of the phased array antenna and transmits a test beam toward a fixed location on the phased array. The beam forming network is coupled to the phased array and includes a plurality of phase shifters and a beam summer. The phase shifters steer received beams for each antenna element of the phased array to form a planar wave front. The beam summer is coupled to the phase shifters and combines power of the received beams. The computing system is coupled to the beam forming network and scales combined power of the received beams and generates a virtual spectrum for the phased array antenna from scaled power of the received beams.

Abstract: A near-field test system for a phased array antenna includes a probe, a beam forming network, and a computing system. The probe is disposed at a fixed position in a near-field of the antenna and is configured to receive at least a portion of a test beam radiated by the antenna. The beam forming network is coupled to the antenna and includes a plurality of phase shifters configured to steer the test beam to a position in the near-field when radiated by an array of antenna elements of the antenna. The computing system is coupled to the probe and is configured to normalize received power of the test beam based on the position of the beam in the near-field relative to the fixed position of the probe, and generate a far-field antenna pattern for the antenna from normalized received power of the test beam.