Estimating and Correcting the Device-Under-Test Transfer Function in Loaded Reverberation Chambers for Over-the-Air Tests

We assess the potential error in measurements of the power transfer function corresponding to a reverberation chamber set-up when different antenna types are used for the reference and device-under-test measurements. We derive a mathematical description of the transfer function that accounts for differences in the amount of unstirred energy, represented by the spatially averaged K factor, arising from various antenna types. Our results show that loaded chamber configurations, combined with reference/device antenna pairs having significantly different radiation patterns, can result in statistically significant errors in the prediction of the transfer function. If it is possible to obtain an estimate of the K factor associated with the device antenna, this correction can improve the estimate of the transfer function that would be experienced by the device under test. Finally, we develop a method that could be used in standardized test methods to bound the uncertainty associated with the unknown K factor for common antenna types.

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