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Antenna Polarization - Circular vs

Linear for testing GPS
Question
What type of transmitting antenna should I use with GSG for
over-the-air testing?
Answer
GNSS systems use Right Hand Circular Polarization to combat
multipath. When a RHCP wave is bounced off a surface, the
reflection is in the opposite direction, Left Hand CP. A LHCP wave
is strongly rejected by a RHCP antenna. The second bounce (and
the fourth, etc.) will be back to RHCP, but by then, the reflective
loss from two or more bounces makes these multipath signals very
weak.
A circular polarized signal can be represented by two time varying
linear polarized waves horizontal and vertical.
If transmitting with a linear polarized antenna to a circular
polarized receiving antenna, only get half the energy (either
horizontal or vertical, depending on which way the horn is oriented)
is received. Every reflected linear wave is also linear so it couples
into the antenna at the same level (minus the reflective loss) as the

Wednesday 29 June 2016 01:48 AM

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direct wave does.

The standard antenna we offer is RHCP and just a wideband,
general purpose antenna. We offer it for customers needing to do
OTA testing for receivers with integrated antenna and cannot
separate out the receiver from the antenna. Being a wideband
antenna, the VSWR performance is compromised, but GNSS are
very low power signals and therefore not a big concern.
All of our customers that are interested in testing antenna
radiation patterns or finding the phase center of the antenna
typically work with the antenna separately from the receiver. Using
the spread spectrum GPS signal for testing antenna patterns is a
bit unusual. Most use a sweep frequency generator as a test
signal.
Note that for position accuracy testing from a simulator, the path
between the GSG signal generator and the receivers antenna is
not a factor. All of the satellites are simulated together and their
relative delays are simulated internally in the GSG. Any additional
delays from the OTA path will be added equally to all satellites.
Since GPS uses Time Difference of Arrival calculations, the
position accuracy will always be the simulated position (or
trajectory) specified in the scenario, accurate to 1 mm. The
simulators antenna pattern will only affect the amplitude of the
received signal. So if one wants to test parameters such as
receiver sensitivity over the air, then a horn is a better choice. But
an even better way of measuring sensitivity, is directly connecting
with a coax cable.

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For all other measurements, the performance of the simulators

antenna is not much of a factor. It just needs to transfer the signal
over the air to the receiver.
Be careful if attempting to use a high-end GPS receiver antenna
as the GSGs antenna. Most of these have a Low Noise Amplifier
(LNA) internally, which is in the wrong direction for using it as a
transmit antenna.