An Automated Antenna Measurement System Utilizing Wi-Fi Hardware

An inexpensive system that measures antenna gain and radiation pattern is proposed. The system uses widely available Wi-Fi routers to generate an RF signal and measure incident power on a test antenna using the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) provided by Wi-Fi hardware. An easy to construct two-axis positioner is developed, allowing both principal planes of the antenna to be measured. A custom LabVIEW interface is also developed, allowing fully automated measurements. The gain and radiation patterns of several antennas are measured in both principal planes, and the performance of the system is compared to simulation and analytical results.