Description |
An E field probe consisting of three orthogonally mounted dipole antennas placed in a microwave electromagnetic field will produce three rectified dc voltages (0.001-9 v). The hardware and software are developed for a micro-computer controlled device that will process these; voltages and calculate the magnitude of the E field vector. The hardware digitises the probe voltages and provides the necessary gating to get the data into the micro-computer. The software generates and stores all calibration data and controls the measurement operation. Rockwell's AIM 65 mini-computer system and Fluke's 8600A digital multimeter were used in the design. The designed hardware is straightforward, effective, and fills all design requirements. The software, in addition to fulfilling its function, has two notable problems. The available amount of memory limits the amount of calibration data that can be stored and there is currently no provision for long-term storage of this data. The program is written in BASIC, the structure and memory usage of which will affect these problems. Writing the program in another language might provide a superior solution. |