PREAL
Welcome to Project REAL
Project REAL is a Remote Educational Antenna Laboratory that allows for "virtual hands-on" testing of antenna response patterns.
How Does It Work?
You, the student, can build an antenna and test it in our web-accessible testing lab.
Project REAL is designed for Electrical Engineering students around the world. Many courses on antennas involve virtual design and analysis of antenna designs, with little emphasis on building and testing.
Using Project REAL
- Construct, then ship your antenna to us;
- Schedule a time to perform your test;
- Test the antenna via the web, then;
- Retrieve, analyze, and share your results
To get started, log in or create an account.
Research and Development Use
The chamber is available for research and development on a per-fee basis. For details visit the NCSU Nanofabrication Facility.
Chamber Setup & Implementation
Axes of Rotation
(3.25 m)
Range between Aperture of Chamber Horn and Rotation Axis
Measurement Polarization
GHz
Instrumentation Frequency Range
Measurement Capability
- Return Loss
- E and H plane patterns, Co- and Cross-polarization
- Gain referred to Standard Horn
Power and Network Access
Filtered power and ethernet are available inside the chamber. Ethernet is available via a fiber bridge that passes through a cut-off wavequide into the chamber.
Quiet Zone Performance
| Frequency (GHz) | Source Gain (dBi) | Design (dB) | Minimum Performance (dB) | Source Gain (dBi) | Design (dB) | Minimum Performance (dB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | -30 | -25 | 14 | -35 | -30 |
| 2 | 12 | -42 | -37 | ~14 | -43 | -38 |
| 4 | 16 | -48 | -43 | 16 | -48 | -43 |
| 8 | 16 | <-50 | -48 | 16 | <-50 | -48 |
| 18 | 16 | <-50 | -50 | 16 | <-50 | -50 |
