Lab Equipment and Facility Photographs

MSU Bistatic Measurement Range

This facility is used to determine the reflectivity, transmission, and bistatic scattering properties of various targets including material measurements. 		bistatic measurement range

HP 54750A Digitizing Oscilloscope (50 GHz)

This instrument includes the Time Domain Reflectometery plug in and RPL pulse generator. This equipment is used for time domain measurements to perform experiments in radar scattering, antenna characterization, and material characterization.

HP 8510C Network Analyzer (45MHz-110GHz)

Using 2.4mm coax cable, this device can achieve 50GHz maximum. The network analyzer sweeps over a band of frequencies (8 to 12 GHz, for example) to measure either a reflection coefficient or a transmission coefficient in the frequency-domain. It samples data every step frequency, which is determined by the number of points to be collected.

High Power Microwave Switch

This was designed for the Material Science Department. The EM Research Group often receives requests from other departments/colleges within Michigan State University to design specialized equipment.

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar Imager (IF SAR)

These pictures are of a SAR system designed here at Michigan State. IFSAR allows extraction of height information from the target object. Thus, it can be used to render 3D topgraphic views. The first picture is the transmitting and receiving antenna mount on the aluminum frame. The second shows the entire system at the measurement end. The third is a shot of the object and the measurement system. The graphed data is shown below.
The whole system was designed by Greg Charvat, who earned the distinction as the builder of his "Backyard SAR." Clearly put, it is effective in mapping objects and does not utilize million-dollar equipment to function!
Visit Sandia National Labs for more information about SAR imagery.

Anechoic Chamber

This chamber is a closed environment, absorbing nearly all outside RF and reflecting RF 'scatter' from the target. The receiving antenna measures near-ideal reflections from the sphere only. The antenna is mounted outside the chamber, with its horn pointing into it.

Ground Plane Measurement Facility

This asset is used to measure reflection properties of scale-model targets (e.g. airplanes, automobiles, etc.) directly in the time domain.

60 Hz Magnetic Field Exposure System

This system is used to investigate the effect of power line fields on biological cells.
Scale model of an F-15 jet fighter being measured on the MSU Ground Space Plane facility
W - band Source and various W - band devices