Circularly Polarized Antennas 

Explained, Without The Math 

Details and examples of circularly polarized (CP) 

antenna test results are discussed along with 
laboratory test methods. A no-math tutorial on CP 
measurement procedures is also presented. 
 
 
Glenn Robb, Principal Engineer 
Antenna Test Lab Co.    
www.AntennaTestLab.com 
© 2017 by Antenna Test Lab Co. 
All rights reserved, Version 5 
 
 

 
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Forward 
Our goal in this whitepaper is to explain the concepts of circularly polarized (CP) 
antennas, and the details of their test lab evaluations, without resorting to “math”. It is 
true that antenna engineering and vector antenna testing is indeed “math heavy”. 
However, initial concepts are best introduced with examples and diagrams, while the 
math is best saved for detailed analysis. 
 
We will start with some background about the historic and present uses of CP 
antennas. CP rotating field concepts will be made clear later in this paper, when the 
detailed procedures for laboratory evaluation are explained. Finally, we will close with a 
set of example test results for a CP antenna, and walk the reader through its various 
measurements and performance metrics.  

Background 
Satellites 
 
Up until the 1990’s, circularly polarized antennas used to be an exotic microwave 
technology used only for satellite communications. It allowed satellites and ground 
station antennas to “talk” without worrying about the vertical/horizontal alignment of 
standard linearly polarized antennas (waveguide horns, rods, or dipoles). This antenna 
challenge came from possible satellite rotation, and its ever-changing angles of view as 
it arcs across the sky from horizon to horizon. Even atmospheric disturbances could 
rotate microwaves. Keeping “linear” antennas (vertical / horizontal) in alignment would 
require constant rotation. 
 
However, the field of a CP antenna is always rotating (unlike a linear antenna). It can 
rotate in two possible directions, and this “sense” of rotation is referred to as Left or 
Right Hand Circular Polarization. Using both “senses”, allows a 2X multiplexing 
frequency reuse to the same satellite, since a LHCP and RHCP antenna reject each 
other’s signals. So for a single frequency allocation, two simultaneous RF links may be 
used with two different rotational sense antennas.  
 
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Modern Mobile “Wireless” Applications 
 
While there are many benefits in satellite applications for CP to CP antenna radio links, 
a CP to linear antenna link is also quite useful. In fact, when just one end of a radio link 
uses a CP antenna, all of the rotation-independant benefits of CP antennas are realized. 
This can be a huge benefit to mobile devices, where the vertical / horizontal orientation 
of their simple linear antennas is always changing with movement and reflections. 
Whether or not the CP antenna has a left hand or right hand rotational sense, it does 
not matter to the linear antenna! If the mobile antenna is rotated from vertical to 
horizontal, the CP antenna still works ! 
 
This is why CP antennas are becoming popular in many common wireless applications, 
and even have a future in 5G. Typically, mobile devices are smaller and still tend to have 
linearly polarized antennas. However, the fixed “base” or “gateway” ends of the RF links 
can benefit from CP antennas. At Antenna Test Lab Co we are seeing more and more 
CP antennas, and not just for GPS reception (which is RHCP at 1575 MHz).   
 
GPS Applications 
 
The GPS and other navigation satellites use RCHP downlink signals. This allows simple 
linear antennas to be used in GPS receivers, with only minimal loss in signal. This small 
3 dB loss comes about from the linearly polarized antenna’s ability to receive only one 
component (like the vertical or horizontal) of the GPS signal. More sophisticated GPS 
receivers use a RHCP antenna for two performance boosting reasons.  
 
● Using a RHCP antenna improves sensitivity (and lock time), since it receives 3 dB 
more signal that would a linear GPS receive antenna.  
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● A RHCP will reject LHCP reflections. Think about optical reflections in a mirror and 
what happens to text … reflections are “backwards”. CP signals also reverse their 
rotation sense when reflected. So a RHCP antenna can reject reflections, often from 
large buildings in urban environments, which arrive as LHCP.  
 

Measuring “Vector Gain” 

The Chamber Configuration 
 
We use the substitution method to test antenna gain by exciting your antenna (AUT, or 
Antenna Under Test) with a swept RF signal in our anechoic chamber. The substitution 
method involves setting up our known calibrated laboratory reference antenna over a 
radiated path in the chamber, then normalizing (or “zeroing”) that path loss to 0 dB. 
We also normalize the received phase to zero degrees. In other words, the signal level 
(magnitude) and relative delay time are normalized (“zeroed”) as a sort of starting point 
for comparison measurements. 
 
 

 
 
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The Quad Ridge Chamber Antenna 
 
The “measurement antenna” in the previous diagram is an open boundary quad-ridge 
Vivaldi horn antenna. It is actually two antennas that occupy the same space. The 
gain/phase normalization described above is actually done twice. Once for the vertical 
ridges, and again for the horizontal ridges, since they are different antennas with 
slightly different gain and phase.  
 

 
 
 
The Substitution 
 
Then we exchange our reference antenna for your Antenna Under Test (AUT), and 
re-measure the path gain/loss and phase changes relative to the previously normalized 
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reference path. In other words, your AUT will have gain higher, the same, or lower than 
our reference antenna (a relative measurement). 
 
By simply adding our reference antenna’s calibrated gain (in dBi) to these path change 
measurements, we determine the AUT’s gain in dBi. Our inventory of reference 
antennas are chosen to span wide frequency ranges. For example, using our calibrated 
300 MHz to 30 GHz reference horn allows us to measure your antenna’s gain over its 
entire operating range, in hundreds of physical directions, in one test run. Tests DO 
NOT have to be repeated at each individual frequency, as with tuned dipole 
substitution. 

Understanding Phase Data 

 
The substitution method math above is relatively straightforward to understand for 
gain magnitude, but we also use phase data to calculate CP gains. There are many 
explanations of using orthogonal (vertical/horizontal) gain-phase data on the web. 
However, those explanations all utilize vector math to describe the detailed 
calculations. “Heavy” math is not always helpful for understanding new concepts. In our 
lab, we start by describing the CP calculations without referencing vector geometry.  
 
Example: Transverse Waves On Rope 
 
The fields coming from an antenna propagate outwards as waves. We find it useful to 
make a rope comparison. If you have a long rope with one end tied to a tree, you can 
wiggle or wave the free end. If you wave the rope upwards and downwards, your waves 
will travel towards the tree. You have created a vertical wave, technically called a 
vertically polarized transverse wave. Similarly, you can easily create a horizontal 
transverse wave by waving the rope from side to side. These transverse waves are like 
linearly polarized radio waves. Relative to the ground, they can be labeled as vertical or 
horizontal. You can even wave your rope on a random angle, neigher vertical or 
horizontal. Such a wave is still transverse, it just has a “slant” polarization. 
 
Example: Circular Waves On Rope 
 
CP waves may sound complicated, but even a child can make circular waves on the 
rope. Just circle your hand, like you are “skipping rope”. The corkscrew shaped waves 
can be RHCP if you rotate your hand clockwise, or LHCP if you rotate your hand 
counter-clockwise. The waves have both up/down and left/right components, just like 
CP radio waves. 
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Using The Phase Data 
 
We use our quad-ridge measurement antenna to separate the vertical and horizontal 
components of received energy. In the diagram above, the blue plane, arrows, and 
wave show the vertical components from the red CP wave. Horizontal components are 
in green. Please notice in the diagram above, that the vertical and horizontal 
components of the CP waves are offset by ¼ turn. This is measurable as a 90 degree 
phase shift in our laboratory. Whether there is an advance or delay by 90 degrees 
between the vertical and horizontal components, tells us if the wave is RHCP or LHCP. 
 
The phase data from the vertical/horizontal measurements also tells us about the ratio 
of rotating gain to non-rotating gain. Often the phase shift is less than 90 degrees, 
because real antennas are not perfectly CP … they have some linear component as well. 
We calculate the ratio of these two types of gain for you to yield a performance merit 
called axial ratio. 
 
 
 
Photo Credits for CP vector diagrams: 
wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_polarization#/media/File:Circular.Polarization.Circularly.Polarized.Light_With.Components_Right.Handed.svg 
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Your CP Antenna Testing Options 

Legacy 
 
Your options for CP antenna evaluations used to be limited. The old satellite/military 
legacy of CP antennas often dictated that larger chambers and big organizations were 
supported by expensive contracts for such antennas. Whereas commercial and wireless 
labs concentrated more on linear antennas. Sometimes labs would give you raw vector 
gain/phase data, and expect you to calculate circular polarization parameters yourself.   
 
Today’s Options 
 
Antenna Test Lab Co’s evaluation service includes fully circular polarization antenna 
evaluations, at no extra charge. Practical antenna evaluations with 2D or 3D patterns in 
hundreds of test directions (and frequencies) are available for $525. This means that in 
all of the physical test directions of your patterns, and at all swept test frequencies, you 
have full CP results and analysis, without having to do any math! Easy to use 
spreadsheet results include: 
 
● LHCP and RHCP Gains in dBi 
● Total Gain Magnitude in dBi 
● Axial Ratio in dB 
● Graphs of LHCP, RHCP, and Axial Ratio vs frequency for the preferred antenna 
direction (and data is available for all test directions) 
● Raw orthogonal vector gain and phase data for specialized post processing 
● Accommodating “active” antennas, such as GPS antennas with built-in LNAs 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Example Results 
CP Gains Pre-Calculated 
 
Here is a screenshot of our basic CP data reporting. In this screenshot, only 20 
directions (rows) and two test frequencies (out of hundreds) are shown. 
 

 
 
For each test pattern’s direction and frequency, 
you have the raw “vector gain” data (V/H gain and 
phase) as well as calculations of LHCP & RHCP gain 
and axial ratio. With this example antenna 
(pictured to the right), you can see in the 
spreadsheet data that it is RHCP, since its RHCP 
gain is much higher than its LHCP gain. 
 
The advantage to Excel spreadsheets (as opposed 
to proprietary patterns and results files) is that any 
specialized or custom post processing or graphing 
is made easy. Virtually any plot can be created, 
including overlaying co-polarization and 
cross-polarization parameters on the same graph.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Graphing CP Gains 
 
For example, with this example RHCP antenna, the desired “co-polarization gain” is the 
RHCP gain, and the undesired “cross-polarization gain” is the LHCP gain. The CPRR 
“cross polarization rejection ratio” is simply the difference between the RHCP and 
LHCP gains. The plot illustrates RHCP, LHCP, and CPRR all on the same graph, vs 
frequency for the prime (boresight) direction of the antenna. (Keep in mind, this data is 
available in all tested directions.) 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Graphing Axial Ratio 

 
The graph below is the main-axis (“boresight”) axial ratio vs frequency plot for our 
example antenna. The same graph (or overlaid curves) can be made with results data 
from any other test direction, and are great for illustrating the deterioration in axial 
ratio for off angle directions.  
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Graphing Patterns With Mixed Data 

 
The graph below is a standard polar plot, with separate RHCP (in green) and LHCP (in 
red) gains overlaid on the same graph. In this antenna, you can see that RHCP gain is 
always higher than LHCP, except in the non-functioning part of the antenna's pattern 
(behind the antenna).   
 

 
 
 
 
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Further Reading 
 
Antenna Test Lab Co strives to deliver antenna insights and comprehension to our 
customers. Understanding antennas, terminology, pattern types, and test options is 
often the best place to start your design and evaluation project. We have created an 
educational section on our website to help you get up to speed …  
 
http://antennatestlab.com/antenna-education-tutorials 

Contact Us 
 
We hope that you have enjoyed this white-paper, and that our no-math explanation of 
CP waves and measurements has helped you understand this advanced topic.  
 
We would love to hear from you, and hope that you will contact us with your 
comments. Please feel free to ask us for an antenna testing quotation or to discuss your 
testing needs. Standard antennas are normally $525 for the first antenna (and $350 per 
additional antenna), and include full CP results data.  
 
[email protected] 
Tel: +1 919 200-0292 

About the Author  

 
Glenn Robb is a Founder and Principal Engineer at 
Antenna Test Lab Co, www.AntennaTestLab.com 
  
Glenn is an EE who has been working professionally with 
antennas for 30 years. He has a passion for testing 
antennas and providing customer insights. Day to day, he 
runs the anechoic chamber at Antenna Test Lab Co and 
is responsible for hundreds of customer antenna 
evaluations. Glenn also designed all of the lab’s custom software and test hardware 
configurations for accuracy, speed, and cost-effectiveness.