Low-cost near-field probe for simultaneous E and H measurement with analog optical link

A low-cost near-field probe based on a double-loaded loop that can simultaneously measure electric and magnetic field components is presented. The probe is implemented on a printed circuit board (PCB) and is connected to the receiver by an analog optical link. The signal processing circuits and the LED-based emitters are placed close to the loop outputs, on the same PCB. The effects of the printed circuit board implementation on the antenna behavior, such as conductor's shape and presence of a dielectric inside the loop, are analyzed. Further construction details such as power management are described and calibration details are also provided.