Measurements and simulations of the near-field generated by a reference source of electromagnetic field

The issues inherent to the simulation and measurement of the near field generated by a stable source of electromagnetic field are here described as well as the solutions adopted for minimizing inaccuracies of both simulation and measurement. Uncertainties are rigorously quantified in order to provide a meaningful comparison between numerical predictions and experimental results. It is demonstrated that relatively large uncertainties originate from the high sensitivity to the distance between the source and the sensor and from the mismatch of the sensor output. The concepts and results here obtained are deemed to be applicable also to near field measurements of radio-frequency identification technology at low-frequency (120 kHz – 150 kHz), high-frequency (13.56 MHz) and ultra-high-frequency (433 MHz).