Robust Estimation of the Effective Sample Size in Mode-Stirred Reverberation Chamber Measurements

A specific measurement methodology should be followed when evaluating effective sample sizes of electric (magnetic) field in a reverberation chamber mode-stirred operation. It is here shown that appropriate coordination between the stirrer movement, the receiver frequency sweep and stirrer repositioning before the start of a series of acquisitions are required, otherwise the effective sample size may be significantly overestimated or underestimated, depending on the specific correlation mechanism under examination. Results reported here for mode stirring are, in part, relevant to vibrating intrinsic reverberation chambers. In particular, our observations strongly suggest that evaluation of electric field correlation and uniformity in a vibrating intrinsic reverberation chamber mandates the use of a simultaneous multiprobe measurement system.