Antenna Basic Concepts

ANTENNA
An antenna is a device to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic
waves.
Electromagnetic waves are often referred to as radio waves.
Most antennas are resonant devices, which operate efficiently over a
relatively narrow frequency band.
An antenna must be tuned (matched) to the same frequency band as
the radio system to which it is connected, otherwise reception and/or
transmission will be impaired.

Parmetros de las antenas

Los parmetros o terminologa de las antenas ilustran su dualidad
como un dispositivo circuital (con resistencia y temperatura) y como
dispositivos espaciales (con patrones, polarizacin, rea de haz,
ganancia directiva, apertura).
Otras caractersticas del antena son su tamao fsico y su ancho de
banda (que involucra impedancia, eficiencia, acoplamiento, prdidas).

Antenna fundamental parameters

To describe the performance of an antenna, definitions of various
parameters are necessary.
We will follow the IEEE Standard Definition of Terms for Antennas
(IEEE Std 145-1993).
Most important parameters:
Radiation pattern
Input impedance
Antenna directivity
Antenna gain
Polarization

WAVELENGTH
We often refer to antenna size relative to wavelength.
For example:
a (1/2) wave dipole is approximately half a wavelength long.

Wavelength is the distance a radio wave travels during one cycle.

The formula for wavelength is:

WAVELENGTH

Radiation fundamentals
Recall, that using the Poyntings theorem, the total power
radiated from a source can be found as:

Which suggests that both electric and magnetic energy will

be radiated from the region.
A stationary charge will NOT radiate EM waves, since a zero
current flow will cause no magnetic field.

Radiation fundamentals
Infinitesimal electric dipole antenna:
We assume the excitation as a time-harmonic signal at the frequency
, which results in a time-harmonic radiation.
The length of the antenna L is assumed to be much less than the
wavelength:

L << .
Typically: L < /50.
The antenna is also assumed as very thin:

ra << .
The current along the antenna is assumed as uniform:

Infinitesimal electric dipole antenna

The components of the electric field in the far field region are:

Where

is the wave impedance of

vacuum

Infinitesimal electric dipole antenna

In the far field region (traditionally, the region of greatest
interest) both field components are transverse to the
direction of propagation.
The radiated power:

Radiation Pattern
Radiation pattern is one of the important characteristic of an
antenna as tells the spatial relative distribution of the electromagnetic
wave generated by the antenna.
The radiation pattern is a plot of the magnitude of the radiation field
as a function of direction
Since the radiation pattern is supposed to provide relative distribution
of the fields, the absolute size of the 3-D surface does not have any
significance.
In practice therefore the maximum amplitude is normalized to unity. .

Radiation Pattern
The radiation pattern for the
Hertz dipole is
The above equation when
plotted in the spherical
coordinate system with we get a
three dimensional figure as
shown:
The radiation pattern of the Hertz
dipole is like an apple.

The Hertz dipole, Radiation Pattern

For the Hertz dipole any
vertical plane passing through
the z-axis is the E-plane and a
horizontal plane passing
through the antenna is
the H-plane.
The two radiation patterns for
the Hertz dipole are shown in
Fig.
NOTE: In a radiation pattern
the physical shape and size of
the antenna do not get
reflected.
The antenna is merely a point
at the origin of the radiation
pattern

RADIATION PATTERNS
The radiation pattern is a graphical depiction of the relative field
strength transmitted from or received by the antenna.
Antenna radiation patterns are taken at one frequency, one
polarization, and one plane cut.
The patterns are usually presented in polar or rectilinear form with a
dB strength scale.
Patterns are normalized to the maximum graph value, 0 dB, and a
directivity is given for the antenna.

RADIATION PATTERNS
Radiation or antenna pattern describes the relative strength of the
radiated field in various directions from the antenna at a constant
distance.
The radiation pattern is a reception pattern as well, since it also
describes the receiving properties of the antenna.
The radiation pattern is three-dimensional.

Example 3D Radiation Pattern

Polar plots are derived from 3dimensional radiation data.
Figure in left side is an example
3D pattern with the RF source
located at the origin.
Note that the power
highlighted in green indicates a
low power region (shown
dipping towards the origin),
while the higher levels are
indicated in red (protruding
outwards).

Cross Section along XY Plane

Taking a cross section
through the origin (e.g. the
XY plane as shown in
Figure) and plotting the
points that lay on this plane
creates a polar plot of real
emitted power values.
These polar plots offer the
true depiction of the
antenna performance along
the plane described by the
cross section.

Polar Plot of XY Plane

Cross Section

3D Radiation Pattern
To provide a complete representation of the RF performance
datasheets will typically provide three polar plots with planes defined
as seen in next Figure.
The cross sections in this figure are defined as planes intersecting the
origin along the XY (green), YZ (pink), and XZ (grey) planes.
These planes display data points along all three axes in space which
gives the developer a precise illustration of the antenna performance.

Three Perpendicular
Planes

Radiation Patterns

ANTENNA PATTERN TYPES

Omnidirectional Antennas
For mobile, portable and some base station applications the type of
antenna needed has an omnidirectional radiation pattern.
Omnidirectional antennas radiate and receive equally well in all horizontal
directions.
The gain of an omnidirectional antenna can be increased by narrowing the
beamwidth in the vertical or elevation plane.
The net effect is to focus the antennas energy toward the horizon.
Gain is achieved at the expense of beamwidth.
Higher-gain antennas feature narrow beamwidths while the opposite is
also true.

ANTENNA PATTERN TYPES

Directional Antennas
Directional antennas focus energy in a particular direction.
Directional antennas are used in some base station applications
where coverage over a sector by separate antennas is desired.
Point-to-point links also benefit from directional antennas.

Radiation
Patterns

Antenna input impedance

Antenna offers an impedance to the transmission line.

Equivalent transmission circuit

Antenna input impedance

The real part of the input impedance of a transmission antenna is the
sum of the loss resistance and the radiation resistance.