Drexel University

Electrical and Computer Engineering Dept

Antennas & Radiating Systems, ECE-E473

TITLE:

CAD Lab 4 Linear and Planar Array Antennas

NAME:

Stephen Watt

DATE PERFORMED:

May 15, 2014

DATE DUE:

May 26, 2014

DATE RECEIVED:

OBJECTIVE
The goal of CAD Lab 4 is to simulate performance of co-phasal linear and planar phased arrays.

THEORY
Linear Phased Array

Planar Phased Array

RESULTS
Setup A Linear Phased Array
Case 1 (9 elements, d=7.8cm, f=1920 MHz): Array Factor, Directivity

Case 2 (18 elements, d=7.8cm, f=1920 MHz): Array Factor, Directivity

Case 3 (27 elements, d=7.8cm, f=1920 MHz): Array Factor, Directivity

Case 1
d=7.8cm
9 elements

Case 2
d=7.8cm
18 elements

Case 3
d=7.8cm
27 elements

Summary of Linear Phased Array Performance

Frequency
Array Factor
Directivity (dB)
(MHz)
(dB)
1850
-20.98
9.39
1870
-20.81
9.43
1890
-20.61
9.48
1910
-20.47
9.52
1920
-20.41
9.54
1930
-20.35
9.56
1950
-20.28
9.60
1970
-20.25
9.64
1990
-20.24
9.68
1850
-26.13
12.39
1870
-26.24
12.43
1890
-26.49
12.48
1910
-27.14
12.52
1920
-27.94
12.55
1930
-28.67
12.57
1950
-28.18
12.61
1970
-27.79
12.66
1990
-27.44
12.70
1850
-31.13
14.15
1870
-31.32
14.19
1890
-30.79
14.24
1910
-30.39
14.29
1920
-30.29
14.31
1930
-30.14
14.33
1950
-30.09
14.37
1970
-30.32
14.42
1990
-31.19
14.46

Case 4 (9 elements, d=15.6cm, f=1920 MHz): Array Factor, Directivity

HPBW ()
11.81
11.68
11.56
11.44
11.38
11.32
11.20
11.09
10.98
5.87
5.81
5.75
5.69
5.66
5.63
5.57
5.52
5.46
3.91
3.87
3.83
3.79
3.77
3.75
3.71
3.67
3.64

Case 5 (9 elements, d=7.8cm, f=1920 MHz, max=30): Array Factor, Directivity

Case 6 (9 elements, d=15.6cm, f=1920 MHz, max=30): Array Factor, Directivity

Setup B Planar Phased Array

Case 1 (9x9 Array, dx=dy=7.8cm, f=1920 MHz): Array Factor, Directivity

Case 2 (9x9 Array, dx=15.6cm, dy=7.8cm, f=1920 MHz): Array Factor, Directivity

Case 3 (9x9 Array, dx=dy=7.8cm, max=30, max=45, f=1920 MHz): AF, Directivity

Case 4 (9x18 Array, dx=dy=7.8cm, f=1920 MHz): Array Factor, Directivity

Case 5 (27x18 Array, dx=dy=7.8cm, f=1920 MHz): Array Factor, Directivity

Case 1
dx=dy=7.8cm
9x9 Planar Array

Summary of Planar Phased Array Performance

Frequency (MHz)
Array Factor (dB)
1850
-15.62
1870
-15.45
1890
-15.50
1910
-15.40
1920
-15.38
1930
-15.52
1950
-15.90
1970
-15.35

Directivity (dB)
17.28
17.39
17.49
17.60
17.69
17.77
17.86
17.95

ANALYSIS
The MATLAB simulations demonstrate that the quantity of side lobes and nulls of both the
linear and planar phased arrays increases as the number of elements increases. For the linear
array, as the number of elements increases the array factor decreases, directivity increases, and
the half power beamwidth decrease as the number of elements increases. As the frequency of
operation increases, the array factor, directivity, and half power beamwidth follow the same
pattern. It is apparent that the grating lobes appear in the array radiation patterns when the
spacing becomes equal to the operating wavelength.

QUESTIONS & HW
1. How many secondary peaks (i.e. side-lobes) exist in the 9, 18, 27 element phased array
antennas? How many nulls exist?
The 9-element linear array has 7 side lobes and 8 nulls, the 18-element array has 15 side lobes
and 16 nulls, and the 27-element array has 25 side lobes with 26 nulls.
2. Does any other main peak (i.e. grating lobes) exist in the simulated array factor?
(consider A.6 and A.7)
It can be seen that when the spacing of the linear array elements is set to be one wavelength
(15.6cm), grating lobes appear in the demonstrated array factor and directivity plot.
3. To achieve beam peak at max=30, how much phase difference is required between
elements at 1920 MHz? How about at 1850 MHz and 1990 MHz? What type of phase
shifter is required to avoid beam squint (i.e. dispersive or non-dispersive)?

The maximum of the array factor follows Balanis 6-13 and occurs at m = cos 1

2d
For an array with separation of 7.8cm for a beam peak at 30 at 1850 MHz, 1920 MHz, and 1990
MHz the phase difference is 150.0, 155.6, 161.3, respectively. The phase shifting should be
accomplished using a non-dispersive phase shifter with lowinsertion loss.

4. How many secondary peaks (i.e. side lobes) exist in the 9x9 and 27x18 element phased
array antennas? How many nulls exist?
The 9x9 element array has 19 side lobes and 20 nulls, and the 27x18 element array has 23 side
lobes and 24 nulls.
5. Can you subdivide the planar array in subarrays and provide phase shifts of larger than
360 degrees in increments of time delay? What is the impact?
The phase shift of greater than 360 can be accomplished for the feeding of array elements,
however, the maximum array factor will still follow Balanis 6-13. Using a phase shift larger than
360 (450 for example) would likely require more physical size or components to accomplish
the lesser but equivalent phase shift (90 for example).
8

6. Problems 6.5, 6.14, 6.19, 6.20 from Balanis. [See Attached]

CONCLUSION
CAD Lab 4 provided the student opportunity to observe and analyze the radiation pattern,
directivity, and half power beamwidth of both linear and planar phased antenna arrays. It has
been demonstrated that increasing the number of antenna elements in the array increases the
number of side lobes and nulls in the far field pattern. The shifting of the pattern maximum using
phase shifters was examined for the arrays. It is demonstrated that using more antenna elements
in the array increases the directivity and the half power beamwidth decreases. When the spacing
of the antenna elements approaches one wavelength it can be seen that grating lobes appear in
the visible portion of the radiation pattern.