ANTENNA

CHAPTER 5

TYPE OF ANTENNAS
WIRE ANTENNA
APERTURE ANTENNA
ARRAY ANTENNA

WIRE ANTENNA
Dipole
Loop
Folded dipoles
Helical antenna
Yagi (array of dipoles)
Corner reflector
Many more types

Horizontal dipole

ANTENNA TYPES

WIRE ANTENNA - RESONANCE

Many wire antennas (but not all) are used at or near resonance
Some times it is not practical to built the whole resonant length
The physical length can be shortened using loading techniques
Inductive load: e.g. center, base or top coil (usually adjustable)
Capacitive load: e.g. capacitance hats (flat top at one or both ends)

HALF-WAVE DIPOLE
A more practical antenna is the half-wave dipole
Dipole simply means it is in two parts
A dipole does not have to be one-half wavelength, but
that length is handy for impedance matching
A half-wave dipole is sometimes referred to as a Hertz
antenna

BASICS OF THE HALF-WAVE DIPOLE

Typically, the length of a half-wave dipole is 95% of onehalf the wavelength measured in free space:
c

MONOPOLE ANTENNA
For low- and medium-frequency transmissions, it is necessary to use vertical
polarization to take advantage of ground-wave propagation
A vertical dipole would be possible, but similar results are available from a
quarter-wavelength monopole antenna
Fed at one end with an unbalanced feedline, with the ground conductor of the
feedline taken to earth ground

LOOP ANTENNAS
Sometimes, smaller antennas are required for certain
applications, like AM radio receivers
These antennas are not very efficient but perform adequately
Two types of loop antennas are:
Air-wound loops
Ferrite-core loopsticks

YAGI-UDA

Elements Gain
dBi

Gain
dBd

7.5

5.5

8.5

6.5

10

11.5

9.5

12.5

10.5

13.5

11.5

APERTURE ANTENNA
Collect power over a well defined aperture
Large compared to wavelength
Various types:
Reflector antenna
Horn antenna
Lens

REFLECTOR ANTENNA
Shaped reflector: parabolic dish, cylindrical
antenna
Reflector acts as a large collecting area and
concentrates power onto
a focal region where the feed is located

Combined optical systems: Cassegrain, Nasmyth

Two (Cassegrain) or three (Nasmyth) mirrors are

used to bring the focus
to a location where the feed including the
transmitter/receiver can be
installed more easily.

CASSEGRAIN ANTENNA

Less prone to back scatter than simple parabolic antenna

Greater beam steering possibility: secondary mirror motion
amplified by optical system
Much more compact for a given f/D ratio

HORN ANTENNA

Rectangular or circular waveguide flared

up
Spherical wave fronts from phase centre
Flare angle and aperture determine gain

ANTENNA PRINCIPLES
Radiation Resistance
Antenna Pattern
Directivity and Gain
Bandwidth
Signal-To-Noise Ratio

DEFINITION OF TERMS
dB- Decibel- Ratio of one value to
another
dBx where x =
m = compared to 1 milliwatt (0 dBm=1
mW)
i = compare to isotropic antenna
d = compared to dipole antenna
w = compared to 1 watt (0 dBw = 1 watt)

IMPORTANT ANTENNA CONCEPTS

PLOTTING RADIATION PATTERNS

Typical radiation patters are displayed in a polar plot

DIPOLE RADIATION PATTERN

SIDELOBE

PATTERN WITH SIDELOBES

FRONT-TO-BACK RATIO
The direction of maximum
radiation is in the horizontal plane
is considered to be the front of
the antenna, and the back is the
direction 180 from the front
For a dipole, the front and back
have the same radiation, but this
is not always the case

MAJOR AND MINOR LOBES

In the previous diagram, the antenna

has one major lobe and a number of
minor ones
Each of these lobes has a gain and a
beamwidth which can be found using the
diagram

GAIN AND DIRECTIVITY

In antennas, power
gain in one
direction is at the
expense of losses
in others
Directivity is the
gain calculated
assuming a
lossless antenna

BEAMWIDTH

BEAMWIDTH VS GAIN

ANTENNA TYPES
HORN ANTENNA

HELICAL ANTENNA

ANTENNA APPLICATIONS
U.S. Navys ELF system
Operates at 76 Hz
80 miles of wire
Penetrates to underwater subs
One-way system

ANTENNA APPLICATIONS
VHF and UHF Antennas

Transmitting
Tower

UHF/VHF/FM
Receiving Antenna

ANTENNA APPLICATIONS
Wireless Communications

Wave
Whip

Wave
Helical

Wave 2in-1

2.4 GHZ OMNI-DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS

2 dBi Dipole "Standard
Rubber Duck"

2.4 GHZ OMNI-DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS

5.2 dBi Mast Mount Vertical

2.4 GHZ OMNI-DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS

5.2 dBi Pillar Mount Diversity

2.4 GHZ DIVERSITY OMNI-DIRECTIONAL

ANTENNAS
2 dBi Diversity Omni-Directional
Ceiling Mount

2.4 GHZ OMNI-DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS

12 dBi Omni-Directional (Outdoor only)

5 GHZ OMNI-DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS

9 dBi omni (Vertical polarization)

5 GHZ INTEGRATED ANTENNA

Innovative 5 GHz Combo
Antenna:
Wall Mount: Fold antenna
flat against access point
housing for 6 dBi gain
patch antenna
Ceiling Mount: Fold
antenna out at a 90
angle for 5 dBi gain omni
antenna
In 5 dBi omni position

In 6 dBi patch position

2.4 GHZ DIVERSITY ANTENNAS

6.5 dBi Diversity Patch Wall Mount 55
degree

2.4 GHZ DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS (CONT.)

6 dBi Patch Antenna 65 degree

2.4 GHZ DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS (CONT.)

8.5 dBi Patch Antenna 60 degree

2.4 GHZ DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS (CONT.)

13.5 dBi Yagi Antenna 25 degree

13.5 DBI YAGI ANTENNAINSIDE VIEW

2.4 GHZ DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS (CONT.)

21 dBi Parabolic Dish Antenna 12 degree

5 GHZ OMNI-DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS

28 dBi dish (H or V polarization)

5 GHZ ANTENNA
9.5 dBi sector (H or V
polarization)

CABLE AND ACCESSORIES 2.4 GHZ

ACCESSORIES

LIGHTNING ARRESTOR
Designed to protect
LAN devices from
static electricity and
lightning surges that
travel on coax
transmission lines
RP-TNC connectors
used on all Cisco
Antennas

To Antenna

Lug
Lockwasher
Nut

Ground Wire

From RF Device

Lightning Arrestor

ANTENNA ALIGNMENT
Line of Sight

ANTENNA ISSUES
High gain omni-directional

Directional
antenna

No Downtilt
One-way communications

ANTENNA ISSUES (CONT.)

200 ft./61
m

8.50 downtilt

14.50

700 ft./213
m
8 Miles/13 Km

ANTENNA ISSUES (CONT.)

Omni-directional antennas provide 3600
coverage
Also accepts interference from all directions

ANTENNA MOUNTING

MOUNTING (CONT.)

TEST EQUIPMENT:
THE ANECHOIC CHAMBER
The anechoic chamber is used to set up antennas in a location
that is free from reflections in order to evaluate them

THANK YOU