Professional Documents
Culture Documents
RF Antenna
RF Antenna
RF Antenna
(RT-RFA)
June 2001
RT-RFA 1
RT-RFA
Copyright 2001 Global Wireless Education Consortium
All rights reserved. This module, comprising presentation slides with notes,
exercises, projects and Instructor Guide, may not be duplicated in any way
without the express written permission of the Global Wireless Education
Consortium. The information contained herein is for the personal use of the
reader and may not be incorporated in any commercial training materials or
for-profit education programs, books, databases, or any kind of software
without the written permission of the Global Wireless Education Consortium.
Making copies of this module, or any portion, for any purpose other than your
own, is a violation of United States copyright laws.
June 2001
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RT-RFA
Partial support for this curriculum material
was provided by the National Science Foundation's
Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement
Program under grant DUE-9972380 and Advanced
Technological Education Program under grant
DUE9950039.
GWEC EDUCATION PARTNERS: This material is
subject to the legal License Agreement signed by your
institution. Please refer to this License Agreement for
restrictions of use.
June 2001
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Table of Contents
Overview
Learning Objectives
Antennas as Part of All Communications Systems
Fundamental Antenna Characteristics
Antenna Radiation Patterns
Antenna Types
Antenna Configuration Requirements
Signal Coverage Problems
Advanced System Antennas
Antenna Covers and Support Structures
Contributors
June 2001
5
6
7
12
19
27
49
56
63
71
76
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Overview
How antennas transmit and receive signals
Fundamental characteristics of antennas
Types and features of antennas
Signal coverage problems and how to overcome them
How to perform return loss measurement and antenna
gain measurement
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Learning Objectives
Explain how an antenna transmits and receives signals
Explain fundamental characteristics of antennas
including radiated power, antenna gain, beam width,
and front-back ratio
Describe features of different types of antennas
Describe the different types of radiation patterns
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June 2001
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Antenna System
Components
Transmit antenna
Receive antenna
Duplexer
Multicoupler
Combiner
Isolator
Tuning cavities
Cabling
June 2001
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Antenna Operation
Antenna - a series of metal wires, rods, or other shapes
Transmits when an electric current of radio frequency passes
through it
June 2001
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Antennas, Frequency,
and Wavelength
Resonant length changes with frequency and
wavelength of electric signal
The higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength, and the
shorter the required antenna
The lower the frequency, the longer the wavelength, and the
longer the required antenna
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Assorted Facts
Antenna Radiation Pattern
Same radiation pattern and gain for transmit and receiveantenna
Transceiver
Transmitter and receiver electronics housed in a single box
Generally use a single antenna for both
Impedance Match
Coaxial cable must be terminated with characteristic impedance for
maximum power to be passed to antenna
If not, reflections will reduce power passed to antenna and cause
protection circuitry in transmitter to reduce its output power
RF Transmission Planning
Optimizes signal strength received by base station and mobile station
regardless of their positions in the network
Choice and configuration of antenna system plays an important role
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Fundamental
Antenna
Characteristics
June 2001
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Radiated Power
Mean power received at any large distance is calculated by the Friis
free-space equation:
Pt Gt Gr
Pr ( d )
2 2
( 4 ) d L
Pt = transmitted power
Pr(d) = received power, a function of transmitter-receiver distance
Gt = transmitter antenna gain
Gr = receiver antenna gain
d = transmitter-receiver separation in meters
L = miscellaneous loss factor for loss not related to propagation
L = 1 means no loss
L > 1 means loss
= wavelength in meters
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Antenna Bandwidth
Range of frequencies radiated where lowest and
highest frequencies have radiated power that is 3 dB
less than the radiated power at frequency with
maximum power, f(max)
Upper frequency, f(up), is frequency above f(max) where power
is 3 dB lower than f(max)
Lower frequency, f(low), is frequency below f(max) where
power is 3 dB lower than f(max)
f up f low
100%
B p
f ctr
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Antenna Gain
Ratio of antennas maximum radiation intensity to
maximum radiation intensity from a reference antenna with
same input power
dBiIf reference antenna isisotropic source of 100% efficiency
dBd If reference antenna is simple dipole of typical efficiency
Gdip (gain with respect to dipole antenna) is 2.15 dB less than Gi (gain
with respect to isotropic antenna)
Gant
4Ae
2
Ae ap Aphysical
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June 2001
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Antenna Front-Back
Ratio
Measure of antennas ability to focus radiated power in
intended direction successfully
And not interfere with other antennas behind it
P0
f/b ratio
P180
June 2001
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Frequency Re-Use
6
6
5
5
1
7
4
1
7
4
2
2
3
6
5
1
7
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Antenna Radiation
Patterns
June 2001
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Isotropic Radiation
Pattern
Characteristics
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Omnidirectional
Radiation Pattern
Horizontal Pattern
June 2001
Vertical Pattern
RT-RFA 21
Unidirectional Radiation
Pattern
Horizontal Pattern
June 2001
Vertical Pattern
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Radiated Power
Compared
Ideal isotropic radiator
Practical antenna
dBd
2.15
dB
June 2001
dBi
RT-RFA 23
Properties of
Unidirectional
Antennas
Provide increased gain in a limited direction
Multiply use of separate channels by virtue of enabling
sectorization
Do not overcome major disadvantages of
omnidirectional antennas such as co-channel
interference
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Antenna Polarization
Polarization is an important property of a radio wave
Radio waves have magnetic field H & electrical field E
Orientation of electrical field determines polarization
If electrical field is vertical, radio wave is polarized vertically
If electrical field is horizontal, radio wave is polarized
horizontally
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Formula
Pr = Power, reflected
Pi = Power, incident
June 2001
VSWR
Pr
1
Pi
Pr
1
Pi
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Antenna Types
June 2001
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Radiation Pattern of
Half-wave Dipole
Antenna
3-D view
Vertical section
June 2001
Horizontal section
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Omnidirectional
Antennas
Omnidirectional antenna
June 2001
Hertz antenna
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Marconi Antenna
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Omnidirectional
Antenna Limitations
Radiates and receives equally well in all directions in
the horizontal plane
Signal power spread uniformly and only small percentage of
radiated power reaches receiver
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Outer conductor
with holes
Dielectric
Inner conductor
RF out (terminated)
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Multi-antenna System
Examples
Pair of directional antennas mounted in different
directions
Radiation patterns point in opposite directions
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Panel Antennas
Substrate
Radiating
panel
Transmitter
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Unidirectional Antennas
Referred to as beam antennas
Focus beams in one direction
Concentrate radiated power into a beam while
minimizing emission in other directions
Classifications:
Linear
Logarithmic
Parasitic
Broadband antenna
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Unidirectional Antennas
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Traveling-wave Wire
Antenna
Dipole
antenna
Antenna
Reflected
wave
Incident
wave
Reflected
wave
Resonant wave of
wavelength antenna
June 2001
Incident
wave
RT-RFA 37
Beam
Folded Dipole
Driven element
length =
Reflector
length 2 + 5%
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Radiation pattern
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Turnstile Antenna
Turnstile antenna
June 2001
Radiation pattern
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Loop Antenna
Loop antenna
Radiation pattern in
horizontal plane
June 2001
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Rhombic Antenna
L
800
June 2001
Preferred
direction of
radiation
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Rhombic Antenna
Radiation Pattern
June 2001
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Yagi-Uda Antenna
Yagi-Uda
Antenna
Director
Driven element
Reflector
June 2001
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Yagi-Uda Antenna
Beam
Director
length = 2 - 5%
Driven element
length = /2
Reflector
length2 + 5%
June 2001
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June 2001
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Mobile Antennas:
Collinear Gain Antenna
Low-gain antenna
Two types
- Through-the-glass
- Standard mount
Have upper and lower portion
separated by phase matching coil
June 2001
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Sector Antennas
6-sector cell
3-sector cell
June 2001
60
60
120
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Sector Antennas
June 2001
Antenna overlap
in 6-sector cell
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Antenna Configuration
Requirements
June 2001
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Antenna Configuration
Requirements
Antenna separation
Diversity
Isolation
Interference
Radiation patterns not distorted by obstacles or
reflections
June 2001
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Space Diversity
June 2001
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Polarization Diversity
June 2001
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Isolation
Needed to avoid distortion due to intermodulation
Need to fulfill these isolation values
TX RX isolation > 30 dB
TX TX isolation > 30 dB
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Antenna Downtilt
June 2001
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Antenna Height
Reducing antenna height by 50% will reduce average
received signal by 6 dB
Repositioning transmit and/or receive antenna can help
maintain system balance
June 2001
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Signal Coverage
Problems
June 2001
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Signal Coverage
Problems
Design problems
Maintenance problems
System maturation
Site location and geometry
Shadows in pattern
Nulls in pattern
Intermodulation, co-channel, and adjacent channel
interference problems
June 2001
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Resolving Signal
Coverage Problems
Reduce antenna height
Downtilt the antenna
Use higher or lower gain antenna
Use antenna with wider or narrower horizontal or
vertical beam width
June 2001
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Return Loss of an
Antenna
Power difference between incident and reflected wave
in transmission line feeding the antenna
3 dB return loss means reflected power is half of
incident power
June 2001
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Interference
Multipath condition
June 2001
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Interference
+
Signal Amplitude
Non-fade period
time
Fading
-
Rayleigh fading
June 2001
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Co-Channel Interference
June 2001
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Advanced System
Antennas
June 2001
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Advanced Antenna
Systems
Are expensive
Increase cell coverage and capacity without building
additional sites
Examples
Multi-beam antenna systems
Smart antenna systems
June 2001
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Multi-Beam Antennas
June 2001
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June 2001
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June 2001
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June 2001
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Handling Capacity of
Smart Antenna Systems
Conventional
sectorization area
Switched beam area
Adaptive area
June 2001
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June 2001
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June 2001
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Self-supporting towers
Guyed towers
Monopole
Camouflaged towers
Existing structures
June 2001
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Antenna Support
Structures
Self-supporting towers
Large 3-D framework of galvanized girders
Antenna may be placed at top or any level of tower based on
transmission requirements
Guyed towers
Made of crisscrossing steel girders
Held in place by guy wires that form a 15 degree vertical angle
Antenna may be placed at top or any level of tower based on
transmission requirements
June 2001
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Antenna Support
Structures
June 2001
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Antenna Support
Structures
Camouflaged towers
Existing support structure
Buildings
Water towers
Electric towers
Light pole
Highway signs
June 2001
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Industry Contributors
The following companies provided materials and
resource support for this module:
AT&T Wireless (http://www.attwireless.com)
Ericsson (http://www.ericsson.com)
LCC International, Inc. (http://www.lcc.com)
Motorola (http://www.motorola.com)
Nortel Networks (http://www.nortel.com)
Northeast Center for Telecommunications
Technologies(http://nctt.org/index2.htm)
RF Globalnet (http://www.rfglobalnet.com)
June 2001
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Industry Contributors,
cont.
June 2001
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Individual Contributors
The following individuals and their organization or
institution provided materials, resources, and development
input for this module:
Dr. Chaouki Abdallah
University of New Mexico
http://www.unm.edu
June 2001
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Individual Contributors,
cont.
Dr. Derrek Dunn
North Carolina A&T State University
http://www.ncat.edu
June 2001
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Individual Contributors,
cont.
Ms. Annette Muga
Ericsson
http://www.ericsson.com
June 2001
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