Antennas

RF
 RF systems complement wired networks by
extending them.
 Different components may be used
depending on the frequency and the distance
that signals are required to reach
 Two RF components are of particular interest
to wireless users:
 Antennas
 Amplifiers
Amplifiers
 Amplifiers make signals bigger.
 Signal boost, or gain, is measured in
decibels (dB).
 Amplifiers can be broadly classified into
three categories:
 low-noise
 high-power
 other
Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs)
 Low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) are usually
connected to an antenna to boost the received
signal to a level that is recognizable by the
electronics the RF system is connected to.
 LNAs are also rated for noise factor, which is
the measure of how much unwanted
information the amplifier introduces. Smaller
noise factors allow the receiver to hear smaller
signals and thus allow for a greater range.
Low Noise Amplifier
High Power Amplifiers (HPAs)
 High-power amplifiers (HPAs) are used
to boost a signal to the maximum
power possible before transmission.
 Output power is measured in dBm
 Amplifiers generate heat in addition to
amplifying the signal.
High Power Amplifiers (HPAs)
Antennas
 They convert electrical signals on wires into
radio waves and vice versa.
 An antenna must be made of conducting
material. Radio waves hitting an antenna
cause electrons to flow in the conductor and
create a current.
 Likewise, applying a current to an antenna
creates an electric field around the antenna.
As the current to the antenna changes, so
does the electric field. A changing electric field
causes a magnetic field, and the wave is off.
 The size of the antenna you need depends on the
frequency: the higher the frequency, the smaller the
antenna.
 The shortest simple antenna you can make at any
frequency is ½ wavelength long (though antenna
engineers can play tricks to reduce antenna size further).
 This rule of thumb accounts for the huge size of radio
broadcast antennas and the small size of mobile phones.
 An AM station broadcasting at 830 kHz has a wavelength
of about 360 meters and a correspondingly large antenna
 But an 802.11b network interface operating in the 2.4-
GHz band has a wavelength of just 12.5 centimeters.
With some engineering tricks, an antenna can be
incorporated into a PC Card, and a more effective
external antenna can easily be carried in a backpack.
Self understanding
 Compare antenna size of following signals
 AM - 830 KHz
 WLAN – 2.4 GHz
Antenna Theory
 A theoretical
isotropic antenna
has a perfect 360º
vertical
and horizontal
beamwidth
 This is a reference
for ALL antennas
Antenna Variables
 Bandwidth
 Beamwidth
 Gain
 Polarization
 Diversity
 Power
Bandwidth
 The bandwidth of an antenna is the band
of frequencies, over which it is considered
to perform acceptably. The wider the range
of frequencies a band encompasses, the
wider the bandwidth of the antenna.
 Beamwidth

Beamwidth is a measurement used

to describe directional antennas.
Beamwidth is sometimes called
half-power beamwidth. It is the total
width in degrees of the main radiation
lobe, at the angle where the radiated
power has fallen below that on the
centerline of the lobe, by 3 dB (half-power).
Self understanding
 Find the power in(in dB) and voltage on
the half power beamwidth point.
Gain
Gain
Polarization
Polarization cont.

What is cross-polarization?.
Radiation Patterns
Dipole Antennas
Multipath propagation
Diversity
Diversity
 Space diversity
Diversity cont.
 Frequency diversity
Omnidirectional Antennas
 An omnidirectional antenna is designed to
provide a 360 degree radiation pattern
 This type of antenna is used when coverage
in all directions from the antenna is required.
 Ex:/ Dipole(ID), Mast mount(ID/OD), Ceiling
mount (ID)
Dipole (ID) Mast mount (ID/OD)
Ceiling mount (ID)
Omnidirectional Antennas cont.
 In a perfect world, all the omnidirectional
antennas would radiate perfectly in all directions.
Unfortunately, this is not the case.

H-Plane E-Plane
Omnidirectional Antennas cont.
 Antenna Theory- Dipole
 Energy lobes are
‘pushed in’ from
Side View
the top and bottom (Vertical Pattern)
 Higher gain Vertical Beamwidth
 Smaller vertical New Pattern (with Gain)

beamwidth
Top View
 Larger horizontal (Horizontal Pattern)
lobe
 Typical dipole
pattern
Directional Antennas
 Lobes are pushed Side View
in a certain (Vertical Pattern)

direction, causing
the energy to be Top View
condensed in a (Horizontal Pattern)

particular area
 Very little energy is
 Patch(ID)
in the back side of
Yagi(OD)
a directional
Dish(OD)
antenna
Directional Antennas
 This type of antenna does not offer any added power to the
signal, and instead simply redirects the energy it received
from the transmitter. By redirecting this energy, it has the
effect of providing more energy in one direction, and less
energy in all other directions
Directional
Patch antennas
antennas cont.
 The patch antenna is great for indoor and outdoor applications.
Mechanically they are small rectangles about a 1/2 inch thick. The
patch works well and fits aesthetically into most work environments.

 6 dBi Patch Antenna – 65 degree

Directional antennas cont.
 Yagi antennas
 Yagi antennas are directional and designed for long
distance communication

Horizontal Vertical
Directional antennas cont.
 Solid dish antennas

H-Plane E-Plane
Back lobe and side lobes
Beamwidth vs. Gain
High Gain Omni-Directionals

 More coverage area

in a circular pattern
 Energy level directly
above or below the
antenna will
become lower
Link Engineering and
RF Path Planning
Path Considerations
 Radio line of sight
 Earth bulge
 Fresnel zone
Line of Sight
 The following obstructions might obscure a
visual link:
 Topographic features, such as mountains
 Curvature of the Earth
 Buildings and other man-made objects
 Trees

Line of sight!
Longer Distances
 Line of Sight disappears at 6 miles
(9.7 Km) due to the earth curve
Fresnel Zone
Fresnel Zone cont.
Improving Fresnel Effect
Raise the antenna
New structure
Existing structure
Different mounting point
Remove trees
 Site to Site Fresnel Zone
 Antenna Height
 Fresnel zone consideration
 Line-of-Sight over 25 miles (40 Km) hard to
implement
Antenna
Height
(Value “H”) Total Distance

Fresnel @ 60% (Value “F”)

Earth Curvature (Value “C”)