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9
PRINCIPLE OF
ANTENNA SYSTEM
Introduction
Antenna is usually a metallic device (a rod or a wire) used for radiating or receiving
electromagnetic waves. The radio frequency power developed in the final stage of a
transmitter is delivered through cables/feeders, without themselves consuming any
power to the transmitting antenna. The RF energy gets converted into electromagnetic
waves and travels in the free space at the speed of light. The receiving antenna picks
up the radio waves and delivers useful signal at the input of a receiver for reception of
signals. The transmitting and receiving antennae are reciprocal in the sense, any
characteristics of the antenna in general applies equally to both.
Ra + jXa, where
Ra
Xa
Ra
Rr+Ri
Rr
Ri
Power is transferred from the RF wave at antenna input to the free space wave through
the component of radiation resistance Rr..
Radiation Resistance is a fictitious term. It is equivalent of resistance which would
dissipate the same amount of power as being radiated by the antenna when fed with the
same amount of power.
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Ri denotes the intrinsic resistance of the antenna and represents the power loss within
the structure of the antenna. Usually, the value of Ri is very low.
The reactive part of the input impedance is due to the storage of electromagnetic field
(capacitive and inductive reactances) in the near field of the antenna. The net reactive
impedance of the antenna can be matched with the conjugate impedance of the source
driving the antenna.
Radiation Efficiency
The radiation efficiency determines the effective transfer of power from the input to free
space, and is given by
Radiation Efficiency
Rr
Ri Rr
Field Regions
a) Reactive near field (induction field) upto a distance 0.62
D3
b) Radiating near field (Fresnel field) beyond near field upto a distance of
c) Far field (Fraunhofer field) beyond Fresnel field
where 'D' is the largest dimension of the antenna.
2D 2
The measurements of a radiation pattern, gain, etc. must be made only in the far field
region.
Isotropic Antenna
It is an imaginary (non-existent) point (dimensionless) antenna, which radiates equally
with unity gain in all directions in three dimensional planes.
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Bandwidth of Antenna
The range of frequencies within which the performance of the antenna with respect to
certain characteristics (such as input impedance, pattern, beam width, polarisation, side
lobe level, beam direction, gain) conforms to a specified standard is called the bandwidth
of the antenna. More commonly in broadcasting the characteristics of importance are
gain and input impedance.
Polarisation
The plane containing the electric vector in the electromagnetic wave describes the
polarisation of the radiated wave. Ideally, maximum signal is coupled if the antennae
(both transmitting and receiving) are oriented in the plane of polarisation of the electro
-magnetic wave. A vertical radiator radiates/picks up vertically polarised wave,
horizontal radiator radiates/picks up horizontally polarised wave.
There are a number of well defined polarisations such as horizontal (HP), vertical (VP),
slant + 45o (SP), circular (left or right) (LCP, RCP), dual (DP), mixed (MP), elliptical (left
or right) (LEP/REP), etc.
HP:
The electric vector is in horizontal plane. Terrestrial TV broadcasting in India
uses horizontal polarisation.
VP:
The electric vector is in the vertical plane. The self-radiating MW masts of AIR
radiate VP waves. Electric supply undertakings use vertical polarisation for their VHF
communications.
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CP:
The electric vector in circular polarisation rotates in a circular motion. They may
be considered as the resultant of equal amplitude of vertical and horizontal polarised
components combined in phase quadrature (90o).
The polarisation is said to be right or left circular polarised (RCP or LCP) depending on
the rotation of electric vector of the propagating wave clockwise or anti clockwise
respectively, as seen from the transmitting point or by an observer with his back to the
transmitter.
INSAT downlink signals are left hand circularly polarised.
Dual Polarisation
In the circular polarisation, if there is no definite control on the phase relationship
between vertical and horizontal components, the polarisation is said to be dual. FM
broadcasts of AIR employ dual polarisation.
Elliptical Polarisation
In the elliptical polarisation, the two components horizontal and vertical are not equal
and the phase relationship between them is also random. The best example of elliptical
polarisation is the shortwave signals arriving on the ground after reflection from the
ionosphere.
Mixed Polarisation
This is a collective term for slant, circular or dual polarisations.
G2
4
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SW Antenna Arrays
SW Antenna array (curtains) can be formed by stacking a number of radiating elements
vertically and horizontally such that the effective polar pattern of all the elements
taken together provides desired gain and directional characteristics. Such an array
system can, further, be provided with reflecting elements to increase the directivity in
the desired direction. Increasing the vertical stacking reduces the angle of
maximum radiation, but introduces lobes at higher angles. Increasing the number of
horizontal elements reduces the width of the beam. An array is completely
described by the notation, HRRS/M/N/h, where
H
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Slewing of SW Antenna
Slight changes in the maximum radiation of a curtain antenna can be effected by shifting
the phase of the currents fed to the adjacent sections in the array. This process is called
Slewing. Essentially, the length of the feeder from the common point is altered so as
to change the phase of the current
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