Get Started with Antenna Toolbox

Antenna Toolbox™ provides functions and apps for the design, analysis, and visualization of antenna elements and arrays. You can design standalone antennas and build arrays of antennas using predefined elements with parameterized geometry, arbitrary planar structures, or custom 3D structures described with STL files.

Antenna Toolbox uses electromagnetic solvers, including the method of moments (MoM), to compute impedance, current distribution, efficiency, and near-field and far-field radiation patterns. To improve the antenna design, you can use manual methods or use the optimization methods provided in the toolbox. Antenna geometry and analysis results can be visualized in 2D and 3D. The toolbox lets you integrate antenna array patterns into wireless systems for simulating beamforming and beam steering algorithms. The impedance analysis results can be used to design matching networks for integration with the RF front-end. You can install the antennas on large platforms such as vehicles or aircraft and analyze the effects of the structure on antenna performance. You can import STL and Gerber files to analyze a pre-existing structure or export them to share or manufacture your design. A site viewer enables you to visualize antenna coverage on a 3D terrain map using a variety of propagation models, including ray tracing.

Tutorials

Apps

• Design and Analysis Using Antenna Designer App
  This example shows how to construct, visualize, and analyze antenna elements using the Antenna Designer App.
• Design and Analysis Using Antenna Array Designer App
  Antenna array designer app workflow tutorial.
• Design and Analysis Using PCB Antenna Designer App
  

  This four-part tutorial shows how to design, validate, analyze, and export a 1-by-2 H-notch linear antenna array resonating at 4.65 GHz using the PCB Antenna Designer app.

  • STEP 1: Define PCB Antenna Layers
  • STEP 2: Design H-Notch Patch Unit Element
  • STEP 3: Analyze H-Notch Unit Element
  • STEP 4: Design, Analyze, and Export 1-by-2 H-Notch Linear Array
  • STEP 5: Design and Analyze H-Notch Patch Using Design Variables

Analysis and Visualization

• Infinite Array Analysis
  This example demonstrates the use of infinite array analysis to model the behavior of a single element - the unit cell embedded in the array[1] - [3].
• RF Propagation and Visualization
  Visualize coverage maps, SINR maps, and propagation paths in outdoor and indoor environments.
• Interact with Polar Plot
  This example shows how to interact with a polar plot created using polarpattern class.

Antenna Concepts

Fundamental Antenna Analysis

• Port Analysis
  Input impedance, resonance, return loss, reflection coefficient, bandwidth.
• Surface Analysis
  Charge distribution, current distribution
• Field Analysis
  Radiation pattern, E-H fields, beamwidth, polarization, axial ratio.
• Far-field Terminologies
  Antenna gain, directivity and realized gain.
• Field Analysis of Monopole Antenna
  This example shows how to conduct the field analysis of monopole antenna using a pattern function.

Fundamental Array Analysis

• Mutual Coupling
  Active or scan impedance, array factor and pattern multiplication, coupling matrix, isolated or embedded element pattern.
• Beamforming
  Side lobe control, beam scanning.
• Grating Lobes
  Grating lobes are the maxima of the main beam, as predicted by the pattern multiplication theorem.

Near- and Far-Field Visualization

• Antenna Far-Field Visualization
  This example shows how to visualize the far fields for antennas and antenna arrays.
• Antenna Near-Field Visualization
  This example shows how to calculate and visualize the near-fields for antennas.
• Solvers
  Different types of solvers, solver applications.

Antenna Modeling

• Antenna Classification
  Classify antennas based on radiation pattern or feeding mechanism
• Antenna Toolbox Coordinate System
  Rectangular and spherical coordinate system
• Antenna Toolbox Limitations
  Features not supported
• Antenna Radiation Patterns
  Default radiation patterns of antennas and arrays

Featured Examples

Design and Analysis Using Antenna Designer App

Construct, visualize, and analyze antenna elements using the Antenna Designer App.

Open Live Script

Port Analysis of Antenna

Quantifies terminal antenna parameters, with regard to the antenna port. The antenna is a one-port network. The antenna port is a physical location on the antenna where an RF source is connected to it. The terminal port parameters supported in Antenna Toolbox™ are

Open Live Script

Current Visualization on Antenna Surface

Visualize surface currents on the half- wavelength dipole and how to observe the individual current components. Finally, it shows how to interact with the colorbar to change its dynamic range to better visualize the surface currents.

Open Script

Antenna Far-Field Visualization

Visualize the far fields for antennas and antenna arrays. Radiation patterns can be plotted in Antenna Toolbox™ using the pattern function. The example explains different options available in the pattern function.

Open Live Script

Antenna Near-Field Visualization

Calculate and visualize the near-fields for antennas. Near fields can be plotted in Antenna Toolbox™ using the EHfields function. This function can also be used to calculate and plot the near-fields for antenna arrays.In the near field region, the electric and magnetic fields can exist independently of each other, and one type of field can dominate the other.

Open Live Script

Plane Wave Excitation - Scattering Solution

Explains how to excite an antenna using a plane wave. The antenna in this case can be thought of as a receiving antenna. A receiving antenna may be viewed as any metal object that scatters an incident electromagnetic field. As a result of scattering an electric current appears on the antenna's surface. The current in turn creates a corresponding electric field. This produces a voltage difference across the feed. This voltage constitutes the received signal. [1]

Open Live Script

Antenna Modeling and Analysis

Construct, visualize and analyze the antenna elements in the Antenna Toolbox.

Open Live Script

Array Modeling and Analysis

Construct, visualize, and analyze an antenna array from the Antenna Toolbox.

Open Live Script

Loading Using Lumped Elements

Load an antenna using a lumpedElement. You can load an antenna to make it smaller, enable matching at the feedline, or to make antennas larger to obtain higher performance. The example below demonstrates creating a simple matching network by adding a lumped load at the feed.

Open Live Script

Interact with Polar Plot

Interact with a polar plot created using polarpattern class.

Open Live Script