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installedAntenna

Installed antenna setup

Since R2019a

Description

The installedAntenna object creates an installed antenna setup that enables you to mount antennas on a platform for analysis.

Installed antenna analysis involves an electrically large structure called a platform. Around this platform, different antenna elements are placed. You can analyze the effects of the platform on the antenna performance. Installed antenna analysis is commonly used in aerospace, defense, and auto applications. The platforms in this case are planes, ships, or inside the bumper of a car.

Another common application of installed antenna analysis is to determine the interference of different antennas placed on a large platform.

Note

installedAntenna only models pure metal structures.

Creation

Description

example

ant = installedAntenna creates an installed antenna setup. The default setup has a rectangular reflector in the X-Y plane as the platform with a dipole as the antenna. The dimensions of the dipole antenna are chosen for an operating frequency of 1 GHz.

ant = installedAntenna(Name,Value) sets properties using one or more name-value pairs. For example, ant = installedAntenna('Element',monopole) creates an installed antenna setup using monopole as the antenna.

Output Arguments

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Installed antenna setup, returned as an installedAntenna object.

Properties

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Platform object file, specified as a platform object.

Example: plat = platform('FileName','plate.stl'); ant = installedAntenna('Platform',plat) This code creates a platform object called plat and uses it for installed antenna analysis.

Example: plat = platform('FileName','plate.stl'); ant = installedAntenna;ant.Platform = plat This code creates a platform object called plat and uses it for installed antenna analysis.

Data Types: char

Single or multiple antennas, specified as an antenna object or a vector of antenna objects.

Example: d = dipole; ant = installedAntenna('Element',d) This code creates a dipole antenna object and uses it for installed antenna analysis.

Example: d = dipole; ant = installedAntenna;ant.Element=d This code creates a dipole antenna object and uses it for installed antenna analysis.

Example: ant = installedAntenna('Element',{discone,monocone},'ElementPosition',[0.1 0.1 0.5; -0.1 -0.1 0.5]) This code creates discone and monocone antenna objects for installed antenna analysis.

Data Types: char

Position of the feed or the origin of each antenna element, specified as a vector of [x,y,z] coordinates with each element unit in meters.

Example: 'ElementPosition',[0 0 0.0050]

Example: ant.ElementPosition = [0 0 0.0050]

Data Types: double

Reference for positioning the antenna elements, specified as 'feed' or 'origin'.

Example: 'Reference','origin'

Example: ant.Reference = 'origin'

Data Types: string

Excitation amplitude for the antenna elements, specified as a scalar vector in volts.

Example: 'FeedVoltage',2

Example: ant.FeedVoltage = 2

Data Types: double

Phase shift of each antenna element, specified as a scalar or vector in degrees.

Example: 'FeedPhase',50

Example: ant.FeedPhase = 50

Data Types: double

Tilt angle of the antenna, specified as a scalar or vector with each element unit in degrees. For more information, see Rotate Antennas and Arrays.

Example: Tilt=90

Example: Tilt=[90 90],TiltAxis=[0 1 0;0 1 1] tilts the antenna at 90 degrees about the two axes defined by the vectors.

Note

The wireStack antenna object only accepts the dot method to change its properties.

Data Types: double

Tilt axis of the antenna, specified as:

  • Three-element vector of Cartesian coordinates in meters. In this case, each coordinate in the vector starts at the origin and lies along the specified points on the X-, Y-, and Z-axes.

  • Two points in space, each specified as three-element vectors of Cartesian coordinates. In this case, the antenna rotates around the line joining the two points in space.

  • A string input describing simple rotations around one of the principal axes, 'X', 'Y', or 'Z'.

For more information, see Rotate Antennas and Arrays.

Example: TiltAxis=[0 1 0]

Example: TiltAxis=[0 0 0;0 1 0]

Example: TiltAxis = 'Z'

Data Types: double

Solver for antenna analysis, specified as the comma-separated pair consisting of 'SolverType' and 'MoM-PO' (Method of Moments-Physical Optics) or 'MoM' (Method of Moments) or 'FMM' (Fast Multipole Method).

Example: 'SolverType','MoM'

Data Types: char

Object Functions

showDisplay antenna, array structures or shapes
solverAccess FMM solver for electromagnetic analysis
axialRatioAxial ratio of antenna
beamwidthBeamwidth of antenna
chargeCharge distribution on antenna or array surface
currentCurrent distribution on antenna or array surface
EHfieldsElectric and magnetic fields of antennas; Embedded electric and magnetic fields of antenna element in arrays
impedanceInput impedance of antenna; scan impedance of array
meshMesh properties of metal, dielectric antenna, or array structure
meshconfigChange mesh mode of antenna structure
patternRadiation pattern and phase of antenna or array; Embedded pattern of antenna element in array
patternAzimuthAzimuth pattern of antenna or array
patternElevationElevation pattern of antenna or array
returnLossReturn loss of antenna; scan return loss of array
sparametersCalculate S-parameter for antenna and antenna array objects
vswrVoltage standing wave ratio of antenna

Examples

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Create a default installed antenna.

ant = installedAntenna
ant = 
  installedAntenna with properties:

           Platform: [1x1 platform]
            Element: [1x1 dipole]
    ElementPosition: [0 0 0.0750]
          Reference: 'feed'
        FeedVoltage: 1
          FeedPhase: 0
               Tilt: 0
           TiltAxis: [1 0 0]
         SolverType: 'MoM-PO'

show(ant);

Figure contains 2 axes objects and another object of type uicontrol. Axes object 1 contains 3 objects of type patch, surface. Axes object 2 with title Installed antenna, xlabel x (mm), ylabel y (mm) contains 5 objects of type patch, surface, text. These objects represent PEC, feed, platform.

Calculate the impedance of the antenna.

figure;
impedance(ant, linspace(950e6, 1050e6, 51));

Figure contains an axes object. The axes object with title Impedance, xlabel Frequency (GHz), ylabel Impedance (ohms) contains 2 objects of type line. These objects represent Resistance, Reactance.

Visualize the pattern of the antenna.

figure;
pattern(ant, 1e9);

Figure contains an axes object and other objects of type uicontrol. The axes object contains 5 objects of type patch, surface, text. This object represents platform.

Algorithms

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Version History

Introduced in R2019a