A Wideband Dual Mode Horn Antenna With

Tapered Discontinuity
Introduction

The horn antennas are widely used as the

feeds for the reflector antennas. An optimum
feed must provide symmetric field patterns
for both amplitude and phase patterns. The
higher order modes are added, with
appropriate amplitude and phase, to the
dominant mode to enhance the radiation
performance.
A wideband dual mode will provide beam
pattern symmetry with suppressed side lobe
level up to -30dB down and low cross
polarization. This is designed for C-band
which makes this applicable for satellite
communication.

c
u
l
a
r

W
a
v
e

Design Parameters for Different Taper Angle

i
d

dB(s(1:1,1:1))
Return loss

dB(s(1:1,2:1))
Power in TE 11

dB(s(1:1,2:7))
Power in TM 11

3.3

-22.660232

-2.646719

-13.988988

3.4

-26.656136

-2.640025

-13.893733

3.5

-29.357075

3.6

-30.210976

-2.619271

-13.980091

3.7

-29.834937

-2.606238

-14.060612

3.8

-29.634740

-2.593376

-14.151781

3.9

-29.560918

-2.574089

-14.287089

-29.741284

-2.545236

-14.494543

4.1

-30.632520

-2.512583

-14.760255

4.2

-30.970757

-2.502043

-14.867617

4.3

-27.495664

-2.569718

-14.374413

4.4

-32.299152

-2.479031

-15.048818

4.5

-25.906939

-2.635720

-13.932380

4.6

-30.005579

-2.599152

-14.182456

-0.658930

-9.290421

Result: cross pol at 30 dB down

Ansoft
Name LLC X
12.50
m1

0.0000

XY Plot 6

-80.0000 -19.4181

m3

-84.0000 -10.4786

HFSSDesign1

m1

10.7528

m2

--Abrupt
change in
radius
--Frequency
sensitive
--Narrow Band

--Gradual
change in
radius
--Wideband

With Step
discontinuity

With tapered
discontinuity

dB(GainL3X)
Setup1 : LastA daptive
Freq='3.5GHz' Phi='90deg'

-12.50
m2

dB(GainL3Y )
Setup1 : LastA daptive
Freq='3.5GHz' Phi='0deg'

-25.00

dB(GainL3Y )
Setup1 : LastA daptive
Freq='3.5GHz' Phi='45deg'

-37.50

dB(GainL3Y )
Setup1 : LastA daptive
Freq='3.5GHz' Phi='90deg'

-50.00

-62.50

-75.00

-200.00

-150.00

-100.00

-50.00

0.00
Theta [deg]

50.00

100.00

150.00

200.00

Result: cross pol at 28 dB down

Result: cross pol at 18 dB down

Literature Review

Dual Mode
e
-POTTER has introduced a new horn
antenna with suppressed side lobe level up
to 30 dB down in electric plane, equal beam
width and low cross polarization.

dB(GainL3X)
Setup1 : LastA daptive
Freq='3.5GHz' Phi='45deg'

m3

-simple conical
-Different E Plane & H
Plane
-No Beam symmetry
-Only TE11 mode
-No Pattern symmetry
-reflection efficiency is
not more

ANSOFT

Curve Inf o
dB(GainL3X)
Setup1 : LastA daptive
Freq='3.5GHz' Phi='0deg'

0.00

g
u

Frequency
[GHz]

Y1

Designing parameters for dual mode requires tapering at

a throat region and accordingly the wavelength can be
measured for particular operating frequency. Radius for
TE mode and TM mode will be calculated form the
equation given above
At different taper angle, there will be different taper
length as shown in figure.

Pure Mode

C
r

TABLE: S-PARAMETER FOR 30

Design

Design in HFSS Software

for different Taper Angle
Taper angle 15

Taper angle 30

Taper angle 75

Taper angle 90

Result: cross pol at 16 dB down

-Mode conversion with different methods

was shown by NAGELBERG distance
between successive minima as
=

-SKOBELEV presented optimum geometry

with stepped transitions along with set of
cylindrical waveguide sections.
- LIER showed theoretical & practical
analysis on cross polarization for different
axial
symmetry
discontinuity
and
obtained bandwidth for step transducer
as 2.7%.

Conclusion

Table showing cross polar and beam symmetry

Frequency
(GHz)

Taper angle
(degrees)

4.05

15

4.35

13

4.55

18

- OTHERS gave different designs like

tapered slot, vacuum window computer
optimized
design
for
at
least
25%
bandwidth.

4.80
5.25

The designed frequency is 3.5GHz. As

discussed the input waveguide should
support
only
the
dominant
mode
(TE11).Therefore the input radius can be
obtain as per

- E. NAGELBERG showed results for step

discontinuity over a frequency band which
provided 10% BW.

The second radius of the horn should be

decided such that both dominant TE11 and
higher order TM11can propagate through
the horn with proper amplitude and phase.
Therefore aperture radius

Co-Polar
Component
(dB)

Cross Polar
(dB)

Beam
Symmetry
(dB)

11.9

-21.2

38

12.69

-23.97

32

11.88

-32.08

104

15

12.505

-21.05

24

11

12.5

19.33

24

5.30

18

11.01

21.08

34

5.80

20

12.373

-19.6

40

5.90

18

12.84

-20.68

44

6.0

15

13.10

20.07

21

3.5

18

10.75

-30.15

168

TABLE: RETURN LOSS

Frequency
[GHz]
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
4

Return loss(dB)
-26.901119
-29.680381
-31.773793
-31.331289
-31.880549
-33.917551
-37.828039
-37.025023

Frequency
[GHz]
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8

Return loss(dB)
-35.785194
-29.887848
-33.058986
-26.541886
-28.010747
-38.362129
-28.214366
-31.388039

The design parameters of taper discontinuity

for
different taper angle have been
discussed. But found that the amount of
powers in TE11 and TM11 mode over the
frequency band are 86-89 % and 9-12 %
respectively has proven good at taper angle
of 30 . The return loss better than 22 dB and
20 dB down cross polarization has been
achieved over the frequency band of 1.4:1. In
bandwidth 20% increment has been achieved
as compare to step discontinuity. Use this
horn as feed for the front feed parabolic
reflector antenna for F/D ratio is 0.6 and
D=10 then the average gain is better than
28.6808 dB.

Future work

Design a taper discontinuity horn antenna

dividing into two taper angles of 15, for
better bandwidth ratio. And attempt will be
to make profiled horn antenna for better
bandwidth performance with increased
gain which will be effective feed for
reflector antennas.
Prepared By: Shweta K. Gohil [130280705008]
M.E. CSE (4th sem)
Guided by: Prof.Usha Neelakantan
Head of the Department.,
L.D.College of Engineering,
Ahmedabad. India
shwet.nakshatra@gmail.com