4/30/2019 Types of Signal Propagation (Radio Wave Propagation) - Antenna and Radio Wave Propagation - MHE - Electromagnetic Field

c Field The…

Characteristics of Some Typical Antennas

Characteristics of Some Typical Antennas

Antennas come in different shapes and sizes to suit different
types of wireless applications. The characteristics of an antenna
are very much determined by its shape, size and the type of
material that it is made of. Some of the commonly used
antennas are briefly described here.

1. Hertzian dipole antenna, or short dipole antenna

2. Dipole antenna

3. Half-wave dipole antenna,

4. Folded dipole antenna

5. Quarter-wave monopole antenna, or rod antenna

6. Loop antenna or magnetic dipole

7. Helical antenna

8. Horn antenna

9. Yagi-Uda antenna

10. Parabolic dish antenna

11. Cassegrain feed antenna

12. Frequency independent antenna: spiral antenna and log

periodic antenna

Comment

Dipole Antenna
 

A dipole antenna can be formed by bending apart the conductors

of an open-circuited two-wire transmission line.
 

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In a two-wire transmission line, where the two currents in the
Types of Signal Propagation (Radio Wave Propagation) - Antenna and Radio Wave Propagation - MHE - Electromagnetic Field The…

Characteristics of Some Typical Antennas

conductors are of sinusoidal distribution and equal in amplitude,
but opposite in direction, due to cancelling effects, no radiation
occurs from the transmission line. However, when the
conductors are bent to construct a dipole antenna as shown in
Figure the currents in the arms of the dipole are in the same
direction and they produce radiation in the horizontal direction.
Thus, for a vertical orientation, the dipole radiates in the
horizontal direction. For this reason, the alignment of the current
on the two arms of the dipole antenna enhances the radiation
properties over that of the two-wire line which has closely spaced
conductors carrying equal currents in opposite directions.
 

Construction of a dipole antenna

Comment

Folded Dipole Antenna

Advantages of Folded Dipole Antenna

a. Increase in Impedance When higher impedance feeders

need to be used, or when the impedance of the dipole is
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reduced by factors such as parasitic elements, a folded
Types of Signal Propagation (Radio Wave Propagation) - Antenna and Radio Wave Propagation - MHE - Electromagnetic Field The…

Characteristics of Some Typical Antennas

dipole provides a significant increase in impedance level
that enables the antenna to be matched more easily to
the feeder available.

b. Wide Bandwidth The folded dipole has a flatter frequency

response; this enables it to be used over a wider
bandwidth.

Applications of Folded Dipole Antenna

Folded dipole antennas are used in wide band applications, such
as TV antennas. For example, the driven element in a Yagi–Uda
antenna is a folded dipole antenna.

Comment

Quarter-Wave Monopole Antenna, or Rod Antenna

A monopole antenna is another simple and efficient wire antenna
which is formed by driving a wire with a voltage between the wire
and a conducting ground plane.
 

Monopole antenna

The operating principle of rod antennas (or monopoles) is based

on the fact that on an antenna of only a quarter of a wavelength,
the same current distribution is obtained as on a half-wave
dipole.

Comment

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 Loop Antenna (Magnetic Dipole)
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Characteristics of Some Typical Antennas

The loop antenna is a conductor bent into the shape of a closed
curve such as a circle or a square with a gap in the conductor to
form the terminals as shown in the figure.

Loop antenna
 
There are two types of loop antennas:
1. Electrically small-loop antennas

2. Electrically large-loop antennas

If the total loop circumference is very small as compared to the

wavelength (L << λ) then the loop antenna is said to be
electrically small.
 
If the perimeter or circumference of the loop antenna is close to
a wavelength then the antenna is said to be an electrically large
loop antenna.

Comment

Helical Antenna
This is one of the simplest antennas used in extraterrestrial
communications. A helical antenna, or helix, is one in which a
conductor connected to a ground plane, is wound into a helical
shape. Figure  illustrates a helix antenna.
 
The following symbols are used to describe the geometry of a
helical antenna:
 
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D = Diameter of helix
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Characteristics of Some Typical Antennas

C = Circumference of helix = (πD)
d = Diameter of helix conductor
S = Spacing between turns
A = Axial length
L = Length of one turn
N = Number of turns

α = Pitch angle = 

Helical Antenna

Comment

Yagi-Uda Antenna
A Yagi–Uda antenna, commonly known simply as a Yagi antenna
or Yagi, is a directional antenna system developed by Japanese
scientists in the 1930s.
 
A typical Yagi antenna consists of the following parts:
1. Active Element, or Driven Element

The driven, or active, element of a Yagi is the equivalent of a

centre-fed, half-wave dipole antenna. A basic Yagi consists of a
certain number of driven or active elements.

2. Passive Elements, or Parasitic Elements

Parallel to the driven element, and approximately 0.2 to 0.5

wavelengths on either side of it, are straight rods or wires called
reflectors and directors, collectively referred as the passive
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elements, or parasitic elements.
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Characteristics of Some Typical Antennas

 

Yagi antenna

Comment

Parabolic Dish Antenna

Antennas based on parabolic reflectors are the most common
type of directive antennas when a high gain is required at
microwave frequencies. These antennas consist of a reflective
dish in the shape of a parabola which collects and concentrates
an incoming parallel beam of radio waves and focuses them onto
the actual antenna placed at its focalpoint or focus. The actual
antenna at the focus is sometimes referred to as the antenna
feed.
 

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Characteristics of Some Typical Antennas

 Geometry of parabolic dish antenna

Comment

Cassegrain Feed Antenna

A Cassegrain antenna is a parabolic antenna in which the feed
radiator is mounted at or behind the surface of the concave main
parabolic reflector dish (i.e., the vertex of the paraboloid). The
feed radiator is aimed at a smaller convex secondary hyperboloid
reflector, known as secondary reflector or subreflector, suspended
in front of the primary reflector. The beam of radio waves from
the feed radiator illuminates the secondary reflector, which
reflects it back to the main reflector dish, which reflects it
forward again to form the desired beam.

This design is an alternative to the most common parabolic

antenna design, called front feed, in which the feed antenna itself
is mounted and suspended in front of the dish at the focus.

Comment

Frequency-Independent Antennas
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Frequency-independent antennas are antennas whose radiation
Types of Signal Propagation (Radio Wave Propagation) - Antenna and Radio Wave Propagation - MHE - Electromagnetic Field The…

Characteristics of Some Typical Antennas

pattern, impedance and polarisation remain virtually unchanged
over a large bandwidth. Their electrical dimensions, however,
scale with frequency. Ideally, the electrical size of such antennas
would remain constant over the entire electromagnetic
spectrum.

Comment

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