Antenna Parameters

       January 1, 0000    1623

 

The antennas are the starting point of the broadcasting system. Antennas form the basic device for the working of radios and televisions. They are also used in areas like radar and space communication, under water operations and even for under ground tasks. However, it is necessary to check the functionality of the antennas on the basis of certain parameters.

Testing Terms

Antennas convert radio frequency electrical currents into electromagnetic waves to transmit audio and visual data. The antennas are basically electrical conductors that transmit these waves. The antennas have the capacity to generate an electromagnetic field that stimulates voltage between its terminals along with alternating current. To ensure that the antennas perform at their peak there are certain parameters that need to be fulfilled. The significant parameters include resonant frequency, gain, aperture, impedance and bandwidth. The parameters are as follows:

1) Bandwidth: The bandwidth of an antenna refers to the range of frequency or the rate at which data can be communicated through any media channels. The range of bandwidth frequency revolves around the resonant frequency. Increasing the bandwidth leads to better transmission of waves. This size can be increased with the help of thicker wires, narrowing components of the antenna and also by merging more than one antenna into a single assembly.
2) Radiation Pattern: The radiation pattern refers to a diagrammatical representation of field over which the antenna is active. The antennas require a large number of curves for description as they radiate in space. One graph is adequate to in cases when the antenna is symmetrical around the axis. The graphs of the radiation pattern can be drawn with the help of Cartesian co-ordinates or a plot. The resonance pattern refers to the locus of all the points where the power is same.
3) Polarization: Polarization mainly refers to the orientation of the electric field of the antenna. The polarizations differ according to the position of the antennas. There is a feature known as polarization filter, which removes unwanted polarization and transmit waves that have the desired polarization.
4) Efficiency: The efficiency of the antenna describes the actual performance and use of the antenna. It is measured by examining the ratio of the power emitted to the amount of power inserted in the terminals of the antenna.

These are some of the basic parameters of an antenna. For the antenna to perform at the optimum levels, these factors must work at the best of the abilities.


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