A Comprehensive Review of the Synthesis of Linear and Planar Antenna Arrays
Subject Areas : مهندسی برق و کامپیوترA. Pesarakloo 1 , M. Khalaj-Amirhosseini 2
1 - Faculty of Elec. and Comp. Eng., Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, Iran
2 - Dept. of Elec. Eng., Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran. Iran
Keywords: Antenna array, radiation pattern synthesis, uniformly spaced array, non-uniformly spaced array,
Abstract :
An antenna array is created by assembling a set of radiating elements in a specific geometric structure, enabling unique features that conventional antennas cannot achieve. These features include the ability to scan radiation patterns, patterns with high directivity, and patterns with arbitrary shapes. Three general strategies are used for designing antenna arrays: determining excitation current amplitudes, excitation current phases, and the distance between elements. Various pattern synthesis methods have been proposed for each of these strategies.
In the synthesis of broadside radiation patterns, traditional methods focus on determining the excitation amplitude of elements. These methods include uniform excitation for maximum directivity and Chebyshev and Taylor excitation for minimizing the Side Lobe Level (SLL) for a specific Half-Power Beam Width (HPBW). Recently, new analytical synthesis methods have been introduced to achieve broadside patterns with maximum directivity, SLL, or HPBW control. The first part of this process, concentrating on determining the excitation amplitude strategy, explains these methods and compares them to traditional Chebyshev and uniform excitation methods.
To generate patterns with arbitrary and asymmetric shapes, the conventional approach involves determining both the excitation amplitude and phase of elements. However, implementing such excitation is intricate and costly. Recent articles have presented methods for synthesizing asymmetric patterns by solely determining the excitation phase of elements. In the second part, these methods are scrutinized along with their strengths and weaknesses.
A novel method has recently emerged for synthesizing broadside patterns with a specified Side Lobe Level. Instead of adjusting the excitation amplitude of elements, this method focuses on the distance between elements. These arrays, termed non-uniformly spaced arrays, are known for their straightforward implementation. The third part explores the synthesis methods of these arrays, comparing them to uniformly spaced arrays and outlining their advantages and disadvantages.
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