Antenna installed performance

Production Ultra-wideband UWB chips and chip antennas are now available to leverage standards like UWB promises to enable revolutionary new applications.

UWB-ready reference designs from chipset manufacturers can quickly provide ranging, RTLS, radar, and communication functionality to test new concepts in controlled bench and lab environments.

To name just a few:. A proof of concept UWB antenna design that works on the bench can often become a non-starter in the real world. The advertised freespace performance breaks down dramatically when the reference board with antenna is placed on or near anything, such as tagged assets or personnel. If you try to overcome performance issues with brute force solutions like higher tag density, signal processing, or filtering, your UWB RTLS or radar solution may become impractical or unmarketable.

Typically, UWB installed performance issues are caused by interactions between the antenna, the PCB system, and the installation platform. The installation platform may be a person e. The answer to the above question may be given in two parts PART - 1 : The EFHW antenna as a radiating and receiving element is a decent multi-band antenna with good efficiency on all bands, provided it is driven at its feed-point using a well configured and well-matched driving source.

However, it has its idiosyncrasies. The radiation pattern of this antenna on most bands produces multiple lobes. The orientation of these lobes varies with the frequency band of operation thus resulting in directional inconsistencies between bands. Moreover, this antenna produces several inter-lobe nulls creating multiple band dependant shadow regions in its coverage. In radio communication parlance, propagation refers to the method of of carrying electromagnetic waves across distances through a medium.

Related Posts and Articles Antenna April 24, Good Antenna for any Radio Station is vital The importance of antennas for radio communications can never be over-emphasized. A radio station is as good or as bad as the antenna it has. Functioning as an…. This is indeed a classic antenna that is not only…. Introduction to Omnidirectional Antennas In the literal sense, an Omnidirectional antenna is an antenna that radiates uniformly in all directions.

However, in reality, the term Omnidirectional needs to be taken in the context of the communication…. How does antenna radiation occur?

The basic question before us is how does an antenna work? Why does antenna radiation occur? As a result this should be kept in mind when choosing the location for the radio antenna.

Matching the antenna to the feeder is is particaulrly important if radio transmitters are used and they are to operate effectively with the antenna system. Naturally it is also important for receiving systems as well, but may be not quite as crucial.

Radio frequency systems such as antennas, feeders, sources i. For the system to operate effectively these must match, otherwise standing waves are generated and the power transfer is reduced. To ensure that the overall system is properly matched and is operating correctly a number of measures can be introduced.

Standing waves are often associated with RF feeders, and they are generated when there is a mismatch between the feeder impedance and the load impedance. At th emismatch, power is reflected and the combined voltages and currents of the forward and reflected power form standing waves along the feeder.

The feeder is an important part of any radio antenna. Its purpose is to ensure that the maximum amount of power reaches its destination, either radio transmitter power reaching the antenna, or incoming signals from the radio antenna reaching the receiver. Any power lost will reduce the efficiency of the whole antenna system. The feeder cost and performance considerations may have an effect on any decision made regarding the antenna, and it is therefore important.

One good solution for many ham radio HF antenna requirements is a ground mounted vertical. These and a number of other radio antenna systems require the use of an efficient earth or ground system for it to operate satisfactorily. As the ground system is key to the operation of the radio antenna it is necessary to ensure that the ground system is satisfactory. Grounding an antenna can be key to its operation, particularly if it is a vertical monopole antenna where the ground forms part of the antenna.

Read more about antenna RF ground. When any radio antenna system is installed, whether for ham radio or any other purpose, safety must be one of the major considerations. Sometimes antennas are temporarily fitted up, only to fall down when the wind rises.

Home-built antennas are particularly at risk, but even commercially made ones can suffer if they are not installed correctly - and sometimes even when they are. Care must be taken to ensure that there is no chance of the antenna falling and injuring someone. Above all an overriding sense of the safety aspects of radio antenna design and installation must be employed when installing antennas. With the weather being what it is, any risks taken are likely to result in failure before long.