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Figure 2: An isotropic antenna (left) has a gain of 0 dBi by definition. A small dipole antenna (center) typically has a gain
of about 2.2 dBi, and a horn antenna (right) may have a gain of 10 dBi or more.
2B. ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC ANTENNAS “To match to an ultra-wideband antenna
Antennas may also be classified as either electric or
one must first start with a well-matched
magnetic. Electric antennas include dipoles and most antenna.” [5]
horns. These antennas are characterized by intense
In the UWB context, a good impedance match to an
electric fields close to the antenna. Magnetic antennas
antenna is something that must be designed in from first
include loops and slots. These antennas are characterized
principles, not added as an afterthought.
by intense magnetic fields close to the antenna [2].
The concept of specifically designing an antenna to
Electric antennas are more prone to couple to nearby
have a particular impedance has been understood for some
objects than magnetic antennas. Thus, magnetic antennas
time. For instance, Nester disclosed a planar horn antenna
are preferred for applications involving embedded
with continuously variable elements [6]. This antenna
antennas.
transitions smoothly from a microstrip to a slotline
architecture while maintaining an impedance match.
2C. TYPES OF ANTENNAS Nester’s antenna is shown in Figure 4 below.
Many specific kinds of UWB antennas fall within these
general categories. Directional antennas include horn and
reflector antennas. These antennas can also be
implemented in relatively compact planar designs. Small
element antennas such as dipoles or loops are preferred
for omni-directional coverage or where space is at a
particular premium. Traditional “frequency independent”
antennas like log periodics or spiral antennas tend to be
larger in size and can be used only if waveform dispersion
across the field of view may be tolerated. UWB antennas
may also be combined in arrays [3-4].
Figure 7: The pattern of a constant gain antenna remains fixed with increasing frequency (top), while the pattern of a
constant aperture antenna narrows and gain increases with increasing frequency.
Omni TX to Omni RX
Includes 1/f2
“Path Loss”
TX Antenna FCC Mask Antenna Received
Power Gain EIRP Gain Power
Freq. Freq. Freq. Freq. Freq.
Omni TX to Directional RX
Includes 1/f2
“Path Loss”
TX Antenna FCC Mask Antenna Received
Power Gain EIRP Gain Power
Freq. Freq. Freq. Freq. Freq.
Increases Constant
Constant Constant Constant as f2 w.r.t. f;
w.r.t. f w.r.t. f w.r.t. f higher than
omni RX
Directional TX to Directional RX
Includes 1/f2
“Path Loss”
TX Antenna FCC Mask Antenna Received
Power Gain EIRP Gain Power
Freq. Freq. Freq. Freq. Freq.
Figure 8: The relationship between antenna directivity and link performance for an omni TX to omni RX (top), an omni TX
to directional RX (middle) and a directional TX to directional RX (bottom).
A final potential advantage of directive antennas An FDTD analysis helps in understanding the
relative to omni-directional antennas is their ability to detailed physics of how signals evolve from a transmit
isolate signals arriving in particular directions. This signal via a radiated signal to a received signal. A more
ability can be useful in determining the angle of arrival of detailed physical analysis of radiated and received signals
signals, in applying spatial processing techniques to from a typical UWB antenna is available elsewhere [12].
incoming multi-path signal components, and in nulling out
undesired interfering signals. 4. FUNDAMENTAL LIMITS TO UWB ANTENNAS
This discussion implicitly assumed a single This section first considers limits to size and bandwidth of
broadband signal occupying the entire bandwidth. small element dipole antennas. Then, this section presents
However the general conclusions remain valid for a multi- general guidelines for estimating the gain possible from a
band or OFDM type implementation. In a multi-band particular antenna aperture size.
implementation, a designer still seeks to have coded,
multi-band or hopping signals yield an average effective
power spectrum comparable to that of a broadband
impulse implementation.
4A. ANTENNA SIZE AND BANDWIDTH fC fL fH
Q≅ = . (9)
Chu explored fundamental limits on antenna size, ∆f fH − fL
bandwidth, and efficiency [13]. As generalized by Note that in the UWB limit, the center frequency is
Harrington, Chu’s ideas became formalized in the “Chu- properly defined as the geometric average Then, the
Harrington Limit” [14]. This limit relates the quality wavelength at either end of an antenna’s operating band
factor “Q” or inverse fractional bandwidth of an ideal, may be related to the wavelength at the center of the band
perfectly efficient antenna to its size. Size is denoted by and the Q. At the high frequency end:
the radius “r” of the boundary sphere: the smallest sphere c c 1 + 4Q 2 − 1 1 + 4Q 2 − 1
that completely encloses the antenna (see Figure 9). λH = = = λC (10)
fH fC 2Q 2Q
and at the low frequency end:
c c 1 + 4Q 2 + 1 1 + 4Q 2 + 1
λL = = = λC . (11)
f L fC 2Q 2Q
Antenna Thus, the characteristic size of an antenna’s boundary
sphere may be expressed in terms of the wavelength at the
center frequency (rλC = r / λC). The wavelength at the
high or upper end of the operating band is:
r
Boundary Sphere r r 2Q 2Q
rλH = = = rλC ,(12)
Figure 9: The boundary sphere around an antenna. λ H λ C 1 + 4Q − 1
2
1 + 4Q − 1
2
The Chu-Harrington limit is: and the wavelength at the lower end of the operating band
is:
1 + 3(kr ) 1 + 3(2πrλC )
2 2
f
Q= = = c
3
( 2 3
)
(kr ) 1 + (kr ) (2πrλC ) 1 + (2πrλC ) ∆f
2
( ) (7) rλL =
r
=
r
2Q
= rλC
2Q .(13)
λ L λ C 1 + 4Q + 1
2
1 + 4Q 2 + 1
where k = 2π/λ is the wave number. The limit may be
The –3 dB points relative to the characteristic gain of
readily understood when expressed as a function of
a constant gain antenna define the start and end of the
boundary sphere radius in units of wavelengths at the
band. Alternatively, the impedance bandwidth defined by
center frequency, “rλC.” The quality factor, “Q,” is also the –3 dB S11 points may be used. Defining the bandwidth
defined as the inverse fractional bandwidth, or the ratio of for a small element antenna can be tricky. Both the Chu-
center frequency fc to bandwidth ∆f. Harrington and McLean analysis start from the
Recently, the Chu-Harrington limit has been called assumption of dipole mode behavior. A typical well
into question by McLean [15]. McLean points out an designed small element dipole antenna will exhibit dipole
error in the derivation of the Chu-Harrington limit and mode behavior for a 3:1 or more frequency span. At
presents a corrected limit: increasingly high frequencies however, this small element
antenna will progress out of its dipole mode and into
1 + 2 ( kr ) 1 + 2 ( 2 πrλC )
2 2
fc quadropole or higher order modes. Including these higher
Q= = ≅
( kr )
3
(1 + ( kr ) ) 2
( 2πrλC )
3
(1 + ( 2πr ) )
λC
2
∆f
(8)
order modes in determinations of bandwidth may lead to
misleading results.
For a narrowband antenna there little difference exists Comparing the Chu-Harrington limit (Figure 10) to
between the wavelength (λC) at the center frequency the McLean limit (Figure 11) shows a glaring difficulty
( f C = f L f H ) and anywhere else in the operating band. with the former. The Chu-Harrington limit predicts that
antenna size at the low frequency limit makes an
As the antenna becomes more broadband however, a unphysical swerve below Q = 1. McLean’s limit on the
significant difference emerges between the wavelength other hand converges asymptotically to rλC = 1/(2π) in the
(λH) at the high frequency (fH) end of the band, and the UWB limit (Q → 0). Interestingly, this corresponds to
wavelength (λL) at the low frequency (fL) end of the band. Wheeler’s “radiansphere” radius: r = λ/(2π) [16]. This is
This difference in wavelength from one end of the band to the radial distance at which the reactive and radiative
the other merits examination. fields are equal in magnitude. The radiansphere defines
Assume for the sake of argument that the “Q” concept
may be extrapolated to the ultra-wideband limit:
the boundary between the near or reactive zone and the far
or radiation zone about a small antenna.
a
n tenn
A e
rtur
Ape Electrical
Radius
Aperture ( λ )
21 10 [3] F. Anderson et al, “Ultra-wideband beamforming in
Gain (dBi)
2
1 0.1 State University.
-4 [6] W. Nester, “Microstrip Notch Antenna,” U.S. Patent
-9 0.01 4,500,887 (February 19, 1985).
0.01 0.1
2
r(λ ) 1 10 [7] K.C. Gupta et al, Microstrip Lines and Slotlines, 2nd
ed. (Boston: Artech House, 1996), pp. 282-286.
[8] H. Schantz, “Planar Elliptical Element Ultra-
Figure 13: Physical aperture and antenna aperture as a Wideband Dipole Antennas,” IEEE APS 2002.
function of physical radius. Note that the primary [9] H. Schantz, “Frequency Notched UWB Antennas,”
and second axes have been scaled so as to IEEE UWBST 2003.
superimpose the gain and aperture curves. [10] H. Schantz, “Apparatus for establishing signal
coupling between a signal line and an antenna
5. CONCLUSIONS structure,” US Patent 6,512,488, (January 28, 2003).
[11] J. Foerester et al, “UWB Channel Model
The art and science of UWB antenna design owes much to Contribution from Intel,” IEEE P802.15-02/279r0-
the pioneers of more traditional antennas. Many of the SG3a, June 24, 2002.
traditional tradeoffs such as gain vs. field-of-view or [12] K. Siwiak et al, “FDTD Simulations of Ultra-
antenna size vs. efficiency still apply although influenced Wideband Impulse Transmisions,” IEEE Radio and
by peculiarities of UWB operation such as regulatory Wireless Conference, RAWCON 2001.
constraints. [13] L. J. Chu, “Physical Limitations of Omni-Directional
Antennas,” Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 19,
In some ways, however, UWB antenna design differs
December, 1948, pp. 1163-1175.
profoundly from traditional narrowband design. The
[14] R.C. Hansen, “Fundamental Limitations in
spectral and impedance matching properties of a UWB
Antennas,” Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 69, No. 2,
antenna exert a substantial influence on an overall UWB
February 1981, pp. 170-182.
system design. Thus, UWB practice requires a holistic
[15] J.S. McLean, “A Re-Examination of the Fundamental
approach to system and antenna design.
Limits on the Radiation Q of Electrically Small
Finally, the fundamental constraints imposed by Antennas,” IEEE Transactions on Antennas and
McLean’s limit and by the definition of antenna aperture Propagation, Vol. 44, No. 5, May 1996, pp. 672-675.
must be considered in setting reasonable expectations for [16] Harold A. Wheeler, “The Radiansphere Around a
antenna performance. Small Antenna,” Proceedings of the IRE, August
1959, pp. 1325-1331.