Garcia, Bryx William C. ECE/23L-B// Monopole and Microwave Antenna Monopole Antenna /n its simplest form, the monopole antenna above an infinite ground plane, can be considered as one-ha/f of a corresponding double-/ength center-fed finear dipo/e. The current distribution for a vertical monopo/e antenna of height is assumed to be a standing wave. The monopole antenna appears to be a center- fed dipole for the upper ha/f-space. There is negligible penetration of fields into a high conductivity ground for a monopole antenna, and a// that radiation is directed into the upper ha/f-space creating a power density for any angle that 1s twice as high as that for adipole radiating the same amount of power. This gives a directivity or gain of the monopole antenna that 1s twice that for the doub/e-/ength dipole. Many of the other properties of a monopole antenna above ground are a/so related to those for the corresponding doub/e- length di pole ina fairly simple manner. Because monopole antennas he/p reduce the length of the necessary dipole by a factor of two and resu/t in directivities that are twice as Jarge, vertical monopole antennas above ground are extensive/y used for amplitude modulated (AM) broadcasting inthe frequency range 535-605 kHz. For this application, the wavelengths are long on the order of 200-600 m, and the monopo/e antennas are immensely helpful in reducing the required height. /t is necessary, Of course, to create a good conductivity ground, which for dry or rocky soi/ conditions is offen 3 obtained by burying a conducting screen made of radial/y spread metal wires with angu/ar separations of 2-3that extend to a radius at /east equa/ to the height of the antenna, but preferably 20 to 50% Jarger than this minimal requirement. This screen, ca//ed a counter poise, 1s offen buried a few inches below the surface of the natura/ ground but may also be /eft slight/y above ground for rocky or otherwise difficult terrain. Monopole Antennas for Car Radio and Mobile Communications Monopole antennas used for car radio and mobile communications commonly rely on the body of the vehicle to provide the ground plane. Variations in the shape of the vehicle and placement of the antenna affect the radiation pattern and performance of these antennas. For an antenna mounted on the automobi/e, it would no longer radiate isotropically in the horizontal plane but may radiate with a slightly higher gain in directions where theautomobile body extends farther, thus simulating a larger width ground plane in such directions. Monopole Antennas for Persona/ Wireless Devices A monopo/e antenna with or without a helix has commonly been used for personal /O wireless devices, including ce//u/ar telephones. Antennas of different lengths, typically from a quarter wavelength to a half wavelength at the irradiation frequency, have been used for hand-held devices that operate at 600 to 900 MHz for cellular telephones and /600 to /900 MHz for PCS (persona/ communication system) devices. Often, these monopole antennas are in the form of awhip antenna that can be pulled out to its full length during a telephone conversation. At times, a sma// length helical antenna is permanent/y mounted on the top ofthe handset through which the monopole antenna can be retracted and to which this monopole connects when it is completely pulled out, giving a monopole loaded with a helix at the bottom as the radiating antenna during te/ephone usage. Of necessity, these antennas use a finite-size reflecting plane, which Is generally the metallic shielding box used either for the top RF section, or at times for the entire handset. Severa/ authors have ca/culated and/or measured the radiation patterns of such monopole antennas mounted on a handset held in air or against the human head. The computed and measured radiation patterns in the azimuthal plane for a typical commercia/ telephone at the center-band frequency of 635 MHz in free space and in the presence of the Auman head, respectively. This te/ephone uses a short helical antenna of diameter 4.2 mm, pitch /4 mm, and total length /6 mm. Dimensions of the handset are similar to those for many telephones and are approximately 24 52/4.7 cm along the three axes, respectively.Fairly similar radiation patterns are a/so obtained for antennas using either monopoles or monopole-helix combinations./nthe presence of the human head, gains on the order of /.0 to 3.0 db; are obtained away from the human head, with gains in directions through the head that are substantially lower due to absorptioninthe tissues of the head. Radiation efficiencies for monopo/e antennas used persona/ wire/ess devices are typically on the order of 30 to 50 with 30 to 50% of the power being absorbed in the head and another 5to/5z of the power being absorbed inthe hand Microwave Antennas Microwave antenna is used for radiating microwave signal into space and receiving microwave signal from space. Microwave antenna acts as a transition region betweenfree space and guiding structure like a transmission line in order to communicate between two or more /ocations. /n microwave antennas, high gains with very narrow beam width in one or more planes are required, These can be achieved with antennas of reasonab/e SIZE. Types of microwave antenna There are two main types of antenna that are used in microwave links. They are: /, a horn- reflector antenna 2,a parabo/ic dish antenna Horn-reflector antenna A horn antenna is nothing more than a flared wave-guide. The horn exhibits gain and directivity, however its performance is improved more by using it in combination with a parabolic reflector.Horn antennas have exce//ent gain and directivity. The longer the horn, the greater its gain and directivity. Different kinds of horn antennas can be created by flaring the end of the wave-guide in different ways for example flaring in one dimensions creates a sectora/ horn e.g. horns flared in the E or H planes. Flaring the wave guide in both dimension produces a pyramidal horne.g. horns flared in both E andH planes. /f a circular wave-guide is used the f/are produces a conica/ horn. The length of a typical horn is usually 2 to /5 wavelengths at the operating frequency. The Jonger horns though more difficult to mount and work with provide higher gain and better directivity. The aperture area is the area of the rectangle formed by the opening of the horn and is simply the product of the height and width of the horn. The greater this area, the higher the gain and alrectivity.Parabolic Reflector The parabolic reflector antenna is one of the most wide spread of a// the microwave antennas and is the type that normal/y comes to mind when thinking of microwaves systems. This type of antenna derives its operation from optics and is possible because microwaves are in transition region between ordinary radio waves and infrared/visi ble light.The parabolic reflector antenna (often called a dish antenna).The dishis not actual/y an antenna but serves a reflector. /t must be driven by a radiating element at the focal length. This radiating element could be a dipole or a horn radiator. A parabo/a is a mathematical curve such that its reflection property causes an incoming beam of paral/e/ rays to focus to one point. Conversely radiated waves from a point signal placed at the foca/ point are reflected by the surface to form para//e/ rays in the outgoing beam.References £.C. Jordan and K.G. Ba/ main, Electromagnetic Waves and Radiating Systems, 2nd ed., Englewood Cliff's. NJ: Prentice-/966, p. 543. NT Handbook, Reference Data for Radio Engineers. Sth ed, /ndianapo/sis, /N: Howard W. Sams & Co.,/nc., Chap. 26, /973. W.L. Stutzman and G. A. Thiele, Antenna Theory and Design, New York: Wiley, /96/. O. P. Gandhi and J. Y. Chen, Electromagnetic absorption in human head from experimenta/ 6GHz hand-held transceivers, /EEE Trans. Electromagn. Compat., 37: 547-556, /995. Frenzel, L.E. (/996). Communication Electronics Macmillan/McGraw-Hil/, New York. [2] Misra, DK. Radio frequencies and microwave communication circuits and design (2004). John Wiley and Sons /nc. Publication, New Jersey. [3] Co/lin, RE. Foundations of Microwave Engineering (200/) /EEE Press, U.S.A.