Antennas and

Radio Wave Propagation

Arrays: Linear, Planar, and
Circular
 Introduction
 An array is formed by multi-elements.
 Array is used to improve/control directive
characteristics of antennas
 Total field of the array is determined by the
vector addition of the fields radiated by the
invidiual elements
 Pattern of an array is controlled by:
 Geometrical configuration
 Relative displacement between elements
 Excitation amplitude and phase of
elements
 Relative pattern of elements
…
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 Two-element Array

Far field region:

Array factor:

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 Array Factor, Pattern Multiplication
Normalized array factor:

Element, array factor,

and total field patterns of
two-element array of
infinitesimal horizontal
dipole with identical
excitation

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 N-element Linear Array: Uniform
Amplitude and Spacing (1)

Element, array factor,

and total field
patterns of two-
element array of
infinitesimal
horizontal dipole with
identical excitation

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 N-element Linear Array: Uniform
Amplitude and Spacing (2)

Reference point is at the center of the array:

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 N-element Linear Array: Uniform
Amplitude and Spacing (3)
Normalized AF:
AF max occurs when:

Nulls of the array:

Maximum values occur when:

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N-element Linear Array: Uniform
Amplitude and Spacing (4)
3-dB point for the AF occurs when:

Maximum of the first minor lobe occurs when:

Amplitude of the first minor lobe:

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 Broadside Array
Broadside array: maximum radiation of an
array directed normal to the axis of the array

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Parameters of Broadside Arrays

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 Ordinary End-Fire Array
End-fire array: maximum radiation of an array
directed along the axis of the array

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Parameters of End-Fire Arrays

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 Phased (Scanning) Array
Maximum radiation of the array occurs at
an angle when:

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Hansen-Woodyard End-Fire (1)

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Hansen-Woodyard End-Fire (2)

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 N-Element Linear Array: Directivity
Broadside Array: Ordinary End-Fire Array:

Hansen-Woodyard Array:

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N-Element Linear Array: Directivity

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Rectangular to Polar Graphical
Solution

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N-Element Linear Array: Uniform
Spacing, Non-Uniform Amplitude

Comparisons of broad side arrays:

• Uniform amplitude arrays: smallest HPBW

• Binominal Arrays: smallest side lobes

• Dolph-Tschebyscheff arrays: in the middle range in term of HPBW

and side lobe level (SLL)

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Binominal Arrays:
Binominal expansion:

Positive coefficients for different values of m represent Pascal’s triangle

m are used to represent number of element of the array, coefficients are

amplitudes of the elements
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Binominal Arrays: Design

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Dolph-Tschebyscheff arrays

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Dolph-Tschebyscheff arrays (2)

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Dolph-Tschebyscheff arrays (3)

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Dolph-Tschebyscheff arrays (4)

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Planar Array

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Planar Array (2): Patterns

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Planar Array (3): Patterns

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Planar Array (4): Patterns

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Planar Array: Beamwidth and
Directivity

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Circular Array (1)

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Circular Array (2)

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