Interactive Visualization of Two and Three Dimensional Antenna
Patterns Using Personal Computers
An interactive antenna pattern visualization package "APV" is developed to
generate and display the far field patterns of different antennas and antenna
arrays. The patterns are displayed in two or three dimensions depending on the
antenna type or geometry. The three dimensional representation is based on the
spherical coordinate system, where the radial coordinate (which is proportional
to the amplitude of the pattern) is plotted as a function of the two angular
coordinates. The two dimensional representation allows linear and polar formats
with linear or dB scales. In the three dimensional representation, the user can
view the entire radiation pattern (or array factor pattern) or one of the x-y,
x-z, or y-z plane cuts one at a time. Changing the viewing angle is also
allowed for a complete visualization. The user selects the antenna type and
parameters through a user-friendly interface. Default values are initially
presented to help the user decide on different antenna parameters. This
version of the software provides visual analysis for the radiation
fields from thin wire dipole antennas, circular loops, and infinite and
finite corner reflector antennas. In addition to standard antenna geometries,
the software permits one to visualize in an interactive procedure, the array
factors of different types of antenna arrays. Among those arrays are the linear
uniform and non-uniform arrays, Binomial arrays, Dolph-Tschebyscheff linear
arrays, rectangular and circular two dimensional arrays, and cubic and
spherical three dimensional arrays.
visitor
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