ECE 484
Antenna Theory and Design
Course Level
Units
Prerequisite(s)
Course Texts
Balanis, Constantine. Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design. 3rd ed. Wiley-Interscience, 2005.
Students will have access to secured D2L site for more course information.
Schedule
Course Description
Introduction to the fundamentals of radiation, antenna theory and antenna array design. Design considerations for wire, apeture, reflector and printed circuit antennas.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, the student will:
- Have practice with foundational aspects of antenna engineering through homework and problem analysis; foundations are not extensive, yet the student will develop quality and critical thinking checks necessary for extended study and mastery of selected subjects in antenna engineering.
- Have 10 or more hours of hands-on experience in antenna engineering (engineering, design, analysis) EDA tools
- Be exposed to the historical aspects that relate to the current developments and future technology advances in antenna engineering
- Become mindful of some nonantenna engineering aspects (manufacturability, reliability, consumer demand, constraints in materials) that influence future technology advances and contributions in research and industry
Course Topics
Introduction and review of Maxwell's Equations
- How an antenna works
- Different types of antennas
- The wave equation and its solution
Fundamental parameters of antennas
- Radiation patter, directivity, gain, beamwidth, bandwidth
- Polarization, input impedance, radiation efficiency, Friis transmission formula
Radiation integrals and auxiliary potential functions
- Vector potential function and equivalent sources
- Solution to the vector potential wave equation
- The "recipe" for computing antenna fields from current distributions
- Far-field radiation integrals, duality, reciprocity and reaction theorem
Linear wire antennas
- Infinitesimal dipole, small dipole, region separation
- Finite-length dipole, half-wave dipoles
- Linear elements near or on infinite perfect conductors
- HFSS tutorial
Array fundamentals and array synthesis
- Array factor, uniform array, directivity, sidelobes, tapered array
- Array scanning, end-fire array, planar array
- Schelkunoff unit circle representation
- Dolph-Chebyshev synthesis
- Space factor, and discretization of, continuous line sources
- Taylor line source
Microstrip antennas
- Patch antennas
Aperture antennas
- Equivalence principle and radiation equations
- Rectangular apertures
- Circular apertures, Babinet's principle
Reflector antennas
- Parabolic reflectors and reflector optics
- Antenna measurements
Relationship to Student Outcomes
ECE 484 contributes directly to the following specific electrical and computer engineering student outcomes of the ECE department:
- Ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering (high)
- Ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints, such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability and sustainability (medium)
- Ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems (high)
- Ability to use the techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice (high)