The Importance Of RADIATION PATTERN OF AN ANTENNA

Look beyond an antenna’s size and gain; its radiation pattern holds the key to its performance. Understanding this can unlock a whole new perspective on wireless communication

- DR S. SUGANTHI

You need to know more than simply antenna gain to accurately evaluate the performance of antennas. You should know everything about their radiation patterns. Essentially, the gain of an antenna measures the intensity of the beam it produces. Similar to a flashlight, the more focused the beam, the greater its range and the need for accuracy in orientation.

Radiation pattern vs gain

Antenna gain has a straightforward numerical value and is expressed as dBi. The pattern in which an antenna emits radio frequency energy is known as its radiation pattern. The radiation from an antenna depicts how the antenna performs for a specific application in terms of radiation field strength, directivity, gain, phase, and radiation efficiency as a function of radial distance and angular position from the antenna. An antenna radiation pattern is the mathematical graphical representation of the radiation energy distribution into all directions of space and hence is three-dimensional, expressed in the spherical coordinate system.