Installed Performance Of Communication Antenna Arrays Whitepaper

The presence of multiple communication antennas on a tower means that antennas may have to be installed in sub-optimal positions. Electromagnetic simulation can be used to design the antennas themselves, and also to optimise the positioning of the antennas on the tower. This article will describe how multiple solvers in CST MICROWAVE STUDIO can be combined to predict where to install an omnidirectional stacked bicone antenna array to minimise loss of omnidirectionality.

The favoured location for any omnidirectional antenna when installed on a tower is at the very top of the structure. In that way, the omnidirectional performance of the antenna can be realised when it is deployed. Unfortunately, it is often not practically possible to mount the antenna in this location. Generally a mast will have multiple antennas located on the same structure, and several of these antennas will be omnidirectional in characteristic. Consequently, a compromise must often be reached where an omnidirectional antenna is mounted on a boom. The boom is intended to be long enough to prevent the neighbouring tower structure from disrupting the natural antenna omnidirectional pattern. Many systems utilise multiple antenna techniques, to enhance the robustness of the system. Such systems will inevitably lead to the requirement to install omnidirectional antennas in a position on a tower where interaction between the tower structure and the antenna is inevitable.

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