Learning objectives
At the end of the course the students will be able to:
− know the basic theory of electromagnetic propagation;
− understand the physical mechanisms of free microwave propagation;
− know the main microwave antennas;
− know and understand the most important microwave wireless systems;
− use and implement analysis and design tools of microwave antennas.
Prerequisites
Applied Electromagnetics
Course unit content
Maxwell’s equations
Boundary conditions
Antenna fundamental parameters
Numerical methods for electromagnetism
Field equivalence principle
Aperture antennas
Horn antennas
Patch antennas
Antennas for mobile devices
Smart antenna systems
Antenna technologies for 5G
Seminars could integrate the course programme
Full programme
Each class corresponds to 2 hours
CLASS 1: Introduction to antennas and wireless systems
CLASS 2: Maxwell’s Equations, electrical properties of materials (conductors, dielectrics)
CLASS 3: Boundary conditions: fields at a general material interface, fields at a dielectric interface, field at the interface with perfect conductors (electric wall, magnetic wall)
CLASS 4: Antenna fundamental parameters: radiation pattern, radiation power density, radiation intensity, beamwidth
CLASS 5: Antenna fundamental parameters: directivity, efficiency, gain, beam efficiency, bandwidth
CLASS 6: Antenna fundamental parameters: polarization, input impedance, effective area
CLASS 7: Introduction to the Finite Element Method (FEM) and presentation of the main characteristics of the RF module of COMSOL Multiphysics software, numerical simulation of a dipole antenna
CLASS 8: Aperture antennas: introduction to radiation integrals and auxiliary potential functions, field equivalence principle, radiation equations
CLASS 9: Rectangular aperture antennas with uniform field distribution on an infinite ground plane and in space
CLASS 10: TE modes in rectangular waveguides, rectangular aperture antennas with TE10-mode distribution on an infinite ground plane
CLASS 11: Circular aperture antennas with uniform field distribution and with TE11-mode distribution on an infinite ground plane
CLASS 12: Numerical simulation with COMSOL Multiphysics of rectangular waveguides for microwaves: straight waveguide, H-bend waveguide in 2D and 3D
CLASS 13: Horn antennas: E-plane sectoral horn, H-plane sectoral horn, pyramidal horn
CLASS 14: Introduction to corrugated horn antennas, numerical simulation of a corrugated circular horn antenna
CLASS 15: Introduction to the Method of Moments (MoM) and presentation of the main characteristics of the MATLAB Antenna Toolbox for design and analysis of antenna elements and arrays
CLASS 16: Patch antennas: basic characteristics, feeding methods, methods of analysis
CLASS 17: Rectangular patch antennas: transmission-line model
CLASS 18: Rectangular patch antennas: cavity model
CLASS 19: Practice exercise on patch antennas: microstrip patch antenna, patch antenna on dielectric substrate, inset-feed patch antenna
CLASS 20: Antennas for mobile devices: Planar Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA), slot antenna, Inverted-F Antenna (IFA)
CLASS 21: Practice exercise on antennas for mobile devices: PIFA, slot antenna, IFA, coplanar IFA, U-slot patch antenna
CLASS 22: Numerical simulation with COMSOL Multiphysics of a mobile device antenna
CLASS 23: Smart antenna systems for mobile communications
CLASS 24: Antenna technologies for 5G wireless communications
Bibliography
C. A. Balanis, “Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design”, Wiley, 2016
D. M. Pozar, “Microwave engineering”, Wiley, 1998
Z. Zhang, “Antenna design for mobile devices”, Wiley, 2017
K. Fujimoto, K. Ito, “Antennas for small mobile terminals”, Artech House, 2018
Scientific papers suggested during the lessons of the course
Teaching methods
The teaching activities include lessons carried out in a lecture room, using blackboard and pc/projector to show multimedia presentations and images (36 hours). In addition, practice lessons carried out using MATLAB Antenna Toolbox (4 hours) and laboratory lessons (8 hours) with simulation activities carried out using the software COMSOL Multiphysics for the analysis and the design of microwave antennas and devices, are planned.
Additional teaching material used during the lessons is weekly uploaded to the Elly web site. The registration to the course is necessary to download the slides.
Students who are not attending to the course should periodically check the teaching material and the information provided by the professor on the Elly web site.
Assessment methods and criteria
The learning assessment is made with an oral exam with questions and exercises on the topics developed during the lessons carried out both in lecture room and in laboratory, with the aim to verify the student knowledge and understanding of basic electromagnetic propagation and working principles of microwave antennas. The oral exam is evaluated in the range 0/30. The mark of the oral exam is communicated to the student at the end of the oral test.
The online registration to the exam is mandatory and it is possible until three days before the exam date.
Other information
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