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Get Started with Antenna Toolbox

Design, analyze, and visualize antenna elements and antenna arrays

Antenna Toolbox™ provides functions and apps for the design, analysis, and visualization of antenna elements and arrays. You can design standalone antennas and build arrays of antennas using predefined elements with parameterized geometry, arbitrary planar structures, or custom 3D structures described with STL files.

Antenna Toolbox uses electromagnetic solvers, including the method of moments (MoM), to compute impedance, current distribution, efficiency, and near-field and far-field radiation patterns. To improve the antenna design, you can use manual methods or use the optimization methods provided in the toolbox. Antenna geometry and analysis results can be visualized in 2D and 3D. The toolbox lets you integrate antenna array patterns into wireless systems for simulating beamforming and beam steering algorithms. The impedance analysis results can be used to design matching networks for integration with the RF front-end. You can install the antennas on large platforms such as vehicles or aircraft and analyze the effects of the structure on antenna performance. You can import STL and Gerber files to analyze a pre-existing structure or export them to share or manufacture your design. A site viewer enables you to visualize antenna coverage on a 3D terrain map using a variety of propagation models, including ray tracing.

Tutorials

More About

    Fundamental Analysis of Antennas

    Array Analysis

    • Mutual Coupling
      Active or scan impedance, array factor and pattern multiplication, coupling matrix, isolated or embedded element pattern.
    • Correlation Coefficient
      Far-field radiation pattern, S-parameter characterization.
    • Beamforming
      Side lobe control, beam scanning.
    • Grating Lobes
      Grating lobes are the maxima of the main beam, as predicted by the pattern multiplication theorem.

    Antenna Modeling

    • Antenna Classification
      Classify antennas based on radiation pattern or feeding mechanism.
    • Antenna Toolbox Coordinate System
      Rectangular and spherical coordinate system.
    • Antenna Radiation Patterns
      Default radiation patterns of built-in antennas.
    • Feed Model
      Antenna Toolbox feed model.
    • Meshing
      Method of Moments (MoM) is a numerical method that transforms Maxwell’s continuous integral equations into an approximate discrete formulation that requires inversion of a large matrix.
    • Solvers
      Different types of solvers, solver applications.

Featured Examples

Port Analysis of Antenna

Port Analysis of Antenna

Quantifies terminal antenna parameters, with regard to the antenna port. The antenna is a one-port network. The antenna port is a physical location on the antenna where an RF source is connected to it. The terminal port parameters supported in Antenna Toolbox™ are

Current Visualization on Antenna Surface

Current Visualization on Antenna Surface

Visualize surface currents on the half-wavelength dipole and how to observe the individual current components. Finally, it shows how to interact with the color bar to change its dynamic range to better visualize the surface currents.

Antenna Far-Field Visualization

Antenna Far-Field Visualization

Visualize the far fields for antennas and antenna arrays. Radiation patterns can be plotted in Antenna Toolbox™ using the pattern function. The example explains different options available in the pattern function.

Antenna Near-Field Visualization

Antenna Near-Field Visualization

Calculate and visualize the near-fields for antennas. Near fields can be plotted in Antenna Toolbox™ using the EHfields function. This function can also be used to calculate and plot the near-fields for antenna arrays. In the near field region, the electric and magnetic fields can exist independently of each other, and one type of field can dominate the other.

Field Analysis of Monopole Antenna

Field Analysis of Monopole Antenna

Conduct the field analysis of monopole antenna using pattern function.

Infinite Array Analysis

Infinite Array Analysis

The use of infinite array analysis to model the behavior of a single element - the unit cell embedded in the array[1] - [3]. The array is assumed to be of infinite extent in two dimensions, and located in the XY-plane.

Plane Wave Excitation - Scattering Solution

Plane Wave Excitation - Scattering Solution

Explains how to excite an antenna using a plane wave. The antenna in this case can be thought of as a receiving antenna. A receiving antenna may be viewed as any metal object that scatters an incident electromagnetic field. As a result of scattering an electric current appears on the antenna's surface. The current in turn creates a corresponding electric field. This produces a voltage difference across the feed. This voltage constitutes the received signal. [1]

Loading Using Lumped Elements

Loading Using Lumped Elements

Load an antenna using a lumped element. In other words, how to create a simple matching network by adding a lumped load at the feed. You can load an antenna to make it smaller, enable matching at the feedline, or to make the antenna larger to obtain higher performance. This example uses a cloverleaf antenna to demonstrate the impedance matching using the lumped element.

Design Variations of Microstrip Patch Antenna Using PCB Stack

Design Variations of Microstrip Patch Antenna Using PCB Stack

Use the pcbstack to design basic, parasitic, direct-coupled, and CP patch antennas.

Create Antenna Model from Gerber Files

Create Antenna Model from Gerber Files

Create an antenna model from Gerber files and subsequently analyze the antenna. The Gerber file format is used in printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing and is defined in the RS-274X standard which is the newer extended Gerber format. The Antenna Toolbox™ supports the newer RS-274X format both to generate Gerber files from an antenna model as well as to create an antenna model from a set of Gerber files.

Videos

Go to the "Explore, Pick, Iterate: Three Steps for Antenna Design" video.

Explore, Pick, Iterate: Three Steps for Antenna Design
Rapidly design an antenna for your application using the Antenna Designer App.

Go to the "PCB Antenna Design, Simulation, and Fabrication with MATLAB" video.

PCB Antenna Design, Simulation, and Fabrication with MATLAB
Design a PCB antenna using the Antenna ToolboxTM.

Go to the "PCB Antenna Design and Optimization" video.

PCB Antenna Design and Optimization
Design and optimize PCB antennas using PCB Antenna Designer App.