All Antennas
Antennas are pivotal in today's communications, acting as the intermediaries that convert electrical signals into electromagnetic waves and vice versa. They push out and pull in radio waves to facilitate almost countless wireless communication situations. You might not realize it, but you interact with antennas every day. When you make or receive a call, when you send or receive a text message, when you connect to Wi-Fi, when you watch television, and when you access virtually all other sorts of web services that aren't hardwired into your residence — it's all happening via antennas. Important industrial and governmental applications of antenna technology include smartphones, Wi-Fi routers, satellites, and various radar systems.
Every antenna is based on fundamental electromagnetic principles. All antennas transmit and receive primarily linearly polarized waves and work best when the incoming wavefront is perpendicular to the antenna's axis. Antennas can be designed to be very efficient; however, with most antennas, incoming energy can be intercepted in different ways, and different intercepting patterns spread the energy over a greater or lesser area, leading to somewhat different performances. Very frequently, "performance" refers to how far the antenna can send or receive a clear signal and how well it does that at different frequencies.
Beijer Antennas
DMS Antennas
Freewave Antennas
Parsec Antennas
PCTEL Antennas
Peplink Antennas
Phoenix Contact Antennas
Scala Antennas
Semtech Antennas
Wavelink Antennas
More Information about Antennas
Antennas with specialized designs—like MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antennas—are used in state-of-the-art communication systems, such as 5G, to boost data throughput and mitigate interference. Every design must consider several factors—such as impedance matching, antenna polarization, and environmental interactions—that influence the antenna's performance in the specific application for which it was designed.
FAQs
What is an antenna and how does it work?
An antenna is a device that converts electrical signals into electromagnetic waves for transmission, and vice versa for reception. It acts as the link between wired and wireless systems, enabling communication through the air.
What are the main types of antennas?
Common antenna types include dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch (microstrip) antennas, parabolic dishes, loop antennas, and Yagi-Uda arrays. Each type has specific characteristics suited for particular applications such as broadcasting, cellular communication, or radar.
What does antenna gain mean?
Antenna gain measures how effectively an antenna directs radio energy in a specific direction compared to an isotropic (theoretical) antenna. It is expressed in dBi or dBd, and higher gain generally means longer range or stronger directional focus.
What is the difference between omnidirectional and directional antennas?
Omnidirectional antennas radiate signals evenly in all directions, ideal for general coverage such as Wi-Fi or mobile networks. Directional antennas focus the signal in a particular direction, increasing range and signal strength for targeted communication like point-to-point links.
How does frequency affect antenna size?
The size of an antenna is inversely proportional to the frequency it operates on — higher frequencies use shorter wavelengths, allowing for smaller antennas, while lower frequencies require physically larger designs to match the wavelength.
Antennas: Omni vs Yagi
Yagi Antennas
Yagi Antennas are directional antennas that can transmit and receive data coming from a specific direction (the direction the antenna is facing). Thus, directional antennas must be aimed in the direction of the potential signal transmitter. Aiming the antenna correctly is essential for optimal reception. Knowing the width of the antenna's signal pattern is the best way to ensure optimal aim.
Omni Antennas
Omni Antennas can pick-up signals coming from all directions. They are most commonly used for signal reception over a large area where the potential location of any incoming signal's transmitter varies. Therefore, unlike Yagi antennas, Omni antennas do not need to be pointed in a particular direction. Each specific antenna has a gain rating or dBi (decibel isotropic) number which coincides with the performance of the antenna. The higher the dBi rating, the larger area covered.