"""
Antenna Calculations
References:
- [1] Timothy Pratt, Jeremy E. Allnutt, "Satellite Communications", 3rd Ed.
- [2] Couch, Leon W.. Digital & Analog Communication Systems.
- [3] Recommendation ITU-R S.465-6.
"""
import logging
from math import log10, pi, sqrt
from . import util
[docs]class Antenna:
"""Parabolic antenna
Args:
freq (float): Operating frequency in Hz.
gain (float): Antenna gain in dB.
diameter (float): Diameter in m.
efficiency (float): Aperture efficiency.
label (str): Label used for logs.
Note:
According to [1], the aperture efficiency is typically in the range
0.5–0.75 for parabolodial reflector antennas, lower for small antennas
and higher for large Cassegrain and Gregorian antennas. For instance,
Table 8-4 in [2] assumes an aperture efficiency of 0.56.
Attributes:
effective_aperture : Effective aperture area.
gain_db : Antenna gain in dBi.
"""
def __init__(self,
freq,
gain=None,
diameter=None,
efficiency=None,
label="Dish"):
"""Construct the antenna object"""
if (freq is None):
raise ValueError("Operating frequency is required")
able_to_calc_gain = diameter is not None and efficiency is not None
if (gain is None and not able_to_calc_gain):
raise ValueError("gain must be provided when the diameter, freq, "
"and efficiency parameters are not")
self.freq = freq
self.diameter = diameter
self.aperture_efficiency = efficiency
# When the gain is explicitly provided, infer the effective aperture
# area from it. Otherwise, compute the effective aperture from the
# given antenna diameter and aperture efficiency. Then, using the
# computed effective aperture, compute the antenna gain.
if (gain is None):
self.effective_aperture = self._calc_eff_aperture(
diameter, efficiency)
self.gain_db = self._calc_gain(freq, self.effective_aperture)
util.log_result("{} aperture efficiency".format(label),
"{:.1f} %".format(efficiency * 100))
else:
self.gain_db = gain
self.effective_aperture = self._infer_eff_aperture(freq, gain)
# If the aperture efficiency is provided, infer the physical
# diameter of an equivalent parabolic reflector.
if (efficiency is not None):
self.diameter = self._infer_diameter(self.effective_aperture,
self.aperture_efficiency)
util.log_result("{} inferred diameter".format(label),
"{:.2f} m".format(self.diameter))
else:
logging.warning(
"Cannot infer the physical diameter of {} "
"(aperture efficiency required).".format(label))
util.log_result("{} gain".format(label),
"{:.2f} dB".format(self.gain_db))
util.log_result("{} effective aperture".format(label),
"{}".format(util.format_area(self.effective_aperture)))
[docs] def _calc_eff_aperture(self, diameter, aperture_efficiency):
"""Compute the antenna's effective aperture area
The effective aperture area is given by:
.. math::
A_e = \\eta A,
where :math:`A` represents the antenna's physical aperture area and
:math:`\\eta` is the aperture efficiency.
If the aperture is circular with a diameter :math:`D` in meters (or
radius :math:`r`), the physical aperture area is given by:
.. math::
A = 𝜋 r^2 = \\frac{𝜋 D^2}{4}.
Hence, the effective aperture area becomes:
.. math::
A_e = \\frac{\\eta 𝜋 D^2}{4}.
Args:
diameter (float): Diameter in m.
aperture_efficiency (float): Aperture efficiency.
Returns:
Effective aperture area in square meters (m^2).
"""
radius = diameter / 2
face_area = pi * (radius**2) # assume circular area
return face_area * aperture_efficiency
[docs] def _calc_gain(self, freq, effective_aperture):
"""Calculate the parabolic dish gain
The gain in linear units is given by:
.. math::
G = \\frac{4𝜋A_e}{𝜆^2},
where :math:`A_e` is the effective aperture and 𝜆 is the wavelength.
Args:
freq (float): Operating frequency in Hz.
effective_aperture (float): Effective aperture in square meters.
Returns:
Gain in dB.
"""
wavelength = util.wavelength(freq)
gain = effective_aperture * 4 * pi / (wavelength**2)
return util.lin_to_db(gain)
[docs] def _infer_eff_aperture(self, freq, gain_db):
"""Infer the effective aperture area from the antenna gain
The effective aperture area can be inferred from the gain and
wavelength, as follows:
.. math::
A_e = \\frac{G 𝜆^2}{4𝜋}.
Args:
freq (float): Operating frequency in Hz.
gain_db (float): Antenna gain in dB.
Returns:
float: Effective aperture area in square meters (m^2).
"""
wavelength = util.wavelength(freq)
gain = util.db_to_lin(gain_db)
return gain * (wavelength**2) / (4 * pi)
[docs] def _infer_diameter(self, effective_aperture, aperture_efficiency):
"""Infer the diameter of an equivalent parabolic reflector
The physical aperture area :math:`A` can be expressed in terms of the
effective aperture :math:`A_e` and the aperture efficiency
:math:`\\eta`, as follows:
.. math::
A = \\frac{A_e}{\\eta}.
If the aperture is circular with a diameter D in meters, the physical
aperture area is given by:
.. math::
A = \\frac{𝜋 D^2}{4}.
Hence, it follows that:
.. math::
D = \\sqrt{\\frac{4 A_e}{\\eta \\pi}}.
Note:
This inference is useful when working with a non-parabolic antenna,
such as a flat-panel antenna. In this case, you may know the
antenna gain and aperture efficiency specifications, but not the
physical diameter and aperture of the antenna. Meanwhile, the
diameter may still be required for computations such as the
tropospheric scintillation model from Recommendation ITU-R 618
(see, e.g., `ITU-Rpy
<https://itu-rpy.readthedocs.io/en/latest/apidoc/itu618.html>`_).
Args:
effective_aperture (float): Effective aperture in square meters.
aperture_efficiency (float): Aperture efficiency.
Returns:
float: Diameter in meters (m) of an equivalent parabolic reflector
with the same aperture efficiency.
"""
return sqrt((4 * effective_aperture) / (aperture_efficiency * pi))
[docs] def off_axis_gain(self, angle):
"""Compute the off-axis co-polar antenna gain
Based on the reference earth station radiation pattern from ITU-R
S.465-6 (01/2010 version) and the APEREC026V01 standard from the ITU-R
antenna pattern list in
https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/software/Pages/ant-pattern.aspx.
Args:
angle (float): Off-axis angle in degrees relative to the boresight.
Must be within the [0, 180°) range.
Returns:
(float) Off-axis antenna gain in dBi.
"""
if self.freq < 2e9 or self.freq > 31e9:
raise ValueError(
"Off-axis gain model only valid for frequency in [2, 31] GHz")
D_over_lambda = self.diameter / util.wavelength(self.freq)
if (D_over_lambda < 33.3):
phi_min = 2.5 # See NOTE 5 in ITU-R S.465-6.
elif (D_over_lambda >= 50):
phi_min = max(1, 100 / D_over_lambda)
else:
phi_min = max(2, 114 * D_over_lambda**(-1.09))
Gmax = self.gain_db
if (angle >= 0 and angle < phi_min):
# Recommendation ITU-R S.465-6 does not define the radiation
# pattern for this angle range (corresponding to the main lobe).
# However, other models do. For instance, APEREC026V01 from
# https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/software/Pages/ant-pattern.aspx
# (also based on ITU-R S.465-6) defines the following gain:
G = Gmax - 2.5e-3 * (D_over_lambda * angle)**2
# The above is the same gain adopted in other recommendations, such
# as Rec. ITU-R BO.1213-1. However, APEREC026V01 defines various
# exceptions depending on the D/lambda metric, as follows:
if (D_over_lambda >= 33.3 and D_over_lambda <= 54.5):
phi_1 = 0.9 * 114 * (D_over_lambda**(-1.09))
if (angle >= phi_1):
G = max(G, 32 - 25 * log10(angle))
elif (D_over_lambda > 54.5):
phi_r = 15.85 * (D_over_lambda**(-0.6))
G1 = 32 - 25 * log10(phi_r)
phi_m = (20 / D_over_lambda) * sqrt(Gmax - G1)
if (angle >= phi_m and angle <= phi_r):
G = G1
elif (angle > phi_r):
G = max(32 - 25 * log10(angle), -10)
# NOTE that APEREC026V01 does not use the phi_min limit at all if
# D/lambda > 54.5. However, we prioritize the model from ITU-R
# S.465-6, which uses and defines phi_min for all D/lambda.
elif (angle >= phi_min and angle < 48):
G = max(32 - 25 * log10(angle), -10)
elif (angle >= 48 and angle <= 180):
G = -10
else:
raise ValueError(
"Off-axis angle {} is out of range.".format(angle))
return G