Abstract

Antenna design starts with a desired electrical performance, stating the minimum gain, beamwidth and/or other parameters, across a specified bandwidth. An antenna type is chosen, and then trial-and-error is used to choose the dimensions. An initial set of dimensions is used to find the antenna's performance, either by computer simulation or by measurement. If the performance fails to meet the specification, the dimensions are adjusted, and performance again found, the process is repeated until suitable dimensions are found. This thesis presents a realization of an antenna design tool created with MATLAB, called the Antenna Design Software . The Antenna Design Software can be used to study any antenna system that can be designed using two primary geometrical design parameters. The ADS effectively reverses the approach of antenna simulation programs. The ADS accepts the desired electrical performance as the input then determines all the possible combinations of geometrical dimensions that meet this performance for one antenna type. There may be many possible sets of dimensions, or conversely there may be no set of dimensions that meets the required performance. The thesis illustrates a repertoire of related antenna types, with databases for a simple helix antenna, a helix terminated with a matching section and a helix having a ground cup. The power of the ADS can be greatly increased by developing a library of antenna types that are then at the design engineer's fingertips