Antenna Arrays for Radar and Communications
What you'll learn
- Choose antenna element dimensions
- Design array with parallel or series feeding
- Implement weighted amplitude distribution
- Calculate beamforming angle from antenna dimensions
- Design slotted waveguide antenna array
- Design mushroom-type metamaterial antenna
Requirements
- You need to install SpeqMath, Octave, openEMS and QucsStudio to open course examples.
- You need to have basic programming skills if you want to modify course examples.
Description
Simple step-by-step instructions will help you to design antenna arrays with series feeding and parallel feeding networks. You will learn how to "read" electromagnetic field distribution results; you will find out how to calculate radiation pattern and beamforming angle using simple formulas. Moreover, this course includes short introduction to common antenna array configurations that are often used in real radars and communication systems. At the end of this course, you will find practical instructions on slotted waveguide array design and metamaterial antenna design. It's time to replace patch elements with something more robust and wideband. Extremely compact, distilled, with multiple antenna simulation examples using openEMS - a free electromagnetic field solver.
First three lessons - the basics!
In lesson 1 you will learn how to design series-fed arrays with uniform power distribution. Full procedure and simulation example for weighted series arrays available in lesson 6. Lesson 2 shows how to design shunt-fed patch arrays. Lesson 3 reuses inset-fed patch element from lesson 2 to build a parallel-fed antenna array.
Each simulation includes electromagnetic field distribution graph, which is explained in lesson 4.
Lessons 5 and 7 explain radiation pattern and beamforming. These two lessons share common formulas and concepts, such as wavefront. Lesson 6 in-between describes antenna element weighting technique that can be used to reduce side lobe levels at the cost of increased beamwidth.
From the Lesson 8 you will learn how to solve some of the challenges you may face during array design process.
Lesson 9 is a brief introduction to common antenna array configurations.
Additionally, lessons 10 and 11 provide design steps required for slotted waveguide and simple metamaterial antenna design.
This course includes unique example scripts to perform openEMS simulations for all common array antenna configurations (in-line series, shunt-fed and parallel feeding) with routines that output beautiful EM field distribution graphs directly using Octave. No need to export data to other software!
While running openEMS simulations feels a little difficult compared to HFSS or CST Microwave Studio, openEMS is absolutely free, open source and has an active GitHub discussion forum.
If you have any difficulties with understanding provided concepts and design steps - simply ask me a question! I'll try my best to update this course with answers to all your questions on antenna design!
Who this course is for:
- Engineers who need simple practical instructions on how to design array antennas
- Students who need more practical examples to back up their theoretical knowledge and remove any doubts
- Researchers and Educators who need some starting point to do their work faster
Instructor
- 4.5 Instructor Rating
- 65 Reviews
- 1,251 Students
- 3 Courses
For 15 years, I worked at the intersection of microwave radar design and real-world chaos - designing systems by day, then diagnosing why they failed in the field as a consultant. Where others saw limitations in sensor technology, I found opportunities to push performance beyond spec sheets through unconventional algorithm design and hardware optimizations.
My technical journey began young, writing QBasic and Turbo Pascal programs not for school, but to capture the magic of 90s game creation—that raw thrill of bringing digital worlds to life. That same drive led me to master computer graphics through Delphi and OpenGL during university years, where complex math became a tool rather than an obstacle.
The transition to C and STM32 microcontrollers was natural - finally, hardware capable of keeping up with the efficient, reusable code practices I valued. Today, I channel that same efficiency into creating courses that cut through academic fluff, teaching only what delivers real results.