No: EE 467
Title: ANTENNAS: ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
Credits: 5
Coordinator: John D Sahr, Professor of Electrical Engineering
Goals: To develop fundamental understanding of electromagnetic antennas, and to provide an introductory tour of different antenna types. To design and construct a simple antenna, and to prepare students for more advanced courses in antenna theory.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
Textbook: Warren L. Stutzman and Gary A. Thiele, Antenna Theory and Design, Wiley, ISBN 0-471-02590-9
Prerequisites by Topic:
Engineering Electromagnetics (EE361) and all its prerequisites; or EE572 and graduate status.
Topics:
Course Structure: The class meets for four hours per week. Homework is assigned weekly (or biweekly) for a total of 9 (or 5) assignments over the quarter. A comprehensive exam is given during the quarter covering antenna theory basics. The final exam covers the quarter comprehensively; as an alternative the entire class may be assigned a significant antenna design and construction project. Instructors may include writing assignments as part of the regular homework assignments.
Computer Resources: computers capable of Matlab, PSPICE, or their functional equivalents; NEC, and related tools; instructor prepared software for linux/unix computers.
Laboratory Resources: Similar to EE361 (access to network analyzer)
Grading: Homework (50%), Exam-1 (25%), Project (25%)
Outcome Coverage:
(a) An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering. The homeworks and exams require direct application of mathematics, scientific, and engineering knowledge to successfully complete the course. This requires performing various numeric and integration tasks and attaching engineering meaning to the numeric results (e.g., integrals of intensity to compute directivity). (H)
(b) An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data. Students will investigate antenna designs using computational electromagnetics tools such as NEC, which generate voluminous data, and which require intelligent interpretation (M).
(c) An ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability and sustainability. Each of the 4 laboratories assigns a particular design problem to be solved. (H)
(d) An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams. (N/A)
(e) An ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems. The course provides sufficient information for students to be able to select appropriate antennas for different applications, and to begin to optimize the performance of the antennas selected. Students must be able to identify the relevant underlying application requirements in order to effect a solution. In particular, students are given a design project with performance specifications from which they must choose which of several kinds of antennas are best suited. (M)
(f) An understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities. This is a standard part of the lectures (L)
(g) An ability to communicate effectively. Laboratories will require write-ups and exams require written analysis of real-world engineering situations. Students design teams will make several presentations to the class. (M)
(h) The broad education to see the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context. Students taking the course will realize the broad applicability of antennas in modern society through communications, navigation, and remotes sensing. (L)
(k) An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice. Standard electrical engineering software such as Matlab and Maple and Mathematica are used for analysis and graphics presentation. The Numerical Electromagnetic Code (NEC) is used for wire antenna design and analysis, and student also have access to other (more modern) design tools. Additional tools such as PSPICE can be helpful in designing impedance matching circuits. (M)
(l) Knowledge of probability and statistics, including applications appropriate to electrical engineering. Students will apply limited statistical analysis to the manufacturability of their antenna designs (L)
(m) Knowledge of differential equations, linear algebra, complex variables and discrete mathematics. All of these mathematical topics occur to some extent during the class. Discrete mathematics appears in the course of linear equispaced arrays, for example. (M)
(n) Knowledge of mathematics through differential and integral calculus, basic sciences, computer science, and engineering sciences necessary to analyze and design complex electrical and electronic devices, software, and systems containing hardware and software components, as appropriate to program objectives. (H)
ABET Criterion 4 Considerations
Engineering standards - Students must develop their design projects to meet specific performance specifications, some of which include radiation impedance and standing wave ratio; polarization; pattern specified in E- and H- plane; with parameters tested on equipment such as vector network analyzers.
Realistic constraints - The laboratory design projects, in addition to having explicit electrical performance specifications, have additional specifications, power handling, cost, manufacturability, documentation, mechanical, environmental, and safety considerations.
Prepared By: John D. Sahr
Last revised: 6/1/07