Feature Article Archives

Antennas, How Many Do We Need?

Peter C.T. Song BEng(Hons) PhD CEng MIET SMIEE

David Barker BEng(Hons) MSc CEng MIET MIEEE

One of the key components interfacing between the radio hardware and the
‘Ether’, i.e. the air-interface for wireless communication is the antenna. With tremendous
growth and demand for high speed high data rate wireless communication, more and more
antennas, and antennas covering a multitude of frequency bands are required. This paper
begins by giving an innovations overview of the evolution of the wireless standards and
access technologies, driving antenna innovations from a conventional single narrow band
component to today’s advances capable of multiple services, and cognitive capable antenna
systems. The paper will focus on antenna developments in mobile communication systems, in
particular cellular base station and cellular handset antennas. Key technological
advancements will be presented. In conclusion, we will respond to the question of how many
antennas do we really need...Full Feature Article

Solving the Generalized Poisson Equation Using the Finite-Difference Method (FDM)
James R. Nagel
The University of Utah

The Poisson equation is a very powerful tool for modeling the behavior of electrostatic systems, but unfortunately may only be solved analytically for very simplified models. Consequently, numerical simulation must be utilized in order to model the behavior of complex geometries with practical value. Although there are several competing algorithms for achieving this goal, one of the simplest and more straightforward of these is called the finite-difference method (FDM). At its core, FDM is nothing more than a direct conversion of the Poisson equation from continuous functions and operators into their discretely-sampled counterparts...Full Feature Article

Cognitive Radio: The New Frontier for Antenna Design?

Professor Christos G. Christodoulou

The University of New Mexico

Today, research in cognitive radio is aimed at developing efficient wireless communication strategies to make use of this unused spectrum. The idea is to make smart wireless devices that can observe their RF environment and detect unused frequency bands in real time. That way, we can operate more of wireless devices in the same frequency bands that are already in use. It is desirable to develop devices that can learn from their observations and make their own decisions about when and how to transmit without disrupting any existing wireless connections. Full feature article

How should we excite non-engineers about our professions as antenna engineers and researchers?

Professor Yahya Rahmat-Samii
UCLA

In today’s society, we tend to size people up almost immediately. Among the most quintessential questions we ask in order to formulate our opinion is simply, “what do you do?” In our profession, this is a rather tough question to answer and several years ago, when I was the Department Chair at the Electrical Engineering Department at UCLA, I had to do just that. I was invited to give a luncheon talk at the Beverly Hills Rotary Club at the famous Beverly Hills Hotel. The luncheon guests were some of the top business professionals such as bank executives, hotel managers, doctors, lawyers, etc. After a delicious lunch in a beautiful setting, it was then my turn to talk for about forty five minutes about what I do as an electromagnetic/antenna scientist and engineer. You can probably imagine how unusual it is to excite this kind of audience about the nature of the work we do! Full feature article