reflectorCalculator
Description
The default reflectorCalculator object creates a horn-fed parabolic
reflector antenna with 1 m reflector diameter.
Specify geometric and feed parameters, choose from single, array, or custom pattern feeds, and analyze key performance metrics at your target frequencies. Visualize antenna layout and radiation patterns to streamline early-stage design and trade studies, optimize feed illumination, and maximize antenna efficiency without the need for full-wave simulation.
Creation
Description
r = reflectorCalculator
r = reflectorCalculator(PropertyName=Value)PropertyName is the property
name and Value is the corresponding value. You can specify several
name-value arguments in any order as
PropertyName1=Value1,...,PropertyNameN=ValueN. Properties that you
do not specify, retain their default values.
For example, r = reflectorCalculator(Diameter=2) creates a
parabolic reflector antenna with a reflector diameter of 2 m and default values for
other properties.
Properties
Object Functions
createAntenna | Create dual-reflector antenna for full-wave analysis |
peakDirectivity | Calculate maximum directivity |
plot | Visualize antenna layout and plot directivity, beamwidth, and efficiency |
solve | Analyze antenna using Gaussian-beam method |
Examples
Design a horn-fed offset parabolic reflector antenna with a 1 m diameter, 0.9 m focal length, 0.1 m clearance height, 68 mm radiator aperture, and a 1 mm surface error.
ant = reflectorCalculator(Diameter=1,FocalLength=0.9,ClearanceHeight=0.1, ...
RadiatorAperture=68e-3,SurfaceError=1e-3);Analyze this antenna at 10 GHz.
solve(ant,10e9);
Here is the output for your entered data:
Reflector Antenna Values
________________________
Focal Length (λ) 30.02
Clearance Height (λ) 3.34
Diameter (λ) 33.36
Feed Tilt Angle θ* (°) 36.87
Half Angle Subtended By Reflector Center θ_0(°) 28.25
Angle At Bottom Edge θ1 (°) 6.36
Angle At Top Edge θ2 (°) 62.86
Efficiency (%) 75.35
Peak Directivity at Boresight Beam (dBi) 39.18
Gain at Boresight Beam (dBi) 37.65
Gain at Scan Angle (dBi) 37.63
Illumination Taper (dB) 16.29
Half Power Beamwidth (°) 2.12
Feed Size (m) 0.07
First SLL (dB) -33.54
Gain Loss due to Worst Case Scan (dB) 0.02
Loss due to Surface RMS and Thermal (dB) 0.76
Feed Loss (dB) 0
Visualize the layout and analyze the directivity and beamwidth with reference to the variation in the diameter.
figure
plot(ant,Type="layout");
figure
plot(ant,Frequency=10e9,Type="directivity");
figure
plot(ant,Frequency=10e9,Type="beamwidth");
Calculate the peak directivity of the reflector antenna.
peakDirectivity(ant,10e9);
39.177266 dBi
Design an offset parabolic reflector antenna with a 1.2 m diameter, 0.8 m focal length, and a 0.6 m clearance height fed by a four-element conical horn array with a 0.065 m aperture and 0.07 m element spacing.
r = reflectorCalculator(Diameter=1.2,FocalLength=0.8,ClearanceHeight=0.6,RadiatorAperture=0.065, ... RadiatingElement="horn",FeedType="arrayfed",NumRadiators=4,Spacing=0.07);
Analyze the reflector antenna at 10 GHz.
solve(r,10e9);
Here is the output for your entered data:
Reflector Antenna Values
________________________
Focal Length (λ) 26.69
Clearance Height (λ) 20.01
Diameter (λ) 40.03
Feed Tilt Angle θ* (°) 73.74
Half Angle Subtended By Reflector Center θ_0(°) 27.81
Angle At Bottom Edge θ1 (°) 41.11
Angle At Top Edge θ2 (°) 96.73
Efficiency (%) 25.27
Peak Directivity at Boresight Beam (dBi) 36.02
Gain at Boresight Beam (dBi) 36.02
Gain at Scan Angle (dBi) 35.95
Illumination Taper (dB) 66.91
Half Power Beamwidth (°) 2.73
Feed Size (m) 0.07
First SLL (dB) -208.4
Gain Loss due to Worst Case Scan (dB) 0.06
Loss due to Surface RMS and Thermal (dB) 0
Feed Loss (dB) 0
Visualize the antenna setup layout.
plot(r,Type="layout");
Design an offset parabolic reflector with a 1.2 m diameter, 1 m focal length, 0.65 m clearance height, and use pattern data to feed the reflector. Analyze the antenna at 12 GHz.
ant = reflectorCalculator(Diameter=1.2,FocalLength=1,ClearanceHeight=0.65,FeedType="patternfed", ... FileName="corrugated_horn_12ghz_pattern_data.txt"); solve(ant,12e9);
Here is the output for your entered data:
Reflector Antenna Values
________________________
Focal Length (λ) 40.03
Clearance Height (λ) 26.02
Diameter (λ) 48.03
Feed Tilt Angle θ* (°) 64.01
Half Angle Subtended By Reflector Center θ_0(°) 24.76
Angle At Bottom Edge θ1 (°) 36.01
Angle At Top Edge θ2 (°) 85.54
Efficiency (%) 77.67
Peak Directivity at Boresight Beam (dBi) 42.48
Gain at Boresight Beam (dBi) 42.48
Gain at Scan Angle (dBi) 42.34
Illumination Taper (dB) 14.87
Half Power Beamwidth (°) 1.45
Feed Size (m) 0.07
First SLL (dB) -31.38
Gain Loss due to Worst Case Scan (dB) 0.14
Loss due to Surface RMS and Thermal (dB) 0
Feed Loss (dB) 0
Plot the pattern data for the reflector antenna.
plot(ant,Frequency=12e9,Type="patterndata");
Version History
Introduced in R2026a
