Recommended Antennas; Introduction To Antennas; Antennas Supported; Flat Panel Antennas - Proxim Edge MP-1015-CPE Hardware Installation Manual

Recommended Antennas

7.1 Introduction to Antennas

Antenna is an electrical device which distributes signals transmitted by the wireless radios, through the medium of air in a
particular pattern. Antennas focus the signals on a given frequency, by reducing the signal flow in other directions.
Directional antennas (sector, parabolic, flat), therefore provide maximum range. But due to their narrow beamwidth, these
antennas require precise antenna alignment to achieve optimal performance. The higher the antenna gain, the more precise
is their alignment. Directional antennas are typically used to connect:
A Base Station and a Subscriber Station in a point-to-multipoint network.
•
• An End Point A and an End Point B in a point-to-point network.

7.2 Antennas Supported

Proxim supports two types of directional antennas:
•

Flat Panel Antennas

•

Sector Antennas

7.2.1 Flat Panel Antennas
Flat panel antennas are patch type antennas in the shape of a square or rectangle. Flat panel antennas are directional, as they
have most of their power radiated in both vertical and horizontal planes. A flat panel antenna is frequently used for
sectorized base station installations, where it is desirable to provide coverage in a limited azimuthal direction. This reduces
the interference from the out of coverage areas and provides high throughput with increased signal strength, within the
coverage area. Since a reduced azimuth area is covered, the radio covers only limited subscribers, hence providing increased
bandwidth.
Flat panel antennas have varying amounts of gain based on the construction. Hence, they produce hemispherical coverage of
narrow beamwidth, spreading away from the mount point to a width of 5 to 30 degrees typically. Concentrating the signal
on such smaller area increases the system range. These antennas are used for the point-to-point or multi-point links used on
the subscriber side. The figure below depicts the radiation pattern for the flat panel.
7.2.2 Sector Antennas
The wide-angle sector antenna is a good Base Station antenna for hilly terrain. It combines a wide opening angle "sector"
with relatively high gain, while the mounting brackets allow tilting of the antenna. This antenna is also used when the
amount of traffic in a cell is too high for a single Base Station with an omni-directional antenna. The wide-angle antenna
allows dividing the cell into three sectors, where each can be serviced by a Base Station. Sector antennas are better for
corridors, hallways, tunnels, long narrow buildings, and point-to-point medium range connections between outdoor bridges
(for example, connecting two buildings in an office park or campus).
Sector antennas produce hemispherical coverage, spreading away from the mount point to a width of 30 to 180 degrees
typically. The figure below depicts the radiation pattern for the sector antenna.
TM
Edge Multipoint and Quickbridge - Hardware Installation Guide
Figure 7-1 Flat Panel Antenna Coverage
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