Golden Navigation: What are the classifications of base station antennas? -Part 1

    Shenzhen Jinhangbiao Electronics Co., Ltd.(SHENZHENKING HELMELECTRON CO., LTD.) was established in 2007. It is a national high-tech and dual-software certified enterprise, a senior member of the "China Satellite Navigation Association", an enterprise that has obtained the ISO9001 (04617Q13625ROS) quality management certification system, and is improving the IATF16949 automotive quality management system. The main business is the R&D, production and sales of Beidou satellite navigation and Internet of Things terminal application hardware, and the provision of www.BDS666.com logistics information intelligent system solutions.

There are many ways to classify base station antennas, and the appearance of different types of antennas in mobile communications. So, next, the editor of Jinhangbiao Electronics will talk to you:base station antennaWhat are the categories?

 1. Omnidirectional antenna

In the horizontal pattern, it appears as 360° uniform radiation, which is commonly known as non-directional. In the vertical pattern, it appears as a beam with a certain width. Generally, the smaller the beam width, the greater the gain. Omni-directional antennas are generally used in mobile communication systems in suburban and county-based station types, with large coverage areas.

   2. Directional antenna

On the horizontal pattern, it appears as radiation within a certain angle range, which is commonly known as directivity. On the vertical pattern, it appears as a beam with a certain width. Like an omnidirectional antenna, the smaller the beam width, the greater the gain. Directional antennas are generally used in urban cell-based stations in mobile communication systems, with small coverage, high user density, and high frequency utilization.

Different types of base stations are established according to the requirements of the network, and different types of base stations can choose different types of antennas according to needs. The selection is based on the above technical parameters. For example, an omnidirectional station uses an omnidirectional antenna with basically the same gain in each horizontal direction, while a directional station uses a directional antenna with significant changes in gain in the horizontal direction. Generally, antennas with a horizontal beam width of 65° are selected in urban areas. Antennas with a horizontal beam width of 65°, 90°, or 120° can be selected in suburban areas (depending on the station configuration and local geographical environment). In rural areas, it is most economical to choose an omnidirectional antenna that can achieve wide-area coverage.

   3. Mechanical antenna

Refers to a mobile antenna that uses mechanical adjustment of the downtilt angle. After the mechanical antenna is installed vertically to the ground, if network optimization is required, it is necessary to adjust the position of the bracket on the back of the antenna and change the inclination of the antenna. During the adjustment process, although the coverage distance in the main lobe direction of the antenna changes significantly, the amplitudes of the vertical and horizontal components of the antenna remain unchanged, so the antenna pattern is easily deformed.

   Practice has proved that: the optimal downtilt angle of the mechanical antenna is 1°-5°; when the downtilt angle changes between 5°-10°, the antenna pattern is slightly deformed but not much; when the downtilt angle changes between 10°-15°, the antenna pattern changes greatly; when the mechanical antenna changes After the antenna is tilted down 15°, the shape of the antenna pattern changes greatly, from the pear shape without tilting down to the spindle shape. At this time, although the coverage distance in the main lobe direction is significantly shortened, the entire antenna pattern is not within the sector of the base station. The base station's signal will also be received in the sectors of adjacent base stations, causing serious intra-system interference.

   In addition, during daily maintenance, if you want to adjust the downtilt angle of the mechanical antenna, the entire system must be shut down, and monitoring cannot be performed while adjusting the antenna inclination. Adjusting the downtilt angle of the mechanical antenna is very troublesome, and maintenance personnel generally need to climb to the place where the antenna is placed to make adjustments. The downtilt angle of the mechanical antenna is a theoretical value calculated through computer simulation analysis software, and there is a certain deviation from the actual best downtilt angle. The number of steps for adjusting the tilt angle of the mechanical antenna is 1°, and the third-order intermodulation index is -120dBc.

The above is all the content shared by the editor of Jinhangbiao Electronics. I hope it will be helpful to everyone. Thank you for reading!