Leccture--9

6.4 Plan
nar array
A planar array providees a large apeerture and maay be used forr directional bbeam controllled by varyinng the
hase of each element, sym
mmetrical patteerns with low
w side lobes, m
much higher directivity (nnarrow
relative ph
main beam
m) than that of
o their individ
dual.

Array Factor
F

Fig.6.19 Planar arraay

If M elem
ments are initiaally placed alo
ong x-axis, th
he array factoor can be exprressed as
M

AFx1

m1e

j m 1 kd x sin cos x

((6.58)

m 1

It is assum
med that all elements aree equispaced with an inteerval of d x annd a progresssive shift x . I m1
denotes th
he excitation coefficient of
o the elemen
nt at the point
nt with coordiinates x m 1 d x , y 0. , w
where
d
co
osine with resspect to the xx-axis ( x is tthe angle betw
ween r and the xsin cos cos x is the directional
th
st
axis). In the
t figure abo
ove, this is th
he element off the m row and the 1 coolumn of the array matrixx. If N
such array
ys are placed
d at even interrvals along th
he y-directionn, a rectangullar array is foormed. We asssume
again thatt they are equ
uispaced at a distance d y and
a there is a progressive pphase shift y along eachh row.

We also assume that the normalized current distribution along each of the x-directed arrays is the same
but the absolute values correspond to a factor of I1n n 1,..., N . Then, the AF of the entire MN array is

M
j n 1 kd sin sin
j m 1 kd sin cos x
y
y
e
AF
I1n
I m1e x

n 1
m 1

(6.59)

or
AF SxM S yN
M

S xM AFx1
S yN AF1 y

m1e

m 1
N

1n e

j m 1 kd x sin cos x

j n 1 kd y sin cos y

(6.60)

n 1

In the array factors above

sin cos x r = cos x
sin cos y r = cos y

(6.61)

Thus, the pattern of a rectangular array is the product of the array factors of the linear arrays in the x and
y-directions.
In the case of a uniform planar rectangular array, I m1 I1n I 0 for all m and n, i.e., all elements have the
same excitation amplitudes. Thus,
M

AF I 0

j m 1 kd sin cos x
e x

m 1

j n 1 kd y sin sin y

(6.62)

n 1

The normalized array factor is obtained as

x sin N y

1 sin M

2
2 1

AFn ,

M
N
y
sin x
sin

where

(6.63)

x kd x sin cos x
y kd y sin cos y

The major lobe (principal maximum) and grating lobes of the terms

sin M x
1
2

S xM
M

sin x
2

(6.64)

S yN

y
sin N

2
1

N
y
sin

(6.65)

are located at angles such that

kd x sin m cos m x 2m ,

m 0,1,...,

kd y sin n sin n y 2n ,

n 0,1,...,

(6.66)

The principal maximum corresponds to m = 0, n = 0.

S xM

In general, x and y are independent of each other. But, if it is required that the main beams of
and S yN intersect (which is usually the case), then the common main beam is in the direction:

0 and 0 , m n 0 .
If the principal maximum is specified by 0 ,0 , then the progressive phases x and y must satisfy

x kd x sin 0 cos 0

(6.67)

y kd y sin 0 sin 0 .

(6.68)

When x and y are specified, the direction of the main beam can be found by simultaneously solving
(6.67) and (6.68)
yd x
tan 0
(6.69)
xd y

sin 0 x
kd x

2
y

kd y

(6.70)

The grating lobes can be located by substituting (6.67) and (6.68) in (6.66)

tan mn

sin mn

sin 0 sin 0 n
sin 0 sin 0 m
sin 0 cos 0 m
cos mn

dy
(6.71)

dx
dx

sin 0 sin 0 n

dy
(6.72)

sin mn

To avoid grating lobes, the spacing between the elements must be less than d y and d y

. In order a

true grating lobe to occur, both equations (6.71) and (6.72) must have a real solution mn ,mn .