Phased-Array Antenna Patterns (Part 3)—Linear-Array Beam Characteristics and Array Factor (.PDF Download)

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In Part 1, we covered beam direction and working with a uniformly spaced linear array of antennas. Part 2 focused on antenna gain, directivity, and aperture, as well as array factors. In Part 3, we’ll dive into beamwidth, combining element and array factors, and antenna plots.

Beamwidth

Beamwidth provides a metric of angular resolution for antennas. Most commonly, beamwidth is defined by either the half-power beamwidth (HPBW) or the null-to-null spacing of the main lobe (FNBW). To find the HPBW, we move 3 dB down from the peak and measure the angular distance.