What are the categories and development trends of antennas

Antennas are the core components used for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves in wireless communication systems, and their classification methods are diverse. The following analysis will be conducted from five dimensions: operating frequency band, directional characteristics, structural form, purpose, and polarization mode, to ensure that the density of the keyword "antenna" is reasonable and logically clear:
1、 Classified by working frequency band
long-wave antenna
Frequency range: below 30kHz (wavelength>10km).
Characteristics: Low propagation loss, strong diffraction ability, but large antenna size.
Typical applications: submarine communication, geological exploration.
Medium wave antenna
Frequency range: 300kHz~3MHz (wavelength 100m~10km).
Characteristics: Stable propagation of ground waves, affected by ionospheric reflections.
Typical applications: AM broadcasting, maritime navigation.
short-wave antenna
Frequency range: 3MHz~30MHz (wavelength 10m~100m).
Characteristic: It relies on ionospheric reflection to achieve long-distance communication, but is affected by ionospheric disturbances.
Typical applications: international broadcasting, emergency communication.
ultra-short wave antenna
Frequency range: 30MHz~300MHz (wavelength 1m~10m).
Characteristics: Line of sight propagation is dominant, and antenna size is miniaturized.
Typical applications: FM broadcasting, television signal transmission.
Antenna
Frequency range: 300MHz~300GHz (wavelength 1mm~1m).
Features: High gain, strong directionality, supports millimeter wave communication.
Typical applications: 5G base stations, satellite communication, radar systems.
2、 Classified by directional characteristics
omnidirectional antenna
Radiation characteristics: uniform radiation in the horizontal plane and a specific beam width in the vertical plane.
Typical applications: indoor distribution systems, vehicle communication.
directional antenna
Radiation characteristics: Energy is concentrated in a specific direction, with high gain and narrow beam.
Typical applications: point-to-point communication, microwave relay, satellite earth station.
3、 Classified by structural form
Wire antenna
Typical types: dipole antenna, monopole antenna, spiral antenna.
Features: Simple structure, one-dimensional radiation, widely used in portable devices.
surface antenna
Typical types: parabolic antenna, microstrip antenna, Cassegrain antenna.
Features: Two dimensional radiation, high gain, suitable for satellite communication and radar.
array antenna
Composition: Composed of multiple antenna units arranged in a specific geometric pattern.
Technical advantage: Beamforming and spatial filtering are achieved through phase control.
Typical applications: 5G Massive MIMO, phased array radar.
4、 Classified by purpose
communication antenna
Subdivision types: base station antenna, terminal antenna, relay antenna.
Technical indicators: frequency band coverage, gain, cross polarization ratio.
Broadcast antenna
Subdivision types: AM broadcast antenna, FM broadcast antenna, TV transmission antenna.
Technical indicators: coverage, radiation efficiency, anti-interference ability.
Navigation antenna
Subdivision types: GPS antenna, Beidou antenna, inertial navigation antenna.
Technical indicators: positioning accuracy, multipath suppression, anti-interference performance.
radar antenna
Subdivision types: mechanical scanning radar antenna, phased array radar antenna.
Technical specifications: beamwidth, scanning speed, target resolution.
5、 Classified by polarization mode
Linearly polarized antenna
Polarization direction: The electric field vector vibrates along a fixed straight line direction.
Typical applications: mobile communication, satellite TV reception.
circular polarization antenna
Polarization direction: The endpoint trajectory of the electric field vector is circular, divided into left and right rotation.
Technical advantage: reduces multipath interference, suitable for aviation communication and remote sensing.
elliptic polarized antenna
Polarization direction: The endpoint trajectory of the electric field vector is elliptical, between linear polarization and circular polarization.
Typical application: Anti interference communication in special scenarios.
6、 Development Trends
Material innovation: New materials such as carbon fiber and ceramics enhance the mechanical strength and electromagnetic performance of antennas.
Integrated design: The antenna is integrated with the RF front-end to reduce signal loss, such as AiP (encapsulated antenna) technology.
Intelligence: Combining AI algorithms to achieve adaptive beamforming, environmental perception, and improve communication efficiency.
Multi band fusion: Ultra wideband antennas and reconfigurable antennas support multi band collaborative work, adapting to complex scenarios.
From the above classification system, it can be seen that antenna design needs to comprehensively consider frequency band, directionality, structure, purpose, and polarization mode. For example, in 5G communication, Massive MIMO array antennas improve spectral efficiency through beamforming; In the satellite Internet, the parabolic antenna realizes the satellite ground link connection by virtue of its high gain characteristics. With the breakthroughs in materials science and intelligent algorithms, the performance boundaries of antennas will continue to expand, meeting the demand for high-speed and reliable wireless connections in emerging fields such as the Internet of Things and the Internet of Vehicles.