Premium
DishPat and FeedPat: Test beds for students to investigate design alternatives for dish antennas
Author(s) -
Simpson Ted
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
computer applications in engineering education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.478
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1099-0542
pISSN - 1061-3773
DOI - 10.1002/cae.6180020303
Subject(s) - computer science , piecewise , simplicity , reflector (photography) , focus (optics) , aperture (computer memory) , offset (computer science) , variety (cybernetics) , programming language , optics , mathematics , mechanical engineering , engineering , artificial intelligence , mathematical analysis , light source , philosophy , physics , epistemology
Two programs are introduced to provide flexible and portable C‐language programs for investigating design and analysis alternatives for prime‐focus paraboloidal reflectors. FeedPat enables the study of the aperture illumination provided by a particular feed. DishPat computes the resulting radiation pattern and provides graphical output. Using simple piecewise‐constant numerical integration, DishPat employs square subareas which are easy to manage and may be readily extended to handle a variety of reflector outlines as well as feed offsets. Equivalent magnetic surface currents limit the validity of the radiation to the forward half‐space, but the loss in coverage is offset by the simplicity of the code. Not only useful for learning, the programs may be readily modified into practical design tools.