platform

Create platform object for installed antenna setup

Since R2019a

Description

The platform object creates a platform to be used in an installed antenna setup.

Installed antenna analysis involves an electrically large structure called a platform. Around this platform different antenna elements are placed. You can analyze the effects of the platform on the antenna performance. Installed antenna analysis is commonly used in aerospace, defense, and auto applications. The platforms in this case are planes, ships, or inside the bumper of a car.

Another common application of installed antenna analysis is to determine the interference of different antennas placed on a large platform.

Creation

Syntax

plat = platform

plat = platform(Name,Value)

Description

plat = platform creates a platform object for an installed antenna setup. The default platform is a rectangular reflector in the X-Y plane stored in the plate.stl file.

plat = platform(Name,Value) sets properties using one or more name-value pairs. For example, ant = platform('FileName','reflector.stl') creates a platform object defined by the data in the file reflector.stl

Output Arguments

plat — Platform for installed antenna setup

platform object

Platform for installed antenna setup, returned as a platform object.

Properties

FileName — STL file defining platform

'[]' (default) | string array | character vector

STL file defining the platform, specified as a string or a character vector.

Example: plat = platform('FileName','reflector.stl') creates a platform with file name reflector.stl.

Example: plat = platform; plat.FileName = 'reflector.stl' creates a platform with file name reflector.stl.

Data Types: char | string

Units — Units for STL file

'mm' (default) | string | character

Units for the STL file, specified as a string array or character vector.

Example: plat = platform('Units','m') Creates a platform with STL file units in meters.

Example: plat = platform;plat.Units = 'm' Creates a platform with STL file units in meters.

Data Types: char | string

UseFileAsMesh — STL file used as the mesh for analysis

'0' (default) | '1' | string array | character vector

Use the .stl file directly as the mesh for analysis

Example: plat = platform('UseFileAsMesh','1). Uses the .stl file in the FileName property directly as a mesh..

Example: plat = platform; plat.UseFileAsMesh = '1' . Uses the .stl file in the FileName property directly as a mesh..

Data Types: logical

Tilt — Tilt angle of antenna

0 (default) | scalar | vector

Tilt angle of the antenna, specified as a scalar or vector with each element unit in degrees. For more information, see Rotate Antennas and Arrays.

Example: Tilt=90

Example: Tilt=[90 90],TiltAxis=[0 1 0;0 1 1] tilts the antenna at 90 degrees about the two axes defined by the vectors.

Note

The wireStack antenna object only accepts the dot method to change its properties.

Data Types: double

TiltAxis — Tilt axis of antenna

[1 0 0] (default) | three-element vector of Cartesian coordinates | two three-element vectors of Cartesian coordinates | 'X' | 'Y' | 'Z'

Tilt axis of the antenna, specified as:

• Three-element vector of Cartesian coordinates in meters. In this case, each coordinate in the vector starts at the origin and lies along the specified points on the X-, Y-, and Z-axes.

• Two points in space, each specified as three-element vectors of Cartesian coordinates. In this case, the antenna rotates around the line joining the two points in space.

• A string input describing simple rotations around one of the principal axes, 'X', 'Y', or 'Z'.

For more information, see Rotate Antennas and Arrays.

Example: TiltAxis=[0 1 0]

Example: TiltAxis=[0 0 0;0 1 0]

Example: TiltAxis = 'Z'

Data Types: double

Object Functions

show	Display antenna, array structures or shapes
mesh	Mesh properties of metal, dielectric antenna, or array structure
meshconfig	Change mesh mode of antenna structure
stlwrite	Write mesh to STL file

Examples

Platform from STL of DipoleHelix Antenna

Create a DipoleHelix antenna object at 2 GHz and compute the impedance.

w = design(dipoleHelix,2e9);
Z = impedance(w,2e9);

Create an STL file for DipoleHelix antenna object .

stlwrite(w,'dipoleHelix_2GHz.stl')

You will see the dipoleHelix_2GHz.stl file in your current folder.

Load dipoleHelix_2GHz.stl and visualize the platform.

plat = platform('FileName','dipoleHelix_2GHz.stl','Units','m')

plat = 
  platform with properties:

         FileName: 'dipoleHelix_2GHz.stl'
            Units: 'm'
    UseFileAsMesh: 0
             Tilt: 0
         TiltAxis: [1 0 0]

show(plat)

Version History

Introduced in R2019a