Finite Element Electromagnetic Simulation Strategies For Wireless Network And Telecommunication Sector Panel Arrays

Sector panel antenna arrays designed for high gain, polarization diversity with high-power handling have typically been consider too large and complex for rigorous electromagnetic simulation. Thus, most are designed through build-and-test techniques. Recent advancements in fi nite element method (FEM) techniques, such as the domain decomposition method (DDM), and improvements to high-performance computing (HPC) hardware have enabled designers to consider and simulate in a rigorous fashion entire panels, including all antenna elements, backplane, radome and feed network. This provides a comprehensive upfront understanding of the design prior to manufacturing. This paper outlines a step-by-step FEM approach to design and simulation of a sector panel array. It begins with single element extraction and progresses through to simulation and modeling of an entire panel, including all coupling eff ects in a rigorous fashion.