New modelling capabilities in commercial software for high-gain antennas

This paper presents an overview of selected new modelling algorithms and capabilities in commercial software tools developed by TICRA. A major new area is design and analysis of printed reflectarrays where a fully integrated design environment is under development, allowing fast and accurate characterization of the reflectarray element, an initial phase-only synthesis, followed by a full optimization procedure taking into account the near-field from the feed and the finite extent of the array. Another interesting new modelling capability is made available through the DIATOOL software, which is a new type of EM software tool aimed at extending the ways engineers can use antenna measurements in the antenna design process. The tool allows reconstruction of currents and near fields on a 3D surface conformal to the antenna, by using the measured antenna field as input. The currents on the antenna surface can provide valuable information about the antenna performance or undesired contributions, e.g. currents on a cable, can be artificially removed. Finally, the CHAMP software will be extended to cover reflector shaping and more complex materials, which combined with a much faster execution speed will make CHAMP an ideal tool for design and optimization of compact rotationally symmetric reflector systems, e.g., maritime satellite terminals.