Antennas and Wireless Propagation

Course Description

EEL4580 — Antennas and Wireless Propagation is a senior-level (4xxx) college-credit course in Florida's B.S. Electrical Engineering programs covering antenna theory, design fundamentals, and wireless propagation. Topics include: antenna parameters (gain, directivity, beamwidth, efficiency, impedance, polarization); fundamental antenna types (wire, aperture, array, microstrip); arrays (linear, planar); propagation mechanisms (free-space, ground-wave, sky-wave, multipath); link budget analysis; introduction to mmWave and 5G antenna concepts. The course bridges electromagnetics theory (covered in EEL3470) with practical wireless engineering applications.

This course is offered at Florida State University System institutions with B.S. or graduate Electrical Engineering programs: University of Florida, Florida State University, University of South Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida A&M University, and Florida Institute of Technology. As an upper-division course, it is restricted to students admitted to the B.S. Electrical Engineering or B.S. Computer Engineering program at the offering institution.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of EEL4580, students will be able to:

• Apply antenna parameters and figures of merit: radiation pattern; directivity; gain; effective aperture; antenna efficiency; input impedance; polarization; bandwidth.
• Analyze fundamental antenna types: infinitesimal dipole; half-wave dipole; folded dipole; monopole over ground plane; loop antenna; helical antenna.
• Apply aperture antennas: horn antennas; reflector antennas (parabolic dish); slot antennas; basic design considerations.
• Apply microstrip patch antennas introductory: rectangular patch design; feeding methods; substrate considerations; bandwidth limitations.
• Analyze antenna arrays: linear arrays; uniform amplitude and phase; binomial arrays; pattern multiplication; broadside and end-fire arrays; phased arrays introduction.
• Apply radio wave propagation: free-space path loss (Friis equation); ground-reflected (two-ray) propagation; ground-wave; sky-wave; multipath fading; Rayleigh and Rician fading models.
• Apply link budget analysis: transmit power; antenna gains; path loss; receiver sensitivity; fade margin; link availability.
• Describe principles of modern antenna systems: MIMO antennas; beam-steering arrays; mmWave (5G) antennas; satellite antennas (LEO/GEO).

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Antenna Parameters: Radiation pattern (E-plane, H-plane); main beam, side lobes, back lobe; directivity (D); gain (G); effective aperture (A_e); efficiency; input impedance; polarization (linear, circular, elliptical); bandwidth.
• Wire Antennas: Infinitesimal dipole (Hertzian); short dipole; half-wave dipole; folded dipole; monopole over ground plane; loop antenna; Yagi-Uda array.
• Aperture Antennas: Horn antennas (E-plane sectoral, H-plane sectoral, pyramidal); parabolic reflector dish; aperture distribution and pattern relationship; Cassegrain and Gregorian configurations.
• Microstrip Patch Antennas: Rectangular patch design; coaxial and microstrip feeding; substrate dielectric considerations; bandwidth and efficiency limitations; introduction to dual-band design.
• Antenna Arrays: Two-element array; N-element linear array; uniform progressive phase; broadside and end-fire arrays; pattern multiplication; binomial array; Dolph-Chebyshev distribution introduction; phased arrays.
• Wave Propagation: Free-space (Friis equation); ground-reflected (two-ray); ground-wave (low-frequency); sky-wave (HF and ionospheric); tropospheric scatter; multipath fading.
• Multipath Channels: Slow vs. fast fading; Rayleigh fading; Rician fading; coherence bandwidth and time; delay spread.
• Link Budget: Transmit and receive antenna gains; path loss models; receiver sensitivity; fade margin; system reliability.
• Modern Antenna Systems: MIMO concepts; beam-steering and electronic scanning; mmWave (24-86 GHz 5G NR); satellite antennas (LEO and GEO).

Resources & Tools

• Constantine A. Balanis Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design (Wiley) — the standard text
• Warren L. Stutzman and Gary A. Thiele Antenna Theory and Design (Wiley)
• Antenna simulation software: HFSS (Ansys); CST Studio Suite (Dassault); FEKO; MATLAB Antenna Toolbox
• IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society resources

Career Pathways

EEL4580 supports careers in Florida's wireless, aerospace, and defense industries:

• RF/Microwave Engineer at Florida defense and aerospace contractors: L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies.
• Wireless Systems Engineer at telecommunications providers and infrastructure companies.
• Antenna Engineer in radar, satellite communications, automotive radar, and defense applications.
• 5G/Wireless Network Engineer for emerging 5G deployment.
• Continuation toward graduate study in electromagnetics, antennas, or wireless communications.

Special Information

Course Format

Typically 3 credits, 45 contact hours (lecture). Some institutions offer companion antenna laboratory.

ABET Accreditation

This course contributes to ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accreditation requirements for B.S. EE programs. Florida public university EE programs are ABET-accredited.