Professional Services
Non-Recurring Engineering Services – Design & Development
Myers Engineering International (MEI) enjoys unique capabilities in the area of Antenna Design and Development. Through extensive use of Computer modeling and simulation software, taking advantage of both, industry standard and in-house generated numerical electromagnetic codes, almost any Antenna geometry can be evaluated, designed and first to second order optimized, before any hardware is built. For example, below is a 3D picture of the linear power radiation pattern by a non-optimized 3-element PCS (Personal Communications System) antenna array (generating code was developed by MEI in 1994.)
Optimization routines are typically developed in-house, allowing MEI to perform beyond the use of canned, off-the-shelf programs widely used by others. A rudimentary, but colorful example of a manual antenna optimization chart for a similar 3 element PCS array can be found below. This is actually an intermediate output of an MEI generated optimizing program, used to verify the final computer output (computers are wonderful machines that will always give you an answer, no matter how meaningful or meaningless it is. Thus, it is always prudent to commit such results to the scrutiny of experience, intuition and common sense.) In the chart, warmer colors represent stronger signals, the Y-axis represents the elevation angle (nadir at bottom) and the X-axis is the parameter being optimized (in the case below, element spacing.)
Once an Antenna is electrically designed and optimized, its mechanical design is reviewed, changed and documented accordingly. Prototypes are then created against drawings. Below is a an example of a PCS antenna drawing and the actual prototype. All parts and labor comprising the prototype, except for the type-N connector and the black anodized flange finish, were produced at MEI.
After prototypes are made, MEI is adequately equipped for testing almost any antenna parameter, within the spectrum of 90 MHz to 26 GHz. More information about antenna testing capabilities at MEI exists on this site, [click here Anechoic Chamber].