Multiple Antenna Scenario Configuration (MASC)

Consider nearby antenna structures' influence on the antenna radiation pattern.

Motivation for Inclusion of Antenna Structure Effects

In general, antenna patterns are measured in anechoic chambers. The resulting radiation pattern is not available when the antenna is mounted on a mast or in front of a wall. The MASC (multiple antenna scenario configuration) allows you to consider, for example, masts, walls, arms, tubes and radomes, and their effect on the radiation pattern of the antenna.

Antenna Structure

In this example, three antennas are placed on a mast with an angular separation of 120 degrees. All the antennas are tilted down by two degrees for better coverage. The height of the mast is 5 m, and the antennas are placed at the height of 4.5 m. The radiation pattern of the antenna is directional and has a gain of 11.63 dBi. The antennas operate at a frequency of 900 MHz.

Specify the properties of the mast and antennas by clicking Multiple Antenna Config > Edit Configuration.

The peak gain of the configuration (antennas and mast) is reduced to 7.7 dBi. This is largely due to the interference between the antenna patterns. In practice, the three antennas would often use different carrier frequencies. If you place only one antenna on a mast, you can see the impact of the mast on the individual pattern.


Figure 1. Mast with a single antenna to determine the impact of a mast on an individual pattern.