Spherical Coordinate System

The Far Field Pattern Tab uses the spherical coordinate system shown below. The analysis engine and project editor use X,Y, and Z coordinates. The XY plane is the plane of your project editor window, with the Z-axis pointing toward the top of the box. The spherical coordinate system uses Theta (θ) and Phi (ϕ) as shown in the figure below.

The Far Field Pattern Viewer has values for Theta (θ) from 0 to 180 degrees. However, values of Theta (θ) that are greater than 90 degrees are below the horizon, and are only useful for antennas without infinite ground planes. To only view the top hemisphere, sweep Theta from 0 to 90 degrees and sweep Phi from -180 to + 180 degrees.

The X and Y axes in the figure above correspond to the X and Y axes in the project editor. The origin is always in the lower left corner of the project editor window.

You can view an E-plane or H-plane cut, by setting Phi (ϕ) to 0 to 90 degrees and sweeping Theta (θ) from 0 to 90 degrees.To view an azimuthal plot, set θ and sweep ϕ.

Note: The Far Field Viewer will allow the user to analyze the same space twice with the user determining the appropriate angle ranges for each analysis. For details, see Graph - Calculations.