The Plots Tab

Select the Plots tab in the AN-SOF main window to visualize the plots of the main results for a transmitting antenna as a function of frequency, as shown in Fig. 1. These results are obtained from the table in the Results tab.

The left column in the Plots tab presents the real and imaginary parts of the input impedance and VSWR. On the right column are the antenna gain in dBi and the front-to-rear (F/R) and front-to-back (F/B) ratios in dB. These plots are aligned vertically to make it easy to compare.

Use the controls on the right side of the Plots tab to change different aspects of the graphics, including line thickness, visualization of points and marks, scales, axes, and also to choose between VSWR or S₁₁ and horizontal (H) or vertical (V) F/R vs. F/B ratios. Each plot can be maximized by clicking on the “Maximize” checkbox located at its upper right corner.

The input impedance and VSWR/S₁₁ plots can represent the antenna input impedance, the feeder + antenna input impedance, or the tuner input impedance. The tuner and feeder can be configured in their corresponding tabs next to the Results tab. Every time a tuner or feeder parameter is changed, the recalculated results in the Results and Plots tabs can be refreshed by clicking the desired option under the “Zin” box highlighted in Fig. 1 below.

If the Tuner option is chosen to display the plots and results, note that the input impedance of the tuner will be displayed, and if the tuner is connected to a combination of feeder + antenna, the input impedance and VSWR/S₁₁ of the tuner + feeder + antenna system will be displayed.