Conformal Array

open the conformal array definition window

A conformal array is a cloud of source points. The cloud of source points is defined in a local referential. This local referential may be translated in the referential of the geometry. It may also be rotated around the 3 axis.

If the source points must be close to a surface, the On Surface button must be checked. In that case, the software will try to find the nearest surface for each source point.

All the source points have the same radiation pattern. The details of the far field description may be found here.

The position and the orientation of the source points are defined in the array geometry file. This file contains 1 line per source point. Each line contains :

a number (ignored by IDRA)
3 coordinates of the source point (X, Y, Z)
3 rotation angles (degrees) around the three axis (X, Y, Z)

There is a very simple example of array geometry file (all the sources are aligned along the X axis and there is no rotation) :

1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

2 1. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

3 2. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

4 3. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

The amplitude and the phase of each source point may be modified. This is done with the feeding law file. This file contains 1 line per source point. The order of these lines must be the same than the order in the array geometry file. Each line contains :

a number (ignored by IDRA)
amplitude factor (absolute value, not in dB)
phase (degrees)

There is a very simple example of feeding law file (all the sources are synchronized) :

1 1. 0.

2 1. 0.

3 1. 0.

4 1. 0.