Work out array gain, total antenna gain, directivity from beamwidth and the range multiplier a phased array delivers.
Signals from N elements combine coherently in the steered direction, giving 10·log10(N) of gain — 3 dB per doubling of elements. The same energy concentrated into a narrower beam can be cross-checked from the 3 dB beamwidths, and because free-space loss goes as distance squared, gain in dB translates to range through 10^(G/20). Beamforming gain is what lets a small 6 GHz cell reach across an open floor, but it applies only along the steered beam — the coverage hole is off-axis, where the same array is 20 dB down.
Beamforming Gain
array gain = 10·log10(N elements); total gain = element gain + array gain − efficiency loss; directivity ≈ 10·log10(41253 ÷ (azimuth × elevation beamwidth)).
array gain = 10·log10(N elements); total gain = element gain + array gain − efficiency loss; directivity ≈ 10·log10(41253 ÷ (azimuth × elevation beamwidth)). Signals from N elements combine coherently in the steered direction, giving 10·log10(N) of gain — 3 dB per doubling of elements. The same energy concentrated into a narrower beam can be cross-checked from the 3 dB beamwidths, and because free-space loss goes as distance squared, gain in dB translates to range through 10^(G/20).
Beamforming gain is what lets a small 6 GHz cell reach across an open floor, but it applies only along the steered beam — the coverage hole is off-axis, where the same array is 20 dB down.
This calculator takes 5 inputs: Antenna elements in the array, Gain of a single element, Azimuth beamwidth (3 dB), Elevation beamwidth (3 dB), Array efficiency. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.