Classification of LTE Antennas

　　LTE (Long Term Evolution) antennas can be classified in several ways based on different criteria, which helps in understanding their characteristics and applications.

　　Based on Radiation Pattern

　　Omnidirectional Antennas: These antennas radiate and receive signals uniformly in all directions in a horizontal plane. They are commonly used in indoor environments such as offices, homes, or small scale public areas. For example, in a Wi Fi router with LTE connectivity, an omnidirectional antenna can provide a wide area coverage, allowing multiple devices to connect from different positions around the router.

　　Directional Antennas: Directional antennas focus the signal in a specific direction, providing a stronger signal in that direction compared to omnidirectional antennas. They are suitable for outdoor applications where long distance communication is required, such as in a rural area to connect to a remote LTE base station. For instance, in a large farm, a directional antenna can be pointed towards the nearest LTE tower to enhance the signal strength and data transfer rate.

　　Based on Polarization

　　Linear Polarized Antennas: These antennas have a single polarization direction, either vertical or horizontal. Vertical polarized antennas are widely used in mobile communication systems because they are more compatible with the polarization of most LTE base stations. For example, the antennas on mobile phones are often vertically polarized to ensure better signal reception.

　　Circular Polarized Antennas: Circular polarized antennas have a rotating polarization direction. They are useful in applications where the orientation of the receiving device may vary, such as in satellite communication or some types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A circular polarized antenna can reduce the signal loss caused by the change in the device's orientation.

　　Based on the Number of Elements

　　Single Element Antennas: As the name suggests, these antennas consist of a single radiating element. They are simple in structure and are often used in low cost devices or in applications where a relatively low gain antenna is sufficient. For example, some basic LTE enabled sensors may use single element antennas.

　　Multi Element Antennas: Multi element antennas, such as antenna arrays, combine multiple radiating elements to achieve higher gain, better directivity, and improved performance. They are commonly used in base stations to cover a larger area and support a higher number of users. For example, a large scale LTE base station may use a phased array antenna with multiple elements to adjust the radiation pattern dynamically according to the user distribution.