Enter any two values (wavelength, total stack span, and number of elements) and leave the third blank to calculate it. This calculator assumes adjacent elements are spaced at 0.5λ (half-wavelength), which is a common starting point for broadside arrays.
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Antenna Stacking Distance Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the total stack span (distance from the first element to the last) for a given wavelength and number of elements, assuming adjacent elements are spaced at 0.5λ (half-wavelength).
D = (λ/2) * (N - 1)
Variables:
- D is the total stack span (center-to-center distance from the first element to the last)
- λ is the wavelength
- N is the number of elements
To calculate the total stack span (using the 0.5λ spacing assumption), multiply the wavelength by the number of elements minus one, then divide by 2.
What is Antenna Stacking Distance?
In antenna “stacking,” engineers commonly refer to the center-to-center spacing between adjacent antenna elements (often expressed as a fraction of wavelength, such as 0.5λ to 0.8λ depending on the design). For an array with N elements that are evenly spaced, the total stack span from the first element to the last equals the adjacent spacing multiplied by (N − 1). This page’s calculator reports that total span D using a common starting assumption of 0.5λ adjacent spacing.
How to Calculate Antenna Stacking Distance?
The following steps outline how to calculate the Antenna Stacking Distance (total stack span) under the 0.5λ spacing assumption.
- First, determine the wavelength (λ) of the signal.
- Next, determine the number of elements (N) in the antenna array.
- Finally, calculate the total stack span using the formula D = (λ/2) * (N – 1).
- After inserting the values and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.
Example Problem :
Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge (assume adjacent spacing = 0.5λ).
Wavelength (λ) = 0.5 meters
Number of elements (N) = 4