Predict Antenna Coupling on Electrically Large Platforms Before Building Hardware

KUALA LUMPUR, 17 AUGUST 2026 —

Whitepaper Explains How to Predict Antenna Coupling on Large Platforms Before Hardware Development

KUALA LUMPUR — Engineers and researchers can now use full-wave simulation to predict very low antenna coupling on electrically large platforms, such as airliners, before building hardware, according to a new whitepaper from IEEE Spectrum.

The publication highlights the challenges of measuring energy leakage between antennas on aircraft, ships, and vehicles, where multiple radio systems operate in confined spaces. Mutual S-parameters determine whether two systems can function simultaneously on the same platform. Traditional trial-and-error methods are costly and time-consuming, while simulation offers a more efficient solution.

The whitepaper addresses two key difficulties in simulation: the large electrical size of platforms (spanning hundreds of wavelengths) and the need for extreme accuracy, as coupling levels can be as low as -100 dB. It proposes a full-wave solution based on the Method of Moments applied to the Surface Integral Equation, using higher-order basis functions to reduce computational unknowns.

Two case studies are examined: a metallic cube with two quarter-wavelength monopoles and a realistic airliner model carrying five monopoles at 1.06 GHz, where the fuselage measures approximately 140 wavelengths. The whitepaper compares three modeling techniques for achieving accurate low-level results, detailing the geometry of each model for independent verification.

Details not yet available on the availability of the whitepaper or its registration process.

The findings are published by IEEE Spectrum, the flagship publication of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), on Aug. 14, 2026.