A panel antenna is a flat antenna mounted to a wall or other vertical surface and radiates RF energy (radio waves) directionally away from the wall. They usually have gain greater than 5 dBi and are not suitable for omni-directional situations. Ideally suited for long hallways.
A patch antenna is a flat antenna mounted on the ceiling but whose pattern is omni-directional. Most of the energy goes out horizontally to the sides of the antenna and equal in all directions.
A dipole antenna is a tubular antenna that can be either a pipe shape, a straight flexible rod or a paddle. This antenna has an omni-directional pattern when placed in a vertical position. It usually has 2 dBi of gain.
Essentially a dipole, a dipole array is two or more dipoles that are placed one on top of the other, requiring a longer tube to hold them. The advantage of a dipole array is that it has higher gain.
A parabolic grid antenna is a very directional, dish-like antenna. Its parabolic reflector focuses the RF energy like a flashlight. Most of the time the radiating element is a dipole, but when combined with the dish, it becomes very directional with gain up to 24 dBi. Usually used in long point-to-point systems.
A yagi antenna is a antenna that has an internal structure resembling that of typical antennas used for TV reception (a series of rods perpendicular to a main rod, making a triangular shape). This is a directional antenna with less gain than the PGA, typically around 13 dBi. It may be used in either point-to-point situations, or to cover a very long, narrow area in point-to-multi-point situations.
A polarized panel antenna is a multi-port panel antenna with different linear polarization alignments on the different ports. Common polarization alignment orientations are Vertical/Horizontal and Vertical/45°-Slant. Polarized panel antennas are useful on outdoor Line-of-Sight links, and are also used in indoor deployments for improved coverage uniformity at the expense of slightly reduced range.
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