Estimating directivity and gain of antennas

Gain is the most important performance parameter of an antenna. However, in many practical situations it is not possible to measure or calculate the gain of an antenna. Also, the interest in wireless applications has increased the need of system engineers to accurately estimate antenna gain. Many simple formulas are available for estimating gain. But, each formula has a range of applicability, and inappropriate use of these formulas will result in inaccurate gain values. This paper explains the process of gain evaluation, and gives several simple gain-estimation formulas, together with recommendations for their use.