Cassegrain Reflector Antennas

What Cassegrain Reflector Antennas Are and What They Do

Cassegrain reflector antennas are high-gain directional antennas that use a dual-reflector optical geometry to focus RF energy efficiently while allowing the feed to be positioned close to the main reflector surface.

In this configuration:

• RF energy is radiated from the feed toward a secondary sub-reflector

• The sub-reflector redirects the energy toward the primary parabolic reflector

• The primary reflector collimates the energy into a narrow, highly directional beam

This architecture provides excellent gain, reduced feed blockage, and improved mechanical balance compared to prime-focus reflector designs.

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How Cassegrain Reflector Antennas Work

RF energy enters the antenna through a waveguide or feed horn mounted near the main reflector. The signal reflects off the secondary hyperbolic sub-reflector, then off the primary parabolic reflector, and is launched into free space as a highly collimated beam.

This dual-reflection process enables:

• High gain and narrow beamwidth

• Reduced feed loss and shorter RF paths

• Improved aperture efficiency

• Compact feed and electronics integration

• Stable radiation patterns across frequency

Frequency Coverage, WR Waveguides, and Supported Bands

Mi-Wave Series 222 and Series 223 Cassegrain reflector antennas are designed to support operation across a wide range of RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave frequency bands, depending on reflector diameter, surface accuracy, feed configuration, and material selection.

Typical operating frequency coverage spans from 8.2 GHz through 110 GHz, with extended capability available through custom designs.

Supported Frequency Bands and WR Waveguide Interfaces

• X-Band
  WR-90 | 8.2–12.4 GHz

• Ku-Band
  WR-62 | 12.4–18.0 GHz

• K-Band
  WR-42 | 18.0–26.5 GHz

• Ka-Band
  WR-28 | 26.5–40.0 GHz

• Q-Band
  WR-22 | 33.0–50.0 GHz

• V-Band
  WR-15 | 50.0–75.0 GHz

• W-Band
  WR-10 | 75.0–110.0 GHz

These waveguide interfaces allow seamless integration with feed horns, transmitters, receivers, LNAs, HPAs, frequency converters, and test instrumentation used in high-frequency RF systems.

Material Considerations by Frequency

• Series 222 (Aluminum Reflectors)
  Optimized for high-frequency and millimeter-wave operation, where tight surface tolerances and high electrical conductivity are critical for maintaining gain and pattern integrity.

• Series 223 (Fiberglass Reflectors)
  Designed for larger reflector diameters and outdoor deployments, offering excellent performance across microwave and millimeter-wave bands with enhanced environmental durability and corrosion resistance.

Custom Frequency Support

In addition to standard band coverage, Mi-Wave offers custom Cassegrain reflector antenna designs supporting specialized frequency ranges, non-standard WR interfaces, alternative feed geometries, and application-specific performance requirements.

Why Cassegrain Reflectors Matter

Cassegrain reflector antennas are selected when systems require:

• High gain in a compact mechanical footprint

• Long-range RF and microwave links

• Stable beam pointing and repeatability

• Efficient feed routing and reduced losses

• Scalability across frequency and reflector size

These advantages make Cassegrain antennas ideal for communications, radar, telemetry, and precision measurement environments.

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Features

• Dual-reflector Cassegrain architecture

• High gain with narrow beamwidth

• Excellent aperture efficiency

• Reduced feed blockage

• Compact feed and electronics placement

• Stable radiation patterns

• Support for multiple frequency bands

• Precision aluminum (Series 222) or fiberglass (Series 223) reflector options

• Suitable for laboratory and field environments

• Custom configurations available

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Applications

• RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave communication systems

• Long-range point-to-point links

• Radar and telemetry systems

• Antenna characterization and measurement

• Test and validation environments

• Research and development platforms

• Fixed and transportable RF systems