Batch Converting Antenna Pattern Files

Owned by Brian Cochran (Unlicensed)
Jun 02, 2020
2 min read

To batch convert files, there are a few things that need to be in place for it to work. Located in a folder:

  • The files to be converted

  • The batch script

  • The CVANT utility (optional)

To setup the batch script for conversion, copy/paste the following into a text file, save, then change the file extension to .bat:

  FOR %%I in ("Z:\Documents\EDX\EDX_Working\Antenna_Conversion\aPatBatchConv\*.*") DO "C:\Program Files\EDX\SignalPro\bin\CVANT.exe" 7 "%%I"

The first path should be edited to match the path that contains the batch script and the files to be converted. The second path points to the current location of the CVANT utility. By default, it points to the SignalPro installation. If you want to run this script somewhere that does not have SIgnalPro installed, just copy the CVANT utility into the same folder where the pattern files and the batch script reside, and change the second path to match.

To run the conversion, with all the proper files in place, double-click on the .bat file.

Errors - During the conversion process, error messages may appear. Make a note of the files with errors, then you can safely dismiss them and the process will continue. At the end of the conversion process, check to see if the file was created. If no file was created, there was a defect in the original file that prevented conversion.

CVANT is the call to convert the file. While CVANT can convert files from a number of sources, using a pattern file in the MSI Planet format is the easiest to work with. The number after the *.exe” is an index number that refers to the conversion index number in the CVANT conversion drop-down, and 7 is the conversion index number for MSI Planet.

Currently, #7, The planet pattern format is the easiest to convert. It usually contains the fewest defects that would need to be remedied before conversion.

A full list of conversion drop-down indexes is as follows:

  1. DB Products/Antenna Specialists

  2. Sinclair Antennas

  3. TIA-804/NSMA-WG16-Horiz Polarization

  4. TIA-804/NSMA-WG16-Vert Polarization

  5. Racal Antennas

  6. Wizard

  7. Planet

  8. Til-Tek

  9. Old NSMA-Horizontal

  10. Old NSMA-Vertical

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