What does a bidirectional antenna primarily do?

A bidirectional antenna is designed to focus its signal transmission and reception in two distinct directions, effectively allowing for enhanced communication in those pathways. This directional focus means that the antenna is optimized to receive signals from one direction and transmit signals to another, rather than distributing its energy evenly around or in all directions. In practice, this design improves the overall efficiency and range of wireless communications.

When deployed, a bidirectional antenna is often used in applications that require connectivity over a specific path, such as in point-to-point communications or when connecting specific locations within a network. The increased gain in these two specific directions leads to better performance compared with omnidirectional antennas, which evenly distribute energy in all directions but do not prioritize any.

The other options do not accurately describe the primary functionality of a bidirectional antenna. For instance, receiving signals from three directions suggests a type of antenna that would collect signals from multiple approaches, which isn't the focus of bidirectional designs. Transmitting signals in a circular pattern typically pertains to omnidirectional antennas that send signals out in all horizontal directions, differing significantly from the directed nature of a bidirectional antenna. Lastly, while boosting signal transmission can be a benefit, the essential characteristic of a bidirectional antenna is its dual-directionality rather than