Reconfigurable Microstrip Antennas for Wireless Communications

Abstract

Performance characteristics of wireless communication system newlinecan be readily enhanced through the development of reconfigurable newlineantennas. Microstrip patch antennas and related antenna structures newlineare popular application specific wireless communication antennas. newlineReconfigurability of the radiation characteristic is one of the recent newlinesignificant developments associated with the characterization of newlinemicrostrip patch antennas for wireless communication systems. newlineInvestigations on polarization reconfigurable and polarization and newlinefrequency reconfigurable microstrip patch antennas have been carried newlineout in the present report, with a focus on frequency corresponding to newlinewireless communications in general and Wireless Local Area Network newlineapplications in particular. Reconfigurability in conventional microstrip newlinepatch antennas has been achieved through structural modifications newlineinvolving corner truncations, slot loading and feed geometry, coupled newlinewith PIN diode switching mechanism. newlineFive different reconfigurable microstrip antennas and one newlinereconfigurable microstrip planar array antenna have been successfully newlineconfigured and characterized in the present work, employing FR4 newlineEpoxy and RT/Duroid 5880 substrates and ensuring appropriate newlinebiasing networks for the PIN diode switching. Simulations on all these newlineantennas have been carried out using CST Microwave Studio, newlineapplication software package, and appropriately fabricated newlinecorresponding antenna structures have been experimentally tested newlineusing Vector Network Analyzer setup and Anechoic chamber newlineenvironment. newlineMicrostrip line fed corner truncated square microstrip patch newlineantenna has been investigated first for polarization reconfigurability at newline5.8 GHz using four PIN diodes which in turn became the individual newlineradiating element of the polarization reconfigurable microstrip planar newlinearray antenna subsequently. newline