Lamp-Shaped Frequency Reconfigurable Microstrip Patch Array Antenna Design and Analysis

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to design and fabricate a 2-element frequency reconfigurable microstrip patch array antenna. In this paper, initially single patch microstrip antenna was designed, then reconfigurabilty was also developed. On the basis of outcome evaluation of antenna features like directivity, return loss, radiation patterns, operation frequency, and antenna gain, it is transformed to a 2 × 1 array so that antenna gives better radiation patterns, and also increase its directivity and gain. The simulation has been performed by CST software. Single patch antenna resonates at frequencies 1.786, 3.484 and 6.136 GHz with return loss as −14.606, −28.845, and −52.09 resp. When diode is OFF and at frequency 6.61 GHz with return loss as −49.927 when diode is ON. Similarly, two-element array antenna resonates at frequencies 4.075, 4.991, 6.44 and 6.943 GHz with return loss as −11.936, −20.303, −37.926, and −16.642 resp. when diode is OFF and at frequencies 1.266, 3.878, 4.971, and 6.681 GHz with return loss as −13.708, −27.663, −22.607, and −28.513 resp. when diode is ON. The desired array antenna provides a gain of 6.78 dBi and directivity of 9.97 dBi at 6.44 GHz when diode is OFF and when diode is ON, it provides a gain of 5.572 dBi and directivity of 9.53 dBi at 6.681 GHz by using FR4 dielectric substrate with dielectric constant as 4.4 and thickness, h = 1.6 mm. The side lobe is maintained lower than the main lobe. Designed antenna is capable of operating in multiple bands as L band, S band, and C band and can be used in variety WLAN communication systems, Radio, and Satellite communication systems applications.