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Non radiating edge gap coupled microstrip antennas for 3G Applications

Conference Paper · December 2011

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Pratigya Mathur Manisha Chattopadhyay

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 Non-Radiating Gap Coupled Microstrip Antennas for 3G Applications.
Pratigya Mathur*, Prof. Girish Kumar# , Prof.Manisha Chattopadhyay*
*
Dept. of Electronics &Communication Engineering,V.E.S.I.T,Mumbai, Maharashtra.
#
Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute Of Technology, Powai Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Abstract— Non-Radiating Gap Coupled Rectangular MSA with
two equal parasitic patches is investigated, both theoretically and
experimentally for 3G mobile communication range. The
broadband behavior of the patch antenna has been studied by
varying the length, width of the patch, position of the co-axial
feed and gap between the patches. Use of ground planes
optimizes the size of the antenna. The predicted and measured
results of typical impedance behavior of the proposed design are
discussed.
Keywords- Microstrip Antenna; gap coupling; mutual
coupling.
I. INTRODUCTION
In this paper, non-radiating gap coupled broadband
Rectangular MSA (RMSA) with two equal parasitic patches
has been studied. The proposed antenna design is simple in
construction. The length, width of the patch, position of the
co-axial feed and gap between the patches play an important
role in increasing the bandwidth. The parasitic patches are
placed on the two non-radiating side of the fed patch. They
get excited through the coupling with fed patch. If the
resonance frequencies of these three patches are close to
each other, then broad bandwidth is obtained.
3G wireless mobile system is popular mainly due to its
wide bandwidth characteristic that supports higher data
transmission rates. The broadband feature requires a
Microstrip Antenna (MSA) to be designed to overcome its
normal limitation of a narrow bandwidth. There are several
bandwidth enhancement techniques which usually result in
an increase in the total size and the weight of the antenna
which is not suitable for indoor application.
In this paper, a non-radiating gap coupled RMSA patch
antenna has been designed on a substrate having r=2.33
and tan =0.0009 with h=3.45mm. This patch is fed by the
coaxial probe to obtain a 50 ohm input impedance.
Parameters such as width, length, type of material are varied
and the respective characterstics are observed.
II. DESIGN METHODOLOGY
A. Detailed Antenna Design
The purpose of this paper is to design a small and a thin size
antenna within a desired specifications. For 3G system
application, the antenna is required to operate at the
transmitting band of 3G cell towers which have the
frequency range of 2.11 GHz to 2.17 GHz with VSWR≤ 2.
Pratigya Mathur, pratigya.mathur@gmail.com
Such an antenna can be used for the purpose of RF
Harvesting and in monitoring the transmission tower
radiation level. Such an antenna can also be used as a 3G
Jammer for jamming the particular frequency. The antenna
material must be light weight for easy mounting. The
preferred material waswith values r=2.33 and tan =0.0009
with h=3.45mm double sided board, a material which was
commonly used in the printed circuit fabrication
In the gap coupled patch antenna, the patch placed close to
the fed patch gets excited through the coupling between the
two patches. Such a patch is known as a parasitic patch. If
the resonance frequencies of these two patches are close to
each other, then broadband is obtained. The overall input
VSWR will be the superposition of the responses of the two
resonators resulting in a wide BW. Due to the coupling
between the two patches a loop is observed in the
impedance plot of RMSA [1]. Also, the maximum BW is
obtained when the loop in the impedance plot is completely
inside the VSWR=2 circle and its size is as large as
possible.
In this paper, a non-radiating gap coupled rectangular MSA
was used for analytical purpose. Detailed parameteric
analysis was then carried out for the RMSA which includes
parameters such as length, width, position of the co-axial
feed and gap between the patches. The parameters were
varied and the characterstics are observed to find out the
best antenna characteristic. The simulated performance were
obtained by using Zeland’s IE3D software [4] for RMSA.
Zeland’s IE3D is an integrated full–wave electromagnetic
simulation and optimization tool for the analysis and design
of 3D and planar microwave planar circuits and antennas.
All design parameters such as dimension, material
properties and operating frequency range were properly
defined to ensure the simulated result were close enough to
actual measured result. Later, the final design of RMSA was
fabricated and measured whose results were then compared
with a simulated result.
Figure 1(a) & (b) shows the non-radiating edge coupled
RMSA. The gap between the fed and the parasitic patches is
in the non-radiating edge coupled RMSA is small because
the field varies sinusoidally along the non-radiating edge so
the coupling is small as compared to the coupling along the
radiating edge [1].
 (a) (b)
Figure 1:(a)Non-radiating edge coupled Microstrip Antenna.
(b) Practically designed RMSA.
III. PARAMETERIC STUDY
A. Effect of length
The length of the parasitic patch determines the position of
the loop on the Smith chart. For three different lengths of
the parasitic patch (L1 = 41.4,42.4, and43.4 mm), the input
impedance and VSWR plots are shown in Figure 2(a) &(b).
As L1 increases, the resonance frequency of the parasitic
patch decreases, and the loop is formed at the lower
frequency of the fed patch on the impedance plot. Therefore,
as L1 increases, the position of the loop moves in the anti-
clockwise direction on the Smith chart. The BW is observed
as 139.7MHz for L1= 41.4 mm.
(a)
(b)
Figure 2:(a) Smith chart for L=41.4,42.4,43.4mm (b)
VSWR plot to measure the Bandwidth.
B. Effect of gap between the patches
The size of the loop depends upon the gap between the two
patches. The input impedance and VSWR plots for three
different values of gap (s = 3, 4, and 5 mm) are shown in
Figure 3(a)&(b). As the gap increases, the coupling between
the two patches decreases and hence the loop size decreases.
Maximum BW is obtained when the loop in the impedance
plot is completely inside the VSWR = 2 circle and its size is
as large as possible. With L=44mm, W=58mm and substrate
parameters as r=2.33 tan =0.0005, for s = 3,4,5 mm BWof
126.8MHz,133.9MHz and 141.29 MHz respectively are
obtained. It is observed that as gap distance increases the
loop size keeps on decreasing as mutual coupling decreases
apart from gap coupling.
(a)
 (b)
Figure3(a) Smith chart for .gap s=3,4 &5mm. (b) VSWR
plot to measure the Bandwidth.
C. Effect of feed point location
The variation of the voltage along the periphery and current
along the length shows that impedance is maximum at the
edges and minimum at the centre. To decrease the input
impedance at resonance, the feed point location is shifted to
x=11mm(i.e., toward the centre of patch), where the
impedance is lower. The input impedance and VSWR plots
are shown in Figure 4(a) &(b) for the feed point location at
x = 11and 12 mm. As x increases from 11 to 12 mm (i.e the
feed point is shifted towards the centre), the input
impedance loci shifts in the left direction on the Smith Chart
implying that the impedance is decreasing. As expected,
with decrease in x the input impedance plot shifts toward the
left side of the Smith chart (i.e., toward the lower impedance
value). For s=4mm, L =44mm and r=2.33,the BW for
VSWR 2 is 154 MHz and for x=11mm BW=164.3MHz.
(a)
(b)
Figure4(a) Smith chart for x=11 &12mm..(b) VSWR plot to
measure the Bandwidth.
D. Effect of W1
The width W1 of the parasitic patch of RMSA has
significant effect on the input impedance, BW, and gain of
the antenna.It has got a disadvantage of making it bulky by
increasing its size. The analysis for three different values of
W1 (32.5, 33.5 and 34.5mm) has been done and for s=4mm
with L=44mm the input impedance and VSWR plots for x =
12mm are given in Figure 5(a) & (b).With an increase in W1
from 32.5 mm to 33.5 mm, the curves on the Smith Chart
keep moving to the left showing that the input impedance at
resonance decreases. Also there is a decrease in the loop
size with decrease in the BW as compared to the general
case of an increase in the BW with an increase in the width
of an antenna. With s=4mm, L=44mm, r=2.33 and
W1=32.5mm, the BW=161MHz,for W1=33.5mm
BW=154MHz and BW of 115MHz for W 1=34.5mm is
observed.
(a)
 (a)

(b)
Figure5(a) Smith chart for W1=32.5, 33.5,34.5mm (b)
VSWR plot to measure the Bandwidth.

IV. RESULT & DISCUSSION

A. Simulation Results
A rigorous simulation for detailed analysis has been done
and several parameters such as the dimension (length and
width of parasitic patch), gap between the patches and feed
point location were identified to enhance the bandwidth of
RMSA. A 3G broadband antenna was designed, measured
and characterized in detail. By modifying the dimensions of
(b)
the patches, the required BW of the antenna has been Figure6:(a) Actual Smith Chart for the antenna (b) VSWR
successfully obtained. Therefore, the simulated result of plot shows the BW of 154MHz.
RMSA at VSWR≤2 has shown frequency range of 2.050-
2.184GHz giving 134MHz of BW. V. CONCLUSION
A simple 3G broadband RMSA with two parasitic patches is
B. Measured Results proposed. The RMSA has been designed with most
After completing the simulation, the proposed design of optimum parameters as shown in Table II so that it operates
patch RMSA is then fabricated using substrate and is in 3G band of frequency. The designed antenna has shown a
measured in the open space using Vector Network Analyzer. good agreement between the simulated and measured result
Fig. 6(a) & (b) shows that the RMSA is operating at the for the antenna performance characteristic.We conclude that
desired frequency of 2.045-2.199GHz for VSWR≤ 2.0 with RMSA is practical and can be used for 3G systems.
a bandwidth of 154 MHz. The maximum gain of 8.571dBi
at 2.1007GHz has been observed. Further, the simulated Table II: Optimized dimensions of RMSA
Parameter Dimension(mm)
results for RMSA shows considerably good frequency of Length of the fed patch ,L
operation for 3G band of frequency as shown in VSWR 44
Width of the fed patch, W 45
plot.
Width of the parasitic patch,W1 33.5
Length of the parasitic patch,L1 42.4
Table I: Simulated & Measured results for RMSA
Antenna Type Bandwidth at VSWR≤2 Feed point location, x 12
RMSA(Simulated) 134MHz (2.050-2.184GHz) Substrate height, h 3.45
RMSA(Measured) 154 MHz (2.045-2.199GHz) Spacing between the patches, s 4

The bandwidth result compared to actual measured result of REFERENCES

RMSA at VSWR=2 is shown in the Table I. However at
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than the simulated result of RMSA. Mutual coupling plays a
vital role apart from gap coupling in this design.
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