Advances in Circuits, Systems, Signal Processing and Telecommunications

Design and Analysis of Triple band Rectangular Microstrip Patch

Antenna Array
JAGTAR SINGH SIVIA*, MANDEEP SINGH*, SUNITA RANI*, TARA SINGH KAMAL**
*ECE Department Yadawindra College of Engineering
Punjabi University Guru Kashi Campus
Talwandi Sabo,Punjab, INDIA
**Radiant Institute of Engineering and Technology
Abohar, Punjab, INDIA
jagtarsivian@yahoo.com,mswalia23@gmail.com,ersunitagoyal@rediffmail.com,
tsk1005@gmail.com

Abstract: - It has been observed in the recent year that development in communication system required a light
weight, high gain, high directivity, high efficiency antenna with minimum return losses and with minimum cost
that should work at a number of frequency in the frequency band. The objective of this paper is to design a 4x1
rectangular patch microstrip antenna array for X- band application (8 GHz - 12 GHz). The proposed 4x1
rectangular microstrip patch antenna array works on three frequencies 8.86 GHz, 9.16 GHz and 11.07 GHz.
Roger/RT Duroid substrate material with dielectric constant 2.2 has been used to design the proposed antenna.
The purposed antenna array has high gain of order 10.766dB at resonant frequency 9.142 GHz and directivity
of order 13.11dB at resonant frequency 8.8163GHz. Method of moments based IE3D software has been used to
compute the different parameters such as return losses, directivity, gain, radiation pattern of the purposed
antenna array.

Key-Words: - 4X1 rectangular microstrip patch antenna array, X-band, Return loss, Gain.

1 Introduction material. Low dielectric constant substrates are

As Microstrip antennas are attractive due to their
light weight, conformability and low cost so a
number of patch antenna has been designed for the
number of application such as in military,
biomedical, aerospace, communication and radar
system. The patch can take any shape however
circular and rectangular configurations are the most
commonly used configurations. These patch
antennas are used as simple and for the widest and
most demanding applications. Dual characteristics,
circular polarizations, dual frequency operation,
frequency agility, broad band width, feed line
flexibility and beam scanning can be easily obtained
from these patch antennas [2]. In this paper a 4x1
rectangular patch microstrip antenna array with inset
line fed has been modeled, designed and simulated
by using IE3D software. The analysis of microstrip
patch antenna for X-band application is done using
transmission line model in between 2GHz to 4GHz
frequency and the designing has been done using
IE3D software for a better understanding of the
design parameters of an antenna and their effect on
the directivity, bandwidth, and return loss and gain
patterns. A rectangular microstrip antenna consists
of rectangular conducting patch of width (W) and
length (h) on a ground plane separated by dielectric
substrate which one is Roger/RT duroid substrate
generally preferred for maximum radiation, so
Roger RT duriod with the dielectric constant 2.2 is
used as substrate for the design of proposed antenna
[3].D.R. Minervino et.al., 2013 designed and
compare the performance of microstrip rectangular
patch antenna array such as 2x1, 1x2, 4x1, 2x2, 2x4
and 4x2 for aerospace application (2GHz- 4GHz)
using HFSS commercial software and concluded
that using same number of elements the array
designed in manner 2x1 had lower value of return
loss than 1x2 but gain of 1x2 antenna array is
slightly more than 2x1 and similarly 2x2, 2x4 has
lower value of of return losses and higher value of
gain (dB) as compare to 4x1 and 2x2
respectively[11]. G. Guru Prasad et.al.2012
designed and analyze the 8x1 rectangular patch
microstrip antenna linear array using co axial probe
feed method and simulation has been obtained by
using IE3D software at 430 MHz frequency for
atmospheric wind profile radar application and note
down that by using this 1x8 antenna array obtain
17.82 dB gain. M. Gadag 2012 designed microstrip
Rectangular patch antenna for RFID application at
2.4 GHz frequency and achieve minimum Return
loss using Quarter wave Line feed as compare to
strip line and inset line feed [6]. Lai et al. (2005)
designed a 6x6 circular patch microstrip array

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 Advances in Circuits, Systems, Signal Processing and Telecommunications
antenna to operate in KU-band (10.9GHz –
17.25GHz) and simulation has been done by using
ADS software and noted that by increasing the
number of elements gain can also be increased [10].
Sinha and Begam (2012) designed a rectangular
patch antenna for S-band application using IE3D
software at 2.21GHz frequency using dielectric
material for substrate with dielectric constant 2.2
and calculate the different parameters of antenna
such as return losses, antenna efficiency and
radiation efficiency of rectangular patch antenna. So
from literature survey it has been clear that the there
is no 4x1 microstrip rectangular patch array which
work on multi frequency and having high gain and
directivity so in the purposed paper a 4x1 microstrip
rectangular patch array has been designed with high
directivity and gain
2 ANTENNA PARAMETERS
The IEEE definition of an antenna as given by
Stutzman and Thiele is, “That part of a transmitting
or receiving system that is designed to radiate or
receive electromagnetic waves”.
2.1 Gain
The gain of an antenna is the radiation intensity in a
given direction divided by the radiation intensity
that would be obtained if the antenna radiated all
of the Power delivered equally to all directions.
The definition of gain requires the concept of an
isotropic radiator; that is, one that radiates the same
power in all directions. Gain usually expressed in
db. Gain can be obtained by using equation [4].
G = η .D, where, η= efficiency, D = directivity
But such parameter can be increased by using
substrate material having dielectric constant near 2.2
that is Roger/RT duroid
2.2 Directivity
Directivity is the same as gain, but with one
difference. It does not include the effects of power
lost (inefficiency) in the antenna. If an antenna were
lossless (100% efficient), then the gain and
directivity (in a given direction) would be the same
[3]. Array of antenna have high value of directivity
when number of antenna elements are increased.
2.3 Radiation Pattern
Radiation pattern is defined as the power radiated or
received by an antenna in a function of the angular
ISBN: 978-1-61804-271-2
position and radial distance from the antenna. It
describes how the antenna directs the energy it
radiates [3].
2.4 Antenna Efficiency
The antenna efficiency is defined as the ratio of total
power radiated by the antenna to the input power of
the antenna. Just like any other microwave
components, an antenna may dissipate power due to
conductor loss or dielectric loss [3].
2.5 Return Loss
Return loss is a convenient way to characterize the
input and output signal sources.
3 Antenna Array
Microstrip antenna array are very versatile and
are used, among other things, to synthesize a
required pattern that cannot be achieved with a
single element. In addition, they are used to scan the
beam of an antenna system, increase the directivity,
and perform various other functions which would be
difficult with any one single element. The elements
can be fed by a single line or by multiple lines in a
feed network arrangement, so in this paper we used
an array to develop the performance of this antenna.
One of the essential parameters for the design of a
rectangular microstrip patch antenna is the
frequency of operation ( fr ) [13]. The resonant
frequency of the antenna must be selected
appropriately in between 8GHz-12GHz for the
application of radar system and communication.
Fig.14x1 Rectangular Patch Antenna array
In this paper, we initially selected the value of
the substrate parameters relative Dielectric constant
(εr) to be 2.2 and the substrate thickness (h) to be
1.588 mm. Then, we evaluated the length, the width,
the input impedance of the patch and the nested fed
dimensions. After that, we changed the dimensions
to get better performance of the antenna, i.e.
radiation patterns, reflected loss, efficiency and
98
 Advances in Circuits, Systems, Signal Processing and Telecommunications

antenna gain by simulating it using electromagnetic 5 Results

simulator IE3D.
5.1 Return Loss
Return Loss Vs. frequency plot for 4x1 rectangular
4 Design of Antenna Array patch array is shown in Fig.2.The graph represents
In the design procedure of rectangular patch the three frequency points for which the antenna
microstrip antenna, the desired resonant frequency, shows minimum return losses that is -11.8dB, -
thickness of substrate and dielectric constant of the 12.9dB, -9.4dB at point 8.86GHz, 9.16GHz,
substrate are known or selected initially. In this 11.01GHz frequency respectively.
design of rectangular patch microstrip antenna,
substrate material Roger/RT duroid with dielectric
constant (εr=2.2) with 1.6 mm height has been used.
Then, a rectangular patch antenna array that
operates at the specified operating frequency (fr =
8GHz- 12 GHz) can be designed by using
transmission line model equations [5]. Strip line
feeding used as a feeding method. During the
designing of such purposed antenna length of patch
(L) , width of patch (w) ,thickness of substrate (h),
and (εeff) is the dielectric effective constant are the
major parameter which has been calculated by using
the following equation that is Width(W).Where C0
is the speed of light shown in equation.
Co 2 Fig.2 Return Losses VS Frequency Plot
W= (1)
2 fr εr +1
And the effective dielectric constant has been given 5.2 Gain
by equation (2) and actual length has been given by The gain of the antenna is the important factor and
following equation here array antenna has gain 9.9589 dB at 8.81GHz,
10.77dB at 9.14 GHz and 7.9688 at 11.02 GHz as
1 shown in Fig.3. Fig.4 and Fig.5 respectively
−
ε r +1 ε r −1  h 2
ε eff = + 1 + 12 W  (2)
2 2

∆L
(ε reff + 0.3) + 0.264 
W 
= 0.412 h  (3)
h
(ε reff − 0.258) + 0.8 
 W 
h 
C0
L= − 2∆L (4)
2 f r ε reff

Table1 Design Parameter of X-Band Rectangular

Patch Fig.3 Three dimensional radiation pattern of
Length of Rectangular Patch (L) 31.93 mm proposed antenna array at 8.81GHz
Width of Rectangular Patch (W) 32.57 mm
Thickness of Substrate 1.588 mm 5.3 Directivity
Dielectric Constant 2.2 Proposed antenna array has directivity 13.1148 dB
Effective Dielectric Constant 2.253 at 8.81GHz, 12.6525dB at 9.14 GHz and 11.2505
Length of Microstrip Line Feed 15mm dB at 11.02 GHz.

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 Advances in Circuits, Systems, Signal Processing and Telecommunications

Table 2 Performance Parameters of 4x1 antenna

array
Freq. Dielectri Gain Return Directivit
(GHz) c (dB) losses y
Constant (dB) (dB)
8.86 2.2 9.95 -11.8 13.11
9.16 2.2 10.76 -12.9 12.65
11.07 2.2 7.97 -9.4 11.25

Fig.4 Three dimensional radiation pattern of
proposed antenna array at 9.16 GHz
Here in table 2 the different parameters such a gain,
return losses and directivity of the array antenna has
been compared at different frequency and it has
been noted that such purposed antenna array has
maximum gain 10.76dB at 9.16GHz frequency and
maximum directivity 13.11dB at 8.86GHz.

Fig.5 Three dimensional radiation pattern of
proposed antenna array at 11.01 GHz
5.4 VSWR
The Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) should
be less than 2 for an antenna working [3]. VSWR is
a measure of impedance mismatch. As can be
observed from the graph, the VSWR obtained are
less than 2 at 8.81GHz, 9.16GHz and 11.01GHz
frequencies as shown in Fig.6.
4 Conclusion
In this paper, a 4x1 rectangular patch antenna array
has been designed which is the one of the efficient
antenna for the X-band application antenna array. It
is simulated using IE3D software. Simulations have
been carried out to investigate the antenna
performance and characteristics. Such antenna has
higher gain and directivity and low return losses for
the application of radar system and the
communication system.
References:
[1] P.Singha and K.Jaimini,“Rectangular
Microstrip Patch Antenna Design using
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[2] R.Garg, P. Bhartia, I.J. Bahl and P.

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[3] C.A. Balanis, Antenna Theory, 2nd Ed.,

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[4] J.singh, A.P singh and T.S kamal, “On

The Design Of Rectangular Spiral
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[5] Zeland Software Inc.,”IE3D

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 Advances in Circuits, Systems, Signal Processing and Telecommunications

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[6] M.M. Gadag , D.S. Kamshetty, S.L. Yogi,

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[7] Yahya S. H., “Design of 4 Elements

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[8] J. Salai, T. Thilagam, Dr. P. K.

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[9] A. S. Kirar, V. S. Jadaun and P. K.

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[10] T.F.Lai, Wan Nor Liza Mahadi,

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[11] Diego R. M, A. Gomes D' , and A. F. dos

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[12] B.Jyothi, B.Madhav, V.V.S.Murthy,

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[13] Y.S. Khraisat , “Design of 4 Elements

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