Reconfigurable

Antenna
Simulation

Marc Rütschlin and

Vratislav Sokol
all-free-download.com

R
econfigurable antennas have been an
active topic of research for a number of
years now. But this up-and-coming field
is now becoming increasingly interest-
ing for industry because of the require-
ment for antennas to provide additional functionality
and to have increasingly flexible properties, all while
occupying the same or smaller physical volumes than
before. Having different antennas for each wireless
protocol, for example, is no longer a good enough solu-
tion—the limited available space has to be shared.
Reconfigurable antennas can provide great flexibility
for using this space optimally.
The difficulty is that reconfigurable antennas
often take on noncanonical forms. There is interac-
tion between closely spaced elements so the influence
of switches and their feed lines has to be considered.
The behavior is difficult to predict, and modeling
tools must play an important part in the design of
these antennas.
There are two main challenges for a simulation tool:
1) The first is specific: how can the reconfiguration
mechanisms themselves be modeled? Different
methods of reconfiguring the antenna are used,
but the main ones are changing the shape of the
antenna mechanically, changing the material
properties of the antenna, or using switches to acti-
vate or deactivate different parts of the antenna or
to change the current paths on the antenna.
2) The second challenge is a little more general and
concerns how a single antenna with multiple
operating modes, all of which might affect opera-
tion of the others, can be modeled efficiently.
A single geometry has to be optimized to perform
properly for all different configurations, and this
requires a robust simulation environment.

Marc Rütschlin (marc.ruetschlin@cst.com) and Vratislav Sokol (vratislav.sokol@cst.com) are with

CST AG, Bad Nauheimerstr. 19, 64289, Darmstadt, Germany.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MMM.2013.2280331
Date of publication: 15 November 2013

92 1527-3342/13/$31.00©2013IEEE November/December 2013

 This article describes how state-of-the-art electro-
magnetic simulation tools can be used to simulate and Reconfigurable Patch
optimize the complex geometries and system behavior
of reconfigurable antennas. While a short overview of On
the main principles of reconfigurability is given, this is
not the main focus of this article, and far more extensive
reviews of reconfigurable antennas can be found else-
where (e.g., [1]–[3]).
Off
Principles of Reconfigurability
Radiation from an antenna results from the particular
Diode Capacitor Switch
distribution of the currents on the antenna structure.
In a reconfigurable antenna, the aim is to somehow
change the current distribution, thus changing the Figure 1. This reconfigurable patch antenna can be
fields around the antenna and thus also the radiated far switched between two operating modes by biasing a
field. These changes can be achieved either by modify- Schottky diode. The surface currents in the ON and OFF
ing the antenna geometry or its material properties. states are shown at right.
Shown in Figure 1 is a patch antenna [4] with a
slot, which will be discussed in more detail later. The each other. Changing one will change the others as
antenna is excited by a pin feed that is positioned so that well, and careful design and analysis are important to
the patch radiation is circularly polarized. A part of the make sure that you understand what effect a particu-
patch is separated from the rest by a slot that is bridged lar change to your antenna will have.
centrally by a Schottky diode and at its ends by two dc
blocking capacitors. The diode can be forward or reverse Reconfiguration by Mechanical Means
biased by applying a biasing voltage to the larger part of Simulating mechanical changes is relatively simple. The
the patch, while the smaller part is grounded through structure must be defined in such a way that changing
a quarter wavelength section (to provide a high imped- one or several parameters will give the desired geometry.
ance at patch edge at resonance). By activating or deacti- Two examples are shown here.
vating the switch in the center of the slot, we can modify In Figure 3, the UWB sensing antenna [6] is fixed, but
the currents on the patch (shown at right in Figure 1), the rotation angle of a disc with several antenna geome-
thus modifying the electric fields around the antenna tries printed on it can be changed. At particular rotation
and changing the antenna from a left-hand circularly angles, a particular element makes contact with the feed
polarized (LHCP) radiator operating at 4.5 GHz to a and becomes active. This parameter change simulates
right-hand circularly polarized (RHCP) radiator operat- the stepper motor, which in reality is attached to the
ing at 4.25 GHz, as shown at right in Figure 1. back of the antenna (and the geometry of which could
It is this switching between different modes of oper- also be simulated).
ation that distinguishes a “reconfigurable antenna” As mentioned earlier, the performance of the rol-
from, e.g., a phased array. Although an array’s beam lable antenna in Figure 2 can be changed by winding
can be steered by changing the phase of the element the antenna more or less tightly around a spindle, using
excitations, the fundamental operating characteristics a motor. The simulation model of the antenna is con-
of the antenna array do not change. structed so that changing the radius parameter shown
Of course, reconfigurability can be achieved in changes the entire antenna appropriately.
different ways, and different aspects of an antenna’s
behavior can be reconfigured. Perhaps the first dis-
tinction is between discretely and continuously recon-
figurable antennas. The patch antenna shown in
Figure 1, for example, has two distinct operating states.
It radiates at two different frequencies depending on
whether the PIN diode switch is forward biased or
not. In contrast, for the rollable ultrawideband (UWB)
antenna shown in Figure 2 [5], the properties of the
antenna change continuously depending on how tightly
wound the antenna is.
All properties of an antenna’s radiation character-
istics—its frequency of operation, the far-field pattern Figure 2. This rollable UWB antenna’s properties change
and polarization—can be reconfigured. Unfortunately, depending on how tightly wound it is [5]. The model is
it is very difficult to configure them independently of provided courtesy of Giuseppe Ruvio at the DIT in Dublin.

November/December 2013 93

Rotation
Angle
Figure 3. This antenna consists of two parts: the UWB
sensing antenna at left is fixed, while the transmitting
antenna can be reconfigured by rotating the disc [6]. The
reconfiguration mechanisms can be modeled by assigning a
parameter to the rotation angle.
Reconfiguration by Changing
Material Properties
Another way of reconfiguring an antenna’s behavior is
by using materials whose properties change under the
application of an external field. Several material types
are used. One example is liquid crystal, the permit-
tivity of which changes when a static electric field is
applied. This property can be exploited by using the
liquid crystal as a substrate for a patch array shown
Bias Voltage Lines
Ground
Voltage
Feed
Figure 4. This patch array uses liquid crystal as a
substrate. The material properties of the substrate under
individual columns of patches can be controlled by the bias
voltage lines shown at the top [7].
94 November/December 2013
in Figure 4 [7]. This antenna is a reflect array, which
is excited from above by an open-ended waveguide
(labeled “Feed”). Various potential differences are
applied to the columns of patches using the bias volt-
age lines shown. Each column thus has a substrate
with a slightly different permittivity and a slightly dif-
ferent reflection phase, so the reflected beam can be
steered by adjusting the bias voltages.
The key question for simulation is: how can the
physical mechanisms, e.g., the change of the material
property with regard to the applied field, be modeled?
A possible multistage simulation approach would be
the following:
1) The static electric field distribution is calculated
first using an electrostatic solver.
2) Knowing the dependence of the permittivity
on the field, the permittivity distribution can
be calculated.
3) The spatially dependent material properties can
then be assigned directly to the substrate if the
simulation tool supports this or can be assigned
to parts of the substrate after it has been divided
into small blocks (this could be automated by
using some kind of scripting).
4) Finally a full-wave simulation of the antenna can
be performed, including the full variation of the
material properties, using an appropriate solver
(e.g., a time-domain solver in the case of a planar
patch antenna).
Reconfiguration by Switching
Switches are the third and perhaps the most commonly
used mechanism for achieving antenna reconfigu-
rability. Switches can be used to disconnect parts of an
antenna structure from each other or to create different
paths for current to flow on an antenna. Different types
of switches have different advantages in terms of their
insertion loss, isolation, switching speed, bandwidth,
and the required actuation voltage and bias current.
The summary shown in Figure 5 compares mechanical
relays to PIN diodes, field-effect transistors (FETs) and
RF-microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switches
[8]—each have their advantages and disadvantages. An
important additional category of switch is that of opti-
cally pumped silicon (see, e.g., [9]).
Switches can be modeled at different levels of com-
plexity, depending on the required accuracy and avail-
able computational resources. At the basic level, the
switch can be modeled simply by a metal tab; switch-
ing between the ON and OFF states is then just a mat-
ter of simulating the model with and without that
piece of metal.
But for any additional level of complexity, the simu-
lation of switches of all types requires a hybrid electro-
magnetic-circuit simulation. A number of commercially
available simulation tools can address this requirement,
but the discussion below a solution in CST Studio Suite
 Table 3.1RF Switch Comparison Summary

Mechanical Relay PIN Diode FET MEMS

Insertion Loss at 1 GHz (dB) 0.25 0.5-1.0 0.5-1.0 < 0.1
Isolation at 1 GHz (dB) 70 20-40 40 > 40
Switching Speed (s) 2 : 10-3 650 : 10-9 10-9-10-8 10-6
Bandwidth (MHz) dc-1,200 20-2,000 ? dc-100,000
Actuation Voltage (V) 100-200 3-5 5-50 3-30
Bias Current (nA) 1-2 104 < 10 < 10

Figure 5. A comparison of the properties of different RF switches [8].

which combines CST Microwave Studio (CST MWS) and the current path is shorter and the resonant frequency
CST Design Studio (CST DS). What needs to be decided is higher. The far field behavior of the antenna in its
is the level of complexity required in the modeling of the two operating states shows that the antenna is LHCP
switch, as this can make a real difference to the results at about 4.45 GHz when the switch is on and RHCP at
obtained and thus to how well its simulated performance about 4.2 GHz when the switch is off. The axial ratio for
will correspond to the real-world design. the two cases is shown in Figure 7.
A final question that must be considered is the bias-
ing of switches. If the biasing system consists of good
conductors and is not incorporated into the antenna S-Parameter [Magnitude (dB)]
geometry in some way, there will be additional met- 0
allization in the immediate vicinity of the antenna
-5
which will affect the antenna performance. All these
issues are addressed in more detail in the following -10
section. The antenna under consideration will be the
-15
patch introduced in Figure 1. On
-20
The Modeling of Switches
-25
The aim of this part of the article is to show how the real- Off
istic physical behavior of switches and the associated -30
3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
biasing can and must be considered in the simulation
Frequency (GHz)
model if an accurate prediction of an antenna’s behav-
ior is to be made. The focus will be on the Schottky
diode used in the paper describing this antenna [4], Figure 6. The operating frequency of the antenna can be
modified by activating or deactivating a switch across the slot
but the same argument applies to PIN diodes, FET, or
which divides the patch into two parts. The ON (red curve)
MEMS switches as well. The structure that will be fol-
and OFF (green curve) states of the switch are modeled by
lowed is to gradually increase the complexity— i.e., the the presence or absence of a metal tab respectively (inset).
realism—of the switch in the simulation model, and to
see how these changes affect the impedance behavior
of the antenna in the ON and OFF states. Axial Ratio (dB)
After modeling the switch as a simple metal tab, 6.5
the diode will be modeled as both a simple equivalent 6
resistance and capacitance and by the manufacturer’s 5.5
SPICE model representation. Then the actual packag- 5
ing of the diode will be added to the three-dimensional 4.5
(3-D) model to accurately account for parasitic induc- 4 (4.17, 2.4745)
1
tance and capacitance. Finally, the effect of the feed 3.5 (4.45, 2.4329)
2
line and blocking capacitors on the antenna, which 3 Switch Off, RHCP
1 2
constitute the biasing network, will be considered. 2.5
Switch On, LHCP

Ideal Metal Tabs
The first step is simple: either include or exclude the
metal tab from the simulation. The results of the ON and
OFF states for the reflection coefficient of the antenna
are shown in Figure 6. When the metal tab is included,
2
4.1 4.15 4.2 4.25 4.3 4.35 4.4 4.45 4.5 4.55
Frequency (GHz)
Figure 7. The antenna is LHCP at 4.45 GHz in the ON
state and RHCP at 4.17 GHz in the OFF state.

November/December 2013 95
 SPICE Model Parameters for MSS40,000 Series Diodes
Parameters for Diode DF
Part Number IS RS CJO
X (pF) N = 1.0 Parameters for Diode DR
VJ = 0.7 IS = 37.4 nA
MSS40,045 3nA – 4.5pA 5.6 – 8.4 0.07 – 0.11 M = 0.2 N = 20.71
MSS40,341 TT = 3.0E - 12 XTI = 4.0
EG = 0.6 EG = 9.0
MSS40,048 5.5nA – 11pA 5.6 – 8.4 0.09 – 0.14
XTI = 2.0 BV = 10.0
MSS40,148
BV = 10.0
MSS40,248
MSS40,448
MSS40,141 3.5nA – 4.9pA 8 – 12 0.05 – 0.07
MSS40,244
MSS40,155 9.5nA – 26.5pA 4–6 0.2 – 0.3
MSS40,255 DR
MSS40,455
MSS40,B46 0.7pA – 1nA 8 – 20 0.07 – 0.125
Anode Cathode
MSS40,CR46
MSS40, PCR46
MSS40,B53 3.2 pA – 2.5nA 5 – 10 0.1 – 0.25
MSS40,CR53 DF
MSS40,PCR53

Figure 8. An extract from the diode manufacturer’s data sheet [10]. In the simplest case, this time it can be represented by a
series resistance in the on state or a series capacitance in the OFF state.

E25
Cp = 0.07 pF 55 (1.397) SQ.
Lp = 0.4 nH 45 (1.143)

Cut Lead is Cathode

18 (0.457)
12 (0.305)

Epoxy

5 (0.127) 2 Pls
50 (1.270) Max. 3 (0.076)

14 (0.356)
8 (0.203)
80 (2.032) Min.
Ceramic
Dimensions in mm

Figure 9. An extract from the diode manufacturer’s data sheet [10], showing the packaging dimensions and equivalent
parasitic values for capacitance and inductance. (Courtesy of Aeroflex.)

96 November/December 2013
Modeling the Diode
Of course the diode is not
simply an ideally conduct-
ing lump of metal. From
the manufacturer’s data
* MSS40000 Metelics Schotky Diode
sheet [10] it can be seen • SUBCKT MSS40000 1 2
that the chip can be repre- D1 1 2 DF
sented simply by a certain D2 2 1 DR
equivalent resistance or • MODEL DF D(IS = 1E–9 RS = 5
N = 1.0 TT = 3.0
capacitance when oper- • MODEL DR D(IS = 37.4E–9
ated in forward or reverse- N = 20.71 BV = 10
biased modes respectively, • ENDS
as shown in Figure 8. A
more complex representa-
tion is also possible, and Cp p
many manufacturers will
provide SPICE models 1
1 2 Lp n
of the diode behavior as 1 1

SPICE
shown here. 1l 2l MSS40000 2
In addition to the chip 2 Vbias V
behavior, the packaging
Lp n
of the diode also affects
the diode performance. In
Parasitics Cp p
this case, the manufacturer
specifies a parasitic induc-
tance and capacitance to
represent to the packag- Figure 10. A hybrid EM-circuit cosimulation between CST MWS and the full-fledged
ing effects, as shown in circuit simulator CST DS can be carried out, taking into account the SPICE model of the
Figure 9. It is important to diode and the manufacturer specified parasitics.
note that these values are
determined by measuring the diode in a particular test elements like these can be included directly in the 3-D
assembly, which may or may not correspond to how it full-wave simulation, their effect can also be considered
is being used on the antenna. as a postprocessing step by performing an EM-circuit
This representation can be taken into account sim- cosimulation with an appropriate simulation package.
ply by using the equivalent resistance or capacitance This is more flexible since it is very easy to exchange
for the ON or OFF states, respectively. While lumped one circuit model of the diode for another. The effects of

ON State OFF State

0 0
-5
-5
-10
-10
-15
-20 -15
-25
-20
-30 S1,1 On (Ideal) S1,1 Off (Cjo)
S1,1 On (RS) -25
-35 S1,1 Off (Ideal)
S1,1 On (SPICE Model) S1,1 Off (SPICE Model)
-40 -30
3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
Frequency (GHz) Frequency (GHz)
(a) (b)

Figure 11. The difference between using a simple resistance or capacitance to model the diode and using a more complex
SPICE model (in this case of a Aeroflex Metelics MSS40000 Schottky diode [10]) is clear to see in both (a) the ON state and
(b) the OFF state of the antenna.

November/December 2013 97

1 2 1 ues (e.g., the metallization of the antenna or the sub-
1 SPICE 1
1' 2'
2 Vbias V
2
MSS40000
Figure 12. The actual packaging geometry of the diode can
be included in the full 3-D model to take the parasitics into
account more accurately.
the circuitry on the antenna impedance and radiation
pattern can be seen.
If the cosimulation makes use of a full-fledged circuit
simulator, then considering the effect of the more com-
plicated SPICE model representation of the diode is sim-
ply a matter of replacing the resistor or capacitor by the
SPICE model, which can be controlled by a biasing volt-
age, as shown in Figure 10. Note that we have included
the manufacturer-specified parasitic inductance and
capacitance of the packaging here as well.
The effect of adding the diode model is very clearly
seen in Figure 11. In the ON state, a relatively small but
noticeable change in the reflection coefficient of the
antenna is observed. In the OFF state, the effect of the
diode on the behavior of the antenna is very noticeable
(the green and brown curves at right). The behavior of
the antenna is quite different. The complex effects of
the diode behavior are ignored at the engineer’s peril!
The difference between using a simple resistance or
capacitance to model the diode and using a more com-
plex SPICE model (in this case of a Aeroflex Metelics
MSS40000 Schottky diode [7]) is clear to see.
The manufacturer’s stated parasitic inductance
and capacitance is only really valid for a particular
arrangement of the diode packaging in its test fixture.
The surrounding geometry will also affect these val-
strate on which the diode is placed). The diode’s para-
sitics can be more accurately determined by actually
modeling the packaging in its actual environment,
i.e., on the patch antenna in question. The SPICE
model for the chip is still used, but, as shown in Fig-
ure 12, the parasitic elements have been removed
from the circuit model.
The effect of modeling the full packaging of the
diode in 3-D can be seen in Figure 13(a) by compar-
ing the brown and pink curves for the ON state and
(b) for the OFF state. While the nature of the curves
doesn’t change much, there is again a clear differ-
ence when the actual packaging in its real environ-
ment is considered.
Finally, switches in general require some kind
of biasing network. The design of this network is an
important part of the antenna design, as it preferably
should not affect antenna performance. It can be inte-
grated into the antenna geometry itself, but often there
will be additional traces that, if conducting, need to be
taken into account in the simulation model.
In this example, a bias voltage is applied to the larg-
est part of the patch through the coaxial feed, while
the smaller part is grounded by way of a quarter

ON State OFF State

0 0

-5 -5

-10 -10

-15 -15

-20 -20

-25 S1,1 On (Ideal) -25 S1,1 Off (Ideal)

S1,1 On S1,1 Off
-30 (SPICE + 3-D Package) -30 (SPICE + 3-D Package)
S1,1 On (SPICE Model) S1,1 Off (SPICE Model)
-35 -35
3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
Frequency (GHz) Frequency (GHz)
(a) (b)

Figure 13. Modeling the actual packaging of the diode again makes a difference to the simulation results for both (a) the ON
state and (b) the OFF state of the antenna.

98 November/December 2013
wavelength microstrip line and a via. This short circuit
produces a high impedance at the antenna edge and ide-
ally would not affect the current distribution on or the
radiation from the antenna. This works well in a narrow
frequency band only. Beyond the geometry, dc blocking
capacitors are also typically used to isolate the parts of
the antenna that need to be biased. In the same way as
the diodes, how the capacitors are modeled can make a
real difference to the predicted antenna behavior.
The dc blocking capacitors have been modeled as
lumped elements during the entire discussion so far.
The only addition here is the aforementioned quarter
wavelength microstrip line that connects the isolated
part of the antenna to the ground by a via, as shown
in Figure  14. This would ideally transform the short
circuit of the via into a high impedance at the antenna
edge, thus not affecting the current distribution on
the antenna or the radiation from it. But as can be
seen in Figure 15, the addition of this line has quite
a noticeable effect on the antenna impedance—com-
pare the blue curve that takes into account the biasing
line to the pink curve which doesn’t. Real care must
be taken in the design of the network, and it has to be
included in the simulation model if useful results are
to be obtained. How the line is terminated is also of
critical importance.
The effect of the complex diode model and the bias-
ing network on the far field of the antenna can be seen
in Figure 16. The axial ratio in the ON state (the red
curves) has improved, but the OFF state axial ratio
(green curves) has been degraded very badly when
compared to the predicted behavior when a simple
metal tabs we used to model the switch (cf. Figure 7).
The radiating behavior of the antenna has changed
substantially, and the initially optimistic results have
been shown to be an illusion.
ON State
0 0
-5 5
-5
-10 0
-10
-15 15
15
-15
-20 -20
-25 S1,1 On (3-D Bias) 5
-25
S1,1 On (Ideal)
-30 S1,1 On -3
30
-300
(SPICE + 3-D Package)
-35 -35
3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5
Frequency (GHz)
Figure 15. The effect of the biasing network can have a dramatic effect on the predicted antenna properties.
November/December 2013 99
Biasing by Coaxial Feed
Quarter
Wavelength dc Blocking
Microstrip Line Capacitor
Via to
Ground
Figure 14. This detailed view of the biasing network for
the diode shows the dc blocking capacitors and the quarter
wavelength microstrip line that provides a dc ground for
the smaller part of the patch.
An additional point to bear in mind is that capaci-
tors are not ideal. Some manufacturers will provide
quite detailed information about their capacitor char-
acteristics across a wide bandwidth. Transmission
characteristics can be far from ideal in the frequency
range of interest and can even include self-resonances
right in the frequency band of interest. In addition, the
capacitor’s properties can change, depending on how
it is mounted relative to the plane of the antenna. The
capacitor should not be treated like an ideal lumped
element unless it is certain that its performance is
good at the frequencies and in the configuration it is
intended to be used in. The complex behavior can be
taken into account in a simulation model in a similar
way as for the diode, i.e., by performing a hybrid EM-
circuit simulation.
One Antenna—Multiple Configurations
Reconfigurable antennas provide a particular design
challenge in that they have to be designed so that their
OFF State
S1,1 Off (3-D Bias)
S1,1 Off (Ideal)
S1,1 Off
(SPICE + 3-D Package)
3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
Frequency (GHz)

Axial Ratio (dB)
10
9 1
8
7
6
5 MATLAB or Octave. At each optimization step the
4 optimizer would generate models for each operat-
(4.07, 7.5921)
3
1 ing mode of the antenna, and then link to an EM
2 (4.45,0.61765)
2 2
Switch Off (RHCP)
1 Switch On (LHCP)
0 Another approach—the one described here—
4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6
Frequency (GHz)
Figure 16. Modeling the full complexity of the diode and
the biasing network has a dramatic effect on the predicted
radiating properties of the antenna.
multiple operating modes all work correctly. The dif-
ficulty is that the modes cannot simply be optimized
in isolation or in sequence, since each mode will affect
the operation of all the others. The antenna consists of
a single geometry which has to be optimized to per-
form properly for all different configurations.
The following quote is from a widely referenced
paper and refers to the geometric parameters of the
circularly polarized patch antenna shown earlier in
this article: “These parameters are selected via trial-
and-error.” [4]. While this approach is surely not typi-
cal for all reconfigurable antenna designs, the quote
does point to a fundamental difficulty in the design of
these antennas: how can one simultaneously optimize
multiple states of a single antenna geometry?
Consider a hypothetical example of an antenna
with four different operating modes. Classically this
would have required four separate simulation models,
which would have been optimized separately, start-
ing with the first. The problem is that once the second
and subsequent models are optimized, the results for
Switch On
Switch Off
Figure 17. Individual models reflecting the various states
of the reconfigurable antennas can be derived from a single
master model. The ON model is identical to the master
model while in the OFF model local mesh settings remove
the switch (metal tab) from the simulation.
100 November/December 2013
the other operating modes will have become worse
and will probably have gone out of specification. All
of the modes have to be optimized simultaneously.
Several approaches could be used. One way
of dealing with this problem would be to use an
optimizer written in a mathematical toolkit like
simulation tool to solve them before retrieving and
processing the results.
makes use of the SAM framework built into CST Stu-
dio Suite. This allows the user to control sequences of
simulations in a very general way, including param-
eter sweeps and optimizations of parallel simula-
tions. In the SAM framework, multiple models of the
individual operating modes of the antenna can be
derived from one master model, which contains all
the geometric information. This master model is opti-
mized while taking all the derived models’ results
into account simultaneously. There is one simulation
model and one set of goals, as in reality.
The example described here is again of a simple
patch antenna with a slot (Figure 17). The master model
contains the entire antenna description including all
switchable parts. From this master model, individual
models are derived to describe the different antenna
configurations which we want to consider by defin-
ing simulation projects in CST DS. For each simulation
project, the appropriate solver type (typically, the same
solver for each) and simulation settings can be speci-
fied, and modifications to the geometry and mesh can
be made as required.
In this example, the model for the ON state sim-
ulation project is identical to the master model. In
the OFF state simulation the “switch” object in our
model has been omitted from the simulation by
modifying its local mesh settings. (Here the switch
is modeled as a simple metal tab, but of course this
can be replaced by the more complex approaches
shown earlier.)
Both simulations can be carried out with a single
iteration of an optimization loop in a single update,
and both sets of results are then available in one place
in the CST DS navigation tree. The results of both oper-
ating modes of the antenna states are then available for
combined processing during that optimization step.
The optimization is not limited to S-parameters: any
of the antenna’s properties from its multiple operating
states could be considered in this way. One of the chal-
lenges in simulating reconfigurable antennas was to
be able to optimize the multiple operating states of a
single antenna simultaneously. This problem is over-
come by running all the simulation projects in one
consecutive sequence, with all the parameters in a
single place. The position and length of the slot in this

0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
2.0
0
fres.on 3 GHz -1
-2
fres.off 2.5 GHz -3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
2.0
Figure 18. This example antenna was optimised to operate at 3 GHz in the ON state and at 2.5 GHz in the OFF state.
example were optimized so that the antenna operates
at 2.5 GHz in the OFF state and 3 GHz in the ON state,
as shown in Figure 18.
Conclusion
Reconfigurable antennas are not trivial devices to
design. The mechanisms for reconfiguration add lev-
els of complexity that can have effects that are difficult
to predict in advance. Using a suitable simulation tool
such as CST Studio Suite allows one to consider these
effects during the virtual prototyping phase of one’s
design, reducing the chance of unexpected surprises
once a physical prototype is constructed and mea-
sured in the laboratory.
The focus of this article was on two important
aspects of the design of reconfigurable antennas with
electromagnetic simulation. The first was a discus-
sion of the reconfiguration mechanisms commonly in
use today and how they can be included in a simula-
tion model. A particular focus was on the modeling
of switches. Their complexity needs to be considered,
and it was shown how hybrid EM-circuit cosimula-
tions allow the taking into account the real behavior of
switches and their packaging. The second focus was
on how an optimization of reconfigurable antennas
must simultaneously consider all operating modes
of the antenna single geometry. Simply optimizing
them sequentially is not sufficient. As a simple exam-
ple of implementing such an optimization workflow,
the SAM framework in CST Studio Suite was used to
set up, analyze and optimize two configurations of
November/December 2013 101
S-Parameter [Magnitude (dB)]
fon c 3.0 GHz S1,1—Optimized
S1,1—Original
2.5 3.0 3.5
Frequency (GHz)
S-Parameter [Magnitude (dB)]
foff ≈ 2.5 GHz
S1,1—Optimized
S1,1—Original
2.5 3.0 3.5
Frequency (GHz)
the patch antenna geometry to resonate at two differ-
ent frequencies.
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