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PRINTED DIPOLE RADIATING ELEMENTS FOR BROADBAND AND

WIDE SCAN ANGLE ACTIVE PHASED ARRAY
Dr. U.K.Revankar and Harishchandra
Electronics and Radar Development Establishment
C. V.Raman Nagar, Bangalore - 560 093, INDIA
Tel/ Fax: 91-80-5241074, E-mail :revankaruk@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT
Active Phased Arrays typically require array radiating elements with broad bandwidth as
well as large scan angle capability, with low cross-polarisation levels for realising low
sidelobe patterns. The Printed Dipole antenna element presented in this paper offers all
the features required for an Active Array radiating element, viz., a bandwidth in excess of
18% in L-Band with a good pattern shape, large beam width and low cross-polarisation
levels. The antenna structure with bent arms and an integrated balun, has also been
analysed using IE3D EM Simulator and has been optimised practically for its
performance characteristics as an array element with a wide scan angle capability of
k 60" from the broadside of the array.
INTRODUCTION
Active Phased Arrays provide additional benefits as compared to conventional Passive
Phased Arrays, in terms of graceful degradation, reduced RF losses, broader bandwidth
capability. Although T/R (Transmit / Receive) modules form the key elements of the
Active Phased Array architecture, the choice and realisation of radiating elements of the
Active Array also do play an equally prominent role in accruing these additional benefits.
The Active Array radiating elements are required to offer features of broadband pattern
characteristics, simultaneously with a wide scan angle capability providing a low sidelobe
pattern synthesis over the complete array scan zone. The present paper describes a
Printed Dipole radiating structure, designed with an integral microstrip balun and
wideband matching circuitry, and investigated for its broadband features and widebeam
performance with good pattern characteristics.
PRINTED DIPOLE ELEMENT
A Printed Dipole radiating element with an integrated microstrip balun ([I], [?I) has been
found to provide a broad operating bandwidth. But, to obtain a wide 3 dB beamwidth in
one of its principal planes and also low cross-polarisation levels, it is required to optimise
the structure in terms of its bent arm, its balun as well as input matching microstrip
circuitry, the choice of the microwave substrate and the edge spacing of the substrate on
the radiating side of the dipole. The Printed Dipole structure investigated is as shown in
Fig. 1. The dipole, almost half wavelength long (0.4A,) along the periphery and width
0.05h0 (where h, is the dipole's resonant free space wavelength), is printed with its bent
arms on a fairly thick (0.014hJ microwave substrate with a dielectric constant of 3.38
(RO 4003 of Rogers) and thickness 125 mil. The dipole is excited through an integrated
microstrip line balun realised on ground plane formed by extension of the dipole arms.
The dipole printed on the substrate with this integrated microstrip balun is placed at a
quarter wavelength (h,/4) from a ground plane reflector and is connected to the matching
circuitry on the other side of the reflector, through a coaxial tab connector placed in the
ground plane.
02001 IEEE
0-7803-7070-8/01/$10.00 796
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DESIGN DETAILS ON THE ANTENNA STRUCTURE

The Printed Dipole dimensions have been chosen based on the feed point resistance at
resonance of approximately 80 ohms. The length of the microstrip line and the
balanced line €lab of the integral balun network have been judiciously chosen (0, = 105",
= 90" ) to provide double tuned VSWR response for obtaining a wideband frequency
characteristics of the dipole feed point impedance. The microstrip line impedance of the
balun matches the dipole feed point resistance, and the balanced ground plane
transmission line widths are selected three times that of the microstrip width. The input
matching network on other side of the reflector is realised based on double stub tuned
small size microstrip network for a broadband reactive matching.
PRINTED DIPOLE REALISATION
The microwave substrate employed for the dipole is of fairly higher dielectric constant
( E ~: 3.38) and higher thickness (125 mil) and thus provides a larger bandwidth as well as
beamwidth. The effect of bent arms of the dipole has been investigated with different
bend angles ($) of 20", 30" and 40". Also, the substrate edge on the radiating side of the
dipole has been trimmed along the dipole bent arms with an edge spacing (S) of 3mm,
5mm and 7mm. The input impedance of the dipole has been studied in all these cases,
with proper input impedance match provided in each of the cases by tuning the double
stub reactive microstrip matching network. The compact size input microstrip matching
network has been realised on a high dielectric constant soft ceramic microwave laminate
(E, : 10.2, thickness : 50 mil) with a quarter inch Aluminum cladding, and is screwed on
to the other side of the dipole reflector, in line with the dipole microstrip balun (Fig. 1).
DESIGN OPTIMISATION
The Printed Dipole structure (Fig. 1) has been investigated experimentally as well as
analytically with the Zealand EM Simulation package IE3D, for its impedance and
pattern characteristics, for all the above combinations of bend angle (4) and edge spacing
( S ) . The microstrip input matching network has been designed by CAD optimisation for
each of these combinations of the dipole structure. Fig. 2 is a Smith Chart Plot of dipole
input impedance with integrated balun (without the matching circuitry), and compares
very well with the theoretical results through EM Simulation.
RADIATING ELEMENT PERFORMANCE
Fig. 3 is the recorded return loss frequency response of the dipole with a bend angle of
30", and edge spacing (S) of 5mm, indicating a very good impedance match
characteristics over a bandwidth of > 18 % in L-Band frequency. Radiating patterns are
recorded for the Printed Dipole with different combinations of edge spacing (S) and bend
angles (6). The bend angle of 30" with an edge spacing (S) of 5mm (0.02 X,,), has been
found to be the combination providing a good pattern characteristics, with fairly low
cross-polarisation levels (< - 25 dB), with 3 dB beamwidths of 60" to 70" in E-plane and
110" to 130' in H-plane over the frequency band (Fig. 4). Many number of such Printed
Dipole radiating elements have been developed and characterised for their repeatable
matched performance, before transfer to production in numbers.
CONCLUSION
The Printed Dipole radiator structure has been investigated experimentally as well as
analytically for its impedance and pattern performance characteristics, to be used as an
Active Array element. The optimised Printed Dipole design has been ultimately arrived
at, and offers a large H-plane beamwidth of 120' and E-plane beamwidth of 70", with
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cross-polarisation levels better than -25 dB in both H- and E-planes. The results
presented in this paper on the optimised structure of the antenna elements represent an apt
solution for an Active Array Radiating Element, in respect of bandwidth and wide scan
angle capability.
REFERENCES
1. B.Edward and D.Rees, “A broadband Printed Dipole with Integrated Balun“,
Microwave Journal, May 1987, pp. 339-344.
2. S.M.Rao, T.K.Sarkar, P.Midya and A.R. Djordevic, “Electromagnetic Radiation and
Scattering from Finite Conducting and Dielectric Structures : Surface/Surface
Formulation”, IEEE Trans. Antenna and Propagation, July 1991, pp. 1034 - 1037.

I”I out

Fig. 1 Printed Dipole Structure

Fig. 2 Input Impedance of the Printed Dipole with

Integrated Balun (without matching circuitry)

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Fig.. 3
(Bend Angle : 30°, Edge Spacing I 5 mm)
0 dB

Degrees from Broadside

Fig. 4 Patterns of Printed Dipole Radiator

(Bend Angle : 30°, Edge Spacing : 5 mm)

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