Antennas for VHF/UHF personal radio: A theoretical and experimental study of characteristics and performance

A theoretical analysis of the characteristics of small personal radio antennas for the 68- to 470-MHz frequency range is given. Representing the human body by a simplified lossy dielectric structure, the influence of the body on the performance of the antenna is investigated in detail, and it is shown how antenna impedance, gain, and radiation patterns can be calculated taking the presence of the body into account. For very short antennas the results indicate that radiation from the body may dominate over the radiation contributed by the antenna itself, and that the presence of the body can increase the antenna efficiency considerably, indicating that even very short antennas may provide acceptable radiation efficiencies. The results of the theoretical work are supported by measurements on practical antennas. Quarter-wave and short antennas of the helical type are compared with respect to efficiency and radiation patterns at 80, 160, and 450 MHz, and it is demonstrated how the physical length of the antenna affects the antenna performance. The design of a very short and compact personal radio antenna is described.     

Calculation of the frequency characteristics of the electromagnetic radiation of waveguide-horn antennas

A method for calculation of the frequency characteristics of the electromagnetic radiation of waveguide-horn antennas is proposed. The method is based of frequency expansions of the field of the electromagnetic radiation of the antenna excited by auxiliary finite pulses. This radiation is calculated with the use of the method of nonstationary waveguide equations and the concept of a virtual electromagnetic waveguide. Examples of calculation of the amplitude-phase characteristics of the circuit and radiation patterns at fixed frequencies are presented. It is shown that a high accuracy of determination of frequency characteristics is attainable in rather wide frequency band.     

Antenna Modeling Based on a Multiple Spherical Wave Expansion Method: Application to an Antenna Array

A method to derive an equivalent radiation source for planar antennas is presented. This method is based on spherical near-field (NF) data (measured or computed) to ascertain an equivalent set of infinitesimal dipoles placed over the main antenna aperture. These produce the same antenna radiation field, both inside and outside the minimum sphere enclosing the antenna. A spherical wave expansion (SWE) of the NF data is written in terms of infinitesimal dipoles using a transition matrix. This matrix expresses the linear relations between the transmission coefficients of the antenna and the transmission coefficients of each dipole. The antenna a priori information are used to set the spatial distribution of the equivalent dipoles. The translational and rotational addition theorems are exploited to derive the transmission coefficients of the dipoles. Once the excitation of each dipole is known, the field at any aspect angle and distance from the antenna is rapidly calculated. Computations with EM simulation data of an antenna array illustrate the reliability of the method.      

Circularly polarized log-periodic dipole antenna for EMImeasurements

Two types of broad-band antennas are widely used for electromagnetic interference (EMI) measurements in the frequency range from 30 to 1000 MHz. Log-periodic dipole antennas (LPDA) are mainly used for the range above 300 MHz and biconical antennas for the range less than 300 MHz. These two antennas have linear polarization. However, EMI measurements can sometimes be more conveniently made with an antenna having circular polarization and so we propose an improved LPDA, which has circular polarization. This LPDA has a second array of dipoles so arranged that each dipole of the second array has a quarter-wavelength phase difference from that of the corresponding dipole of the standard LBDA array for the given radiation field. For this reason, we named it a cross-element LPDA. The cross-element LPDA does not need a broadband 90° hybrid junction to produce circular polarization. We calculated the height pattern and the frequency characteristics of the classical site attenuation (CSA) for the cross-element LPDA when used for both transmitting and receiving, as well as the antenna factor. Moreover, we calculated the normalized site attenuation (NSA) when the cross-element LPDA is used for receiving or for both transmitting and receiving     

The Radiation Properties of a Novel Wire Antenna for the Security Fence Radar

The radiation properties of a novel wire antenna are investigated. The main part of this antenna is a sinusoidal wire undulator, which radiates by coupling electromagnetic energy from a Goubau line located near the antenna. Far-field patterns and S-parameters composed of three sets of antenna are measured. The measured patterns are compared with the calculated ones and the phase and attenuation constants of all the antennas are calculated. Frequency behavior and the dependency on the antenna dimensions of those wave parameters are investigated. Measured and calculated field patterns are also compared with the MoM patterns and some properties of the wave propagating along structure are explained by using MoM current distributions. It is shown that a broadside transversal radiation occurs in a narrow frequency band. The radiation intensity strongly depends on the coupling distance between the Goubau line and the sinusoidal undulator. This antenna is used as the basic element of the security fence radar antenna array working at 1.25 GHz in the L-band, which detects intruders approaching the fence. The performance of the antenna in the array is investigated and the near field distribution of the array is measured. The received signals caused by an intruder are given. The effects of rain and wind are also considered. The results suggests that the security fence radar introduced in this study can be used for the perimeter control of closed areas such as airports, malls, etc.      

新型套筒天线的研究与应用

采用矩量法分析了安装在金属圆柱筒上的套筒天线.研究了这种新型套筒天线的输入阻抗、电压驻波比(VSWR)、增益及辐射方向图等电特性.设计出了工作在105～420MHz频段和225～600MHz频段的实用天线,分析结果与实验结果吻合良好.     

The Millimeter Wave Radiation of a Traveling Wave Sinusoidal Wire Antenna

In this paper, investigation of radiation properties of the traveling-wave sinusoidal wire antennas is extended to the millimeter-wave frequencies (Ka-band) for the antennas whose geometrical dimensions vary in a wide range. Far-field patterns and S-parameters of composed three antenna sets were measured. A mathematical model was constructed for the structure and a MATLAB code based on this theoretical approach was written to calculate patterns, phase and attenuation constants of all investigated antennas. Frequency characteristics and the relation of antenna dimensions with wave parameters were investigated. Measured and calculated patterns were also compared with the constructed far-field patterns obtained by MoM (method of moments) and the MoM current distributions were used to explain the loss mechanisms of antennas. A directive, undistorted and smooth radiation can be achieved only choosing small undulated antennas whose peak-to-peak amplitude to period ratio κ is smaller than 0.4 (κ?<?0.4). It is shown that wavelength of broadside radiation is not equal to antenna period for all antennas, except for very small undulated antennas (κ?<?0.2). This antenna type can be used as a frequency-scan antenna for millimeter wave radars.     

Analysis of electromagnetic radiation from shaped-end radiatorsusing the finite difference time domain method

The finite difference time domain (FDTD) technique is a popular method for analyzing electromagnetic scattering, radiation, and penetration problems. Several authors have recently applied the FDTD method to antenna radiation problems. To date, the antenna structures considered have been wire and conical monopole antennas, rectangular waveguides, pyramidal horn antennas, and microstrip antennas. Results from these analysis have been in the form of normalized field patterns and no results showing absolute gain have been presented. The article demonstrates the first staircased application of the FDTD method to the analysis of radiation from circular waveguides and other shaped-end radiators. Results of absolute gain versus angle are shown for a straight-cut circular waveguide and for two different shaped-end radiators. All FDTD analyses are full three-dimensional computations and are compared in each case with measured data     

Étude en optique physique d’une antenne a double réflecteur

After having recalled to mind some fundamentals of the electromagnetic theory, the authors compare experimental and theoretical results obtained in the approximation of physical optics for a few known antennas. For the Cassegrain antenna, the surfaces of the main reflector and of the auxiliary reflector and the incident field generated by the primary source, constitute data. First, the distribution of the field on the auxiliary reflector is determined. After that, the radiation in the area near the auxiliary reflector with regard to the main reflector, is calculated, and then the electromagnetic field radiated at a great distance by the antenna. The calculation programme is a general one, and applies to reflectors of any shape. Results obtained on two Cassegrain antennas belonging to the CNET are presented, one of them being of the revolution type and the other of the asymmetrical dual reflector type.     

Low profile diversity antenna for MIMO applications

A low profile diversity antenna for MIMO application is introduced. The design is based on a double folded dipole antenna filled with a slab of ceramic of /spl epsiv//sub r/=6. Two diversity antennas operating at 5.2 GHz are designed and implemented on a handset for IEEE.11a wireless systems. The isolation is found to be better than 20 dB in both measurement and simulation and measured bandwidth is about 250 MHz at -10 dB. Simulated and measured radiation patterns are close to each other. The envelope cross-correlation is calculated to be much less than 0.1 and the ratio of the mean effective gain between the antennas is close to unity.     

An FDTD/MoM hybrid technique for modeling complex antennas in thepresence of heterogeneous grounds

Calculating the current distribution and radiation patterns for ground-penetrating radar antennas is a challenging problem because of the complex interaction between the antenna, the ground, and any buried scatterer. Typically, numerical techniques that are well suited for modeling the antennas themselves are not well suited for modeling the heterogeneous grounds, and visa versa. For example the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique is well suited for modeling fields in heterogeneous media, whereas the method of moments (MoM) is well suited for modeling complex antennas in free space. This paper describes a hybrid technique, based upon the equivalence principle, for calculating an antenna's current distribution radiation pattern when the antenna is located near an air-ground interface. The original problem is decomposed into two coupled equivalent problems: one for the antenna geometry and the other for the ground geometry, with field information passing between them via a rapidly converging iterative procedure. The fields in each region may be modeled using numerical techniques best suited to them. Results for several test cases are presented, using FDTD to model the ground problem and MoM for the antenna problem, that demonstrate the accuracy of this hybrid technique     

A modified contour Integral analysis for Sierpinski fractal carpet antennas with and without electromagnetic band gap ground plane

A modified contour integral method coupled with segmentation method has been used, for the first time, to analyze both the Sierpinski fractal carpet (SFC) antennas of different orders and an SFC antenna with electromagnetic band gap (EBG) ground plane. The close agreement between the calculated and measured results for resonant frequencies and input return losses indicates that this technique can be used to accurately predict the impedance characteristic. A novel stacked microstrip Sierpinski carpet fractal antenna using the EBG ground plane is also presented. Comparing to an ordinary microstrip fractal antenna, which has a maximum bandwidth of approximately 2%, the proposed antenna has a higher input impedance bandwidth of nearly 9%. The radiation patterns of the proposed antenna are improved due to the removal of unwanted radiation caused by the surface wave. The experimental measurement results of the proposed antenna are presented in this paper.     

Miniaturized integrated antennas for far-field wireless powering

This paper describes a series of high-efficiency miniaturized antennas of different sizes that can be integrated with the same wireless-powered RFID chip. Since this RFID chip has power scavenging capability in different ISM bands, several integrated on-chip and off-chip antennas in the three ISM bands of 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz are designed, including one antenna integrated on chip. All proposed antennas are derived from a new planar antenna structure which can be designed toward arbitrary input impedance within a given area constraint. The measurement results for the presented antennas show a different read range. The resulting read range versus antenna size diagram specifies the best operating frequency band for a given read range and occupied area. Though this diagram depends on the chip's specifications like the power-on sensitivity and input impedance, it can be generated for any chip. In addition, the measurement results concerning read range and radiation patterns for the proposed antennas are presented and compared with simulation results, showing very good agreement.     

Equivalent circuit of twin Vivaldi antenna fed by coplanarwaveguide

A coplanar waveguide-fed twin Vivaldi antenna has been developed and tested at 4.4 GHz and an equivalent circuit has been proposed. E-plane radiation patterns show a centred zero because of the odd excitation of the antennas while low cross-polarisation levels are observed. The maximum radiation angle can be modified by adjusting the distance between the antennas. The equivalent circuit will be useful for the design of a parallel series-fed array of Vivaldi antennas     

Numerical analysis of bodyworn UHF antenna systems

Bodyworn antennas are found in a wide range of medical, military and personal communication applications, yet reliable communication from the surface of the human body still presents a range of engineering challenges. At UHF and microwave frequencies, bodyworn antennas can suffer from reduced efficiency due to electromagnetic absorption in tissue, radiation pattern fragmentation and variations in feed-point impedance. The significance and nature of these effects are system specific and depend on the operating frequency, propagation environment and physical constraints on the antenna itself. This paper describes how numerical electromagnetic modelling techniques such as FDTD (finite-difference time-domain) can be used in the design of bodyworn antennas. Examples are presented for 418 MHz, 916·5 MHz and 2·45 GHz, in the context of both biomedical signalling and wireless personal-area networking applications such as the Bluetooth^TM wireless technology     

利用点源阵模型分析微带贴片天线

提出了一种新的微带贴片天线远场分析模型.与传统的等效磁流分析方法不同,通过对贴片天线表面电流的合理假设,利用点源阵及波瓣图乘法原理,将微带天线看作半波阵子的连续阵来分析,求得了其辐射场.将结果与其他模型的结果进行了比较,证明了该方法的有效性.     

Wire-antenna designs using genetic algorithms

There is a large class of electromagnetic radiators designated as wire antennas. As a rule, an inductive process is used to design these antennas. Either an integral equation is formulated or a simulator is used that gives the current distributions on the wires of the antenna, from which the electromagnetic properties of the antenna can then be determined. Once the antenna properties are known, the parameters are optimized, using guides such as intuition, experience, simplified equations, or empirical studies. However, using an electromagnetics simulator in conjunction with a genetic algorithm (GA), it is possible to design an antenna using a completely deductive approach: the desired electromagnetic properties of the antenna are specified, and the wire configuration that most closely produces these results is then synthesized by the algorithm. In this paper, we describe four antennas designed using GAs. The first is a monopole, loaded with a modified folded dipole that was designed to radiate uniform power over the hemisphere at a frequency of 1.6 GHz. The second antenna consists of seven wires, the locations and lengths of which are determined by the GA alone, that radiates waves with right-hand-circular polarization at elevation angles above 10°, also at 1.6 GHz. The last two antennas are modified Yagis. One is designed for a broad frequency band and very low sidelobes at a center frequency of 235 MHz. The other is designed for high gain at a single frequency of 432 MHz. We have built and tested these antennas     

Measured vehicular antenna performance

Power gain radiation patterns of mobile antennas mounted in six different locations on a test vehicle were measured with and without typical lights and sirens mounted on the roof. The measurements were performed at frequencies representing the frequency bands of 25 to 50, 150 to 174, 400 to 512, and 806 to 866 MHz. In addition, special antennas consisting of three disguised antennas operating at discrete frequencies of 40.27, 162.475, and 416.975 MHz and one slot antenna operating at 413 MHz were also measured. Plots of power gain radiation patterns are given for the mobile antennas mounted in six different locations on the test vehicle and for the special antennas. Results showing the effects of poor grounding characteristics are also included. Recommended locations for mounting the mobile antennas are given for specific frequency bands.     

High frequency techniques for antenna analysis

A summary of various high-frequency techniques is presented for analyzing the electromagnetic radiation from antennas in the presence of their host environment. These techniques provide physical insight into antenna radiation mechanisms and are found to be highly efficient and accurate for treating a variety of practical antenna configurations. Examples to which these techniques have been applied include open-ended waveguide antennas, horn and reflector antennas, and antennas on aircraft and spacecraft. The accuracy of these techniques is established via numerical results which are compared with those based on other independent methods or with measurements. These high frequency methods can be combined with other techniques, through a hybrid scheme, to solve an even greater class of problems than those which can be solved in an efficient and tractable manner by any one technique alone     

The calculation of radiation characteristics of antennas near a rectangular cylinder reflector by GTD

The horizontal radiation patterns of dipoles and double-loop antennas near a rectangular cylinder reflector are calculated and analyzed by the geometrical theory of diffraction (GTD). The magnitudes of the direct field, the reflected field and the diffracted field at a field point are studied. The effects on the resultant field pattern of the size of the reflecting cylinder, of the relative position between the antennas and the reflecting cylinder, and of the methods of feeding of antennas are analyzed. The results obtained show that in order to obtain the optimum omni-directional characteristics of rediation, the optimum design for the parameters of antenna system is needed. The method and results in this paper provide means and bases for the optimum design of this kind of antenna system.