The principal contributions of this study include the development of a new capacitive feeding mechanism for wideband probe-fed microstrip patch antennas as well as the implementation of a spectral-domain moment-method formulation for the efficient analysis of large, but finite arrays of these elements. Such antenna configurations are very useful in the wireless communications industry, but extremely difficult to analyse with commercially available software. Probe-fed microstrip patch antennas have always been a popular candidate for a variety of antenna systems. Due to their many salient features, they are well suited for modern wireless communication systems. However, these systems often require antennas with wideband properties, while an inherent limitation of probe-fed microstrip patch antennas is its narrow impedance bandwidth. This can be overcome by manufacturing the antenna on a thick low-loss substrate, but at the same time it also complicates things by rendering the input impedance of the antenna very inductive. In this thesis, a new capacitive feeding mechanism is introduced that can be used for probe-fed microstrip patch antennas on thick substrates. It consists of a small probe-fed capacitor patch that is situated next to the resonant patch. The benefits of this configuration include the fact that only one substrate layer is required to support the antenna. It is also very easy to design and optimise. The use of full-wave methods for an accurate analysis of microstrip antennas, has basically become standard practice. These methods can become very demanding in terms of computational resources, especially when large antenna arrays have to be analysed. As such, this thesis includes a spectral-domain moment-method formulation, which was developed for the analysis of probe-fed microstrip patch antennas or antenna arrays that comprise of the new capacitive feeding mechanism. Here, entire-domain and subdomain basis functions are combined in a unique way so as to minimise the computational requirements, most notably computer memory. It is shown that, for general antenna array configurations, memory savings of more than 2500 times can be achieved when compared with typical commercial software packages where only subdomain basis functions are used. Some of the numerical complexities that are dealt with, include various methods to evaluate the spectral integrals as well as special algorithms to eliminate the recalculation of duplicate interactions. The thesis also contains a quantitative comparison of various attachment modes that are often used in the moment-method modelling of probe-to-patch transitions. Various numerical and experimental results are included in order to verify the spectral-domain moment-method formulation, to characterise the new feeding mechanism and to illustrate its use for various applications. These results show that, in terms of accuracy, the spectral-domain moment-method formulation compares well with commercial codes, while by comparison, it demands very little computer memory. The characterisation results show that the input impedance of the antenna can be fully controlled by only adjusting the size of the capacitor patch as well as the width of the gap between the capacitor patch and the resonant patch. In terms of applications, it is shown how the new antenna element can effectively be employed in linear arrays with vertical polarisation, horizontal polarisation or dual slant-polarisation. These represent some widely-used configurations for modern base-station antennas. / Thesis (PhD (Electronic Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / unrestricted

This dissertation investigates a simple LC-matching network for the impedance bandwidth enhancement of microstrip patch antennas. Wideband impedance matching is a standard practice for active circuits. Simple impedance matching of antennas is also quite common, but data on wideband impedance matching of antennas is not found very much in the open literature. The matching circuit presented consists out of a resonant LC-circuit with a quarterwave matching line as part of the design. Results for a number or experimental antennas, on which the new technique was applied, are included in the report. A well-defined design procedure is also presented, and results in a relatively small circuit to implement. It is shown that the antenna VSWR bandwidth could be improved to more than double the original size in most of the antennas investigated. / Dissertation (M Eng (Electronic Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / unrestricted

In this research we attempted several modifications to microstrip ring/loop antennas to design multi-frequency antennas through systematic approaches. Such multi-frequency antennas can be useful while building compact terminals to operate at multiple wireless standards. One of the primary contributions was the use of a capacitive feed arrangement that enables simultaneous excitation of multiple concentric rings from an underlying transmission line. The combined antenna operates in the same resonant bands as the individual rings and avoids some of the bands at harmonic frequencies. A similar feeding arrangement is used to obtain dual band characteristics from just one ring, with improved bandwidth. This is made possible by widening two adjacent sides of a square ring antenna symmetrically, and attaching an open stub to the inner edge of the side opposite to the feed line. Use of fractal segments replacing the side with the stub also results in a similar performance. Use of fractal geometries has been widely associated with multi-functional antennas. It has been observed from the parametric studies that, the ratio of the resonant frequencies can range from 1.5 to 2.0. This shows some flexibility in systematically designing dual-band antennas with a desired pair of resonant frequencies. An analysis technique based on multi-port network modeling (MNM) has been proposed to accurately predict the input characteristics of these antennas. This approach can make use of the ordered nature of fractal geometries to simplify computations. Several prototype antennas have been fabricated and tested successfully to validate simulation and analytical results.

In light of incidents and concerns regarding the vulnerability of the global positioning system (GPS), the main purpose of the thesis is to look at alternative systems for radio guidance and to put up a serious study on such alternatives with receive and transmit antenna. There is also the need to design such antennas with multiple frequencies to offer robustness in the unlikely event that such adversarial attacks on the GPS happen. The basis on which such alternative antennas are designed is a slotted microstrip. The characteristics of the slot or slots on the microstrip are analyzed by mapping their exact locations on the patch and then noting the resultant center frequencies, the return losses, and the bandwidth. The activities associated with this also focus on the design, fabrication, validation, and characterization of one or more slotted antennas prototypes. The measurement of the antenna prototypes does confirm several frequencies that coexist to see applications, in aeronautical radionavigation, fixed-mobile radionavigation, and radiolocation. The antennas could also feature in a wide-area augmentation system (WAAS), satellite ground link system (SGLS) as well as in surveillance and precision approach radars. Some variations of the antenna are deployed in the areas of law enforcement, surveillance, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Applications of the antenna in an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) are feasible due to its multiple resonant frequencies. Radiolocation and radionavigation antennas have also been known to be mounted in UAVs or on tethered balloons along the borders of the United States to detect low-flying aircraft in support of drug interdiction programs.

Antennas in hand-held radios must be compact and unobtrusive. Electrically small and low-profile antennas experience high input reactance, low input resistance, and low radiation efficiency.Further degradation of radiation efficiency occurs in hand-held radios due to size-reduced ground planes, losses within the plastic device casing, and losses due to coupling with the tissue of the user. These factors may also affect the radiation pattern of the antenna. This discussion reports on antenna designs that are well suited for hand-held radios. The design issues are covered for electrically small antennas and the hand-held environment. A review of Microstrip Antenna (MSA) theory, and the theory of the Inverted-L Antenna (ILA), and variations on the ILA including the Inverted-F Antenna (IFA), Planar Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA), and Dual Inverted-F Antenna (DIFA) is included. Two specific antenna designs are presented: the DIFA and the Proximity-Coupled Rectangular Patch MSA. The radiation patterns and input impedance of the DIFA are calculated numerically and measured empirically. The Proximity-Coupled Rectangular Patch Microstrip Antenna is treated numerically. / Master of Science

This thesis work presents a new harmonic suppression technique for microstrip patch antennas. Harmonic suppression in active integrated antennas is known as an effective method to improve the efficiency of amplifiers in transmitter side. In the proposed design, the antenna works as the radiating element and, at the same time, as the tuning load for the amplifier circuit that is directly matched to the antenna. The proposed active antenna architecture is easy to fabricate and is symmetric, so it can be conveniently mass-produced and designed to have circular polarization, which is preferred in many applications such as satellite communications. The antenna simulations were performed using Ansoft High Frequency System Simulator (HFSS) and all amplifier design steps were simulated by Advanced Design System (ADS). The final prototypes of the linearly polarized active integrated antenna and the circularly polarized active integrated antenna were fabricated using a circuit board milling machine. The antenna radiation pattern was measured inside Utah State University's anechoic chamber and the results were satisfactory. Power measurements for the amplifiers' performance were carried out inside the chamber and calculated by using the Friis transmission equation. It is seen that a significant improvement in the efficiency is achieved compared to the reference antenna without harmonic suppression. Based on the success in the single element active antenna design, the thesis also presents a feasibility of applying the active integrated antenna in array configuration, in particular, in scanning array design to yield a low-profile, low-cost alternative to the parabolic antenna transmitter of satellite communication systems.

Reflectarrays are traditionally passive, planar microstrip antenna devices designed for reflected phase manipulation at each individual antenna element making up the array. By varying the phase response across the surface with the antenna elements, reflectarrays allows a planar surface to exhibit electromagnetically an arbitrary geometry, such as a spherical surface. Initially proposed as a low-cost replacement for bulky parabolic reflectors, reflectarrays have been successfully developed and utilized at both RF and millimeter-wave frequencies. From the standpoint of an optical systems designer, adapting low-frequency reflectarray technology to develop a sub-millimeter and infrared reflectarray (SMIR) would provide a highly desirable alternative to similarly behaved polished or diffractive optical devices. Compared to traditional optical reflectors, SMIRs should be cheaper to fabricate, have a smaller physical footprint, allow for utility stacking, and encourage direct integration of aberration correction. To demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing reflectarray technology at infrared (IR), a simple SMIR proof of concept has been successfully designed, fabricated, and tested. The SMIR is comprised of three independent arrays or "stripes" of a single size element on a coated optical flat. Actual reflectarray elements consist of variable size patches that exhibit higher operating bandwidths than reflectarrays utilizing other types of elements and are easier to fabricate at small dimensions. For testing, each stripe element has been chosen to exhibit a unique phase shift for measurement using an IR interferometer. Preliminary investigation of future reflectarray development is also discussed. Emphasis is placed on improving operating bandwidth, development of a planar focusing element, and aberration correction. With further development, SMIR technology should present a powerful tool for low cost, flexible optical system design.

No / A small dielectric resonator antenna has been designed for ultra wideband (UWB) communication system applications. The antenna element is a rectangular low permittivity ceramic block, with a dielectric constant of 9.4, and the modified T-shaped feed network includes a 50 ohm microstrip line to achieve strong coupling, and some bandwidth enhancement. The antenna performance is simulated and measured over a frequency band extending from 3100 MHz to 5500 MHz; the impedance bandwidth over this interval is 55.8% with VSWR <; 2, making the antenna suitable for UWB applications.

<p> The microstrip transmission line has been theoretically analysed using conformal transformation and variational techniques. The variational method has been used to compute the line capacitance, characteristic impedance and guide wavelength of the following microstrip structures: (i) Microstrip transmission lines having negligible and finite strip conductor thickness. (ii) Microstrip transmission lines on two layer dielectric substrates having negligible and finite strip conductor thickness.</p><p> The total losses incurred in microstrip lines on semiconductor substrates have been included. An experimental technique (based on the Deschamps method) for measuring the characteristic impedance of microstrip lines through a lossy junction using a high precision microwave reflection bridge has been described. Measurements of the characteristic impedance of microstrip lines on intrinsic germanium substrates have been carried out at 9.38 GHz, and good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results have been obtained.</p> / Thesis / Master of Engineering (MEngr)

no / Reconfigurable beam steering using circular disc microstrip patch antenna with a ring slotis proposed. The overall dimension of the antenna is 5.4×5.4 mm2 printed on a 0.504 mm thick, Rogers RT5870 substrate with relative permittivity 2.3 and loss tangent 0.0012. The designed antenna operates at the expected 5G frequency band 60 GHz with a central coaxial probe feed. TwoNMOS switches are configured to generate three different beam patterns. Activating each switch individually results in a near 70 degree shift in the main beam direction, whereas the frequency characteristics are unchanged. The power gains are between 3.9 dB and 4.8dB for the three states of switches configurations. Simulated results in terms of return loss, peak gains and radiation pattern are presented and show a reasonable agreement at the expected 60 GHz bandfor 5G applications. / The published journal webpage is no longer available.