A Lab Manual

On
Design and Fabrication of a Microstrip
Patch Antenna
Prepared by
Syed Saadullah Hussaini
Entry No. 2012 CRF 2074
Objective:
To design and fabricate a linearly polarised rectangular s!uare "icrostrip patc# antenna on a gi$en substrate of
t#ic%ness 0.7&2 "" and dielectric constant '.2 at a fre!uency of ()0 *+, and 2.-.+,. /nd "easure t#e antenna
para"eters li%e return loss and radiation pattern.
Brief ntroduction:
*icrostrip antennas find "any applications as t#ey are lo0 profile1 lig#t 0eig#t1 confor"able to surface and
ine2pensi$e to "anufacture using printed3circuit tec#nology. For a rectangular patc#1 t#e lengt# L of t#e ele"ent
is usually L < g/2 40#ere 5g is t#e guide 0a$elngt# on t#e substrate6. T#ic%er substrates 0it# lo0er dielectric
constant pro$ide better efficiency and larger band0idt# but at t#e e2pense of larger ele"ent si,e. T#in substrates
0it# #ig#er dielectric constants lead to s"aller ele"ent si,es1 "ini"i,e coupling1 but are less efficient and #a$e
relati$ely s"aller band0idt#s.
Fig.1 *icrostrip /ntenna
T#e field $ariation across t#e lengt# of t#e patc# is s#o0n in figure 14b6. T#e nor"ali,ed i"pedance along t#e
lengt# of t#e patc# is s#o0n in figure 21 "a2i"u" resistance at t#e edges is typically 1-0 7 '00 o#"s and t#e
centre is a s#ort circuit.
Fig.2 Nor"ali,ed 8"pedance along t#e lengt# of t#e patc#
Design Procedure:
Step !
Calculate t#e 0idt# of t#e patc# as
Step "
Calculate t#e effecti$e dielectric constant
For 49# : 16
Step #
Calculate t#e lengt# correction due to fringing
Step $
T#e lengt# of t#e patc# can no0 be calculated as
Step %
T#e feed point position for -0 ;#"s can be calculated using t#e follo0ing e2pression
9#ere Rin ( y=y0) is -0 ;#"s and Rin ( y=0 ) is roug#ly gi$en as 4Neglecting t#e "utual coupling of
t#e slots6
/lternati$ely t#e patc# can also be fed using a !uarter 0a$e "icrostrip line as an i"pedance
transfor"er1 or using an inset feed1 pro2i"ity fed etc.
Si&ulation:
;nce t#e di"ensions are obtained t#e antenna can be si"ulated on a co""ercially a$ailable 2.-< or a
'< E* si"ulator. /nd furt#er opti"i,ation and fine tuning of di"ensions can be carried out to bring t#e
resonance bac% at t#e desired fre!uency 0it# acceptable return loss.
Mas' (eneration and Antenna Fabrication:
=ayout generation can be done in intellicad or autocad soft0are for preparing t#e "as%. ;nce t#e "as%
is pinted on a transparent s#eet1 t#e patc# can be fabricated using con$entional p#otolit#ograp#y
process.
)est * Measure&ent:
T#e return loss for t#e patc# antenna can be "easured on a net0or% /naly,er. T#e E3plane and +3plane
patterns can be "easured in a far3field test set up 4preferably in an anec#oic c#a"ber6 0it# a standard
gain antenna as a trans"itting antenna and t#e /ntenna under test as a recei$ing antenna "ounted on a
pedestal.