Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Suzhou, China, Sept.

1216, 2011 619

Simulation of a Conformal Recongurable Fractal Tree Antenna
with Adaptive Multi Beam and Frequency Characteristics
Huseyin Altun
1
, Erdal Korkmaz
1
, and Bahattin Turetken
2
1
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Fatih University, Istanbul, Turkey
2
The National Research Institute of Electronics and Cryptology (UEKAE), Tubitak, Gebze, Turkey
Abstract This paper presents the design and the analysis of a conformal fractal tree re-
congurable antenna having adaptive multi beam radiation patterns and adaptive operation
frequency characteristics. The proposed antenna covers some service bands such as: WiMAX
(2.4002.483) GHz, m-WiMAX (3.43.6) GHz and WLAN (5.155.825) GHz and operates some
other frequencies between 2.24 GHz to 9.87 GHz. The designed antenna is recongured by using
PIN diode switches. For biasing the diodes, inuences on the antenna characteristics is presented
in the results. The optimization in biasing and integration of these switches into the antenna is
also discussed.
1. INTRODUCTION
In radar and modern communication systems the demand on multi-functional antennas is increas-
ing. The requirements for these antennas are the abilities to have multi radiation patterns, adapting
the operation frequency and polarization, keeping the physical dimensions and positioning unal-
tered. Recongurable antennas with switching capability used as a multiple input multiple output
(MIMO) system have been used in recent years to fulll these requirements. By means of switches
with compatible antenna elements the antenna and its feed structure can be physically recong-
ured to provide radiation pattern, frequency band and polarization diversity so they have more
advantage to compare with conventional antennas [1]. The most prevalent implementation about
recongurable antenna is related to the operation frequency [2] since it might be the easiest feature
to alter. Polarization and pattern recongurable antennas are also attractive since they can provide
diversity features which leads to an increased signal to noise ratio and therefore a higher quality of
service of whole systems [35].
PIN diodes are generally used more than transistors and switches as switching devices for RF
and microwave front-end communication systems since they have several crucial properties such as
low insertion loss, good isolation, low power handling and low cost [6].
Although a recongurable antenna can take many shapes we will focus on fractal tree antennas in
this work. In terminology, fractal means broken or irregular fragments which were originally entitled
by Mandelbrot [7] to describe a family of complex shapes that possess an inherent self-similarity
in their geometric structure. As a result of small investigation in the environment a lot of example
for fractal shapes can be seen as trees, clouds, galaxies, leaves, snowakes and much more. Fractal
tree structures can be applied into antenna design to produce multiband characteristics [810].
A conformal antenna is an antenna that conforms to something or it conforms to prescribed
shape. The shape can be some part of a train, airplane or other vehicle. The purpose in conformal
antenna is to make surface matched structure so that it becomes integrated with the structure and
does not extra drag. Since they have very low prole and can be applied on exible substrates they
can behave hidden antennas [11].
The target in this paper is showing the design of a new shape of fractal tree antenna for multiband
and multi radiation pattern applications. PIN diodes are used as switches for multi frequency and
multi beam reconguration. By switching PIN diodes, the resonant frequency and radiation pattern
variation simulation by using CST is presented.
2. ANTENNA DESIGN
A designed recongurable fractal tree antenna schematic is presented from its top view in Figure 1(a)
and perspective view in Figure 1(b). Antenna is designed on a substrate with a Rogers RT5880
(lossy) material which has 2.2 relative permittivity. The height of the substrate is 70 mm and the
width is 64.7 mm and with a 1.6 mm thickness. The ground has been chosen from PEC material
with a thickness of 0.2 mm. Substrate and ground made conformal on the cylinder with a radius of
50 mm. The antenna is fed by a 50 ohm round coax. The inner conductor of the coax has diameter
620 PIERS Proceedings, Suzhou, China, September 1216, 2011
of 0.689 mm with a material PEC and the shield is 2.13 mm Rogers RT5880. The feeding line is
5 mm long from end to top.
As shown in Figure 1(a) some parts at the antenna is numbered for the description. The
numbered part are called trunk and they make the connection from source to branches. For
switching, PIN diodes are used. The connection between feed line and trunks are established by
the diodes namely, D1t, D2t, D3t, D4t while the connection between trunks and branches are
established by diodes D1b, D2b, D3b, D4b. In our structure totally eight PIN diodes are deployed
to alter the electrical length of the antenna to operate at dierence resonant frequencies.
Dimension of the trunks (part 1, 2, 3, 4) are 20 2 mm and branches are 10 2 mm with the
rotation angle of 45 degree and with the rotation angle of 90 degree at the middle. Fractal structure
has thickness of 0.1 mm. PIN diodes are 0.5 mm.
The PIN diodes are modeled as a series RL circuits for ON state, and a combination of series-
parallel RLC circuits for the OFF state which can be seen in Figure 2. As a result of searching
for suitable PIN diodes, MACOM-MA4AGBLP 912 was chosen for the simulation since it has high
switching cut o frequency, low series inductance and small forward resistance [12]. The equivalent
circuit of the PIN diode, shown in Figure 2, is used in the simulation.
The values of the elements of the equivalent circuits for simulation are given in Table 1. Lumped
elements are used in modeling the PIN diode within CST Microwave Studio.
(a) (b)
Figure 1: Designed antenna schematic. (a) Top view and (b) perspective.
(a) (b)
Figure 2: The equivalent circuits of the pin diode. (a) ON state, (b) OFF state.
Table 1: The values of the elements of the PIN diode simulation equivalent circuit.
Element Value
Serial Inductance (Ls) 0.5 nH
Serial Resistance (Rs) 5
Papallel Resistance (Rp) 1 k
Parallel Capacitance (Cp) 0.02 pF
Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Suzhou, China, Sept. 1216, 2011 621
3. SIMULATION RESULTS
The desired conformal recongurable fractal tree antenna is designed and simulated by using CST
Microwave studio. By changing the diodes conditions, we alter on the characteristic of antenna
and it results shifting in operating frequency and radiation pattern. By dierent combinations of
diodes ON state or OFF state we have many dierent radiation patterns with dierent operating
frequencies. When all eight diodes are ON state, antenna starts to operate at 2.89 GHz, 6.25 GHz
and 8.17 GHz and return loss and radiation pattern (phi = 0, turning about theta) is shown in
Figure 3. In Figure 4, the diodes on the vertical axis become ON state and horizontal axis become
OFF state, then opposite condition of this is shown (theta = 90, turning about phi). In Figure 5,
radiation patterns sequentially are shown while diodes are ON state between source to trunk and
trunk to branch is showing separately for each trunk-branch couple. It can be seen that while the
trunk is becoming ON or OFF state with branch, radiation direction is changing with 90 degree
since there are 90 degree angles between trunks. In order to notice this situation we had a two-
Table 2: Compilation of results.
Mode ON State Diodes Resonant Frequency (GHz) Max. Peak Gain (dBi)
I D1t, D1b, D3t, D3b 2.52, 5.89, 8.4, 9.3 6.64
II D3t, D3b, D4t, D4b 2.58, 5.7, 8.02, 9.5 4.51
III D1t, D2t, D3t, D4t 4.32, 4.63, 7.59, 8.2 9.91
IV D2t, D2b 2.29, 5.44, 8, 9.58 4.63
V D1t 3.49, 4.91, 7.5,8.33 6.09
VI ALL 2.89, 6.25,8.17 4.47
(a) (b)
Figure 3: When all diodes are ON state. (a) Return loss and (b) radiation pattern at 2.9 GHz.
(a) (b)
Figure 4: (a) Vertical diodes are ON and others are OFF state. (b) Horizontal diodes are ON state at
2.4 GHz.
622 PIERS Proceedings, Suzhou, China, September 1216, 2011
Figure 5: When diodes are ON between source to trunk and trunk to branch for each trunk-branch couple
at 2.4 GHz.
dimension result which has the theta = 45 angle by turning about phi. By using this specication
the radiation pattern side can be easily controlled by diodes. This feature can work properly in
WiMAX (2.4002.483) GHz and WLAN (5.155.825) GHz bands. Also, a detailed compilation of
the results by using dierent combination are shown in Table 2.
4. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper a multiband frequency reconguration is studied by using of a conformal fractal tree
antenna controlled by PIN diodes. The eect of the biasing lumped elements on the antenna per-
formance is discussed based on the simulation results. PIN diodes reconguration causes frequency
shift in the resonance frequency of the antenna and radiation pattern (side) can be controlled by
changing PIN diodes state ON or OFF.
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