Wideband and multiband antennas for multi-configuration mode applications

Abstract

A combination of a simultaneous band of operations is needed to fulfill customers’ requirements such as having a cost-effective and better service in the wireless communication system applications. Integration of many antennas in one single device requires a lot of space. Therefore, a reconfigurable antenna is proposed to combine multiple antennas' operations into one antenna, allowing simultaneous bands to operate at one time. This thesis presents three proposed antenna designs equipped with the switching ability between narrowband, multiband and wideband reconfigurations using Positive-Intrinsic-Negative (PIN) diodes as switching techniques. The first proposed antenna (Antenna A) is a combination of elliptical monopole and slot-dipole Coplanar Waveguide (CPW)-fed antenna that can operate in three modes known as narrowband (2.4 GHz / 3.5 GHz / 5.2 GHz), multiband (2.4 GHz, 3.5 GHz and 5.2 GHz), and wideband (2.0 GHz to 6.0 GHz). The second proposed antenna (Antenna B) operates at different operating frequency ranges such as dual-band at 1.57 GHz and 2.4 GHz and wideband from 3.5 GHz to 9.0 GHz. Additionally, it can achieve a single narrowband mode if additional switches are added. The second antenna concept is extended to the third and final proposed antenna (Antenna C) but with additional functionality. Unlike the second antenna, the third antenna resonates in multiband and wideband modes simultaneously. It is achieved by incorporating the slot-dipole arm into a bowtie shape with a CPW-fed antenna. The antenna provides a simultaneous multi-wideband mode operation (1.57 GHz, 2.4 GHz and 3.3 GHz to 9.0 GHz) and is switched to a multiband mode (1.57 GHz, 2.6 GHz, 3.5 GHz, 7.0 GHz) and a wideband mode (3.5 GHz to 9.0 GHz). The proposed antennas were designed using Computer Simulation Technology (CST) software, fabricated on Flame Retardant 4 (FR4) substrate and tested in terms of S11, radiation pattern and gain performances. The proposed antennas are applicable in the telecommunication industry, such as multimode wireless communication systems that offer multiple standards and applications, for instance, Global Positioning System (GPS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Fourth Generation Long-Term Evolution (4G LTE), Bluetooth, and others through a wide range of frequencies. Multiple wireless communication services in a single antenna will optimize the antenna functionality and increase the flexibility of the antenna towards the system applications. In addition, less space is required as compared to the system which employed a conventional antenna. The proposed antennas provide more applications in a single antenna as compared to other previously reported works on frequency reconfigurable antenna.