Stacked square fractal antenna with improved bandwidth for wireless local area network access point

Abstract

Wireless local area network (WLAN) system of IEEE 802.11a standard can offer data rate up to 54 Mbps. It uses the 5 GHz band, which is of less interference compared to its predecessor for 2.4 GHz band operation. However, the higher frequency also restricts its use to almost line-of-sight due to limited penetration ability. Thus, more access points are needed with suitable antennas. One such configuration is the microstrip antenna which is low profile and cost effective. Nevertheless, microstrip antennas inherit narrow bandwidth. However, stacked configuration is able to provide larger bandwidth suitable for the desired operation. This paper presents the design of a corner-fed stacked fractal microstrip antenna with a sandwich of air layer, operating between 5.15 GHz and 5.825 GHz. Simulations were performed on the designed antenna. The square stacked microstrip antenna was found to perform well in terms of bandwidth, beamwidth and low cross polarization, despite its small size