Performance comparison of array antenna arrangement in a microstrip array antenna

Abstract

Antennas have fundamental importance in the field of wireless communication systems. With advances in miniature design for communicating devices and broadband technologies, needs for low-cost and small sized antennas supporting broadband communications have grown like never before. In this project, it presents three different designs of 16-element array arrangements for operation at 5.8GHz. The proposed design is used rectangular patch conductor shape and has been optimized using quarter-wave impedance matching to provide high performance of the antennas. The study includes of the development of a threedimensional antenna model, antenna simulation and analysis of results based on various outputs of the CST Microwave Studio software package. In order to compare the performance of the antenna in larger array, a 64-element array configuration is considered. The design has been fabricated and the prototype been analyzed using the results from Network Analyzer. The performances of the antennas have been discussed and analyzed in term of return loss, bandwidth, Half- Power Beam width (HPBW), gain and directivity, and antenna efficiency. The results of the analysis suggest that the antenna with minimum number of discontinuities such as bends and T-junctions are found to give reduced levels of side lobe radiation, increased gain and directivity, and a better antenna efficiency.