PCB Antenna and Fabrication

Design, validate, analyze, and export 1-by-2 H-notch linear antenna array.

Design and analyze the dual-fed square microstrip patch antenna for Bluetooth Low Energy applications.

Integrate a corporate power divider with a microstrip patch antenna array. The corporate power divider is available as a catalog element in RF PCB Toolbox. The patch antenna array is built using the patchMicrostripInsetfed catalog element and pcbStack from Antenna Toolbox.

Create a 2x2 patch array on FR4 substrate, analyze the antenna, and generate Gerber files of the PCB for prototyping. The design operates at around 2.4 GHz.

Model and analyze a second-order modified Sierpinski fractal antenna in a monopole configuration using Antenna Toolbox™ software. A single triangular Sierpinski cell is the basic building block of the Sierpinski fractal antenna. In this example, you construct a second order modified Sierpinski fractal antenna by fractalizing a single Sierpinski cell embedded with a diamond shape in two iterations. The triangle and the diamond have the same ratios throughout the process. The modified design has a reduced footprint in terms of the overall dimensions and the quantity of metal conductor compared to a normal second-order Sierpinski fractal antenna. The order of fractalization determines the number of resonant frequencies of the antenna.

Create an antenna model from Gerber files and subsequently analyze the antenna. The Gerber file format is used in printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing and is defined in the RS-274X standard which is the newer extended Gerber format. The Antenna Toolbox™ supports the newer RS-274X format both to generate Gerber files from an antenna model as well as to create an antenna model from a set of Gerber files.

Builds a model of a microstrip-fed printed wide slot antenna on FR4, analyzes it and finally enables prototyping by generating Gerber files. The design is intended for operation in the L-band and has a bandwidth of about 17% over the band 1.6 - 1.8 GHz.

The steps to model and analyze a probe-fed stacked patch antenna. The standard rectangular microstrip patch antenna has a narrow impedance bandwidth typically less than 5%. The stacked patch configuration is one of the ways of increasing the impedance bandwidth of these antennas to be greater than 25% [1]. There are different ways of designing stacked patches, primarily differing in the way their feed is designed [2]. The two types of feeding mechanisms are probe-feed and aperture coupled. These two mechanisms have a role in the impedance bandwidth behavior as well as the radiation characteristics of the antenna.

Design and measure a wideband dual polarized microstrip antenna that finds its use at the base station of a cellular system. In order to achieve the wideband characteristics, this design considers a slot coupled patch antenna structure.

The standard rectangular microstrip patch is a narrowband antenna and provides 6-8 dBi Gain with linear polarization. This example based on the work done in [1],[2], models a broadband patch antenna using a slot in the radiator and develops a dual-band and a tri-band variation from it. In the process, the single wide response has been split into multiple narrow band regions catering to specific bands in the WiMAX standard. These patch antennas have been probe-fed.

Model and analyze a vivaldi antenna with an internal matching circuit. The vivaldi is also known as an exponentially tapered slot antenna. The antenna possesses wideband characteristics, low cross polarization and a highly directive pattern. The design is implemented on a single layer dielectric substrate with 2 metal layers; one for a flared slot line, and the feed line with the matching circuit on the other layer. The substrate is chosen as a low cost FR4 material of thickness 0.8 mm. The design is intended for operation over the frequency band 3.1 - 10.6 GHz [1].

Design and analyze a compact ultra-wideband (UWB) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna array presented in [1]. The American Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allowed commercial use in the 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz frequency range starting from 2002. Since then, researchers have worked to develop antenna technology for this ultra wide frequency range. The main challenge in designing a UWB antenna with such a wide bandwidth is the multipath fading. A popular solution to overcome this fading effect is to use MIMO antenna array technology, which also increases the channel capacity of UWB systems.