Non-Identical Rectangular Microstrip Antenna Arrays for Amplitude Tapering

ABSTRACT

A design technique of an antenna array with amplitude distribution/tapering to suppress the first side lobe level by exploiting the property of the rectangular microstrip antenna (RMSA) is proposed. Non-identical antenna array elements have been designed using the RMSAs by varying their width and hence the gain (keeping the length and hence the frequency same) to obtain the amplitude distribution for a desired first side lobe level. This eliminates the need of a complicated feed network with unequal power division to realize amplitude tapering. The conceptualized design is verified for a number of corporate-fed arrays and an analysis is carried out to give design guidelines with respect to the number of elements in the array. A symmetric corporate-fed 8-element antenna array with a cosine-square over pedestal amplitude distribution, operating at 1.8 GHz, has been designed and fabricated to validate the proposed concept. There is a reasonable agreement between simulated and measured results.

KEYWORDS:

• Aperture distribution
• First side lobe level
• Gain
• Linear array
• Non-identical antenna elements
• Rectangular microstrip antenna

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Authors acknowledge SAMEER, MeitY, Govt. of India, Mumbai and VJTI, Mumbai managements for providing facility for experimentation and encouragement.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bharati Singh

Bharati Singh has obtained her BE degree (electronics and telecommunication) from NIT, Jaipur and her MTech degree from VJTI, Mumbai. She is currently pursuing her PhD degree in VJTI, Mumbai. Her areas of interest are antenna arrays and wireless communication.

E-mail: [email protected]

N. Sarwade

N. Sarwade received BE degree in electronics engineering from Jiwaji University, Gwalior and ME (solid state electronics) and PhD (electronics engineering) degrees from University of Roorkee. She was working as a lecturer at the University of Roorkee during 1983–1987. Currently, she is working as an associate professor at the VJTI, Mumbai, India. Her research interests include nano electronics, nano communication, and microwave circuit design.

E-mail: [email protected]

K. P. Ray

K. P. Ray (M’93–SM’04) has MTech degree in microwave electronics from University of Delhi and PhD degree from Department of Electrical Engineering IIT, Bombay. Presently, he is a professor in the Department of Electronics Engineering, DIAT, Pune. Prior to this, he was a program director at SAMEER Mumbai, wherein he joined SAMEER (TIFR) in 1985 and worked in the areas of RF and microwave systems/components and developed expertise in the design of antenna elements/arrays and high power RF/microwave sources for RADAR and industrial applications. He has successfully executed over 46 projects sponsored by government agencies/industries in the capacity of a designer, a chief investigator, and a project manager. He was a guest/invited//adjunct faculty in EE Department at IIT, Bombay, University of Mumbai and CEERI (CSIR) Pilani for postgraduate courses. He has co-authored a book with Prof. G. Kumar for Artech House, USA and published over 320 research papers in international/national journals and conference proceedings. He holds three patents and filed three patents. He has been in advisory capacity for many international/national conferences, engineering colleges, chaired many sessions, and delivered several invited talks. He is an associate editor of International Journal on RF and Microwave Computer-Aided Engineering, John Wiley, and a reviewer of IEEE TAP, AWPS, IET (Formerly IEE, UK), International Journal of Antennas and Propagation (USA), PIERS (USA), International Journal of electronics (USA), Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications (USA), International Journal of Microwave and Optical Technology (IJMOT) USA, International Journal of Microwave Science and Technology, Hindawi, AEU Elsevier, SADHNA Springer, IETE (India), and many international/national conferences, and chaired many sessions. He is a senior member of IEEE (USA), a fellow IETE, and life member of Instrument Society of India and Engineers of EMI/EMC society of India.

E-mail: [email protected]