1

Design and Assembly of an Antenna Demonstration System

Alexander J. Hempy, Student Member, IEEE, Michael P. Civerolo, Student Member, IEEE, Dean Y. Arakaki, Member, IEEE
AbstractThis paper describes the design, assembly, and operation of a self-contained wireless demonstration system that requires only DC power supplies. The system demonstrates polarization effects, radiation patterns, gain, directivity, and signal interference from environmental barriers for dipole, corner reflector (simulated antenna array), Quagi, and embedded patch antennas. The system includes an RF oscillator, high-frequency amplifiers, RF bandpass filters, a signal strength indicator, and multiple adjustable antenna mounting platforms. Index Terms Dipole antennas, microstrip antennas, antenna arrays, embedded patch antennas, corner reflectors.

Fig. 1. Wireless system block diagram

HE antenna demonstration system is designed for ease of use, simple construction, and operation with multiple antenna types. It consists of four antenna types, a bandpass filter, amplifiers, an oscillator, and a signal strength detector as depicted in Fig. 1. The system operates at 915MHz which allows for relatively small antennas and eliminates requirements for components that operate at frequencies above UHF.

I. INTRODUCTION

II. SYSTEM COMPONENTS A. Stationary Dipole Antenna A stationary dipole antenna is used for 915MHz signal transmission for all demonstrations, see Fig. 2. The stationary dipole is vertically polarized and mounted to a wooden base. The antenna includes a 3/8 brass tube outer conductor with a 5/32 brass tube center conductor. With the selected tube dimensions, (1) yields a 52.5 characteristic impedance where a is the inner conductor radius and b is the outer conductor radius. The dipole incorporates a split-type balun to minimize surface current radiation. The dipole arms are 10AWG solid copper wire soldered to the brass tubing. The dipole is fed through an SMA RG174 cable soldered to the opposite end of the brass tubing structure.

Fig. 2. The stationary dipole antenna is used for transmission throughout the entire demonstration

(1) B. Rotating Dipole Antenna A rotating dipole, identical to the stationary dipole, is used to demonstrate signal reception, see Fig. 3. Polarization effects and radiation pattern characteristics (including nulls) of dipole antennas are illustrated. The rotating dipole antenna is mounted on two Lazy Susan bearings to allow rotation in two orthogonal directions; azimuth and roll. These rotational axes are used to illustrate radiation pattern (received signal strength vs. angle) and polarization (TX/RX antenna alignment) effects, respectively.

Manuscript received May 1, 2010. This work was supported in part by the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society. The authors are with the Electrical Engineering Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 USA (e-mail: ahempy@calpoly.edu, mciverol@calpoly.edu, darakaki@calpoly.edu).

Fig. 5. The Quagi antenna uses parasitic elements to direct the signal from the driven element toward the director elements Fig. 3. A rotating dipole antenna is used to illustrate polarization and radiation pattern effects

Fig. 6. The embedded patch antenna illustrates an actual application (cell phones) and emphasizes the benefits of microstrip antennas

Fig. 4. The corner reflector antenna simulates an antenna array

C. Corner Reflector A corner reflector is used to demonstrate a simulated dipole antenna array, see Fig. 4. The corner reflector includes slots positioned for 90, 60, and 30 corners that simulate antenna arrays with 4, 6, and 12 elements, respectively. A dipole antenna, identical to the stationary and rotating dipoles, is used to receive signals with the corner reflector. The support structure allows antenna positioning for optimum transmission with different corner angles. The corner reflector is mounted to a Lazy Susan which allows rotation to demonstrate simulated array radiation patterns. D. Quagi Antenna The Quagi antenna is used to demonstrate directionality and gain, and is a variation of a Yagi-Uda antenna that substitutes square loops for dipole elements, see Fig. 5. The Quagi

antenna has one active element and three parasitic elements: one driven element, one reflector, and two directors. The reflector and director elements focus radiation from the driven element toward the directors. This results in a gain (in the maximum radiation direction) greater than that of a dipole antenna. The Quagi is supported by a wooden boom positioned above a Lazy Susan. E. Embedded Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Patch Antenna The embedded PCB patch antenna is used to illustrate a scaled version of current cell phone antenna technology and the advantages of microstrip antennas: low profile, ease of fabrication, low cost, and PCB compatibility with other circuitry. The patch antenna is milled alongside a 915MHz amplifier and is matched to a 50 transmission line via a quarter-wave transformer, see Fig. 6.

Fig. 9. A bandpass filter suppresses out-of-band transmission.

Fig. 7. A negative resistance oscillator provides the 915MHz transmitted signal.

Fig. 10. The signal strength indicator illuminates LEDs proportional to the received RF signal strength

Fig. 8. A microstrip amplifier provides 15dB signal gain.

F. Oscillator A negative resistance oscillator is used to generate the 915MHz RF signal. The oscillator provides 0dBm when supplied with 9V DC input. The oscillator couples energy into a /2 10AWG copper wire resonator to generate oscillations. The oscillator is shown in Fig. 7. G. Amplifiers Two amplifiers provide approximately 15dB gain each: one in the receiver and the other in the transmitter, see Fig. 8. The amplifiers are milled on FR4 PCB. Matching networks minimize reflections and improve amplifier efficiency. High impedance quarter-wave lines are added to DC bias the high frequency transistor. The bias lines are AC shorted to ground through coupling capacitors near the biasing circuitry to create an open circuit at both RF transistor ports. H. Bandpass Filters A 2nd order coupled-line 915MHz microstrip bandpass filter suppresses out-of-band reception, see Fig. 9. The filter has a nominal 30MHz 3dB bandwidth and approximately 2.7dB insertion loss at 915MHz. I. Signal Strength Indicator The signal strength detector uses an RF peak detector, an LED bar graph driver, and a gain-adjustable non-inverting operational amplifier, see Fig. 10. The peak detector converts the received RF signal to a DC voltage which is proportional to the received signal strength. This DC voltage is applied to a non-inverting operational amplifier for range adjustment, and to a bar graph display circuit, which drives a 30 LED array. The number of illuminated LEDs is proportional to the peak detector voltage and received RF signal strength.

Fig. 11. Environmental barriers simulate actual wireless system environments. From left to right: ESD, drywall, copper mesh, and poultry net barrier.

J. Environmental Barrier Environmental barriers simulate actual wireless system environments and resultant signal attenuation effects. The environmental barriers are represented by four 2 x 2 frames composed of drywall, poultry net, ESD material, and copper mesh, see Fig. 11. The drywall and poultry net represent building walls, while the ESD and copper mesh frames simulate electronics manufacturing environments. EM wave attenuation caused by these conductive and metallic surfaces are illustrated by the system. III. ASSEMBLY A. Dipole Elements The dipole antennas used in the stationary, rotating, and corner reflector antennas are all composed of 3/8 outer and

Fig. 12. Corner reflector dipole input matching

Fig. 14. Stationary dipole antenna base dimensions

Fig. 13. The dipole elements are supported by the split balun

5/32 inner brass tubing, 10AWG copper wire, and RG174 SMA male coaxial cable. Two 8.2cm length slots (/4 at 915MHz) are cut into the 3/8 brass tubing using a Dremel cutting wheel attachment to form a split balun. 1/8 diameter holes are drilled at one end of both the 3/8 and 5/32 brass tube to accommodate the dipole arms. The 10AWG copper wire dipole arms are soldered into the 1/8 holes, see Fig. 13. The 10AWG copper wire dipole arms are soldered into the 1/8 holes, see Fig. 12. The initial 4 length dipole arms are tuned by trimming 1/32 increments from each arm until |S11| is minimized at 915MHz.The input matching for the corner reflector dipole is shown in Fig. 12. Hot glue is applied inside the dipole end to mechanically stabilize the tip of the split balun. The coax feed line is stripped and the center conductor is soldered to the 5/32 inner brass tube, whereas the outer coax conductor is soldered to the 3/8 outer brass tube. The coaxial feed lines are approximately 2 long for the stationary and rotating dipole antennas, and approximately 3 for the corner reflector. The stationary and rotating dipole antenna tubing is 7 in length; the corner reflector tubing is 20 in length. B. Stationary Dipole Antenna The stationary dipole base is composed of wooden components secured with wood glue. All dimensions are defined in Fig. 14. The mounting post is composed of two 1 thick 2 wide posts glued together as shown in Fig. 14. A 17/32 diameter hole accommodates the dipole.

Fig. 15. Rotating dipole antenna base dimensions

C. Rotating Dipole Antenna The rotating dipole base is also composed of wooden components assembled using wood glue, except the two Lazy Susans, which are secured by wood screws. All dimensions are defined in Fig. 15. A 17/32 hole accommodates the dipole. D. Corner Reflector The corner reflector table is composed of wood. All dimensions are defined in Fig. 16. The corner reflector table includes slots that allow 90, 60, or 30 corner reflector angles. The 22 x 22 platform is attached to a 10 x 22 wooden base via a Lazy Susan. Cable tie mounts and cable ties secure the dipole and allow dipole repositioning with the different corner angles, see Fig. 17. For a 90 corner, the dipole is placed approximately 7.09 from the corner apex to achieve peak received field strength. The dipole is placed 8.39 and 15.16 from the corner apex for 60 and 30 corner angles, respectively.

Fig. 16. Corner reflector dimensions

Fig. 19. Quagi antenna dimensions

Fig. 17. Corner reflector dipole mount.

Fig. 20. The Quagi is fed on the vertical side by a coaxial cable. Gap length is 1/32

Fig. 18. Quagi input matching

E. Quagi Antenna The Quagi antenna is composed of wood, a 5/16 wooden dowel, and wood glue. All dimensions are defined in Fig. 19. The boom is secured to the stand using a 5/16 wooden dowel. The Quagi elements are squares formed from 10AWG solid copper wire. The directors, driven elements, and reflector have 3.08, 3.23, and 3.43 sides, respectively. The reflector and directors are soldered together to form closed squares. The driven element is fed by RG174 coax on the vertical side to vertically polarize the antenna, see Fig. 20. The Quagi may also require tuning. The driven elements unconnected side is initially 0.2 longer than specified. File down one end of the driven element until |S11| is minimized at 915MHz. The Quagi input matching is shown in Fig. 18. Maintain a 1/32 gap between the copper ends.

Fig. 21. Embedded PCB patch antenna layout

F. Embedded PCB Patch Antenna The embedded PCB patch antenna is milled on 31 mil thick, 9 x 12 RT Duroid 5870 laminate. The amplifier is similar to the FR4 amplifiers and has the same biasing circui. The PCB patch antenna Gerber file is available upon request from the authors. The layout is shown in Fig. 21. G. Oscillator The oscillator is assembled on 62 mil FR4 laminate. The schematic is given in Fig. 22. Resonance occurs in a /2 (6.38) 10AWG solid copper wire. The copper wire resonator

Fig. 24. 915MHz amplifier layout

Fig. 22. Oscillator schematic

Fig. 25. Amplifier bias circuit

Fig. 23. Coupling between transistor and copper wire resonator

is applied to the Avago AT-41486 transistor emitter lead. The coupled wire is positioned between the resonator and ground plane at one end of the resonator, see Fig. 23. The copper wire rests approximately 2mm above the ground plane. The oscillator requires 9V DC. The oscillator operates on the principle of negative resistance, an unstable condition to initiate oscillation. As the signal amplitude increases, the negative resistance value decreases to stabilize the RF signal. To create a negative input resistance, inductance is required at the transistor base. Sufficient inductance at the transistor base is achieved using a minimum 0.5 length long lead, see Fig. 22. The oscillation frequency is dependent on the copper wire resonator length and the copper wire height above the ground plane. The oscillation frequency is adjusted by altering the resonator height. H. Amplifiers The amplifiers are milled on 62 mil thick, 2.5 x 5 FR4 laminate, see Fig. 24. The board includes traces for DC biasing the AT-41435G RF transistor and solder pads for DC biasing. The biasing circuit is shorted to ground with a via /4 away from the RF transmission line to create an AC open circuit near the RF transmission line, see Fig. 24. The handmade 50nH inductors are composed of 24AWG wire formed into 13 0.1 diameter loops and are 0.7 in length. A magnified view of the biasing circuitry is shown in Fig. 25 and the biasing schematic is shown in Fig. 26. The amplifiers require 5V DC input applied to the collector. The base-emitter junction is biased by adjusting the potentiometer resistance R1, which is directly proportional to the voltage drop. This voltage is applied to the transistor base. Increase the potentiometer resistance to 0.7V.

Fig. 26. Amplifier biasing schematic

I. Bandpass Filters The bandpass filter is milled on 31 mil thick, 1 x 7.75 RT Duroid 5870 laminate. The coupled-line bandpass filter Gerber file is available upon request from the authors. The bandpass filter dimensions are given in Fig. 27. J. Signal Strength Indicator The signal strength indicator schematic is shown in Fig. 28. Schottky diodes, 1000pF capacitor C1, and 100k resistor R1 are soldered to a 1 x 1 FR4 panel. The remaining circuit components are soldered onto vectorboard, which is mounted onto FR4. The signal strength detector requires 6V DC. The signal detector includes a non-inverting op amp to adjust the detected peak voltage range . The gain is adjusted by increasing the feedback potentiometer resistance R1.

Fig. 27. Bandpass filter layout.

Fig. 28. The signal strength detector is comprised of Schottky diodes, LM3914 bar graph display, op amps, and passive components.

Fig. 29. The complete demonstration system. For reference, the bench is 7 across

I. OPERATION A. System Setup Locate an open workspace to allow for (3ft) antenna separation. Allow space for DC power supplies and remove large conductive objects to minimize reflections. Interconnect the oscillator, amplifier, and stationary dipole using SMA cables. Apply 9V DC and 6V DC to the oscillator and signal strength indicator. Set the amplifier potentiometer to 0 and apply 5V to the collector bias port. Increase the potentiometer resistance until base port reaches 0.7V. Locate the rotating dipole antenna 3ft from the stationary dipole, positioning it as seen in Fig. 3. Connect the rotating dipole antenna to the bandpass filter and signal strength detector. Increase the signal detector gain by increasing the resistance of the potentiometer until all LEDs are illuminated. If maximum gain is applied and all 30 LEDs are not illuminated, reduce the gain to 0 by decreasing the resistance of R5 to 0 and insert the second RF amplifier between the receive antenna and bandpass filter. Increase the signal

strength detector gain until all 30 LEDs are illuminated. The system is now ready for demonstration. B. Rotating Dipole The first demonstration uses the rotating dipole to demonstrate signal reception, radiation patterns, and antenna pattern nulls. With all 30 LEDs illuminated, adjust the roll of the rotating antenna to demonstrate polarization effects on received signal strength. Adjust the roll 90 for minimum reception, see Fig. 3 for roll direction. To demonstrate dipole antenna radiation pattern nulls, position the rotating dipole as depicted in Fig. 3. Rotate the antenna by 90 in both the roll and azimuth. The tip of the dipole should be pointing at the transmit antenna. When oriented this way, there should be no signal strength observed on the signal strength detector. Spreading loss is demonstrated by increasing the distance between the TX and RX antennas to 5ft. C. Corner Reflector The corner reflector demonstrates antenna arrays and radiation pattern effects. Begin without the corner. Adjust the

8 azimuth by 90 (azimuthal direction indicated in Fig. 16) and observe signal strength variation. Introduce the 90 corner and adjust the azimuth. Observe how the signal strength variation differs. Repeat the procedure with a 60 and 30 corner angle. For 90, 60, and 30 corners, 60, 40, and 20 H plane half power beamwidths (HPBW) are expected, respectively. D. Quagi The Quagi antenna demonstrates a directional antenna and resultant radiation patterns. Begin by directing the main beam toward the transmit antenna. Observe the difference in signal strength between the Quagi and the other antennas. Slowly rotate the Quagi and observe the Quagi main beam angular dependence on received signal strength. The expected H plane HPBW is 40. E. Embedded PCB Patch Antenna The embedded PCB patch antenna demonstrates modern antenna fabrication methods. The antenna is milled adjacent to RF circuitry on the same PCB. If flexible laminate is used, the antenna can conform to nonplanar surfaces. Begin by biasing the amplifier per Operation paragraph A. Locate the patch antenna 3ft from the transmit antenna. Observe the radiation pattern by rotating the patch antenna in the azimuthal direction. The expected H plane HPBW is 60 F. Environmental Barriers The environmental barriers can be used in conjunction with any of the first four demonstrations. Placing the barriers midway between transmit and receive antennas (far-zone) demonstrates effects on received signal strength. Because the ESD bags, copper mesh, and poultry net are composed of metallic components, large signal attenuation occurs. Because the copper mesh holes are much less than /10 (1.26) in diameter, the most attenuation occurs with copper mesh. Because the poultry net hole diameter is on the order of /10, less attenuation is noted. II. CONCLUSION The wireless system successfully demonstrates many antenna characteristics with minimal required support instrumentation (DC power supply). Polarization, radiation pattern, gain, and barrier-induced signal attenuation effects are illustrated on four antenna types; dipole, corner reflector, Quagi, and embedded patch, which represent dominant antenna types used in current applications. Visual indication of received signal strength is provided by an LED array driven by an RF peak detector and low-pass filter. All receive antennas are mounted to rotational platforms to allow investigation of radiation pattern and polarization effects. Student-designed and fabricated components RF oscillator, amplifiers, and filters complement the wireless system and reduce external support instrumentation requirements. The combined parts and services required to build the entire system total less than $900. The entire system can be assembled in as little as four weeks with proper equipment.

9 APPENDIX
Part Misc. Parts 1" thick wood 3/4" thick wood Misc. Resistor Pack 31mil SMA edge connectors 62mil SMA edge connectors Rogers RT Duroid 31 mil thick 5870 9" x 12" 15cm x 15 cm FR4 PCB 30' 10AWG solid copper wire SMA male male connectors 3' length 3/8" diameter brass tubing 3' length 5/32" diameter brass tubing 4' RG174 SMA male male coax 2' RG174 SMA male male coax Misc. screws, nails, wood glue 0.0865" semi-rigid coax, 1ft SMA straight plug 0.085" connector PCB fabrication, four PCBs Rotating Dipole Antenna 3" x 3" Lazy Susan bearing Corner Reflector Antenna 6" x 6" Lazy Susan bearing 16 mil thick 12" square copper sheets (2) Quagi Antenna 5/16" diameter 2" long wood dowel Oscillator Avago AT-41486 transistor 6800pF capacitor RF choke Amplifiers (x2) Avago AT-41435G transistor 220pF SMT capacitor 25 turn 0.5W 10k potentiometer Signal Strength Indicator HSMS-2822 Schottky diode LM3914N-1 linear bar graph driver Protoboard Mounting hardware kit Green LEDs Yellow LEDs Red LEDs LM324N operational amplifier 18 pin IC socket 1000pF capacitor Environmental Barrier 1/2" x 3/4" pine, 1' length 2' x 2', 0.5" thick drywall 6" x 10" ESD bags (100ct) 2' wide poultry net Copper Mesh #60 X 60 .0075" 24" x 24" 8' long 0.5" PVC pipe 0.5" diameter PVC tee 0.5" diameter PVC 90 corner 0.5" diameter PVC end cap $0.74 3.98 13.40 5.88 22.90 1.16 0.29 0.22 0.25 24 1 1 1 1 2 4 2 4 17.76 3.98 13.40 5.88 22.90 2.32 1.16 0.44 1.00 Local hardware store Local hardware store www.mouser.com Local hardware store www.amazon.com Local hardware store Local hardware store Local hardware store Local hardware store $0.67 1.95 13.95 2.95 0.10 0.15 0.11 0.29 0.14 0.12 1 3 1 1 10 10 10 1 4 1 $0.67 5.85 13.95 2.95 1.00 1.50 1.10 0.29 0.56 0.12 HSMS-2822-BLKG LM3914N-1 2852PCB-R 106551 LG13740 LY3330 LTL-307E LM324N CA-18SDL-1T SA105A102JAA www.jameco.com www.jameco.com www.jameco.com www.jameco.com www.jameco.com www.jameco.com www.jameco.com www.jameco.com www.jameco.com www.jameco.com $5.00 0.05 1.95 3 12 3 $15.00 0.60 5.85 AT-41435G 06035A221J4T2A 3299W-1-103VP www.avnet.com www.jameco.com www.jameco.com $2.59 0.22 0.12 1 5 1 $2.59 1.10 0.12 AT-41486-BLKG C410C682K1R5TA7200 BL01RN1A1D2B www.digikey.com www.digikey.com www.mouser.com $0.20 1 $0.20 Local hardware store $3.50 39.99 2 1 $7.00 39.99 Local hardware store www.basiccopper.com $1.50 2 $3.00 Local hardware store $10.00 40.00 9.95 5.45 3.70 50.00 5.95 15.00 2.95 6.99 3.19 7.58 7.10 10.00 24.62 2.32 400.00 2 sq. ft 12 sq. ft 1 3 4 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 $10.00 40.00 9.95 16.35 14.80 100.00 5.95 15.00 5.90 13.98 6.38 15.16 7.10 10.00 24.62 4.64 400.00 Local hardware store Local hardware store www.jameco.com www.mouser.com www.mouser.com www.rogerscorp.com www.jameco.com Local hardware store www.jameco.com Local hobby store Local hobby store www.cablesondemand.com www.cablesondemand.com Local hardware store www.microstock-inc.com www.mouser.com www.hughescircuits.com Est. Cost Qty Total Cost MFR Part Number Vendor

ASST8-R 142-0701-881 132255 21-221-R S-311-G-R

CO-174SMAX200 CO-174SMAX200 UT-85-TP-M17 132101

48602

10 ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors would like to thank Dr. Dennis Derickson for assistance with the oscillator, RF peak detector, and Quagi antenna; and Daniel Hempy for advice and assistance with the design and construction of the antenna support structures. REFERENCES
W. Stutzman and G. Thiele, Antenna Theory and Design, Second Edition, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1998. [2] J.-S. Hongand M.J. Lancaster, "Microstrip Filters for RF/Microwave Applications, New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2001. [3] D.M. Pozar, Microwave and RF Design of Wireless Systems. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2001. [4] R. Douville and D. James, Experimental study of symmetric microstrip bends and their compensation, IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech, vol. MTT-26, No. 3, March 1978. [5] Voltage Multipliers[Online]. Available: http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_3/8.html [6] National Semiconductor LM3914 Datasheet, National Semiconductor, Santa Clara, CA, 2003. [7] The ARRL Antenna Book. 21st edition. Newington, CT: The ARRL, Inc, 2007. [8] R.C. Jaeger, T.N. Blalock, Microelectronic Circuit Design. Second edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004. [9] G. Elmore. Designing a Station for the Microwave Bands: Part 2, Ham Radio Magazine , pp. 19-31, Oct. 1988. [10] C.A. Balanis, Antenna Theory Analysis and Design. Third Edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2005. [1]

Alex Hempy (M04) is currently enrolled in the joint BSEE, MSEE honors program at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. His interests include RF and microwave systems, antenna design and measurements, and wireless communication.

Michael Civerolo (M08) is currently enrolled in the joint BSEE, MSEE honors program at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. His research interests include antenna design and measurements, wireless communications, and RF and analog design.

Dean Arakaki (M99) received the BSEE from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, MBA and MSEE from California State University, Long Beach, and PhD in electrical engineering from Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. He joined the Electrical Engineering Department at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Fall 2001 and teaches courses in RF systems, electromagnetics, antennas, and electronic circuits. His research interests include computational electromagnetics, and antenna design and measurements.