X-BAND EQUILATERAL TRIANGULAR MICROSTRIP

PATCH ANTENNA FOR MICROWAVE SYSTEMS

G.M. Pushpanjali1, P.A.Ambresh2, S.N.Mulgi3, VaniR.M4., P.V.Hunagund 5
1, 2

Central University of Karnataka,Gulbarga University Campus, Gulbarga ,Karnataka, drpushpanjalism@gmail.com,

pushpa_metri@yahoo.co.in
4
University Science Instrumentation Centre,Gulbarga University, Gulbarga ,Karnataka,
3,5
Microwave Research Laboratory,Department of PG Studies and Research in Applied Electronics,Gulbarga University,
Gulbarga ,Karnataka
Keywords: patch antennas; bandwidth; return loss; triangle;
aperture coupling; gap-coupling.

Abstract
This paper presents a method of improving the impedance
bandwidth of two-element equilateral triangular microstrip
patch antenna (TEETMPA) using aperture coupled feeding
technique. The practical results show an enhancement in
impedance bandwidth of TEETMPA compared to the
impedance bandwidth of two-element conventional
equilateral
triangular
microstrip
patch
antenna
(TECETMPA). By loading rectangular parasitic element in
the form of gap-coupling between the two triangular
radiating patches in TEETMPA and inserting a slot in the
parasitic element, further enhancement in the impedance
bandwidth of the antenna by 1.61 times more when
compared to TECETMPA and 1.404 times more when
compared to TEETMPA is obtained. Proposed antennas may
find applications in microwave systems. The design concepts
and practical results of these antennas are discussed.

Introduction

A microstrip patch antennas (MPAs) are increasingly finding

applications in microwave communications systems as they
are found to be lightweight, planar configuration and
inexpensive to fabricate. However, they possess the intrinsic
limitations as the narrow impedance bandwidth. Various
techniques are available in the literature for broadening the
impedance bandwidth of MSAs. These include, use of
stacked configuration [1], use of aperture coupled feeding
technique [2], use of parasitic element [3], inserting slot into
radiating element [4] etc. One of the most attractive features
of the equilateral triangular microstrip antenna is that, the
area necessary for the patch becomes about half as large as
that of a nearly square microstrip antenna [5]. In view of this,
an effort is made to enhance the impedance bandwidth of
two-element triangular microstrip antenna using aperturecoupled feeding. Further, it is seen in the literature that, the

use of slot and parasitic element along with the radiating

element is also quite effective in enhancing the impedance
bandwidth. Hence, a parasitic element with slot is used
between the two equilateral triangular microstrip elements in
TEETMPA. The comparative study of impedance bandwidth
of these antennas is made. The TECETMPA is designed [6]
and fabricated on commercially available glass epoxy
substrate of thickness h=1.66 mm and dielectric constant r =
4.2. The TEETMPA is also designed and fabricated using the
same substrate. The TEETMPA is modified into two-element
gap-coupled slotted microstrip patch antenna (TEGCSMPA)
by inserting a rectangular parasitic element with slot in
between the two equilateral triangular elements. The length
and width of the slot in the parasitic element is selected as
o/5 and o/32 respectively, where o is the free space
wavelength in cm. This slot is considered as wide slot as its
width is comparable to the length. The wide slot is selected,
as it is more effective in enhancing the impedance bandwidth
when compared to narrow slot [6].

Description of antenna geometry

Fig.1 shows the geometry of TECETMPA. The two radiating

patches shown in this Fig. 1 are kept at a distance of 30/4 in
order to add the radiated power in free space by individual
element [7]. The corporate feed technique is used to drive the
patches. This technique has advantage because of its
simplicity in fabrication as it can be simultaneously etched
along the radiating patches. The corporate feed arrangement
consists of quarter wave transformer, matching transformer,
power dividers and microstrip bend for better impedance
matching [8]. The SMA connector is used at the tip of 50
feed line for feeding the microwave power. Fig. 2 shows the
geometry of TEETMPA. The geometry of TEGCSMPA is
shown in Fig. 3 where, a rectangular slot is placed at the
center of the rectangular parasitic element. The gap between
the radiating and parasitic element is chosen [9] as 0.025g,
where g is the operating wavelength in cm. The elements of
TEETMPA and TEGCSMPA are fed through aperture
coupling. The designing of the proposed antennas are carried

out using computer software AutoCAD-2012 to achieve

better accuracy and to reduce fabrication errors. The
antennas are fabricated using photolithography process.

return loss versus frequency of TEETMPA is shown in Fig.

5. From this figure the impedance bandwidth (BW2) is found
to be 580 MHz i.e. 5.15 % which is 1.14 times more when
compared to impedance bandwidth of TECETMPA This
increase in bandwidth is due to use of aperture coupled
feeding. The variation of return loss versus frequency curve
of TGSMA is shown in Fig. 6. From this figure the
impedance bandwidth (BW3) is found to be 640 MHz i.e.
7.23%, which is 1.61times more when compared to
impedance bandwidth of TECETMPA and 1.404 times more
when compared to TEETMPA. This increase in bandwidth is
because of resonant patch, parasitic patch and a slot in
parasitic patch provides the additional enhancement in the
impedance bandwidth [2].
-5

Figure 1. Geometry ofTECETMPA

BW 1 =4.5%
Return loss (dB)

-10

-15

-20

T CET MA
-25

-30
10.4

10.5

10.6

10.7

10.8

10.9

11.0

F requency (GH z)

Figure 4.Variation of return loss versus frequency of TECETMPA

-8

Figure 2.Geometry of TEETMPA Fig. 3 Geometry of

TEGCSMPA

The impedance bandwidth over return loss less than -10 dB

for the proposed antennas is measured for X-band
frequencies. The measurement is taken on Rohde and
Schwarz, Germany make ZVK model 1127.8651 vector
network analyzer. The variation of return loss versus
frequency of TECETMPA is shown in Fig. 4. From this
graph the impedance bandwidth is calculated using the
formula,
Impedance BW = [(fH fL)/ fc] x 100 %
where, fH and fL are the higher and lower cut-off frequency
of the band respectively when its return loss becomes -10 dB
and fc is the center frequency of this band. The experimental
impedance bandwidth of this antenna is found to be (BW1)
480 MHz i.e. 4.5% as shown in Fig. 4. The variation of

BW 2 =5.15 %
-10

Return loss (dB)

3 Experimental results

-9

-11
-12
-13
-14
-15

TETM A

-16
11.0

11.1

11.2

11.3

11.4

11.5

11.6

Frequen cy (G Hz)

Figure 5. Variation of return loss versus frequency of TEETMPA.

-6
-8

BW 3=7.2 3%

Return loss (dB)

-10
-12
-14
-16
-18
-20
-22

Figure 9.Radiation pattern of TEGCSMPA.

TG SMA

-24
-26
8.5

8.6

8.7

8.8

8.9

9.0

9.1

9.2

Freq uen cy (G Hz)

Figure 6.Variation of return loss versus frequency of

TEGCSMPA.
The radiation patters are also measured and plotted as shown
in Fig. 7, Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. From these figures it is clear that
the patters are linearly polarized and broadsided in nature
suitable for microwave systems applications.

4 Conclusion
From the detailed study it is found that, the proposed antenna
such as TEETMPA and TEGCSMPA are quite capable of
enhancing the impedance bandwidth when compared to
TECETMPA. This shows the advantage of aperture coupled
feeding technique and use of parasitic element with slot over
TECETMPA in enhancing the impedance bandwidth. Such
antennas may find applications in the microwave system
applications.

Acknowledgements

Figure 7. Radiation pattern of TECETMPA

Authors thank the Department of Science and

Technology(DST), Government of India, New Delhi, for
sanctioning Vector Network Analyzer to the Department of
Applied Electronics, Gulbarga University, Gulbarga under
FIST Project.

References

Figure8. Radiation pattern of TEETMPA

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