Abstract
In this paper, a simple printed cross-dipole (PCD) antenna to achieve a right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) at the L/S-band for direction finding (DF) systems is presented. The radiating part of the antenna consists of two printed dipoles that interlock with each other and are mounted orthogonally on a dual-layer printed reflector. To connect the feedlines of the dipole elements to the antenna’s feed network, which is located on the backside of the reflector, a through-hole signal via (THSV) is employed as the signal interconnection instead of the mainstream approach of using coaxial bead conductor. This feeding technique provides a degree of freedom to control the impedance of the signal path between the feedlines and the feed network in the numerical simulation for improved matching conditions. The proposed THSV extending through the dual-layer printed reflector is more reliable, durable, and mechanically robust to stabilize the matching conditions of the fabricated antenna in contrast to the coaxial-based approach that is more susceptible to impedance mismatch due to solder fatigue. Thus, the proposed PCD antenna offers advantages of broadband, flexible impedance matching, and fabrication ease. The antenna exhibits an impedance bandwidth (IBW) of 59% (1.59–2.93 GHz), a 3-dB axial ratio bandwidth (ARBW) of 57% (1.5–2.7 GHz), and a peak of 7.5 dB within the operating frequency band.
Highlights
Cross dipole antennas are mostly employed in various wireless applications such as direction finding (DF), where circular or dual-polarization is required to operate
To connect the feedlines of the dipoles, which are mounted above the reflector, to the feed network of the printed cross-dipole (PCD) antenna located at the backside of the reflector, the mainstream approach is to use a commercial coaxial bead conductor extending through the reflector to route the signals
Little to no attention has been given to the signal interconnection between the feedlines of the radiating dipoles and the feed network of the PCD antenna, which plays a critical role in stabilizing the matching conditions in the fabricated model
Summary
Cross dipole antennas are mostly employed in various wireless applications such as direction finding (DF), where circular or dual-polarization is required to operate. To connect the feedlines of the dipoles, which are mounted above the reflector, to the feed network of the PCD antenna located at the backside of the reflector, the mainstream approach is to use a commercial coaxial bead conductor extending through the reflector to route the signals. Little to no attention has been given to the signal interconnection between the feedlines of the radiating dipoles and the feed network of the PCD antenna, which plays a critical role in stabilizing the matching conditions in the fabricated model. PCD design, the radiating structure constitutes two conventional printed dipoles and a feeding structure based on a THSV extending through a printed reflector to achieve an antenna with broadband, fabrication ease, mechanical robustness, low cost, and flexible impedance matching
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