Abstract
This paper is aimed at the characterization and manufacturing of an SMA coaxial fed compact blade antenna with dual frequency characteristics for broadband applications on board of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs). This antenna is linearly polarized, and it combines the benefits of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and 5th Generation (5G) communications in one single element, covering both the 1.030–1.090 GHz and the 3.4–3.8 GHz bands thanks to a bent side and a ‘C’ shaped slot within the radiation element. Starting from the simulation outcomes on an ideal ground plane, the results are here extended to a bent ground plane and on two UAV commercial CAD models. Details of manufacturing of the antenna in both aluminium and FR-4 substrate materials are presented. The comparison between measurements and simulations is discussed in terms of return loss, bandwidth, gain, and radiation pattern. Results show an antenna with a low profile and a simple structure that can be employed in various wideband communication systems, suiting future UAV assisted 5G networks while being perfectly compliant with forthcoming ADS-B based Detect-And-Avoid (DAA) technologies in Unmanned Aerial Traffic Management (UTM).
Highlights
A few decades ago, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), known as drones, were confined to science fiction or notions of the future
Examples of missions currently accomplished by UAVs include for instance infrastructure inspections, real estate imagery, aerial photography and video, inventory control, news gathering, aerial sensing for agriculture, movie and television production, perimeter surveillance, facility security, and many others
ReRgReaegrgadaridrndigningthgtehtheeefefefefcfeftcestcsotsnoonthntehtheraerdariadaditaiioatintoiondnidadigairagagrmaramsm,sl,sitl,tilltiettltevleavrvaiarairtaiioatintoisonnisnsintihntehtheXeYXX-Y,Y-X,XZ, XZ,Z-a,na, dnandd YYZYZ-pZ-lp-aplnaleansneesfosfrofobrrobtbohothtfhrferfqeruqeequnuecneinceicsei,sea,sr,aearesreeseesneenebnubtbuunt tontnosotitsgisngiignfniicfiiafcinactnanet nteoneunogouhugghthotortoerperpoerpotrotrretrmermeamrakraakrbaklbaelbele nontnoeotsetaesFsmaroamommnogontnghthgitsehthaeoneuoatoucluytoctsmocisome,mseitsoeisfostofhpfteohthsepseapibppalepaerpe.treo.r.state that, as long as the ground plane size and the bending radius that shapes the fuselage frame are within acceptable values, i.e., the drone fuselage curvature is not too sharp, the proposed blade antenna shows negligible impact on its radiation and matching performances, which proves the design introduced in Section 2 to be robust enough against those variations
Summary
A few decades ago, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), known as drones, were confined to science fiction or notions of the future. In [10], it is estimated that the European drone market will represent EUR 10 billion annually by 2035 and over EUR 15 billion annually by 2050 Because of this growth and market trend, the projected expansion of UAV operations worldwide has fostered the urgent need to evaluate how these aircraft will “see and be Sensors 2021, 21, 5734. ReRgReaegrgadaridrndigningthgtehtheeefefefefcfeftcestcsotsnoonthntehtheraerdariadaditaiioatintoiondnidadigairagagrmaramsm,sl,sitl,tilltiettltevleavrvaiarairtaiioatintoisonnisnsintihntehtheXeYXX-Y,Y-X,-XZ, XZ-,Z-a,-na, dnandd YYZYZ-pZ-lp-aplnaleansneesfosfrofobrrobtbohothtfhrferfqeruqeequnuecneinceicsei,sea,sr,aearesreeseesneenebnubtbuunt tontnosotitsgisngiignfniicfiiafcinactnanet nteoneunogouhugghthotortoerperpoerpotrotrretrmermeamrakraakrbaklbaelbele nontnoeotsetaesFsmaroamommnogontnghthgitsehthaeoneuoatoucluytoctsmocisome,mseitsoeisfostofhpfteohthsepseapibppalepaerpe.treo.r.state that, as long as the ground plane size and the bending radius that shapes the fuselage frame are within acceptable values, i.e., the drone fuselage curvature is not too sharp, the proposed blade antenna shows negligible impact on its radiation and matching performances, which proves the design introduced in Section 2 to be robust enough against those variations
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