DESIGN OF A MICROSTRIP DUAL BAND FRACTAL ANTENNA FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS

Abstract

Antennas are an essential component of communication systems. They are responsible for transmitting and receiving signals in various frequency ranges, including radio, microwave, and millimeter-wave frequencies. Antenna design is critical to ensuring optimal performance, high efficiency, and robustness of a communication system. The Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) has established the IEEE 802.11 protocol for coordinating the implementation of computer communications in wireless local area networks (WLAN). The antennas in this protocol should be designed to function at certain operating frequencies including 2.4, 5, 6, and 60 GHz. Although the channels that could be used in WLANs are specified by IEEE 802.11, the availability of the allowed radio frequency spectra is determined by the regulatory domain. In this paper, a proposed design and the implementation of a dual band microstrip fractal antenna for WLANs is presented. The proposed antenna has dual bands with center frequencies of 2.45 and 5.8 GHz according to the IEEE 802.11 standards. The antenna design relies on a Minkowski pattern and is implemented using photoetching. The simulation and measurement results of the radiation pattern, impedance, voltage standing wave ratio, return loss, bandwidth, gain, and polarization were obtained, analyzed, and compared to the standard specifications.