Series-fed microstrip antenna arrays operating at 26 GHz

Abstract

In point-to-point communication systems, such as satellite communication, antenna with high directivity is needed. The most common way of achieving this requirement is to arrange a number of single elements in an array configuration. The elements of the array are connected using a feeding network. There are two main types of feeding networks, namely: the corporate network and the series feeding network. In the corporate feeding network, there is a free equal path from the source to each of the radiating elements without passing through any other radiator. On the other hand, in the series-fed array the radiators are connected to the same feeding line, such that each element takes its own power and delivers the rest to the next elements. The corporate feeding network provides wider bandwidth than the series feed. A unique feature of the series-feed network is that it allows for titling the main beam of the array via slightly varying the frequency. This range of titling is limited by the bandwidth of the elements and the feeding network.