A single microstrip antenna utilizing an air dielectric substrate (ε_r ≈ 1) is able to provide a maximum gain of nearly 10 dBi. When larger gain is required, and a microstrip antenna solution is the best choice, a number of microstrip elements may be connected together to form an array of antennas. The array of elements provides a much larger effective aperture and therefore gain compared to a single microstrip element. This Chapter will discuss elementary methods used to design microstrip antenna arrays.

Chapter Contents:

• 6.1 Planar array theory
• 6.2 Rectangular microstrip antenna array modeled with slots
• 6.3 Aperture excitation distribution
• 6.4 Microstrip array feeding methods
• 6.4.1 Corporate-fed microstrip array
• 6.4.2 Series-fed microstrip array
• 6.4.3 Series/parallel standing wave feed
• 6.4.4 Series/parallel matched tapped feed array
• 6.4.5 Feedline radiation and loss
• 6.4.6 Microstrip transmission line radiation
• 6.5 Mutual coupling
• 6.5.1 Mutual coupling between square MSAs
• References

Inspec keywords: aperture antennas; dielectric materials; microstrip antenna arrays

Other keywords: microstrip antenna array design; air dielectric substrate; effective aperture; single microstrip antenna; single microstrip element

Subjects: Antenna arrays