Comparative Study of Micro-Strip Patch Line Feed Antenna &

Coaxial Feed Antenna Designed Using Genetic Algorithms

Shibaji Chakraborty#1, Uddipan Mukherjee#2
#Department of Electronics & Communication, Institute of Engineering & Management
Y-12, Sector-V, Salt lake Electronics Complex,Kolkata-700 091
Email: ([email protected], [email protected])

Abstract – The comparative study of micro strip patch antenna The simplest design of a micro-strip patch antenna is
between line feed & coaxial feed is proposed by the optimization of rectangular patch of dimension W*L, over a substrate of
the resonant frequency & radiation resistance of the micro-strip thickness of h backed by a ground plane. Simplest way of
patch antenna & study the different antenna parameters of the modelling a micro-strip patch antenna is transmission line
designed antenna. Though the resonant frequency optimization
modelling. Here we use both type of feeding method line
process of the micro-strip patch using line feed & coax feed is
same, but there is huge difference in radiation resistance feed & coaxial feed for design purpose. In transmission line
optimization. Main problem of the micro strip antenna is low model we consider patch contain two radiating slots of
band width is optimized in both the cases (line feed & coaxial feed) height h & width W are separated by a distance L. Due to
but coaxial feed provides comparatively much higher band width. the finite length & width the edges of the patch under goes
For an example 17 GHz of line feed antenna provide only 9.4% fringing. Some effects of fringing are shown bellow.
band width where as 17 GHz of coaxial feed antenna provide
24.11% of band width. Optimization of radiation resistance of
coaxial feed antenna is much more difficult & the equations are
much complex to work with. Here we applied Genetic Algorithms
for optimization of the parameters of the micro strip patch.

Keywords—Genetic Algorithm, Optimization, Two point

crossover, Micro-strip antenna, Transmission line model, Line
feed, Coaxial feed , Bandwidth, Return loss , Radiation
resistance, Duroid .

I. INTRODUCTION Fig1.Fringing fields at the edge of the micro-strip antenna using line feed.
Genetic algorithms are very different from most of
traditional optimization methods. Genetic algorithms need
design space to be converted into a genetic space. So,
genetic algorithms work with a coding variable. The
advantage of working with a coding variable space is that
coding converts the search space to a discrete one even
through the function may be continuous. GA uses a
population of points at one time in contrast to the single
point approach by the traditional optimization methods i.e.
GA process a number of designs at the same time. GA uses
a set of randomized operators which improve the search
space in adaptive manner.
To start with, the 1st generation or population generated
randomly. During random generation there are many points
which may be too small (near to zero). To handle these
Fig2: Fringing fields for the micro strip coaxial feed antenna.
values small physical values has been introduced. This will
produce some amount of error but as the algorithm goes on III. EFFECTS OF FRINGING FIELD ON THE
running it automatically discard all those small errors. The RESONATING FREQUENCY OF THE ANTENNA &
stop point of the algorithm depends on particular problem. OPTIMIZATION OF RESONATING FREQUENCY
II. MICRO STRIP ANTENNA BASIC Because the dimensions of the patch are finite along the
CHARACTERISTICS & FUNDAMENTALS length and width, the fields at the edge of the patch undergo
&FEEDING METHODS & MODELING OF MICRO
STRIP PATCH fringing. Since for micro-strip antennas , fringing is
reduced. Most of the electric field lines reside inside the
substrate and part of some lines exist in air. Thus an
effective dielectric constant is introduced to account Optimization of radiation resistance of coaxial feed antenna
for the wave propagation in the line. For a line with air is little difficult as the equations here are more complex.
above the substrate, the effective dielectric constant has The equations are given below.
values in the range of 1 < < . The equation for
is given bellow:
Taking transmission line as a lossless we have,

We can consider the patch under goes fringing only along

length. So, the increase in length is on the both sides
of the patch. The increase of length is dependent up on the
h, W and effective dielectric of the material. The
equation of is given bellow:

Where,
.
Here equation (3) is the main equation to find out the value
of the resonant frequency of the antenna. Rest of the
equations are supporting one which is necessary to find out
the value of the resonant frequency. It should be noted that susceptance given by the equation is
based on Hammers tad’s non dissipative static capacitance
relation. It is shown is in a subsequent section that equation
IV. RADIATION RESISTANCE OPTIMIZATION OF of and the lead to a prediction of resonant input
LINE FEED MICRO STRIP PATCH resistance and frequency which is good agreement with
measured results for aspect ratios 1< W/L < 2. Here we are
The feed for a micro-strip patch is usually line through the trying to minimize and the return loss should minimum.
substrate connection or micro-strip transmission-line
connection printed monolithically on the same board. The VI. BANDWIDTH CALCULATION OF DESIGNED
transmission line model shows the antenna as two identical ANTENNA
radiating slots in two different slots. Each radiating slot is
represented by a parallel equivalent admittance Y. Since the Band width of an antenna is defined as the band of
slots are identical. Thus frequencies having return loss less than -10 dB. Calculation
For that reason here of band width is nothing but to find out the range of
frequency for a designed antenna having return loss less
than -10dB. It can be done either by return loss plot of
software or calculate it by C programming. Here we have to
calculate band width by the equation is given bellow:

And

VII. USE OF GENETIC ALGORITHMS IN OUR

WORK
<W<
The main concept of GA is remained as it is but the
Now we have to find out application of GA is different here. We create a nested loop
here to optimize the antenna dimension. In the outer loop we
Now for radiation resistance optimization we have to find calculate best possible set of W*L, here in both the cases
out the inset feed point y0, by the equation for which Rin (Line feed & coaxial feed) fitness function is same we take
equation (3) as a fitness function. After solving this part that
W*L pair is moved into inner loop, resistance optimization
is done here, for line feed equation (7) & for coaxial feed
equation (11) is taken as a fitness function.
For coaxial feed we find out the feed position L1 from the
V. RADIATION RESISTANCE OPTIMIZATION OF
centre of the patch where as for line feed we find out the
COAXIAL FEED MICRO STRIP PATCH inset feed position y0.
The flow chart of the algorithm is given bellow.
The height of the patch for all frequencies is constant which
is h = 1.578 mm & the dielectric constant of the material is
given as and the probe radius of the coaxial feed
is 0.6mm.
TABLE II

Frequency Patch Patch Feed Return Band

(in GHz) length width position losses width
(in (in from (in dB) (%)
mm) mm) center
(in mm)
3 30.5 55.6 8.0 -17 4
4 23 42 6.5 -21 4.5
5 18 33 5.75 -25 5
6 15 25.1 3.9 -36 6
7 12.5 20.7 3.2 -28 7.8
8 11.1 20 4.3 -29 9
9 9.8 17.5 3.6 -28 10
10 8.65 15 2.7 -39 12
11 7.85 13 2.2 -44 13.5
12 7.3 12 2.3 -32 14
Fig3: Flow Chart of the algorithm. 13 7.2 10.8 2.8 -30 15
14 6.6 8.8 1.8 -35 20
VIII. SIMULATED RESULTS FROM SOFTWARE 15 6.6 7.6 1.8 -37 22
16 2.6 5.1 0.6 -16 24
The results which are obtained from the C programming is 17 2.5 4.8 0.58 -42 24.11
been simulated using IE3D (Zelands) software. It is nothing 18 2.4 4.7 0.1 -23 27.5
but a simulator which generates one real time working
environment & calculates all the parameters viz. Return For example different parameters of the designed antenna
loss, band width, radiation resistance, smith chart, 3D gain by both the feed is shown below. The central frequency of
pattern, axial ratio, E-plane 2D plot which are necessary the antenna is 10 GHz. In both feeds we use same substrate
parameters for comparison of the antenna.
(Duroid of same thickness ( ). But
The designs are made on the basis of some facts that the
in line feed, feed width where as in coaxial
material is Duroid, height of the material is ;
feed the radius of the inner conductor is 0.6mm.
feed width of the line feed , and the dielectric
constant of the material

TABLE I
Frequency Width Length Inset Return Band
in GHz in mm in mm Feed loss Width
Position in dB (%)
in mm
3 55.8 30.8 10.8 -12 2.3
4 42 23 8.9 -16 3.25
5 33.2 18.2 6.5 -18 5
6 26 15 5.2 -16 5
7 22 12.85 4.3 -18 5.7
8 20.4 11.02 4.1 -25 6.25
9 17.5 9.8 3.15 -35 7.8
10 15.4 8.78 3.0 -33 11
11 13.2 8.0 2.7 -22 9
12 12.01 7.3 4.2 -20 8.75 Fig4: Return loss plot for 10GHz line feed antenna with BW 11%
13 10.3 6.8 3.2 -16 8.3
14 10.1 6.15 2.9 -26 10.8
15 9.6 5.7 2.6 -39 12
16 9.2 5.25 2.4 -22 12.2
17 9.05 4.85 2.3 -14 9.4
 Fig5: Smith chart plot of the 10GHz line feed antenna.
Fig9: Smith chart plot of the 10GHz Coaxial feed antenna.

Fig6: 3D gain plot of a 10GHz Line feed antenna with max gain 4.1 dB
Fig10: 3D gain plot of a 10GHz Coaxial feed antenna with max gain 5.3 dB

Fig7: 2D polar plot of E-field of 10GHz line feed antenna

Fig11: 2D polar plot of E-field of 10GHz coaxial feed antenna

IX. APPLICATION
Micro strip antennas have a large number of applications in
communication and microwave field. They are usually
employed at UHF and higher frequencies because the size of
the antenna is directly tied to the wavelength at
the resonance frequency. These include Satellite
communication, Television broadcasting, Surveillance
RADAR, Mobile communication, Global Positioning
Fig8: Return loss plot for 10GHz line feed antenna with BW 12% System (GPS) to name a few.
 X. CONCLUTION [3] Ramesh Garg, Prakash Bhartia, Inder Bahl, Apisak
Iittipiboon, Micro strip antenna design hand book, Artech
From the above results, tables, charts & graph of two House antennas and propagation library & British library
different type of micro strip patch antenna we can draw cataloguing in publication data. 2001.
some conclusions which gives an idea about the
[4] G. Monti, L.Catarinucci, and L.Tarricone, Compact
characteristics of both type of antenna. From the above
Microstrip Antenna for RFID Applications, Progress in
graph we found that coaxial feed patch provides higher band
Electromagnetics Research Letters, Vol. 8,191-199, 2009.
width, much more flat & wider 2D electrical plot, good
matching in smith chart & high gain or directivity over line [5] Mitchell Melanie, An introduction to Genetic
feed patch antenna. Algorithms, First MIT Press Paperback edition, 1998.
The main advantages of the line feed patch are:
A. Easy to design. [6] E.Alboni and M.Cerretelli, Microstrip Patch Antenna for
B. Good matching of the input impedance. GPS Application,Pubblicazioni Del Dipartimento Di
Elettronica E Telecomunicazioni, Florentina Studiorum
But the advantages of the coaxial feed over line feed are Universitas, Triennio,2001- 2003.
given bellow:
A. Better gain & directivity. [7] A Genetic Algorithm Tutorial, Darrell Whitley
B. Better input impedance matching. Computer Science Department, Colorado State University
C. Better electrical field. Fort Collins, CO 80253
D. More importantly high band width than line feed. [8] E.Alboni and M.Cerretelli, Microstrip Patch Antenna for
GPS Application,Pubblicazioni Del Dipartimento Di
But a main disadvantage of the coaxial feed is its complex Elettronica E Telecomunicazioni, Florentina Studiorum
design. But over all performance of the antenna is much Universitas, Triennio,2001- 2003.
better (coaxial feed patch antenna) & it also provide higher
band width. [9] European Journal on Scientific Research, ISSN- 1450-
216X, Vol.32 No.2 (2009), pp. 187-193, Euro Journal
XI. FUTURE SCOPE Publishing, Inc. 2009,
http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr_32_2_06.pdf
All the work & this comparative study of micro-strip
antenna is done here on the basis of transmission line [10] FTDT Analysis of micro strip patch antenna covered by
modelling method & this high value of return loss & Plasma stealth.
percentage band with are obtained with out any complex http://ceta.mit.edu/pier/pier52/08.0408091.Q.Chen.Ly.pdf
structure. All the study and the conclusion are drawn against
this study on the basis of software simulation modelling of [11] Designing Inset Feed micro strip patch antennas.
the antenna. Due to lack of infrastructure we unable to http://www.mwrf.com/Articles/Index.cfm?Ad=1&ArticleID
fabricate the antennas & can’t provide the parameter reading =6993
of the fabricated antenna. In future we can apply rigorous
method for modelling the antenna & can make slots to get [12] MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA WITH
higher band width & we can also fabricate the antenna to get DIELECTRIC SUBSTRATE, D. D. Sandu*, O. Avadanei,
the practical results. A. Ioachima, G. Banciua, P. Gasner
“Al. I. Cuza” University of Ia_iaINFIM Bucharest.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT http://www.inoe.ro/JOAM/pdf5_5/Sandu.pdf
The author would like to thank the authority of Electronics
department of Institute of Engineering & Management,
Kolkata -700 091 & Jadavpur University for their guidance
and valuable suggestions during the research work. Author
would like to thank Electronics & Telecommunication
department of Jadavpur University.

REFERENCES

[1] David Goldberg and Kumara Sastry, Genetic

Algorithms: The Design of Innovation, 2nd Edition, Springer,
2009.
[2] Constantine A. Balanis, Antenna Theory: Analysis and
design, 2nd Edition, 1997, Wiley.