Design and Development of Microstrip Patched Antenna Array

Microstrip antennas are one of the most innovative developments in antenna theory and design in recent years, and are increasingly finding application in a wide range of modern microwave systems. Inhibiting characteristics of a single microstrip patch, like low gain and smaller bandwidth, make it more popular for array configuration. A microstrip array is the integration of microstrip elements with a feed network consisting of power dividers, transmission lines. The aim of this work is to design and implement a microstrip linear array antenna. Eight U-slot loaded patches on an FR4_epoxy substrate suspended over an air gap are arranged in a linear configuration to achieve required radiation properties. The air dielectric strip line feed network consists of T-junction power dividers is simulated and realized. The antenna array is designed using standard equations and simulated by professional software called, High Frequency Structural Simulator (HFSS). Finally, the simulated reflection response and radiation characteristics of the designed antenna array are corroborated using experimental results obtained from the Network Analyzer and the Antenna Transmission & Measurement System, respectively. The designed array exhibited very close radiation response to that of design objective.