A Novel Circular Patch Antenna with Reconfigurable Frequency for WiMAX and LTE Networks

Abstract

Modern communication devices are design to support several services and functionality with improved performance. This requires several components integrated on a single device and subsequently the overall system becomes bulky with degraded performance. To address the problems, reconfigurable antennas are employed to improve the performance. A frequency reconfigurable circular patch antenna was designed and simulated. Frequency reconfiguration was achieved by creating a slot on the ground plane with three PIN diodes as switching devices. Six different reconfigured frequencies were obtained. The frequency F6 at 2.1 GHz and F8 at 1.8 GHz have potential application for broadband wireless communication in WiMAX (Worldwide interoperability for Microwave access) and LTE (Long Term-Evolution) networks respectively. The reflector introduced at the back of the antenna to further enhance the antennas gain by 7.80 at 1.8 GHz. Also, peak efficiency of 93.7% was obtained at 2.10 GHz. A directional radiation pattern obtained further justified its broadband applications.