ELEC4503RadioFrequencyLinesandAntennas

Experiment#1:PlanarAntennaCAD
Purpose:
Tobecomefamiliarwithanindustrystandardmicrowaveplanarstructuresimulator(AnsoftDesigner)and employitinthedesignofamicrostrippatchantennaandamicrostrippatcharray.

Introduction:
DesigneremploysEMfieldanalysistoaccuratelysimulateplanarmicrowavestructuresforwhichno equivalentcircuitmodelexists.Nonstandardtransmissionlinegeometriesandmostprintedantennascannotbe handledbyatoollikeLibraandthereforerequireEManalysis.AstructurecanbesimulatedinDesigneroncea projecthasbeendefined.Theprojectconsistsof Layeredmaterialinformation(i.e.substrateparameters). Layoutofeachlayer. Excitationandanalysisinformation. Postprocessinginformation(i.e.desiredsimulationoutputssuchassparametersorradiationpatterns).

Inthefollowingexperiment,Designerwillbeusedtoanalyzeamicrostripline,asinglemicrostripfedpatch antennaandatwoelementmicrostrippatcharray.Thecenterfrequencywillbebetween2GHzand2.5GHz, eachstudentwillbeassignedaparticularcenterfrequency.

ExperimentalProcedure: PartI AnsoftDesignerStartup

BeforedesigninganantennainDesigner,thedesignenvironmentmustbeproperlyconfigured.Inthispartof theexperiment,youwill: LoadtheAnsoftDesignersoftware Definetheprojectdirectory Definethelayouttechnology

1. CreateadirectoryinyourW:\driveinwhichyouwanttostoreyourDesignerprojects(eg. W:\elec4503\lab1). 2. DownloadthefilesPATCH.adsnandARRAY.adsnfromthecoursewebsiteandsavethemintothe directorythatyoucreatedinstep1.

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3. DoubleclicktheAnsoft DesignericonontheWindowsdesktop. 4. Ifthisisthefirsttimeyouhaveeverusedthissoftware,amessagewindowappearsstatingAnew installationofyourAnsoftproducthasbeendetected.ClickOK. 5. ADirectory Optionswindowappearspromptingyoutospecifyprojectandtemporarydirectories. Entertheprojectdirectorythatyoucreatedinstep1andleavethetemporarydirectoryatitsdefaultsetting.

6. ClickProject Insert Planar EM DesignintheDesignerdesktop. 7. IntheChoose Layout Technologywindow,selectMS-FR4 (Er=4.4) 0.06 inch, 0.5 oz copper.ClickOpen.

8. EnsurethedrawingunitsaresettommbylookingintheTools Options General Options Default Unitstab. 9. Thelayouttechnologymustbemodified.IntheDesignerdesktop,clickLayout Layers.Selectthe StackuptabintheEdit Layers Planar EM window.
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9. MakethefollowingchangestotheTraceandDielectric: a. Trace: ChangetheDrag Modetobottom align. ChangetheThicknessto0.034mm. b.Dielectric: Changethethicknessfrommilstomm,shouldbe1.524mm. 10. ClickOKontheEdit Layers Planar EM window.

bottomalign

PartII

MicrostripLineDesign

WeneedtodeterminethewidthofamicrostriplinecorrespondingtoZ0=50andZ0=100onadielectric substratehavingr=4.4,height=1.524mmandcopperthickness=0.034mm.Inadditionwewillobtainthelines phaseconstant.Thisisathreelayerstructure(metalground,dielectricsubstrate,metalstrip).Duetothe simplicityofthistransmissionlinestructuretheEstimatefunctionisused. A)DeterminetheWidthandPhaseConstantofa50TransmissionLine 1. IntheDesignerdesktop,clickPlanarEM Estimate.Atthispoint,theTline Estimatewindow appears. 2. ClicktheWidthtab. 3. Enter50intheImpedancefield. 4. ClicktheCalculatebutton.
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5. Notetheresultingwidthfora50transmissionline. 6. ClicktheGuided Wavelengthtab. 7. EnteryourdesignfrequencyintheFrequency (GHz)fieldandthewidthobtainedinstep5inthe Widthfield. 8. ClicktheCalculatebutton. 9. Notetheresultingguidedwavelengthandeffectivedielectricconstantfora50transmissionline. 10. Usingtheguidedwavelengthobtainedinpart9,determine. B) DeterminetheWidthandPhaseConstantofa100TransmissionLine Repeatsteps110frompartA)fora100transmissionline.

PartIIISingleMicrostripPatchAntennaDesign&Simulation
A) FindtheDimensionsoftheSquarePatchAntenna 1. 2. 3. 4. ClicktheAnt buttonatthetopoftheEstimatewindow.TheAntenna Estimatewindowappears. ClicktheRectangular Patchtab. ClicktheSquare Patchcheckboxsothatthesquarepatchfeatureisactivated. Enterthefollowinginformationintothetextfields: a. Frequency(GHz):Enteryourdesignfrequency b. VSWR:1 c. InputImpedance():50 5. ClicktheCalculatebutton. 6. Notethelength(L)andwidth(W)ofthe50squarepatch.Theyshouldbothbeontheorderofahalfwave lengthforamicrostrippatch. B)ComputingPatchAntennaInputImpedance Inthissectionwewillbedeterminingthepatchsinputimpedanceasafunctionoffeedindentation,I,whichis showninFigure1.Theinputimpedanceisrequiredformatchingpurposes.Thefeedindentation,I,iscurrently setto4mm,butwillbeadjustedinthissectionbychangingthelengthofboxA(seeFigure1).

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Figure1:Microstripfedpatchantennalayoutfromfile:PATCH.adsn 1. OpenthefilePATCH.adsnthatyoudownloadedinPartI. 2. Adjustthepatchdimensionstomatchthosecomputedinstep#6ofpartIIIA).Thiscanbedoneinmany ways,butitneedstobedonecarefully.ThebestwayistoselecteachobjectandadjusttheA&B coordinatesthatappearintheinformationboxontheleftofthescreentogetthecorrectdimensions. Obviously,somethinkingmustbedoneinordertoachievetheoverallWandLdimensionsfromthe multipleboxesthatmakeupthepatch.TalktoaTAifyouareconfusedatthispoint. InordertorunasimulationinDesigner,theexcitationandanalysismustbedefined.Thefollowingsteps definehowtodothis: CreateEdgePortExcitation 1. IntheDesignerdesktop,clickEdit Select edges. 2. SelectedgePasshowninFigure1. 3. IntheDesignerdesktop,clickDraw EdgePort.Theportshouldnowbeclearlydefinedonthelayout ofthepatch. 4. IntheProject Managerwindow,expandExcitation,doubleclickPort1.MakesuretheGap Sourcecheckboxisclear.

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SetupAnalysis 1. IntheProject Managerwindow,expandthepatchmenu,expandthePlanarEMmenu. 2. DoubleclickAnalysis.TheSetupwindowappears. 3. IntheMeshing Parameterstab,clicktheFixed Meshbuttonandenteryourcenterfrequencyinthe Frequencyfield. 4. ClickOKintheSetupwindow. AddaFrequencySweep 1. ExpandtheAnalysismenuintheProject Managerwindow. 2. RightclickSetupandselectAdd Frequency Sweep. 3. ClicktheDiscretebutton. 4. SelectGenerate Surface CurrentintheSweepwindow. 5. SelecttheexistingentryintheSweep Descriptionbox. 6. Makethefollowingmodifications: a. Startfrequency:CenterFrequency0.5GHz b. Stopfrequency:CenterFrequency+0.5GHz c. Count:11 7. ClicktheUpdate>>button. 8. ClickOKintheSweepmenu. 9. Nowyouarereadytosimulate.IntheDesignerdesktop,click PlanarEM Analyze(thesimulation shouldtakeacoupleminutes). ViewingSimulationResults Oncetheanalysisisfinished,simulationresultssuchasZ11,S11,etc.maybeviewedintheResults Window. 1. IntheProject Managerwindow,rightclickResults Create Report. 2. MakethefollowingselectionsintheCreate Reportwindow: a. ReportType:Standard b. DisplayType:RectangularPlot 3. ClickOKintheCreate Reportwindow. 4. IntheTraceswindow,selecttheYtabandmakethefollowingselections: a. Category:SParameters b. Quantity:S(Port1,Port1) c. Function:dB 5. ClicktheAdd Tracebutton 6. ClickDoneintheTraceswindow. 7. Repeatsteps26toplotZ11(includebothrealandimaginarypartsofZ11onthesameplot).

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Datamarkersmaybeused(Report2D Data Markers)toshowresultsatyourcenterfrequency.The plotswillchangeaftereachsimulationifthelayoutismodified.Thismeansthatyouhavetoresimulateeach timeyouchangetheindentation.IfyourS11plotdoesnotshowadipatyourdesignfrequencyafterthefirst simulation,thenexpandthefrequencyrangeofyoursweepandaddmorepointstothecount,thenresimulate yourstructure.IfyougetadipbutitisnotatyourdesignfrequencythentalktoyourTA. 8. Basedonyourresults,adjusttheindentationsuchthatRe{Z11}50 andthereturnlossisbetterthan 10dB(>15dBisbetter!!)atyourdesignfrequency. 9. Plotthepatchsreturnloss,|S11|dBandinputimpedance,Z11,overthesimulatedfrequencyrange.Whatisthe patchsoperatingbandwidthfor|S11|10dB? Obtainthepatchsradiationpatternsatthedesignfrequencyinbothprincipleplanesasfollows: 10. IntheProject Managerwindow,rightclickResults Create Report. 11. MakethefollowingselectionsintheCreate Reportwindow: a. ReportType:FarField b. DisplayType:RadiationPattern 12. ClickOKintheCreate Reportwindow. 13. IntheTraceswindow,selecttheSweepstab. 14. ClicktheboxtotherightofthefrequencyFentrytohighlighttherow. 15. CleartheAll Valuescheckboxandselectthecenterfrequency. 16. ClicktheMagtabandmakethefollowingselections: a. Category:Gain b. Quantity:GainEThetaAccepted c. Function:dB 17. ClicktheAdd Tracebutton. 18. Similarly,selectGainEPhiAcceptedintheQuantitymenuandclicktheAdd Tracebutton. 19. ClickDoneintheTraceswindow.Theradiationpatternsinbothprincipleplanesshouldappear.Clearly labelallradiationpatterns. 20. Obtainthepatchsgainat0andtheHalfPowerBeamwidth(HPBW).Thegainisfoundbylookingatthe highestpointofthecopolpattern.Tofindthehalfpowerbeamwidth,youneedtofindtheanglewherethe radiatedpowerdropsby3dB,thenmultiplyitbytwo(sincethepatternissymmetrical).Usethedata markersforbothofthesetasks. 21. Drawasketchofyourfinalmicrostrippatchdesignwithalldimensionsclearlyindicated.Thisantennawill bebuiltinLab#2. 22. Saveradiationpatterndataintextlistingformatforcomparisonwithresultsfrommeasurementsinlab#2. Ifyouarenotsurehowtodothisthenaskorlookitupinthehelpmenu.

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PartIVTwoElementPatchArray
Figure2showsthearraylayouttobeemployed.Notethefollowingfeatures: Designfrequencyis5GHzforthispartofthelab. Theelementsneedtobespaced/2apart,whichisabout30mmat5GHz. TheindentationofeachpatchneedstobesettoobtainZpatch=100. AnarrowerZ0=100microstriplineconnectseach100patchtothejunctionwiththeZ0=50inputfeed line.

Figure2:Twoelementpatcharraywithequalexcitationasinfile:ARRAY.adsn A) EqualExcitation(BoresightRadiation) 1. OpenthefileARRAY.adsnthatyoudownloadedinPartIstep2.FollowstepsfromPartIIItoaddanedge portexcitation,setuptheanalysis,addafrequencysweep,andprepareforviewingresults.Inthissection, theactualmodelshouldnotneedtomodifiedfromtheonedownloaded.Ifyoucan'tgetthefarfieldresults todisplay,ensurethatyouselectedtheGenerateSurfaceCurrentoptioninthesweepwindow. 2. WhatZinisexpected?Why? 3. Plotthearraysinputreturnloss|S11|dBfrom4.8GHzto5.2GHz.Istheresultconsistentwiththeexpected Zin?Whatisthearraysoperatingbandwidthfor|S11|10dB?

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4. Determinethearrayshalfpower(3dB)beamwidthintheazimuthandelevationplanes.Howarethey differentfromthesingleelementbeamwidths.Explainqualitatively. 5. Obtainthearraysgainat5GHzintheazimuthplaneandcomparewiththatofthesinglepatch.Isthisresult expected?Explainqualitatively. B) UnequalExcitation(ScannedBeamRadiation) Byshiftingthe50inputfeedlineofFigure2acertaindistancextowardtheleft,asshowninFigure3,an unequalphaseexcitationofthepatcheswillresult,causingtheradiationbeamtobescanned(steered)off boresight. 1. UsingtheobtainedinpartIIforthe100microstriplineandthearrayscanningexpression(ontheboard duringthelaborfromcoursenotes),analyticallydeterminethepathlengthdifferencexrequiredtoscanthe beam300offboresight. 2. ModifythelayoutofPartIVA)toimplementthisphaseexcitation,roundingxtothenearestmm. 3. Plotthemodifiedarrays|S11|curvefrom4.8GHzto5.2GHz.Hastheinputimpedancematchchanged? 4. Obtaintheazimuthplanesradiationpatternat5GHz.Istheresultasexpected?Explain.

Figure3:TwoelementpatcharraywithUnequalexcitation

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