Pattern-reconfigurable antenna in azimuth plane using SP3T reconfigurable switching network

Abstract

This paper presents a new pattern-reconfigurable antenna. This antenna has been designed, fabricated, and measured for 2.45 GHz band application. It provides six different radiation patterns in the azimuth plane at the same angle interval. First, a new single-pole three-throw switching network with one input and three outputs has been built on the circuit simulator and afterward validated by structural simulation. This reconfigurable switching network provides six switching conditions by the combination of turning ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’ states of the used four radio frequency p-i-n diode switches. Second, three curved printed dipole antennas are designed with an equal interval of 120° in the azimuth plane. Finally, switching network and curved printed dipole antennas are simultaneously simulated for 2.45 GHz band applications followed by fabrication. Maximum half-power beamwidth and average gain are obtained as 110° and 4 dBi, respectively, and the radiation efficiency is always better than 90.2%.