Reconfigurable tri-band H-shaped antenna with frequency selectivity feature for compact wireless communication systems

Abstract

This study presents an H-shaped reconfigurable antenna for wireless applications. The antenna consists of an H-shape radiator and a CPW printed on a circuit board and a varactor diode connecting the upper and lower arms of the H-shape radiator for reconfigurability. The uniqueness of the antenna lies on the ability to select the operating mode and frequencies electronically using a varactor diode. By selecting the DC-bias voltages of 11.5, 10 and 8 V across the varactor diode, which in turn selects the corresponding varactor capacitances of 2, 4 and 6 pF, the antenna can be controlled to operate in three different modes, namely a single-band mode to cover the GSM1900, a dual-band mode at 1.88 and 2.4 GHz to cover the GSM1900 and Bluetooth/WLAN, respectively and a tri-band mode at 1.57, 1.88 and 2.4 GHz to cover the GSM1900, WLAN and GPS, respectively. Furthermore, by varying the varactor capacitance from 7 to 13 pF, the GPS and WLAN bands can be tuned by 11.44% (1.57-1.4 GHz) and 6.46% (2.4-2.25 GHz), respectively, yet keeping the 1.88-GHz band unchanged. Detailed studies on the antenna's performance are carried out to investigate the behaviour of the antenna at each resonant frequency in each operating mode. © 2011 The Institution of Engineering and Technology.