Design and Simulation of Hexagonal
Microstrip Patch Antenna for 5G NR n79 Band Communications
Dr. G. Kalpanadevi1, Bavadharani
Dhandapani2,
Bavadharani Parthipan3,
Harshatha Venkatraman4, Kanamni
Vijay5
1,2,3,4,5Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering,
K.
Ramakrishnan College of Engineering,
Samayapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
kalapanadevig.ece@krce.ac.in, dbavadharani1@gmail.com
Abstract—The
rapid development of modern wireless communication technologies prompts the
need for compact and reliable antennas capable of supporting stable and
efficient signal transmission in different types of systems. In this work, a
hexagon-shaped microstrip patch antenna is designed for microwave wireless
communication applications. The presented antenna is reveals resonance at 4.53
GHz which can be used in wireless communication and sensing applications. By
introducing hexagonal geometry, the surface current distribution is enhanced
and a good amount of impedance matching with superior radiation characteristics
than conventional microstrip patch antennas was achieved. The antenna is designed on FR-4 substrate with a
dielectric constant of 4.3 and a thickness of 1.6 mm in order to create a small
and inexpensive structure. The provided antenna has good return loss, VSWR, and
stable radiation for the newest wireless communication applications, according
to the findings of the design performance simulation using the CST studio
suite.
Index
Terms—Hexagonal microstrip patch antenna, wireless
communication, 4.53 GHz, FR-4 substrate, CST Studio Suite, impedance matching,
return loss, VSWR & gain design and simulation.
I. INTRODUCTION
Wireless
communication systems have changed dramatically in recent years since the
arrival of fifth generation (5G). Such systems require antennas that are
compact and efficient, and with stable performance at higher frequencies. Due to
its low profile, simple fabrication, and compatibility with printed circuit
processing techniques, the microstrip patch antenna—has been so popular lately.
Microstrip antenna is
a typical metallic patch over insulating base with reference plane on the other
side. Antenna performance depends on the geometry of the patch, how it is being
fed, and the substrate material being used. To improve the bandwidth, return
loss, and impedance matching modified geometries are needed to be studied, even
traditional geometries are available. To implement 5G Wireless Communications
which is responsible for high data rates, low latency and good connectivity features,
we require frequency range of 4 to 5 GHz. You are taught about antenna design
through this frequency, which is a term that must support efficient radiation
while preventing the total reflection of inductive concerns.
In
this paper, a novel hexagonal microstrip patch antenna is designed to work at
proximity of 4.4 GHz. An aperture feeding set-up with two slots, which is
capable of altering the current distribution and enhancing impedance matching,
is introduced in this design. The antenna is modeled, and simulated in CST
Microwave Studio, fed with an input signal for performance analysis in terms of
return loss and VSWR. The following sections are as follows: The literature
review is said in Section II. Section III says the antenna design and it’s
approach. The simulation results are said in section IV. Section V concludes
the study.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
Many methods, including changed geometries and
slot-based topologies, have been researched for the design of microstrip patch
antennas in order to meet the performance requirements of next-generation
unguided communication media.
Specific improvements in performance have been researched with an emphasis on
compact antenna structure and enhanced impedance matching suitable for 5G
communication bands (4–5 GHz). A thorough description of microwave and antenna
basics which is especially focused on the operation of microstrip antenna was
presented by Pozar [1]. His research contributed to insight about how
parameters of the substrate, like dielectric constant and thickness affect
resonant frequency and bandwidth. These findings helped in the selection of the
FR-4 substrate for the antenna design presented In [2], Wong reported both
compact and broadband microstrip antenna configurations and pointed out that
bandwidth enhancements as well as improved impedance behaviors can be obtained
by altering the geometry of the radiating patch. This is why the antenna is
designed in a hexagonal shape instead of normal rectangular patch.
Finally,
James and Hall [3] presented in-depth research of microstrip antenna structures
where they demonstrated that other configurations could enhance radiation
characteristics as well as current distribution. Their work provides motivation
to switch from polygon-patch based designs to a more efficient design.
Garg
et al. [4] presented practical microstrip antennas design methodology and
highlighted realistic dimension calculation and feeding techniques. Their study
informed the initial design approach and parameter selection used in this work.
Maci
and Gentili [5] studied multi-frequency behavior in patch antennas by modifying
patches. These results stressed the need for control over current paths, a
characteristic related to the slot-based tuning in this design.
Guo
et al. [6] have also investigated into slot-coupled microstrip antennas and
reported that including slots can enhance both impedances matching with
receiving circuits as well as bandwidth. Thus, the previous results served as a
solid foundation for using slot features close to the feed zone with the
proposed design antenna.
The
study [7] by Kishk evaluated the in-slot antenna configuration and claimed that
placement of slot plays a crucial role on its performance. It was also helpful
in understanding how the slot geometry can be used for improving return loss
and matching.
Wong
and Luk [8] have investigated a number of small antenna designs oriented
towards wireless communication, with compactness and performance efficiency
highlighted. The goal of designing a compact antenna for modern wireless
systems was supported by their work.
In
4G/5G applications, Bao and Ammann [9] introduced a large number of compact antennas
and said that change in antenna structure improves the performance without
enlarging the volume. This idea informed the use of a compact design in this
work.
Zhang
et al. Antenna design for 5G applications was addressed in [10] demonstrating
the necessity of maintaining stable behavior within the sub-6 GHz band. The
frequency range of 4.4 GHz seems appropriate for this design, as shown by their
work.
Wu
et al. [11] highlights printed antenna design considerations for future
wireless networks and repeat the need of proper design optimization to obtain
good impedance matching in addition with radiation performance, particularly
when it comes to high-frequency applications.
Ikram
et al. Geometric modification along with slot techniques is found to be beneficial
in achieving better return loss and VSWR, as reported by [12] for wideband
microstrip antennas designed for sub-6 GHz set of the 5G technology. This
directly aligns with the design methodology in our proposed antenna.
It
can be safely concluded from these studies that geometry modification as well
as slot integration significantly boost the antenna performance. Concluding all
these insights, the below content presents design of hexagonal microstrip patch
antenna for 5G NR n79 Band Communications with microstrip feedline at either side,
operating in the frequency of 4.5 GHz.
.
III.
DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
The CST studio suite software was used to develop
and simulate the hexagonal microstrip patch antenna. The final overall geometry was
developed using theoretical calculations and simulation-based step by step
optimization. The initial dimensions were determined using standard microstrip
antenna design formulas. Then, the changes were made for impedance matching and
resonance at 4.5 GHz.
A. Substrate Selection
The
substrate is FR-4 as it is low cost and the availability range is wide. The
dielectric constant (εr) is 4.3, and the tan delta is 0.02. The substrate
thickness (h) is 1.6 mm. This selection of metrics is to get better performance
and to get resonance at 4.5 GHz. The active layer and metal backing’s usual
copper thickness is 0.035 mm. The FR-4 is a sensible selection even though it
has moderate dielectric losses at higher frequencies, to design smaller
antennas focusing on practical use in wireless communication systems.
B. Patch Geometry and Dimensions
A Hexagonal antenna with usage of
two microstrip feeding technique on either side is our design. The patch is
designed in such a way that it radiates efficiently and small in size for the
selected frequency. The main structural parts of the antenna are detailed as
follows:
1) Hexagonal Patch Body: For optimized radiation while
maintaining compact size Hexagonal shape is chosen. It also provides proper
current distribution. Hexagonal patch is the main radiating element whose width
is 17.5 mm and height is 20.58 mm.
2) Microstrip Feed: The edge of the patch is attached
with a microstrip feed line like a neck attached to the head. The feed line is
guiding current from feed to the active layer giving good excitation to the
antenna.
3) Inset
Feed Structure: Consider the hexagon as the central component of an
antenna. It has a neck like structure for microstrip feed line at the bottom
that connects to the power supply. This neck is important serving as a channel
for the electricity powering the antenna. There are two little vertical gaps of
a width 2 mmh adjacent to that neck. These gaps let the antenna to reach the
precise channel and make sure the energy flows properly without any signal loss
or degradation.
Fig. 1. Dimensions of the proposed hexagonal
microstrip patch antenna as simulated in CST Microwave Studio. Key dimensions:
hexagon side = 5.77 mm, vertical height = 10.39 mm, inset feed width = 2 mm,
inset feed length = 4.70 mm, feed width = 4 mm, and feed length = 5 mm.
C.
Design Equations
The first layout of designed modified hexagonal
microstrip patch antenna is done using analytical expressions, then simulation-based
tuning. The operating frequency was focused on 4.4 GHz, which is intended for
the wireless 5G communication. Resonant frequency for a hexagonal microstrip
patch is obtained from an analogous circular patch model. One such widely used
method is based on the concept of effective radius that helps with
simplification for analysis. The frequency of resonance is therefore given by:
fᵣ
= 1.8412 × c / (2π × aeff √εr)
where c - light’s speed in free space and
εr is the substrate relative permittivity. The effective radius includes
the fringing field effects at the patch edges, which slightly enlarge the
antenna electrical size.
The hexagonal patch dimensions were
estimated with standard design equations for the recommended layout focusing on
4.4 GHz. The patch itself was modeled as 5.77 mm wide and 10.39 mm tall, with a
feed width of 4 mm and slot spacing that measured at 2 mm. Through simulation,
these dimensions were further fine-tuned to yield resonance about 4.52 GHz.
On FR-4 substrate
(h = 1.6 mm, εr = 4.3) with a natural impedance of 50 Ω, the
microstrip feed line is designed as shown in Fig.1. The theoretical value of
feed width can be taken as the actual increase accordingly (ca. 4 mm). This
feed structure also employs a rectangular inset slot (2 mm width and 6 mm
depth) for improving impedance matching and reducing mismatch loss at an centre
frequency of approximately 4.52 GHz.
IV.RESULTS AND
ANALYSIS
The proposed hexagonal microstrip patch
antenna in electromagnetic was evaluated using CST Microwave Studio. A transient
solver based on the generalized FDTD was used for the simulation. Berenger
Layer boundary conditions were defined in the simulation medium to absorb
outgoing waves and prevent reflections. A edge port was used to stimulate the
antenna at the feed point. The performance of the design was studied by
checking the S parameters and the VSWR characteristics throughout a broad range
from 1 GHz to 6 GHz which allowed us also to see the complete behavior very
close around our operating frequencies.
A. VSWR (S11) Performance
Fig. 2 shows the simulation
S11 (VSWR Value) curve results for the antenna. It can be observed that the
antenna has a dominant resonance at around 4.51 GHz with minimum return loss of
about −13 dB. This means that the majority of power going into the input
is radiated, and very little gets bounced back.
The −10 dB bandwidth
spread out the resonant frequency confirms that the antenna efficiently works
in 4.4–4.5 GHz range and can be used for 5G wireless communication
applications. The presence of a clear-cut dip in the S11 curve also indicates
good reflection less condition between 50-Ω supply line and the active
layer.
A inset feed near the
microstrip feed line of our antenna leads to a resonance curve with a unique
shape. These inset feeds create new paths for current that enhance impedance
matching and shift the eigen frequency by a small amount. Consequently, the
antenna reaches stable performance in the regarded frequency range.
Fig.2.
Simulated S11 (return loss) of the proposed hexagonal shaped antenna. The
marker indicates S11 = −13.29 dB at f = 4.5 GHz.
B. VSWR Performance
The frequency-dependent
Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) is shown in Fig. 3. This results in a
minimum VSWR of around 1.5 at the eigen frequency of the antenna, which is
about 4.5 GHz. This is an indication of better reflection less condition
between the supply line and active layer. VSWR is still very close to the
limited level (VSWR < 2) through the operating frequency range, indicating
that more power will be transmitted in the target band of the 5G with low
reflection.
At resonance, low VSWR means a
small reflection coefficient, which means that most of the input power reaches
the antenna instead of being reflected. VSWR is indeed significantly high when
moving away from the resonance frequency, which is not surprising considering
that this antenna was built for narrowband operation. With a VSWR of less than
2, the overall performance achieved by the antenna indicates good matching and
makes it suitable for 5G wireless communication applications in frequencies
near to 4.4–4.5 GHz band.
Fig. 3.
Simulated VSWR of the proposed hexagonal lock-shaped antenna. The marker
indicates VSWR = 1.55
at f = 4.52
GHz.
C. Performance Summary and Comparison
Table I compares the simulated
performance of the proposed modified hexagonal microstrip patch antenna with
some selected antenna designs reported in literature operating frequency range
of 4–5 GHz. Table I: Looking at designs side by side with
references Table I shows that the antenna works much better than the reference
designs.
TABLE I. Comparison of Antenna Interested with
Referenced Structures, Operating at 4.5 GHz
|
Reference |
Frequency (GHz) |
S11 (dB) |
VSWR |
Patch Shape |
|
[4] |
4.50 |
−10.5 |
1.82 |
Hexagonal |
|
[6] |
4.40 |
−9.6 |
2.10 |
Rect.+ slot |
|
[11] |
4.30 |
−8.9 |
2.25 |
Rectangular |
|
This Work |
4.51 |
−13.0 |
1.50 |
Modified Hex-Shaped |
The result
return loss of around −13 dB is lower than the reported values in others
works thus revealing a lower signal reflection. Also, mulated VSWR around 1.5
is lower than those of the compared antennas which confirms better impedance
matching. The enhanced performance has been primarily attributed to the
adjusted hexagonal geometry in addition with the dual-slot configuration at the
feed region. This allows controlling both the current distribution and
improving power transfer efficiency. Meeting the requirements of 5G wireless
Communication applications in 4.5 GHz band the proposed design gives better
performance in comparison with regular rectangular antenna.
CONCLUSION
Here we
have provided a well-designed and analyzed hexagonal microstrip patch antenna
for 5G NR n79 band communications at the frequency range of 4.5 GHz for the
applications of 5G wireless communication. A compact hexagonal radiating patch
and double inset feed structure is introduced for impedance matching and
improvement of performance. According to the simulation, at a frequency of
about 4.52 GHz, this antenna has approximately −13 dB return loss and
nearly 1.5 VSWR values with clean energy transfer to load along with good
impedance matching needed for an optimal circuit design. The designed antenna’s
mismatch loss and VSWR performances are better than already available designs. The
design is straightforward, compact, and can be easily manufactured using
standard PCB methods, making it easy for practical applications. Fabrication
and experimental validation of the antenna can also be performed in future
work. There are also some useful techniques that make the antenna perform
better in all aspects, like increasing the gain, improving the bandwidth, and
many such things.
REFERENCES