Antenna Elements and Array for Satellite Broadcasting Service

Abstract

There is an increasing demand for satellite broadcasting services rapidly. In terms of polarization, antennas usually can be classified as linearly-polarized (LP) and circularly-polarized (CP) antennas, representing different locus of the E-field vector and H-field vector when the wave propagates. For the antennas applying on satellite communication terminals, CP is an essential specification to maintain low loss and proper signal transmission. In this project, it is proposed to design a vertical patch antenna (VPA) for satellite communication terminals. A low-cost left hand circularly-polarized small antenna operating in 11.7GHz - 12.1 GHz is presented. It is composed of two dielectric substrates mounted on a ground plate, three layers stacked in total. Due to different sizes of circular opening obtained in the substrates, the VPA is formed with plating conductor on the rim of the upper substrate. It is fed by a probe excitation to perform a circular polarization. Performance of gain is enhanced by the air cavity enclosed by the upper substrate and the ground plane. 3-db beamwidth performs better with a high dielectric substrate. All antenna models are investigated by High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) which is a 3D full-wave solver. The antenna elements and array are finalized with fabrication and measurement. The results meet the specifications and would be deeply investigated.