The concept of antenna design with an embedded LNA module is proposed in this work. To demonstrate the concept, a microstrip patch antenna for GPS reception is considered. The antenna is a conventional patch antenna with corners truncated to produce RHCP radiation for GPS reception at 1.575 GHz. A cavity is formed within the substrate of the antenna to accommodate the LNA module so that the built-in LNA may enhance the antenna reception capability without adding external circuits. The resulting patch has the same footprint and thickness as an ordinary passive patch. Simulations and measurements of the prototype antenna indicate that the built-in LNA module introduces no significant changes to the antenna properties except slight shifts on the resonance frequency, which can be corrected by rescaling. The proposed antenna configuration is an attractive option in practical applications for making antennas with small footprints and large gains.

Characteristic evaluation of an active patch antenna structure with an embedded LNA module for GPS reception

This study proposes a novel microstrip patch antenna for microwave power transfer that functions as a class-F load and DC block. These functions enable a direct connection between an antenna and a power device (field-effect transistor) without using a class-F load circuit and capacitor for a DC block. In numerical simulations of a 2.45-GHz antenna, a reflection coefficient is -21.27 dB at the fundamental frequency, and a reflection coefficient and phase at the 3rd harmonic frequency are -0.99 dB and -1.4o, respectively. The simulated gain is 5.59 dBi at 2.45 GHz.

Microstrip patch antenna with class-F load and DC block function for microwave power transfer

In this work, an LNA module is moved into a corner-truncated patch antenna, which is intended for GPS reception use A cavity is formed within the substrate of the patch to accommodate the LNA module The built-in LNA enhances the antenna reception capability without adding external circuits Hence, the resulting patch has the same footprint and thickness as ordinary passive patches Simulations and measurements on prototype antenna indicate that the built-in LNA module imposes limiting influences on the antenna properties, which can be corrected by rescaling the patch, and is hence an attractive option for making small antennas with large gains

An Active Patch Antenna with Embedded LNA Module

This paper present the increasing applications of the satellite communication have driven the need to design small-sized antennas. Microstrip antenna structures, which embed RF subsystems inside the structure, are thus proposed to retain small in size and thickness, where the overall subsystem size can actually be the antenna size itself. This paper demonstrates the concepts and studies the impacts on the antenna and subsystem's performance. In particular, the antenna design applications for the signal receptions of satellite radio and global positioning system (GPS) are considered to evaluate the characteristics. These types of antenna applications in the signal receptions have characteristics of low RF strengths on the antenna bodies, and thus are very suitable for the development of subsystem embedded antenna systems. Experimental results validate the concepts in the following sections.

Subsystem embedded microstrip antennas and its performance evaluation

This thesis presents a study of impedance optimisation of active microstrip patch antennas to multiple frequency points. A single layered aperture coupled microstrip patch antenna has been optimised to match the source reflection coefficient of a transist

Optimisation of active microstrip patch antennas

In this paper is described one method for variation of impedance of patch antennas. With this method both phase and magnitude of impedance can be varied in wide range of different values. This gives us possibility of integration of antenna with variety of different active microwave semiconductors. First of all we described method and its characteristics such as values of patch impedance, which can be attained, and later we demonstrated application of method in case of patch antenna integrated with low noise amplifier (LNA) in receiver.

Active patch antennas integrated with Rx/Tx front end

The paper describes a method for varying the impedance of patch antennas. With this method, both the phase and magnitude of the impedance can be varied in a wide range of different values. This gives us the possibility of integrating an antenna with a variety of different active microwave semiconductors. First we describe the method and its characteristics, such as the values of patch impedance which can be attained, and then we demonstrate an application of the method in the case of a patch antenna integrated with a low noise amplifier (LNA) in a receiver.

A. Nesic

Papers

Active patch antennas integrated with Rx/Tx front end

Impedance of patch antenna for active antenna's structures