Progress In Electromagnetics Research C, Vol.

3, 119128, 2008

DESIGN OF A DUAL MONOPOLE ANTENNA WITH

WIDEBAND FREQUENCY
J. S. Mandeep and T. C. How
School of Electrical and Electronic Department
Engineering Campus
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Seri Ampangan, 14300 Nibong Tebal
Seberang Perai Selatan, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

AbstractIn this article, a design for wideband dual-frequency folded

dual monopole antenna is presented. By the proper choice of the
dimensions of the Y-shape patch and the gap distance for the feeding
structure, an additional resonant mode and wide impedance matching
can be realized. Both simulated and experimental results, such
as antenna impedance bandwidth, antenna radiation characteristic,
and antenna gain have been presented and discussed. The lower
impedance bandwidth covers from 8.78 GHz to 9.05 GHz, and the
upper impedance bandwidth covers from 11.64 GHz to 12.01 GHz.

1. INTRODUCTION
In recent year, wireless communications have gained a wider and wider
popularity. Presently, the trend is that of providing a wireless link
to every kind of electronic device in parts of our daily lives. In
this framework, personal digital assistants (PDAs), notebooks, mobile
phone are becoming constitutive elements of new generation networks
[15].
In order to aord ecient of mobility, the wireless communication
devices are required becoming smaller [68]. Antennas, which play
an important role in wireless communication, are also increasingly
required to become smaller, lightweight and conformal to the structure
of the mobile terminal, while maintaining the high gain characteristics.
In particular, it is important mentioning that the strongest limitation
in antenna design for smaller wireless systems is the radiating element
size [912].

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Many antennas have been designed for wireless application, but

the resulting size of the nal layout often comes out to be too bulky to
be integrated in any part of the mobile terminal [1315]. Moreover, by
using small antenna the quality factor of undersized antennas increases
due to the proximity of a grounding surface and the high electric
current density, reducing the antennas bandwidth. Meanwhile, an
increase in the electric current density causes the impedance to rise,
increasing Joule losses, and thereby decreasing the antennas gain [16
19]. However, existing dual monopole antennas generate a mutual
inductance, typical of a radiator with a monopole structure [2026].
This has a negative inuence on the radiation eciency of the antenna,
as it increases the reactance [2731].
In this article, a simple antenna design in that dual monopole
structure was folded at each end, so as to change the reactance value
caused by the coupling between lines. Therefore, the antenna overall
performance can be increase. Besides that, to fulll mobility eciency,
cost eective, and allow large number of production, a planar printed
structure in the form of microstrip antenna is employed. Detail of the
investigations based on experiments and simulations of the proposed
antenna are described.
2. ANTENNA DESIGN
The geometrical conguration of the proposed wideband dualfrequency folded dual monopole antenna is shown in Figure 1. For
the design studied here, the radiation element, and the feeding line are
printed on the same side of a microstrip patch substrate of thickness
0.813 mm (h) with a dielectric constant = 3.38 while the other side
is ground plane of the antenna.
The transmission line, which consists of a signal strip thickness of
Wf and a gap distance of g between the single strip and the coplanar
ground plane, is use to feeding the antenna. Two equal nite ground
planes, each with dimensions of length, Lg and width, Wg , are situated
symmetrically on each side of the antenna feed line. The basic of the
antenna structure is a patch element with a Y-shape patch element
with varying the L1 , L2 , W1 , and W2 length in order to get the optimum
outputs. In this study, the dual-frequency wide impedance matching
capability is provided by the use of the electromagnetic coupling eect
of the ground planes to both feed line and the Y-shape patch. By
properly selecting the antennas geometric parameters numerically
and experimentally, the optimum wideband dual-frequency antenna
characteristic can be obtained while maintaining the antenna in smaller
size.

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50 SMA

Figure 1. Geometry of proposed folded dual monopole antenna [6].

The geometric parameters were adjusted carefully and, nally, the
antenna dimensions were obtained as shown in Table 1. Thus, the
proposed antenna can be fabricated, and the experimental results of the
antenna input impedance and radiation characteristics are presented
and discussed. The wideband dual-frequency folded dual monopole
antenna is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. The fabricated wideband dual-frequency folded dual

monopole antenna.

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Table 1. Antenna dimensions.

Parameter

Length
(mm)

L1

8.00

L2

20.00

Lg

23.50

W1

4.00

W2

4.00

Wf

6.00

Wg

20

0.355

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Figure 3 shows the simulated and measured return loss against
frequency for the proposed wideband dual-frequency folded dual
monopole antenna. It is clearly seen that simulated two resonant
frequencies at 8.92 GHz and 11.82 GHz are excited with good
impedance matching. The measured lower resonant mode achieves
a 10 dB impedance bandwidth of ranging from 8.78 GHz to 9.05 GHz
with respect to the center frequency at 8.92 GHz, and the measured
upper resonant impedance bandwidth ranges from 11.64 GHz to

Figure 3. Simulated and measured return loss for the proposed dual
monopole antenna.

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123

Figure 4. Simulated and measured horizontal (E ) polarization

pattern at 8.92 GHz for antenna studied in Figure 2.
12.01 GHz with respect to the center frequency at 11.82 GHz. If
compare the simulation result and the measured data, a good
agreement is seen over the whole operating band. The discrepancies
between the simulated and measured return loss may due to the
fabricated deviations during the fabrication process in the laboratory.
Besides that, measurement of the return loss is not done in the free
space where there is no other interruption that will absorb the signal
been transmitted.
The far-eld radiation patterns for the proposed wideband dualfrequency folded dual monopole antenna are also examined. From
Figure 4 until Figure 8, shows the comparison between the simulated
and measured radiation pattern including the horizontal (E ) and
vertical (E ) polarization pattern for the antenna at lower band of
8.92 GHz and upper band 11.83 GHz.
Due to the much symmetry in structure of the proposed wideband
dual-frequency folded dual monopole antenna, rather all symmetrical
radiation are seen in the horizontal and vertical planes as depicted in
the plot. Typically, the radiation under the ground plane should be
zero as same with the simulation radiation pattern. This is because
the ground plane of the microstrip patch antenna serves as a reector
for all the radio frequency. This means, all the transmitted signal
will be reected back to the source. There are several factors that
can cause the radiation under the ground plane. One of the main
factor is the entities such as metallic device in the laboratory act as
reectors as they reected the transmit signal to the patch antenna.
Moreover, the SMA connector which is solder on the patch dielectric

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Figure 5. Simulated and measured vertical (E ) polarization pattern

at 8.92 GHz for antenna studied in Figure 2.

Figure 6. Simulated and measured horizontal (E ) polarization

pattern at 11.83 GHz for antenna studied in Figure 2.
substrate, connectors and adapters used for connecting dierent types
of transmission lines and power splitters can also causes the inaccuracy
of the result.
Finally, the simulated and measured antenna gain for the lower
and upper band is obtained and discussed. From simulation, the
proposed wideband dual-frequency folded dual monopole antennas
gain for lower band is 9.465 dBi and is 9.996 dBi for the upper band
resonant frequency. However, the measured antennas gain for the

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125

Figure 7. Simulated and measured vertical (E ) polarization pattern

at 11.83 GHz for antenna studied in Figure 2.
lower band is 6.353 dBi and 7.021 dBi for the upper band resonant
frequency. The measured gain is calculated from the Friss equation
[5], which is shown in equation (1).


Pr = P t G t G r

4R

2

(1)

Where,
Pr = the received power (Watts)
Pt = the transmit power (Watts)
Gt = the gain of the transmitter
Gr = the gain of the receiver
= the wavelength of the proposed antenna (meters)
R = distance between transmitter and the receiver (meters)
From the results of the simulated gain and measured gain, can
be note that the oset between the simulation and measurement
result is quite high. This may caused by the fabrication quality on
the microstrip patch substrate during the prototype process in the
laboratory. Loss in the SMA connector that connected to the coaxial
cable and the proposed folded dual monopole antenna also can cause
the inaccuracy in the measurement result.
4. CONCLUSION
A novel design of wideband dual-frequency folded dual monopole
antenna which is constructed by two monopole structure with both
ends are folded is proposed. The measured results such as return loss,

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radiation pattern, and the gain of the proposed antenna is obtained

and compared with the simulation results and the overall performance
of the antenna still can be considered in good condition. The proposed
folded dual monopole antenna has a very simple structure, which makes
the design simpler and fabrications easier, and is very suitable for
applications in the access points of wireless communications.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to thank Universiti Sains Malaysia for the
project support.
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