volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

A miniature folded printed quadrifilar helical antenna (FPQHA) using a novel compact feeding network is proposed. Folding and meandering techniques are used to obtain 66% of size reduction for the axial length of the printed quadrifilar helical antenna. A compact feeding network using an out-of-phase power divider based on double-sided parallel-strip lines and a Wilkinson power divider is designed. A fabricated prototype of the FPQHA employing the compact feeding network is presented. The measured positive gain bandwidth is from 380 MHz to 425 MHz with a reflection coefficient less than -20 dB and an axial ratio below 2 dB. The measured maximum gain is 3.08 dBic at 395 MHz with a half-power beamwidth of 1500. With good radiation performance and integrated feeding network, the proposed antenna can become a better candidate in satellite and mobile communications.

1. Evans, J. V., "Satellite systems for personal communications," IEEE Antennas Propag. Mag., Vol. 39, No. 3, 7-20, 1997.
doi:10.1109/74.598556 Google Scholar

2. Jin, J., X.-M. Wan, W. Wang, and X.-L. Liang, "Broad beamwidth circularly polarized printed antenna for GPS applications," Proc. IEEE AP-S Int. Symp., 2638-2641, Jun. 2007. Google Scholar

3. Zhou, Y., C.-C. Chen, and J. L. Volakis, "Single-fed circularly polarized antenna element with reduced coupling for GPS arrays," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 56, No. 5, 1469-1472, May 2008.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2008.922887 Google Scholar

4. Letestu, Y. and A. Sharaiha, "Broadband folded printed quadrifilar helical antenna," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 54, No. 5, 1600-1604, May 2006.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2006.874365 Google Scholar

5. Caillet, M., M. Clenet, A. Sharaiha, and Y. M. M. Antar, "A broadband folded printed quadrifilar helical antenna employing a novel compact planar feeding circuit," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 58, No. 7, 2203-2208, Jul. 2010.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2010.2048865 Google Scholar

6. Sharaiha, A. and C. T. P. Blot, "Printed quadrifilar resonant helix antenna with integrated feeding network," Electron. Lett., Vol. 33, No. 4, 256-257, Feb. 1997.
doi:10.1049/el:19970185 Google Scholar

7. Rabemanantsoa, J. and A. Sharaiha, "Size reduced multi-band printed quadrifilar helical antenna," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 59, No. 9, 3138-3143, Sep. 2011.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2011.2161436 Google Scholar

8. Rabemanantsoa, J. and A. Sharaiha, "Small-folded, printed quadrifilar helix antenna for GPS applications," 14th International Symposium on Antenna Technology and Applied Electromagnetics ANTEM 2010, 1-4, Jul. 5-8, 2010. Google Scholar

9. Sharaiha, A. and J. Rabemanantsoa, "A miniature dielectrically loaded spiral folded printed quadrifilar helix antenna for GPS dual-band applications," Proceedings of ISAP 2012, 1425-1428, Nagoya, Japan, 2012. Google Scholar

10. Kim, S.-G. and K. Chang, "Ultrawide-band transitions and new microwave components using double-sided parallel-strip lines," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., Vol. 52, No. 9, 2148-2151, 2004.
doi:10.1109/TMTT.2004.834165 Google Scholar

11. Garg, R., P. Bhartia, I. Bahl, and A. Ittipiboon, Microstrip Antenna Design Handbook, Artech House, Norwood, MA, 2001.

Dr. Ping Xu

Dr. Ze-Hong Yan

Mr. Xiao-Qiang Yang

Dr. Tian-Ling Zhang

Dr. Geng Yuan