A compact five-band patch antenna covering WLAN, WiMAX, X, and Ku-bands

Abstract

This paper introduces a compact, low-profile, five-band antenna for wireless communication systems operating across 2.4/5 GHz WLAN, 3.5 GHz WiMax, and 7.5 GHz X- and Ku-band frequencies. The proposed antenna utilizes a novel configuration with a dual-overlapping rectangular patch coupled to a wide circular slot and an inverted L-shaped strip. Fabricated on a single-layer FR4 substrate (εr=4.3, thickness=1.6 mm), the antenna employs a 50-ohm coplanar waveguide feed, resulting in a compact footprint of 40×40×1.6 mm³. Experimental measurements and simulations demonstrate a bidirectional radiation pattern covering five distinct frequency bands: 2.4-2.485 GHz, 3.4-3.6 GHz, 5.15-5.825 GHz, 7.25-8.4 GHz, and 13.4-17.7 GHz. The antenna exhibits a return loss better than 10 dB across all bands and provides average gains of 1.78 dBi, 3.04 dBi, 3.4 dBi, 4.27 dBi, and 4.46 dBi, respectively. These results confirm the successful development of a five-band antenna with excellent performance characteristics, making it a promising candidate for 2.4/5 GHz WLAN, WiMax, and X- and Ku-band satellite communications, with automotive vehicles being one example.