Design of frequency reconfigurable multiband compact antenna using two PIN diodes for WLAN/WiMAX applications

In this study, the authors present a simple reconfigurable multiband antenna with two PIN diode switches for worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX)/wireless local area networks (WLAN) applications. The antenna permits reconfigurable switching in up to ten frequency bands between 2.2 and 6 GHz, with relative impedance bandwidths of around 2.5 and 8%. The proposed antenna has been simulated using computer simulation technology microwave studio software and fabricated on an FR-4 substrate. It is compact, with an area of 50 × 45 mm2, and has a slotted ground substrate. Both measured and simulated return loss characteristics of the optimised antenna show that it satisfies the requirement of 2.4/5.8 GHz WLAN and 3.5 GHz WiMAX antenna applications. Moreover, there is good agreement between the measured and simulated results in terms of radiation pattern and gain.