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VOL. 10, NO. 23, DECEMBER 2015 ISSN 1819-6608

ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
©2006-2015 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

FINDING THE BEST FEEDING POINT LOCATION OF PATCH ANTENNA

USING HFSS
S. E Jasim, M. A. Jusoh, M. H. Mazwir and S. N. S. Mahmud
Faculty of Industrial Sciences & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
E-Mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT
This paper describes about the finding of an optimal location of feeding location for patch antenna by using
Ansoft HFSS software. The dimensions of patch antenna were calculated based on the three essential parameters. The
operation frequency of patch antenna was designed at 2.4 GHz. The LaAlO 3 was chosen as a substrate material for the
designed patch antenna with a dielectric constant of 23.5, and a height of 1.5 mm. The materials were chosen as a perfect
conductor for patch and ground plane with a cut off area from a substrate block. The centre of the patch as well as substrate
is located at the origin coordinates of x-y plane, and the height of substrate at z-direction. The objective of this paper is to
find the best feed point location, which achieves the highest performance for the designed antenna. The best feed point is
located at (Xm, Yn) from the origin. The simulation was done for all feed point locations. The return loss was calculated,
and it has the highest value of return loss at a constant y-axis point along the length of patch antenna. The results
demonstrated that the use of such a design will achieve high directivity, gain, efficiency, and performance.

Keywords: HFSS, feed point location, microstrip patch antenna, simulation, return loss.

INTRODUCTION central probe conductor, which operates as directly

Microstrip patch antennas are useful for wireless connected with patch antenna, which provides its feeding
communication, especially in the applications for Wi-Fi. power. The coax represents the outer connector around the
The antenna enable devices such as, personal laptop, probe, and it is connected with the ground plane by which
mobile phone, multimedia player or GPS to connect or the circuit become complete [8].
access Internet, within the range given by high performing
radiating antenna. The antenna covers the large area up to
square kilometers or less than [1, 2]. The antennas are
commonly used in wireless communication due to their
high performance, low cost, light weight, small size,
suitable shape, and easy to fabricate [3, 12]. The designing
of patch antennas via using different software’s has
become most popular in recent years. This may be due to
their useful dealings with much parameter, which
extremely plays an important role in designing high
performance antenna. This paper highlights the designing Figure-1. A schematic diagram of microstrip patch
of a rectangular microstrip patch antenna which depends antenna.
on the three fundamental parameters, that is, the operation
frequency, thickness of the substrate, and the dielectric PATCH ANTENNA DESIGN PROCEDURE
constant of substrate [4]. The aim for this work is to The antenna was designed by using LaAlO3 as a
display the best feed point location that has a high return substrate material with dielectric constant 23.5 [9],
loss. The return loss is losses in power input that is thickness 1.5 mm, and based on a ground plane as shown
reflected back, and can be calculated from the difference in Figure-1. The operating frequency is 2.4 GHz, which
in dB between the feeding and reflected power [5]. The represents the aim for this design. The dimensions of the
HFSS-13.0 Software (high frequency structural simulator), patch, substrate, and ground plane were calculated based
which is a commercial tool is used for design and on explanation in [1, 2]. To calculate dimensions of patch
simulation [11, 6]. The methods of feeding the RF power antenna, the equation (1) to (5) was calculated via MatLab
directly to the patch antenna is to make it radiate by using software.
a microstrip line feed and a coaxial probe feed. The
c 2
feeding direct techniques were illustrated by Mandal [6]. w (1)
The rectangular patch antenna radiates by utilization of a 2 f0 r 1
coaxial feeding probe technique, which is an extremely
common [4, 7]. The coaxial probe is an inner conductor L  Leff  2L (2)
that is passed through out a substrate, and it is connected
to an antenna to make it radiating. The feed probe
technique is used for feeding the patch antenna as shown
in Figure-1. The coaxial probe feed technique consists of

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 VOL. 10, NO. 23, DECEMBER 2015 ISSN 1819-6608
ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
©2006-2015 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

c L (8)
Leff  (3) Xf 
2 f o  eff
2  eff

w w
( eff  0.3)(  0.264) (4) Yf  (9)
L  0.412h h
w 2
( eff  0.258)(  0.8)
h
Where Xf and Yf are the desired input feed point
r 1 r 1 h 2
1
(5) at x-axis and y-axis respectively. The use of MatLab
 eff   [1  12 ]
2 2 w software resulted as Xf = 2.4 mm, and Yf = 8.9 mm, which
were neglected because they represent the position at the
Where, edge of patch antenna, and it was more suitable for feeding
W = width of the patch antenna by microstrip feed line [2].
L = length of the patch antenna
f0 = resonance frequency
c = speed of light
Ԑr = dielectric constant of the substrate
Leff = effective length
ΔL = length extension
h = thickness of the substrate
Ԑeff = effective dielectric constant of the substrate

GROUND DIMENSIONS
For practical considerations, all patch antenna
design must have a finite ground plane, with a conducting
type of material. The ground plane has similar dimension
of the substrate but they are greater than the patch antenna
dimensions by six times of the substrate thickness all
around of the periphery as illustrated in Figure-2. As a Figure-2. A schematic diagram of patch antenna with 169
result, the dimensions for the substrate and ground plane feed points of coaxial feeding probe.
would be given in Equations (6) and (7) [1, 2].
ANALYSIS AND SIMULATION
Lg = 6h + L (6)
The HFSS software has been used to create and
simulate the design of patch antenna for the desired
Wg = 6h +W (7)
frequency using the feeding coaxial probe technique,
which has been considered as a better feeding technique in
Where L are W are the length and width of patch
comparison with microstrip feeding line technique [6]. The
antenna respectively while Lg and Wg are length and
patch antenna is designed to be located at origin
width of ground plane respectively. The dimensions for
coordinates x-y plane while the height of the substrate lies
patch and ground plane has been calculated via MatLab
in z-direction. The analysis and simulation step has been
software. The results are listed in the following Table-1,
done for all the feeding location points’ x-y plane. The
which are used in HFSS software to design the antenna
image of the patch antenna is taken from the software as
[5].
shown in Figure-3.
Table-1. Dimensions for patch antenna and ground plane.

THE FEED POINT LOCATION

The feeding probe point location can be located at
the point (Xf, Yf) in the x-y coordinates, as shown in
Figure-2. The location points are given by Equations (8)
and (9). They had achieved low input impedance or good Figure-3. The image of patch antenna from the HFSS
matches between the transmission line and the port [12]. software.

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ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
©2006-2015 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

The adaptive solutions in the HFSS software

solution step are selected with the parameters shown in
Table-2.

Table-2. Adaptive solution.

The frequency setup was set as linear which the

start and stop frequency were set at 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz
respectively with step size 0.001 GHz. The feed probe that
was designed to feed the patch antenna are described in
Table-3. To enhance and control all the feeding points’ Figure-4. Return loss vs. frequency for the feed point (-3,-
location, the feeding point location inside the area of patch 3), shows high result at 2.4 GHz frequency.
antenna were organized. A square area of 169 points,
where (13˟13 mm2) has been analysed and simulated, The return loss at 2.4 GHz frequency for the
refer to Table-4. patch antenna has been found around from -12 dB at the
line Y= ± 4 to -28 dB at the line Y= ± 3 along the X-axis,
Table-3. Feed probe coaxial dimensions. as so tabulated in Table-4, which are basically an
acceptable value and a very good work antenna [13]. The
return loss was plotted with (x, y) location points to get the
surface plot and contour plot by using the MATLAB
Software as in figure-5 and 6. The resultant high return
loss are nearly between -42 dB and -35 dB for the fourth
point feed location. These results are better than that
obtained by Mandal et al[11], which had a return loss -
36.2 dB at 2.35 GHz frequency.

Table-4. Return loss (dB) of 169 feeding point locations

over the patch antenna area 13˟13 mm2.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Return loss is the amount of efficiency power
transferred between the feeding lines and antenna. The
return loss is selected with the desired frequency which
equals to 2.4 GHz. The centre of the patch was taken at the
origin. The feed point location is given by the coordinates
(x, y) from the origin. The feeding point must be located at
that point on the patch, which includes the specific chosen
area as shown in Figure-2. The return loss and frequency
for all feeding point location has been analyzed and
plotted with the HFSS software. Table-4 shows the results
for all feeding points. The feed points were taken by Table-4 shows the location points for x and y
choosing the constant value of y-points with variable coordinates, which are varied from -6 up to +6 which
values of x-points for the positive and negative sides. The includes the origin point (0, 0). The high return loss was
feed point (-3,-3), shows the highest return loss. The return found at the two lines of y-axis in +3 and -3, along the x-
loss represents how much feeding power that was reflected axis. The two lines with high return loss represents the
back at the port of patch antenna as a result of the best feeding point’s location for feeding the patch antenna.
mismatches between the transmission line and the feeding The best of the feed location points were indicated with
points. Hence, the high return loss represents the measure yellow colour. The width of the rectangular patch antenna
of good matches that is shown in Figure-4. was taken with y-direction and the length with x-direction.

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ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
©2006-2015 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

6
distribution of power radiation around the antenna as a
function of direction represented by the phi angle at 2.4
4
GHz. The radiation pattern of an antenna has a normal
2
radiation distribution to its surface and it gives an image
nature of the value and direction of radiation, by which the
y-axis

0 antenna emits or receives the electromagnetic waves. The

-2
best way to represent radiation pattern is by the three
dimensional graph. The radiation pattern is plotted to show
-4 the visualization or provide a view of the radiation. Its
magnitude depends on the patch antenna surface. Another
-6
-6 -4 -2 0
x-axis
2 4 6
way to represent it, is by the angular or polar coordinates.
Figure-7 and 8 show the elevation pattern for designed
Figure-5. Surface plot of the return loss and the 169 feed antenna at phi=0 and 90 deg.
point locations, the best feed location point appears at the
fourth area plotted with blue color.

-5

-10

-15

-20
z-axis

-25

-30

-35

-40

-45
6
4
2
0
-2 -6
-4 -2 -4
-6 4 2 0
6

y-axis
x-axis
Figure-7. 2D radiation pattern at 2.4 GHz frequency.
Figure-6. Contour plot for the return loss plotted with the
169 feed point location.

The high return loss illustrates that, there it has a

low reflection feeding power, has high radiation, and it’s a
good antenna. In other words, the antenna has a low input
impedance at the located points as well as it has all the
power that could be passed to the input feeding point to
the patch. The correct selection of the feeding point
location decreases the impute impedance for the patch
antenna, as the feeding point represents the delivered
point, by which the patch receives its feed power.
Consequently the higher performance of the patch antenna
is displayed with the better feeding located points. These
results are accepted and explained by other researchers. Figure-8. 3D radiation pattern at 2.4 GHz frequency.
The feed point of any patch antenna must be located at a
point that achieves the input impedance of 50 ohm at the THE DIRECTIVITY
resonance frequency [10]. Therefore, the feeding points The directivity is a convenient way to measure
was applied for all the specific points antenna area of 169 the range of power transmission in a specific direction.
along the X and Y coordinates including the origin point. The directivity is considered as one of the parameters by
As explained before, the best feeding point must be which the antennas get a high gain [3]. Figure-9 shows the
located at the highest return loss. Furthermore, in order to directivity for phi=0 and 90 deg with the highest
operate the patch antenna in normal case the length of directivity is 0.412 dB.
patch antenna must be equal or less than λ/2, where λ is
the wavelength of the dielectric medium [2, 5].

RADIATION PATTERN
The radiation pattern of the patch antenna was
plotted as shown in Figure-7 and 8. It has shown that the

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ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
©2006-2015 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

THE EFFICIENCY
The efficiency of any device represents the ratio
of output power to its input, but for antenna the efficiency
is calculated from the ratio between the powers radiated
from it to the supplied power. The antenna is like any
other devices in microwave circuit components. The
power could be lost as a result of mismatches or dielectric
loses. Figure-7 shows the radiation pattern for the patch
antenna, which indicates high values.

CONCLUSIONS
In this design the impedance of feeding point for
microstrip patch antenna can be controlled by changing
the location of feed point. The feed probe technique was
Figure-9. Directivity of antenna at 2.4 GHz frequency. used to achieve the development of patch antenna within
high matching as well as lowest input impedance. The
THE GAIN correct selection of the feeding point location decreases
The Antennas gain is measured for its directivity the input impedance for the patch antenna and raises the
and the efficiency, and therefore the gain for any antenna return loss, gain, efficiency, and directivity.
mathematically can be obtained as in Equation. (10):
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©2006-2015 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

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