An Inline V-Band WR-15 Transition Using Antipodal Dipole Antenna as RF Energy Launcher @ 60 GHz for Satellite Applications

Abstract

This article demonstrates the design and development of WR-15 transition using an antipodal microstrip dipole antenna at a frequency of 60 GHz for space applications. An inline microstrip line to rectangular waveguide (MS-to-RWG) transition is proposed for the V-band (50–75 GHz) functioning. The RF energy is coupled and launched through an antipodal dipole microstrip antenna. Impedance matching and mode matching between the MS line and dipole are achieved by a quarter wave impedance transformer. This results in the better performance of transitions in terms of insertion loss (IL > −0.50 dB) and return loss (RL < −10 dB) for a 40.76% relative bandwidth from 55.57 GHz to 65.76 GHz. The lowest values of IL and RL at 60 GHz are −0.09 dB and −32.05 dB, respectively. A 50 μm thick double-sided etched InP substrate material is used for microstrip antipodal dipole antenna design. A back-to-back designed transition has IL > −0.70 dB and RL < −10 dB from 54.29 GHz to 64.07 GHz. The inline transition design is simple in structure, easy to fabricate, robust, compact, and economic; occupies less space because the transition size is exactly equal to the WR-15 length; and is prepared using an InP substrate with high permittivity of 12.4 and thickness of 50 μm. Thus, the devices have the lowest insertion loss value and lowest return loss (RL) value, of <−31 dB, as compared to earlier designs in the literature. Therefore, the proposed design has the lowest radiation loss (because of thickness) and highest transmission (about 97% power). Easy impedance matching using only a single-step quarter-wave transformer between the antipodal dipole antenna and 50 Ω microstrip line (avoiding the multi-sections’ demand and microstrip line’s tedious complexity) is needed. Since, when the InP dielectric substrate is inserted in WR-15, the waveguide becomes a dielectric-filled waveguide (DFWG), and its characteristics impedance reduces to 143 Ω from 505 Ω at an operating frequency of 60 GHz. In the proposed transition, no ridge waveguide or waveguide back-short is utilized in WR-15. The microstrip line did not contain any via, fence, window, screw, galvanic structure, post, etc. Hence, the transition is suitable for high-data-rate 5G communications, satellite remote sensing, missile navigation, MIC/MMIC circuits’ characterization, and mm-wave applications. The electrical equivalent model of the proposed design has been generated and validated using an RF circuit simulator and was found to have excellent matching.

Aerodynamic slotted SIW-to-MS line transition using mitered end taper for satellite and RADAR communications

“…Based on fundamental circuit theory and S-parameters values at the designed/resonating frequency of the proposed X-band SIW-to-MS line transition, an RLC electrical T-equivalent and the π-equivalent circuit are extracted. The whole process involves the conversion of S-parameters into corresponding Z-parameters (for T-equivalent) and Y-parameters (for π-equivalent) of two-port networks (Pozar, 2012; Varshney et al , 2022a) and then conversion of Z-parameter into T-equivalent and Y-parameters into π-equivalent have been made and finally, equivalent Electric-LC (ELC) circuits are realized (Choudhary, 1998; Varshney et al , 2021) as shown in Figure 15. Negative resistance is realized with the Gunn diode symbol in the equivalent circuit.…”

“…The 50 Ω microstrip line comprises a substrate material sandwiched between a metallic patch and ground plane. The 50 Ω microstrip line is of any length integer multiple of but its λg2 width is evaluated using relationship (Varshney et al , 2022a, 2022b, 2022c): …”

“…The RWG-to-coaxial cable, coaxial-to-MS line (Gupta and Kumar, 2020), MS lineto-RWG, MS line-to-strip line, coplanar waveguide (CPW)-to-MS line, CPW-to-RWG transitions are extensively used for microwave, satellite and mm-wave applications (Varshney and Sharma, 2020). Non-planar hybrid C-band (Huang and Wu, 2012), X-band (Ren et al, 2019;Kaneda et al, 1999;Grabherr and Menzel, 1992;Lin and Wu, 2002;Fang and Wang, 2013), Ku-band (Malik et al, 2010;Liu et al, 2019), K-band (Hassan et al, 2019;Van Heuven, 1976;Aliakbarian et al, 2010), Ka-band (Varshney et al, 2023;Varshney et al, 2022aVarshney et al, , 2022bVarshney et al, , 2022cLi et al, 2012;Shih et al, 1988;Deslandes and Wu, 2001;Tomar et al, 2010;Lin and Wu, 2002;Lou et al, 2008;Tang et al, 2020;Varshney, 2013;Li et al, 2019;Gupta and Kumar, 2020;Tahara et al, 2005), Q-band (Shih et al, 1988;Villegas et al, 1999;Simone et al, 2018), U-band (Kumari and Mondal, 2017), V-band (Varshney et al, 2022a(Varshney et al, , 2022b(Varshney et al, , 2022cShih et al, 1988;Aliakbarian et al, 2010), E-band (Grapher et al, 1994;…”

“…The RWG-to-coaxial cable, coaxial-to-MS line (Gupta and Kumar, 2020), MS line-to-RWG, MS line-to-strip line, coplanar waveguide (CPW)-to-MS line, CPW-to-RWG transitions are extensively used for microwave, satellite and mm-wave applications (Varshney and Sharma, 2020). Non-planar hybrid C-band (Huang and Wu, 2012), X-band (Ren et al , 2019; Kaneda et al , 1999; Grabherr and Menzel, 1992; Lin and Wu, 2002; Fang and Wang, 2013), Ku-band (Malik et al , 2010; Liu et al , 2019), K-band (Hassan et al , 2019; Van Heuven, 1976; Aliakbarian et al , 2010), Ka-band (Varshney et al , 2023;Varshney et al , 2022a, 2022b, 2022c; Li et al , 2012; Shih et al , 1988; Deslandes and Wu, 2001; Tomar et al , 2010; Lin and Wu, 2002; Lou et al , 2008; Tang et al , 2020; Varshney, 2013; Li et al , 2019; Gupta and Kumar, 2020; Tahara et al , 2005), Q-band (Shih et al , 1988; Villegas et al , 1999; Simone et al , 2018), U-band (Kumari and Mondal, 2017), V-band (Varshney et al , 2022a, 2022b, 2022c; Shih et al , 1988; Aliakbarian et al , 2010), E-band (Grapher et al , 1994; Sakakibara et al , 2008; Ariffin et al , 2016), W-band (Shih et al , 1988; Villegas et al , 1999; Pérez-Escudero et al , 2020; Nguyen et al , 2005; Murphy, 1984; Ijuka et al , 2002; Shireen et al , 2010; Tong and Stelzer, 2012; Pérez, 2016; Pérez-Escudero et al , 2018; Meyer et al , 2020; Leong and Weinreb, 1999) and D-band MS line to RWG transitions are extensively used for satellite and RADAR applications (Hügler et al , 2020; Hassona, 2018; Hassona et al , 2020; W et al , 2016; Hassona et al , 2017; Hassona et al , 2017). Their type of transitions are mostly three types; one inline transition: MS line insertion along the width or height of the waveguide (Hassan, 2019; …”

Gain and Bandwidth Enhancement of Superstrate Loaded 2×2 Circular- Array Antenna for X-Band and RADAR Applications

“…Various techniques have been used to broaden the microstrip antenna's bandwidth and permit it to function as a multiband antenna [4][5][6][7][8][9]. In modern planar (microstrip lines) and non-planar (rectangular waveguide/coaxial cable) interconnects and transitions, high-gain directional microstrip antennas play a vital role in launching energy as a launcher unit instead of multi-stepped microstrip probes [10][11][12][13][14][15][16].…”