Effect of the fabrication parameters on the performance of embroidered antennas

Abstract

Abstract.Simulated and measured microstrip patch antennas produced using embroidery techniques have been presented. The antennas use a standard microwave substrate material. The effect of stitch direction and stitch density is described and a clear requirement to understand how the currents flow in an antenna so that the stitch direction can be correctly chosen is shown. Two different simulation approaches for these antennas are discussed and one is linked to measurement results, pointing to a simplified model for simulating embroidered patch antennas. 2 1. Introduction.

Embroidery and Related Manufacturing Techniques for Wearable Antennas: Challenges and Opportunities

“…Such challenges include: selecting the most suitable conductive thread in terms of conductivity; strength; flexibility and the assessment of the behavior of the conductive threads when they are stitched to form an approximately continuous object so as to improve the efficiency of the patch antenna [36]. The effect of the stitch direction and stitch density on the performance of the antenna has been extensively studied and described in [37]. The understanding of the current flow on a designed patch antenna is a fundamental requirement to choose the stitch direction (Figure 8).…”

Inkjet-Printed Microstrip Patch Antennas Realized on Textile for Wearable Applications

“…The technical challenges of embroidering antennas made with conducting threads has been reviewed in [9].…”

Wearable Antennas for Off-Body Radio Links at VHF and UHF Bands: Challenges, the state of the art, and future trends below 1 GHz

“…An accurate prediction of the wearable antenna performance might require simultaneous characterization of all relevant conductive and non-conductive materials by means of test structures that are fabricated in an identical way as the wearable antenna [17]. An additional complication, resulting from the conventional textile production process, such as knitting, weaving and embroidering, is formed by the typical inhomogeneity, anisotropy and instability (in terms of geometry and environmental conditions) of the fabric's material properties [27] [44]. A textile fabric may be described as a mixture of fibers, air and water molecules [17] [18].…”