ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF CONFORMAL PRINTED ANTENNAS

Abstract

Conformal printed antennas of arbitrary shape are used for telemetry applications on high velocity vehicles due to their small size and light weight. The design of these antennas is difficult, however, since there are few accurate analytical models that take the effects of curvature into account. This paper discusses a computer aided design (CAD) tool for arbitrarily shaped printed antennas on cylindrical structures based on a rigorous analytical model. The tool is combined with a graphical user interface and can help antenna designers achieve close to optimal performance. An overview of the mathematical model is given here and the CAD tool is used to highlight the effects of curvature on printed antenna performance. Methods of obtaining circular polarization are reviewed.