Beamforming in linear array microstrip patch antenna for Intelligent Transportation Systems

Beamforming is going to be a key player in the modern communication era. This paper presents a design where antenna(s) are arranged in such a way so that the resultant beam is focused on an increase in overall gain. The article contains a Microstrip Patch Antenna (MPA) array at 3.5 GHz. The main aim of the paper is to show the impacts on the return loss and gain of the antenna when array designs are taken into consideration. As per the claim of the authorts), with a change in antenna configuration in terms of array configuration, there will be a change in the gain and beam-width of the antenna. Three different configurations are shown in this article viz. single, 1×2 and 1×3 MPA. The Maximum gain observed in the work shown in this article is 6.1 dBi with a bandwidth of 130 MHz. The same is described in the result section which is shown in the latter part of the paper. To make it more understandable, the author has compared the software results and the tested result obtained after testing the antenna with the help of a network analyzer. The substrate used for the design is “epoxy substrate” having a dielectric constant of 4.4. The work shown in the paper can find its application in the detection of a blind zone in a smart vehicle in the Intelligent Transportation System. Also, it can be used in indoor/outdoor channel sensing in ISM bands.