antenna-theory.com

[JulianCavinaugh]

how to get the impedance of the patch antenna in POSTFEKO after I request the S-parameter?
I know that in HFSS, we can transfer from S parameter to Z- parameter and then read for the patch impedance. But I try in FEKO and can not see where to read the impedance for the patch
My patch antenna is fed by a 150 ohm input feed, then I get the length and width of the patch from the following links:
http://www.emtalk.com/mpacalc.php?er=2.35&h=20&h_units_list=hmil&fr=15&Operation=Synthesize&La=8.6437484774&L_units_list=Lmm&Wa=10.536373763&W_units_list=Wmm&Rin=150.75

Please give me some idea
Thanks

[admin]

I believe you have to request currents to be calculated in the solution.

Then you should be able to get the impedance (the source is assumed to be 1 volt, or whatever you specified in the sources tab).

[JulianCavinaugh]

After I request the current and set the Voltage source, I get the input impedance for the patch antenna, which is approximately 150 ohms, but I still cannot get the impedance of the whole patch antenna, i.e input impedance + the patch itself

[JulianCavinaugh]

What is reference impedance? how is it related to the input impedance?

[bigSteve]

The reference impedance is the impedance of the transmission line used to connect the antenna. That is, the reflection coefficient is calculated from:

Gamma = (ZL - Z0)/(ZL + Z0), where ZL is the antenna impedance, and Z0 is the "reference impedance". That is, the reflection is a function of the transmission line that connects the antenna, not just a property of the antenna itself.

The impedance of the patch antenna is the input impedance. The patch has no "intrinsic impedance" associated with it. It varies based on where you feed it: i.e., it's input impedance.

[JulianCavinaugh]

Thanks a lot BigSteve,
Your information is very helpful. Then the total ZL+Z0 gives me the total impedance of the patch antenna, am I correct?

[bigSteve]

There is no concept of total impedance.

The impedance of the path antenna is just the impedance ZL. It is independent of Z0, the transmission line. That is, if you change the transmission line that feeds the antenna to a new Z0 (Z0_2), the patch impedance does not change.

[JulianCavinaugh]

So when I want to compute the impedance of the quarter wave length microstrip, which is between 50 ohms and patch antenna impedance, The quarter wavelength microstrip impedance = sqrt(50ohms*input impedance of the patch antenna), am I correct?

[JulianCavinaugh]

In the case I have input feed into patch antenna is 150, the input impedance is equal to 150 ohms+ reference impedance, the reference impedance I set to be 150 ohms too because I noticed that whenever my reference is near to 150 ohms (the same impedance of input feed), the reflection coefficient lowest = -35 dB. Please let me know if my idea is correct
Many thanks

[Schubert]

I'm not sure where your equation on impedance comes from.

In regards to your last post, the reflection coefficient is given by:

Ref Cof = (ZA - Z0)/(ZA+Z0)

(ZA = antenna impedance, Z0 = reference impedance or characteristic impedance of transmission line feeding antenna)

So, if your antenna impedance is 150 Ohms, and you set the reference impedance to 150 Ohms, then the reflection coefficient will be very small (i.e. -35 dB). So yes, if you set the characteristic impedance to the antenna impedance, you will reduce the reflection coefficient.

[JulianCavinaugh]

Is this calculator compute the input impedance of the micro strip feed or for the patch itself? (link below)
http://www.emtalk.com/mpacalc.php?er=2.35&h=20&h_units_list=hmil&fr=15&Operation=Synthesize&La=6.52098455435&L_units_list=Lmm&Wa=7.69061236058&W_units_list=Wmm&Rin=164.463207035