Page 30 - rise 2017

Design of Rectangular Patch Antenna for Wireless and On-Body-Centric Communications

2,b
1,a
Shah Erawati Binti Mokhtar , Fauziah Binti Che Mat , Dr. Tarik Bin Abdul Latef 3,c

1,2 Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah, Perak
3 Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur

b
c
a shah_erawati@psas.edu.my, mycmfauziah@gmail.com, tariqlatef@um.edu.my

Abstract
Wireless communication has experienced an enormous growth since it allows users to access network
services. Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is the most rapid evolution and wide popularity in
standard developed by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Evolution of WLAN
are expended to application in WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network) and WBAN (Wireless Body
Area Network) which are emerging in medical, entertainment, health care, military and commercial
sectors. This scenario happen because of expanded in communication industry, medical technology,
costing issue, smaller device and provide higher quality. Evolution of technology, compact and
smaller antenna can achieve the higher gain and broader bandwidth. The 2.4 GHz frequency is user in
WLAN network. This project presents the design of rectangular patch antenna for wireless and on-
body-centric communications. The project design using rectangular patch antenna. The antenna is
designing in free space communication and apply in On-Body Centric Communication. The antenna
is designed at the frequency 2.4 GHz. The behaviour of rectangular patch antenna is investigate such
as return loss, gain and bandwidth. The project is designing by simulation using CST software.
According to the free space communication, rectangular shapes show the higher efficiency of return
loss of -28.087 dB and largest percentage of bandwidth is 0.06 Hz. In On-Body Centric
Communication configuration, the rectangular shape shows the bigger thickness of skin and muscle
affected the return loss and gain which is related to woman and man. As conclusion, rectangular shape
has been chosen because of the special characteristics of save costing to fabricate, very thin and can
design in the smaller size. Besides that, in On-Body Centric Communication, rectangular shape
provide the good result of man and woman which given the higher gain when the thickness of skin is
increased.
Keywords: return loss, gain, bandwidth, on-body centric communication.

Introduction
Antenna is the transitional structure between free-space and a guiding device. It is used to transport
electromagnetic energy from the transmitting source to the antenna or from the antenna to the receiver
[2]. Microstrip antenna is the best chosen which provides several advantages light weight, small
dimension, cheap, conformability and easily to integrate with other circuit make it is chosen in many
applications [2]. It is used in many applications, like radar applications, mobile applications, RFID,
GPS applications, medical applications. [10]. Rectangular is the most popular because of ease of
analysis and fabrication, and their attractive radiation characteristics, especially low cross-polarization
radiation. [2]
The evolution of new trend towards of microstrip antenna in a user-centric concept in mobile
communications, wireless body area networks (WBAN) have received increasing attention within the
wireless personal and body area networks community [7]. Body-centric communication takes its place
firmly within the sphere of personal area networks (PANs) and body area network (BANs). The
content of a BAN or PAN contains a range of communications needs and requirements. These can be
classified as: [5], [6]
• Off-body: because the channel is off of the body and in the surrounding space, only one antenna in
the communications link is on the body. This is referred to as the off-body domain.
• On-body: most of the channel is on the surface of the body and both antennas will be on the body.
This is called the on-body domain.
• In-body: a significant part of the channel is inside the body and implanted transceivers are used. This
is called the in-body domain.