Reconfigurable Antenna for Satellite Applications Using Micromechanical Actuation Switches

In the current chapter, a reconfigurable antenna using micro mechanical actuation switches for K and
Ku-band applications has been proposed. Overall two identical cantilever micro mechanical switches
(S1& S2) are used to design reconfigurable patch antenna. The switch based reconfigurable antennas
can be designed using different switches like PIN diodes, varactor diodes, MEMS switches, Field
effecting transistors, optical controlled switches. The switches are working by electrostatic actuation
mechanism. With the switches, overall the antenna is offering four resonant frequencies based on the
switches ON/OFF condition. The Micro mechanical switches are offering an isolation loss of -18.5dB
and an insertion loss of -1dB. The Proposed reconfigurable antenna is resonating at four different
frequencies based on the different switching conditions of RF MEMS switches. If S1& S2 both are ON
the antenna is resonating at 16.9GHZ, if S1 -ON & S2-OFF the antenna is resonating at 47.3GHZ &
59.1GHZ, if S1 -OFF & S2-ON the antenna is resonating at 28.4GHZ, if S1 -OFF & S2-OFF the
antenna is resonating at 27.9GHZ