Wireless Local Loop (WLL) Microstrip Antenna
Rural Application
S. LEBBAR, Z. GUENNOUN, M. DRISSI, F. RIOUCH
Abstract— A new design for single feed, WLL micro strip
antenna is presented and experimentally studied. The antenna
is 10.3mm × 17.2mm size, radiates an end fire beam and
operates on the (3.4-3.6 GHZ) standard WLL - rural
application - band. The antenna gain is better than 4.96dbi.
I. INTRODUCTION
R Rural markets have traditionally been served by fixed
wireless access (FWA) systems such as point to
multipoint (PMP) radio, which is generally considered a
quick and economical way to implement communications
infrastructures that link these areas to the rest of the word.
FWA is specifically designed to deliver quality, cost-
effective services in low density and scattered rural areas.
Global system for mobile communication (GSM) remains
the world’s leading mobile communications technology.
Recently, equipment vendors have encouraged GSM
operators to use fixed GSM (FGSM) technology to deliver
basic telephone service to low and medium density rural
areas that are not served by landline networks.
Although FGSM may appear to present opportunities for
attracting new subscribers by leveraging existing GSM
infrastructures, in reality, the advantages this technology
provides are limited to the high density and often narrow
corridors already covered by mobile networks. Extending
such networks into the country side in low density regions is
not necessarily a cost effective solution as the per-subscriber
cost of delivering basic telephony substantially increases.
Given the uncertainties of FGSM’s evolutionary path, and
indeed the lack of Support for a cost- effective solution for
delivering toll-quality voice and functional Internet access to
low-density areas, network planners did carefully consider
Manuscript received November 20, 2005. This work was supported in
part by the EMI, Laboratoire De Recherche Eléchtronique ET System De
Telecommunications, Rabat, Morocco. By Antennes ET Hyperfréquences,
Institut d’Electronique ET de Télécommunications De Rennes, Rennes
France as a second part, and by the INPT, Propagation Micro-ondes et
optiques as a third one.
S. Lebbar is the main author of this article. She was with the Electrical
Departement of FIT, FL, USA and is now within the EMI, Rabat, Morocco,
where she is preparing a PHD, in the Laboratoire De Recherche
Elechtronique Et System De Télécommunications, Rabat, Morocco. (e-
mail.: sofia_lebbar@yahoo.com)
Z. Guennoun, is within the Department of Electrical engineering, in the
EMI, Rabat, Morocco.
M. Drissi. is the co-director of antenne et hyperfrequences, Intitut
d’electronique et de telecommunication de rennes, Renne, France. He is
with the Electrical Engineering Department, INSA engineering School,
France.
F. Riouch is within the INPT, Rabat, Morocco.
the use of wireless local loop (WLL), called also radio in the
loop(RITL), or fixed radio excess.
Wireless local loop (WLL), sometimes called, radio in the
loop, or fixed-radio access (FRA), uses public switched
telephone Network (PSTN) to connect subscribers using
radio signal instead of copper wire for all or part of the
connection. In rural telephony WLL uses the 3.4 -3.6
frequency band.
Micro strip antennas are small structures, used in external
public switched network (PSTN), to collect or radiate
electromagnetic wave. Most people require an antenna that
can stand up to daily abuse and still keep reception when
connected to the network. (3.4 -3.6 GHz) is the frequency
band used in the WLL technology.
In this article, we will report a new one band micro strip
antenna structure working on the WLL band, the antenna is
aimed to work in the (3.4-3.6 GHz) band. The compactness
of this antenna was our huge premium. And this is especially
true when the designed antenna, needs to fit the conditions
of having the needed gain. Furthermore, it was very difficult
to achieve the required polarization performance, besides all
these challenges, the requirement of significant bandwidth.
All of these factors make this antenna design and
development a daunting task and some practical engineering
compromises needed to be made.
II. COMPACT MICROSTRIP ANTENNA DESIGN
Microstrip antenna can be designed using couple of
methods, the most straight forward one has been finding the
antenna width and length for specific i) resonant frequency,
ii) substrate permittivity, and iii) substrate height. The
formulas used in the rectangular forms have been
successively:
C
L2 = (1)
(ε r + 1)
2 f0
2
−1 / 2
ε +1 ε r −1  h
ε reff = r + 1 + 12  (2)
2 2  L2 
 c part of the substrate beneath the radiating element is
L1eff = (3) removed to realize a low effective dielectric constant
2 f 0 ε reff substrate which in turn reduces the power leakage to surface
waves. The third approach relay on photonic crystals and in
L2 this case the substrate is periodically loaded so that the
(ε reff + 0.3)( + 0.264)
H1 surface waves cannot propagate along the interface and
∆L = 0.412h (4) hence the power leakage to surface wave reduces.
L2
(ε reff − 0.258)( + 0.8)
H1 III. NEW METHODOLOGY ANTENNA DESIGN
L = Leff − 2∆L(5) In its basic form, Microstrip antenna can be viewed as a
matrix with X variables and four unknown b. Such that
A*X = b. (7)
Such that εr the relative substrate permittivity, C the speed of The unknowns are resonant frequency, bandwidth, gain or
light (3*108 m/s), L1 the antenna length, L2 the antenna efficiency, and polarization. And the variables X are
width and fr the resonant frequency. Adding a via to the resonant patch length and width, the subtract height, the
rectangular patch, the resonant frequency can be increased to relative permittivity, and the feeding position, length and
width, ect.
To illustrate this more and show the problem solution,
let’s take the most basic micro strip antenna structure (see
figure 1)
fr = C (6)
4*α * ε r (L+W −πd)

Where d is the via diameter, and α the compensation

coefficient, generally equal to 0.9.
Compactness of conventional resonating microstrip patch
antenna is accomplished by loading the dominant mode of
resonant structure. Loading can take place in various forms:
i) use of dielectrics, ii) use of lumped or distributed element,
and iii) perturbing the basic structure.
The use of high permittivity substrate is the most straight
forward approach to reduce the antenna size, because
resonant length is proportional to 1/√εr. However, size
reduction is associated with reduction in bandwidth and
radiation efficiency of the antenna. Indeed, the characters
expected in size reduced antenna are large reactance
Figure 1: Basic micro strip antenna
variation near resonance and low conductance. This results
in high Q value and hence small bandwidth. One of the most
The variables are L1, L2, εr and H1 and the unknowns are
known techniques to solve this problem, is to create multiple
resonant frequency, bandwidth, gain, and polarization. So
resonance by i)adding parasitic patches in stacked or planar
using neural network methodology, and numerical analysis
geometry, ii) adding reactive loading by shaped slot , cuts or
software that helps make multitude of trials, one can solve
notch, iii) or increase the substrate thickness.
the four unknown with the four variables. But some
During this article we will be using Thick, high variables are correlated, do the necessity of adding other
permittivity, substrate. However, creating multiple variables. Those new variables could be in the form of
resonance, by increasing the subtract thickness degrade adding new slot, changing the resonant metal form, adding
radiation efficiency. This poor radiation is due to the fact couple of substrate…ect. Also the problem solving can
that surface wave modes, which are guided waves depict some unphysical result, ex high L1, L2 or H1 do the
propagating along the interface, increases the leakage power, need of looking into bibliography of some predefined results
which becomes the main source of the poor radiation or the need of trying new ideas to solve the problem. (See
efficiency and also for the mutual coupling in the phased Part 2 of this paper)
arrays. There exist many solutions to improve the antenna
radiation efficiency. This has been achieved through the
suppression of surface wave propagation in the antenna IV. METHODOLOGY APPLICATION
structure. First approach is based on the cavity backed
antennas, in which electric walls are placed surrounding the The WLL new microstrip antenna structure proposed in this
patch to avoid the surface wave propagation. The second paper (Fig.2) is an application of the antenna strategy
approach is based on micro-machining technology, in which
described above. The antenna is working on the (3.4-3.6) V EXPER MENTAL RESULT
frequency band and is 17.2 mm long, has 10.3 mm width,
and 9.4 mm height. The 9.4mm antenna’s thickness is The an enna comes up o be a d rec ona an enna of 100
designed using two stacked substrate, alumina and air with percen eff c ency (see p c ure 4) and a ga n of 4 96 dB The
relative permittivity (εr) 9.6 and 1 respectively. The ga n was ach eved by us ng s acked subs ra e
thicknesses (h) of those substrates are relatively 3.2mm and
6.2mm.
100
90
80
70

Percentage
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
THETA

f g 4 WLL des gn for s ng e feed sma raff c and arge area

m cros r p an enna

F g 2 WLL M cros r p An enna s ruc ure VI CONCLUS ON

A comb ned approach of ANN and compac ness
The des gn opo ogy s ach eved by embedd ng wo s de
r ang es he f rs one on he ef corner of he an enna and
he second on he r gh s de The probe s connec ed o he
m cro s r p feed ne The probe s used o cond on he
an enna o be used w h a mono h c m crowave n egra ed
power amp f er A ga n of 4 96 db was ach eved by
n roduc ng s o s on he resonan pa ch The mm an enna
d mens ons were ach eved hrough he use of a h gh
perm v y subs ra e s acked w h a r be ween a um na and
ground And f na y he requ red frequency and bandw d h
(3 4-3 6GHz) were ach eved by exper men a y chang ng he
an enna s ruc ure (f g 3)
S11
-10
-11
M ag.[dB]
A s mp e WLL m cros r p an enna des gn for s ng e feed
sma raff c and arge area m cro s r p an enna w h an
embedded s o has been demons ra ed By proper y ad us ng
he eng h and pos on of he s o s and us ng a one probe
feed he frequency be ween (3 4-3 6) has been eas y
ob a ned The ga n of 4 96 dB was enhanced by n roduc ng
a band gap on he subs ra e The an enna prospec ve w be
o nc ude he seconde 26 GHZ cen ra frequency WLL
band ha s used for denses area b g raff c
REFERENCES
1 h p www s e ecom com mpo s pd en FGSMvsFWA pd
2 Dav d M Poza Dan e H Schaaube M c os p An ennas The
Ana ys s and Des gn o M c os p An ennas and A ays
3 K n Lu Wong “Compac and B oadband M c os p An enna A
W ey – n e Sc ence Pub ca on John W ey& son s nc 2002
4 Wonkyu Cho Yong heu Cho Cheo S k Pyo and Jae Lck Cho A
H gh M c os p Pa ch A ay An enna us ng a Subs a e Laye
5 Dav d M Poza Dan e H Schaaube M c os p An ennas The
Ana ys s and Des gn o M c os p An ennas and A ays

-12

-13

-14

-15
3.30 3.35 3.40 3.45 3.50 3.55 3.60 3.65 3.70
Frequency

F g 3 S Pa ame e =3 5 GHZ BW= 200 MHZ