Radiation pattern reconfigurable microstrip antenna for WiMAX application

A microstrip antenna with reconfigurable radiation pattern characteristics in the wireless interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) band is presented. By controlling the states of these four pin diodes, different radiating elements can be activated, which leads to four different radiation patterns for WiMAX application in the 3.44-3.6 GHz range. By sequentially activating the pin diodes, the antenna main beam rotates by 90 degrees in azimuth planes, with 30 degrees deflection in the elevation plane. Moreover, the proposed antenna has a compact structure and good realised gain levels with a minimum value of 8 dBi. The measured results of the fabricated antenna prototype verify the simulation analysis.