Search Results (398)

Among the several usages of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a wireless relay system is one of the most promising applications. Specifically, a small fixed-wing UAV is suitable to establish the system promptly. In the system, an antenna pointing control system directs an onboard antenna to a ground station in order to form and maintain a communication link between the UAV and the ground station. In this paper, we propose a sensor system to detect the direction of the ground station from the UAV by using color marker patterns for the antenna pointing control system. The sensor detects the difference between the antenna pointing direction and the ground station direction. The sensor is characterized by the usage of both the color information of multiple color markers and color marker pattern matching. These enable the detection of distant, low-resolution markers, a high accuracy of marker detection, and robust marker detection against motion blur. In this paper, we describe the detailed algorithm of the sensor, and its performance is evaluated by using the prototype sensor system. Experimental performance evaluation results showed that the proposed method had a minimum detectable drawing size of 10.2 pixels, a motion blur tolerance of 0.0175, and a detection accuracy error of less than 0.12 deg. This performance indicates that the method has a minimum detectable draw size that is half that of the ArUco marker (a common AR marker), is 15.9 times more tolerant of motion blur than the ArUco marker, and has a detection accuracy error twice that of the ArUco marker. The color markers in the proposed method can be placed farther away or be smaller in size than ArUco markers, and they can be detected by the onboard camera even if the aircraft’s attitude changes significantly. The proposed method using color marker patterns has the potential to improve the operational flexibility of radio relay systems utilizing UAVs and is expected to be further developed in the future. Full article

This paper explicitly proposes a novel algorithm to enhance the inventory efficiency of densely stacked tags in a radio frequency identification (RFID) cabinet. By flexibly setting the inventoried flags, tags are not repeatedly inventoried by different interrogator antennas in the RFID cabinet. Comprehensive experiments are conducted to validate the proposed algorithm’s feasibility. The experimental results show that for 560 stacked tags, the proposed algorithm achieves 100% inventory accuracy while reducing inventory time by 40%, thereby significantly enhancing the efficiency of tag inventory management. Full article

In this work, a frequency- and pattern-reconfigurable Yagi antenna based on liquid metal (LM) switches is proposed for pressure sensing and health monitoring. The proposed antenna consists of a dipole radiator, a reflector, a director, a dielectric substrate, and four flexible LM switches. Benefitted from the switching effect of the LM switches under external pressure, the frequency and radiation pattern of the antenna can be reconfigured. When the LM switch is fully or partially turned on, the radiation directions of the antenna are bidirectionally end-shot and end-fired, respectively. The operating frequency of the antenna can be tuned from 2.28 GHz to 2.5 GHz. It is shown that a maximum gain of 6 dBi can be obtained. A sample was fabricated and measured, and the experimental results were in good agreement with the simulations. The reconfigurable antenna can be applied in wireless pressure-sensing and health-monitoring systems. Full article

Due to the challenges in antenna installation and detection performance caused by metal obstruction along the propagation path at a Gas-Insulated Switchgear (GIS) cable terminal, as well as the adverse effects of environmental interference on the detection of partial discharge (PD) by existing flexible antennas, this paper proposes a directional flexible antenna design to mitigate these issues and improve detection performance. The proposed design employs a coplanar waveguide (CPW)-fed monopole antenna structure, where the grounding plane is extended to the back of the antenna to enhance directional reception. The designed flexible antenna measures 88.5 × 70 × 20 mm, and its low-profile design allows it to be easily mounted on the outer wall of the epoxy sleeve at the GIS cable terminal. The measurement results show that the flexible antenna has a Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) of less than 2 in the 0.541–3 GHz frequency range. It also maintains stable impedance characteristics across various bending radii, with an average effective height of 10.79 mm in the 0.3–1.5 GHz frequency range. A GIS cable terminal PD experimental platform was established, and the experimental results demonstrate that the bending has minimal impact on the detection performance of the flexible antenna, which can cover the detection range of the GIS cable terminal; metal obstruction significantly impacts the PD signal amplitude, and the designed flexible antenna is suitable for detecting PDs in confined spaces with metal obstruction. Full article

This paper introduces a flexible loop antenna-based sensor optimized for real-time monitoring of meat quality by detecting changes in dielectric properties over a six-day storage period. Operating within the 2.4 GHz ISM band, the sensor is designed using CST Microwave Studio 2024 to deliver high sensitivity and accuracy. The sensing mechanism leverages resonance frequency shifts caused by variations in permittivity as the meat degrades. Experimental validation across five samples showed a consistent frequency shift from 2.14 GHz (Day 0) to 1.29 GHz (Day 5), with an average sensitivity of $0.173\mathrm{GHz}/\mathrm{day}$. A strong correlation was observed between measured and simulated results, as evidenced by linear regression ($R^2=0.984$ and $R^2=0.974$ for measured and simulated data, respectively). The sensor demonstrated high precision and repeatability, validated by low standard deviations and minimal frequency deviations. Compact, printable, and cost-effective, the proposed sensor offers a scalable solution for food quality monitoring. Its robust performance highlights its potential for integration into IoT platforms and extension to other perishable food products, advancing real-time, non-invasive, RF-based food safety technologies. Full article

In this article, a small-aperture, low-profile, and omnidirectional conformal antenna is proposed which can be utilized on space-limited equipment platforms such as airplanes, ships, and vehicles. The antenna consists of an open metal cavity, a discone antenna, a parasitic structure, and a radome. The small aperture and low-profile design of the metal cavity result in a rapid narrowing of the bandwidth of the discone antenna. Therefore, we introduce a parasitic structure that not only enlarges the impedance bandwidth by adding a resonant point, but can also be used to adjust the unroundness of the horizontal pattern. Meanwhile, the conformal design of the antenna with four surfaces of different curvatures is presented. The simulation and testing results demonstrate that the antenna can achieve a VSWR of less than 2 within a bandwidth of 1.95–2.62 GHz (29.3%), with a minimum aperture of 0.43 omnidirectional radiation pattern, with a gain exceeding −2.2 dBi in the azimuthal plane. This antenna offers the advantages of a small aperture, low profile, and conformal capability. Furthermore, the resonances of high and low frequencies can be adjusted through two different structures, enhancing the flexibility of antenna design. Full article

Today, innovative engineering solutions, including IoT devices, enable the precise monitoring of plant health and the early detection of diseases. However, the lifespan of IoT devices used for the real-time monitoring of environmental or plant parameters in precision agriculture is typically only a few months, from planting to harvest. This short lifespan creates challenges in managing the e-waste generated by smart agriculture. One potential solution to reduce the volume and environmental impact of e-waste is to use more environmentally friendly and biodegradable materials to replace the non-degradable components (substrates) currently used in the structure of IoT devices. In this study, we estimate the electromagnetic properties at 2565 MHz of the leaves from three widely grown crops: winter wheat, corn, and sunflower. We found that winter wheat and sunflower leaves have values of the real part of relative permittivity ranging from about 33 to 69 (wheat) and 13 to 32 (sunflower), respectively, while corn exhibits a value of about 33.5. Our research indicates that the position of a leaf on the plant stem and its distance from the soil significantly affect the relative permittivity of winter wheat and sunflower. These relationships, however, are not evident in the electromagnetic properties of corn leaves. Full article

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a promising scheme for high-resolution wide-swath (HRWS) imaging. After echo separation processing, a MIMO-SAR system can provide many equivalent phase centers (EPCs) in azimuth. However, EPC duplication occurs for traditional monostatic systems with uniform antenna arrays, leading to system resource waste. Moreover, range ambiguity suppression is a necessary process for wide-swath SAR systems. In this paper, a novel MIMO-SAR echo separation and range ambiguity suppression processing framework is proposed for HRWS imaging. A set of transmission delays is introduced to the transmit channels to displace the repetitive EPCs. The transmission delays can also be used to flexibly control the performance of echo separation. A wide-null beamformer is employed to accomplish echo separation and ambiguity suppression simultaneously. The proposed framework is designed for real-time processing and therefore does not require frequency-domain operations. Finally, the proposed framework is verified through point target and distributed scene simulation experiments. Full article

This paper introduces a novel miniaturized, four-mode, semi-flexible leaky wave Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna specifically designed to advance vehicular communication systems. The proposed antenna addresses key challenges in 5G low- and high-frequency bands, including millimeter-wave communication, by integrating innovative features such as a periodic Spoof Surface Plasmon Polariton Transmission Line (SSPP-TL) and logarithmic-spiral-like semi-circular strip patches parasitically fed via orthogonal ports. These design elements facilitate stable impedance matching and wide impedance bandwidths across operating bands, which is essential for vehicular networks. The hybrid combination of leaky wave and SSPP structures, along with a defected wide-slot ground structure and backside meander lines, enhances radiation characteristics by reducing back and bidirectional radiation. Additionally, a naturalization network incorporating chamfered-edge meander lines minimizes mutual coupling and introduces a fourth radiation mode at 80 GHz. Compact in size (14 × 12 × 0.25 mm³), the antenna achieves high-performance metrics, including S11 < −18.34 dB, dual-polarization, peak directive gains of 11.6 dBi (free space) and 14.6 dBi (on vehicles), isolation > 27 dB, Channel Capacity Loss (CCL) < 3, Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC) < 0.001, axial ratio < 2.25, and diversity gain (DG) > 9.85 dB. Extensive testing across various vehicular scenarios confirms the antenna’s robustness for Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P), and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication. Its exceptional performance ensures seamless connectivity with mobile networks and enhances safety through Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) compliance. This compact, high-performance antenna is a transformative solution for connected and autonomous vehicles, addressing critical challenges in modern automotive communication networks and paving the way for reliable and efficient vehicular communication systems. Full article

This paper presents PCB design solutions for implementing a radiative-field RF energy harvester with an ASK-PWM decoding communication scheme using available commercial components. The paper provides the design approach and tackles key challenges such as the impact of inductive parasitic effects at the output of the harvester, how to maintain the $PCE$ at a constant value regardless of the time constant at the output of the communication path’s rectifier, and the difficulty of changing the aspect ratio of the discrete inverter used for PWM decoding. These challenges are addressed by using multiple capacitors connected in parallel at the output of the rectifier to reduce inductive parasitic effects, adding a series resistor in the communication path’s rectifier to isolate its loading from impacting the $PCE$, and utilizing a potentiometer in the inverter to realize PWM decoding on PCB. The system was manufactured using FR-4 substrate material with a size of 5 cm × 4 cm × 0.6 cm, harvesting energy at the ISM frequency of 924 MHz with a $PCE$ of $42.12\%$ at a bit rate of 15 Kbps. Moreover, the system consumes only 355 μW of power and maintains correct harvesting and decoding operation in the antenna separation range of 6–12 cm. This work aims to provide an alternative to IC realization by implementing the system entirely using commercial discrete components, reducing costs, adding flexibility, reducing development time, and allowing for simple debugging. Full article

Multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) is a key enabling technology for the next generation of wireless communication systems. However, one of the main challenges in the implementation of MIMO system is the complexity of the detectors when the number of antennas increases. This aspect will be crucial in the implementation of future massive MIMO systems. A flexible design can offer a convenient tradeoff between detection complexity and bit error rate (BER). Deep learning (DL) has emerged as an efficient method for solving optimization problems in different areas. In MIMO communication systems, neural networks can provide efficient and innovative solutions. This paper presents an efficient DL-based signal detection strategy for MIMO communication systems. More specifically, a preprocessing stage is added to label the input signals. The labeling scheme provides more information about the transmitted symbols for better training. Based on this strategy, two novel schemes are proposed and evaluated considering BER performance and detection complexity. The performance of the proposed schemes is compared with the conventional one-hot (OH) scheme and the optimal maximum likelihood (ML) criterion. The results show that the proposed OH per antenna (OHA) and direct symbol encoding (DSE) schemes reach a classification performance F1-score of 0.97. Both schemes present a lower complexity compared with the conventional OH and the ML schemes, used as references. On the other hand, the OHA and DSE schemes have losses of less than 1 dB and 2 dB in BER performance, respectively, compared to the OH scheme. The proposed strategy can be applied to adaptive systems where computational resources are limited. Full article

We present a three-dimensional, additively manufactured microstrip balun design for the balanced feeding of wearable antennas. Extensive research has been performed regarding wearable antennas, but the balun design is often ignored. The balun may be omitted, a commercial off-the-shelf balun may be used, or a bulky microstrip balun may be implemented; however, these options are either incorrect or add a significant size to the antenna that is not acceptable for wearable applications. We propose a three-dimensional, conformal microstrip balun enabled by additive manufacturing (AM) technology, and demonstrate its performance using the wearable High-Contrast Low-Loss Antenna (HCLA) as an example. First, the electromagnetic properties of potential substrate materials are characterized from 0.5 to 3 GHz. Exponential tapered baluns are designed, simulated, and tested in a back-to-back configuration to verify the measured material properties for the substrates. Then, the baluns are integrated with the HCLA using a conformal configuration. The measurement results from 0.5 to 3 GHz on the phantoms agree with the simulation for both the reflection coefficient and transmission loss. Importantly, the proposed balun allows the antenna to be used in wearable applications, where balun size would have previously hindered its implementation. The flexibility of the proposed design also allows for the integration with other antennas aside from the HCLA. Full article

The fifth generation of wireless communication (5G) technology is becoming more innovative with the increasing need for high data rates because of the incremental rapidity of mobile data growth. In 5G systems, enhancing device-to-device communication, ultra-low latency (1 ms), outstanding dependability, significant flexibility, and data throughput (up to 20 Gbps) is considered one of the most essential factors for wireless networks. To meet these objectives, a sub-6 5G wideband multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) array microstrip antenna for 5G Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) applications on hotspot devices has been proposed in this research. The 1 × 4 MIMO array radiating element antenna with a partial ground proposed in this research complies with the 5G application standard set out by the Federal Communications Commission. The planned antenna configuration consists of a hollow, regular circular stub patch antenna shaped like a crescent with a rectangular defect at the top of the patch. The suggested structure is mounted on an FR-4 substrate with a thickness “h” of 1.6, a permittivity “${\epsilon }_r$” of 4.4, and a tangential loss of 0.02. The proposed antenna achieves a high radiation gain and offers a frequency spectrum bandwidth of 3.01 GHz to 6.5 GHz, covering two 5G resonant frequencies “$f_r$” of 3.5 and 5.8 GHz as the mid-band, which yields a gain of 7.66 dBi and 7.84 dBi, respectively. MIMO antenna parameters are examined and introduced to assess the system’s performance. Beneficial results are obtained, with the channel capacity loss (CCL) tending to 0.2 bit/s/Hz throughout the operating frequency band, the envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) yielding 0.02, a mean effective gain (MEG) of less than −6 dB over the operating frequency band, and a total active reflection coefficient (TARC) of less than −10 dB; the radiation efficiency is equal to 71.5%, maintaining impedance matching as well as good mutual coupling among the adjacent parameters. The suggested antenna has been implemented and experimentally tested using the 5G system Open Air Interface (OAI) platform, which operates at sub-6 GHz, yielding −67 dBm for the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and superior frequency stability, precision, and reproducibility for the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) and a high level of positivity in the power headroom report (PHR) 5G system performance report, confirming its operational effectiveness in 5G WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) application. Full article

The simulation results presented based on the proposed system demonstrated significant improvements in communication reliability, packet loss reduction and signal stability, highlighting its superiority in real urban traffic conditions. Using the IEEE 802.11p standard and a modular dual-antenna architecture, the system maintained a latency below 10 ms over distances of over 3 km, without noticeable signal loss. GNSS synchronization ensured precise vehicle positioning and dynamic signal optimization. There are results and approaches that highlight the limitations of IEEE 802.11p in dense traffic scenarios; the current approach has reduced packet loss to below 5%. Its integration also allows compatibility with future technologies such as 5G and C-V2X, guaranteeing scalability and long-term relevance. The proposed prototype sets a new standard in vehicular communications, combining high performance with a flexible and extensible architecture, making it a viable solution for large-scale deployments in smart cities, supporting the transition to safer and more sustainable transportation infrastructures. Full article

A 2048-element dual-polarized receive (RX) phased array for $Ku$-band (10.7–12.7 GHz) satellite communication (SATCOM) is presented in this paper. The design of the multilayer printed circuit board (PCB) it uses adopts a novel copper paste sintering interconnection technology that allows for more flexibility in the design of vias and can reduce the PCB’s lamination number. This technology is more suitable for manufacturing multilayer and complex PCBs than traditional processes. The array is designed to consist of sixteen 8 × 16 element subarrays, each based on the silicon RX beamformer and multilayer PCB. Dual-polarized antenna elements are arranged in a regular rectangle with a spacing of 0.5 for a wavelength of 12.7 GHz, thus achieving a scanning range of ±70° in all planes. By adjusting the amplitude and phase of two line polarizations with cross-polarization levels better than −25 dB at boresight, the array can generate linear or circular polarization. Moreover, the antenna gain-to-noise temperature is above 12 dB/K ($T_{\mathrm{ant}}$ = 20 K) at boresight. The aperture of the 2048-element RX phased array is 768 × 450 mm. With its low profile, the array is appropriate for usage in $Ku$-band SATCOM terminals. Full article