Reconfigurable antennas

• Main Author: Bernhard, Jennifer T.
• Format: Electronic
• Language: English
• Published: San Rafael, Calif (1537 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 USA) : Morgan & Claypool Publishers, 2007.
• Series: Synthesis lectures on antennas (Online) ; #4.
• Subjects: Antennas (Electronics); Antenna radiation patterns.; Electromagnetic waves > Polarization.; Radio frequency.
• Online Access: Abstract with links to full text
• Item Description: Series from website.; Part of: Synthesis digital library of engineering and computer science.; Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Oct. 30, 2008).
• Physical Description: 1 electronic text (viii, 65 p. : ill.) : digital file.; Also available in print.
• Format: Mode of access: World Wide Web.; System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references: p. 55-63.
• ISBN: 1598290274 (electronic bk.); 9781598290271 (electronic bk.); 1598290266 (pbk.); 9781598290264 (pbk.)
• ISSN: 1932-6084
• Access: Abstract freely available; full-text restricted to subscribers or individual document purchasers.

This lecture explores the emerging area of reconfigurable antennas from basic concepts that provide insight into fundamental design approaches to advanced techniques and examples that offer important new capabilities for next-generation applications. Antennas are necessary and critical components of communication and radar systems, but sometimes their inability to adjust to new operating scenarios can limit system performance. Making antennas reconfigurable so that their behavior can adapt with changing system requirements or environmental conditions can ameliorate or eliminate these restrictions and provide additional levels of functionality for any system. For example, reconfigurable antennas on portable wireless devices can help to improve a noisy connection or redirect transmitted power to conserve battery life. In large phased arrays, reconfigurable antennas could be used to provide additional capabilities that may result in wider instantaneous frequency bandwidths, more extensive scan volumes, and radiation patterns with more desirable side lobe distributions. Written for individuals with a range of experience, from those with only limited prior knowledge of antennas to those working in the field today, this lecture provides both theoretical foundations and practical considerations for those who want to learn more about this exciting subject.