Multiple Beam Parasitic Array Radiator Antenna for 2.4 GHz WLAN Applications

A multiple beam parasitic array radiator (MBPAR) antenna is proposed in this letter. The MBPAR antenna can cover all angles in horizontal plane by generating six wide beams with angle-step of 60° in 2.4 GHz wireless local area network (WLAN) bands. The MBPAR antenna consists of six active elements, a center parasitic reflector, twelve parasitic isolation elements, and a ground structure. Six active elements located in the ground edge use a common center parasitic reflector to realize six beams. The parasitic isolation elements located on the angular bisectors are used to improve the isolation between adjacent ports. Unlike the traditional electrically steerable parasitic array radiator antenna, the MBPAR antenna can realize six beams at the same time, which remarkably increase the communication capacity. To validate the proposed design, an MBPAR antenna has been designed and prototyped at 2.45 GHz. The MBPAR antenna exhibits VSWR <2 and isolations better than −20 dB in 2.4G-WLAN bands. The peak realized gain of 7.3 dBi and efficiency of 95.7% of the MBPAR antenna are obtained. The MBPAR antenna with large communication capacity and low wind resistance is suitable for the outdoor WLAN applications.