Simulation of Folded Dipole Antenna on MATLAB

This report is submitted to

Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering and Technology
For the partial fulfillment for the award of degree of
Bachelor of Technology
in
Electronics and Communication Engineering

By
Deepesh Rajpoot (2100430310023)
Ishant Vaidh (2100430310031)
Satyendra Singh Chauhan (2100430310048)

Under the supervision of

Prof. D.C. Dhubkariya

Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering

Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering & Technology
Jhansi
(An Autonomous Institute)
 Certificate

This is to certify that the project entitled “Simulation of Folded Dipole Antenna on MATLAB”,
submitted by Deepesh Rajpoot, Ishant Vaidh, Satyendra Singh Chauhan, in partial fulfillment for
the award of Bachelor of Technology in “Electronics & Communication Engineering” during session
2023-2024 at Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering & Technology, Jhansi. An authentic record of research
work carried out by him under my supervision and guidance. The student has fulfilled all the recommended
requirements.
The project is based on candidate’s own work, has not submitted elsewhere for a degree/diploma. In our
opinion, this project is of standard required for the award of a bachelor of technology degree in Electronics &
Communication Engineering.

Prof. D.C. Dhubkariya

Professor
Department of ECE
BIET Jhansi

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 Declaration

I declare that this project report titled Simulation of Folded Dipole Antenna on MATLAB
submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree of B. Tech in Electronics & Communication
Engineering is a record of original work carried out by me under the supervision of Prof. D.C.
Dhubkariya, and has not formed the basis for the award of any other degree or diploma, in this or
any other Institution or University. In keeping with the ethical practice in reporting scientific
information, due acknowledgements have been made wherever the findings of others have been
cited.

Deepesh Rajpoot (2100430310023)

Ishant Vaidh (2100430310031)
Satyendra Singh Chauhan (2100430310048)

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 Acknowledgement

On submission of the project entitled “Simulation of Folded Dipole Antenna on

MATLAB”, as a project-based learning in Digital Communication, I would like to extend my
appreciation & sincere thanks to my project supervisor, a very generous guide in fact, Prof. D.C.
Dhubkariya, Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering for his ceaseless
encouragement and support during the course of my work. We verily appreciate and value his
prestigious guidance and motivation from the beginning to the end of this work. His knowledge and
support at the time of crisis will be remembered lifelong. He has been great source of inspiration to
me and I thank him from the bottom of our hearts.

I would also like to thank the staff of Electronics & Communication engineering department
for constant support and providing place to work during project period. Last but not the least I would
also like thank our friends who were with me during thick and thin.

Deepesh Rajpoot (2100430310023)

Ishant Vaidh (2100430310031)
Satyendra Singh Chauhan (2100430310048)

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 Abstract

The simulation of folded dipole antennas using MATLAB is a fundamental aspect of antenna design
and analysis. This project explores the characteristics and performance of folded dipole antennas
through computational modeling and simulation techniques. MATLAB's capabilities in numerical
computation and visualization are leveraged to simulate the electromagnetic behavior of folded
dipole antennas under various conditions.

This abstract outline the methodology employed to model a folded dipole antenna, detailing the
simulation process and parameters involved. The objectives include understanding the radiation
pattern, impedance matching, and bandwidth of the folded dipole antenna. Key simulation results
such as return loss, radiation efficiency, and gain are analyzed to assess the antenna's performance.

The significance of this work lies in its contribution to the understanding and optimization of folded
dipole antennas for practical applications. By utilizing MATLAB for simulation, this project offers
insights into antenna design principles and serves as a foundation for further research and
development in the field of antenna engineering.

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Introduction:
Antennas are essential components in wireless communication systems, responsible for transmitting
and receiving electromagnetic waves. The design of antennas involves optimizing parameters such as
radiation pattern, impedance matching, bandwidth, and efficiency to achieve desired performance
characteristics for specific applications.
Folded dipole antennas are variations of the basic dipole antenna, featuring improved impedance
matching and wider bandwidth compared to a straight dipole of the same length. By folding the
dipole back on itself, the effective electrical length is increased, resulting in better performance
across a range of frequencies. Folded dipole antennas find applications in various fields, including
broadcasting, telecommunications, and radar systems.
A Folded dipole antenna is a half-wave dipole antenna with an additional parallel wire or rod
connecting its two ends and folded to form a cylindrical closed shape. One pole (rod) is continuous
with a length of λ/2 and the other is split at the center. During transmission, the antenna is fed at the
center terminals of the two rods. Similarly, while receiving, the antenna receives the signal from
these two center terminals. Folded dipole antennas usually operate in the frequency range from 3
kHz to 300 GHz and are ideal for use where an optimum power transfer and large input impedance is
required.
The folded dipole is traditionally thought of as an alternative to a dipole for applications that require
higher input impedance. The input impedance of the half-wave folded dipole is approximately four
times that of the half-wave dipole, as demonstrated by a transmission-line model [1, 2].
The transmission-line model decomposes the folded dipole into a transmission-line mode and an
antenna mode, as shown in Figure 1, where IT is the transmission-line current and IA is the antenna-
mode current [2]. The superposition of the transmission line currents and antenna mode currents
produce the total current I. The folded dipole models de- scribe antenna directions as parallel and
opposed.
The input impedance for the transmission line mode ZT is that of a parallel wire transmission line:

where the characteristic impedance Z0 is

and where L is the length of the antenna and k is the wavenumber. The transmission-line current I T is
found from ZT as

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The antenna mode can be related to the impedance of a single conventional dipole Z D. The antenna-
mode current IA is found from ZD as

The total input impedance Zin of the antenna is found by dividing the total voltage by the total
current:

Substituting the currents IT and IA from 3 and 4 into 5 gives

For a half-wave folded dipole with L = λ/2, (1) gives an infinite value for the transmission-line mode
impedance ZT , and (6) yields an input impedance Z in = 4ZD for the folded dipole. This fourfold
increase in input impedance of the half-wave folded dipole over that of the dipole is the reason why
folded dipoles are popular in many applications, including a Yagi–Uda antenna.

Figure 1: Folded Dipole Antenna

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The transmission-line method of modeling the folded dipole is generally accepted for analyzing
folded dipoles. However, others have suggested improved analysis methods. Clark and Fourie [3]
suggested the use of an extended equivalent length based on the interelement spacing of the folded
dipole. Schuman [4] extended the model to include balanced transmission lines. However, the
balanced nature of the half- wave folded dipole has not been addressed directly in the literature. This
paper focuses on the self-balancing nature of the folded dipole, which results in balanced currents on
the folded dipole and balanced feed-line currents.

How does a Folded Dipole Antenna Work?

When a sinusoidal signal at a certain frequency is applied to the folded dipole antenna, it results in
the back-and-forth movement of the electrons (oscillating charges). Due to the oscillating charges,
time-varying electric and magnetic fields are created between the conductors and propagate away
from the antenna. The radiation patterns of half-wave folded dipole antenna and half-wave dipole
antenna are almost the same.
A conventional dipole antenna is a type of antenna that features two identical wires or rods (Fig. 2).
The length of each rod is equal to the quarter wavelength (λ/4) of the operating frequency and the
two rods are separated by an insulator at the center. A dipole antenna is also known as a half-wave
dipole antenna because the length of the dipole is half of the operating wavelength (λ/2).
The main benefit of a folded dipole antenna is that it provides higher input impedance as compared
to the conventional half-wave dipole antenna (also called dipole antenna). Typically, the input
impedance of folded dipole antenna (Zf) is four times the input impedance of dipole antenna (Z d ≈ 70
ohms).

At the resonant condition, an input impedance in the range of 300 ohms can be achieved for a folded
dipole antenna, which is suitable for connections to “twin-lead” transmission lines. The resonant
condition occurs when the antenna is operating at a resonant frequency, which is the frequency at
which the input impedance of antenna is entirely real. In the resonant condition, the real input
impedance of the antenna can be matched with a real characteristic impedance of the transmission
line. Hence, at resonant frequency, impedance matching is possible that results in well-radiated
power and antennas are operated at their resonant frequency.
How is Impedance Variation Obtained in Folded Dipole Antenna?
In the folded dipole antenna, greater step-up transformation of input impedance can be obtained by

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adding more elements (i.e., more parallel rods) with identical diameters and lengths (l ≃ λ∕2). For
example, a three-element folded dipole offers input impedance approximately nine times greater than
that of the conventional dipole antenna or about 650 ohms, making it a good match for open wire
feed cable. Small variations in impedance are also possible by using elements of slightly different
diameters and/or lengths, and more accurate impedance variation is possible with smaller spacing-to-
diameter (s/d) ratio.

Figure 2: Radiation pattern of Half-wave folded dipole antenna

Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Planar Folded Dipoles

Symmetrical and asymmetrical planar folded dipole antennas can be designed and constructed by
using microstrips. The microstrip can be fabricated using printed circuit technology, and the input
impedance variations can be obtained by adjusting the width of the strips.
Advantage of folded dipole antenna
 Higher input impedance, from 73 ohms to around 300 ohms, compared to conventional half
dipole antennas
 Draws lower current from source
 Matches well with characteristics impedance of transmission lines
 Better bandwidth characteristics than a single dipole of the same size
 Offers superior signal/noise ratio performance, good signal reception
 Receives the desired signal from a band of frequency without losing signal quality

Disadvantage of folded dipole antenna

 Displacement and adjustment of the antenna are difficult.

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  Outdoor management of antenna can be difficult when antenna size increases
Applications of folded dipole antenna
There are very many situations in which folded dipoles can be used. Their properties of a higher feed
impedance than the straight Centre fed half wave dipole and increased bandwidth provide an
essential performance improvement required for many antenna systems.

There are several situations in which folded dipoles are used:

On their own:
Folded dipole antennas are sometimes used on their own, but they must be fed with a high
impedance feeder, typically 300 ohms. This on its own can be very useful in certain applications
where balanced feeders may be used.
As part of another antenna:
Folded dipoles find more uses when a dipole is incorporated in another RF antenna design with other
elements nearby. The issue is that incorporating a dipole into an antenna such as a Yagi where
elements are closely coupled reduces the feed impedance. If a simple dipole was used, then the feed
impedance levels of less than 20 Ω or less can easily be experienced.

Using a folded dipole enables the impedance to be increased by a factor of four or whatever is
required by having multiple wires in the folded dipole.
Increased bandwidth:
Sometimes folded dipoles may be employed purely to give a greater bandwidth. When used to
increase bandwidth, folded dipoles may be used on their own or within another antenna system.

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MATLAB Code:
% Create a dipole Folded antenna
% Generated by MATLAB(R) 24.1 and Antenna Toolbox 24.1
%Generated on:14-Apr-2024 18:48:47

%% Antenna Properties

antennaObject = design(dipoleFolded, 70*1e6);

antennaObject.Length = 2;
antennaObject.Width = 0.018;
antennaObject.Spacing = 0.0245;
% Show
figure;
show(antennaObject)

%% Antenna Analysis
% Define plot frequency
plotFrequency = 70*1e6;
% Define frequency range
freqRange = (63:0.7:77)*1e6;
% Reference Impedance
refImpedance = 50;
% impedance
figure;
impedance(antennaObject, freqRange)% sparameter
figure;
s = sparameters(antennaObject, freqRange, refImpedance);
rfplot(s)% pattern
figure;
pattern(antennaObject, plotFrequency)% azimuth
figure;
patternAzimuth(antennaObject, plotFrequency, 0, 'Azimuth', 0:5:360)% elevation
figure;
patternElevation(antennaObject, plotFrequency,0,'Elevation',0:5:360)% current
figure;
current(antennaObject, plotFrequency)

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Output:

Figure 3: Dipole Folded Antenna Element

Figure 4: Impedance

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 Figure 5: S parameter

Figure 6: Current Distribution

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 Figure7: 3-D Pattern

Figure 8: Azimuth Pattern

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Figure 9: Elevation Pattern

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