Microstrip antennas diagnostics with thermography

For more than ten years microstrip antennas have been one of the most innovative areas of antenna technology. In this article, one of possible diagnostic methods of microstrip antennas is presented as a novelty, which is based on using thermography. Within the method proposed a distribution of temperatures recorded by a thermographic camera on the microstrip antenna surface is used for diagnostics. The above diagnostics is based on verification of antenna parameters influencing local changes of temperature distribution on the antenna surface. The proposed methodology of antenna diagnostics was discussed based on the example of three microstrip antennas, the design of which was described in this article. Also, a question of design optimisation for selected microstrip antennas systems influencing considerably the power losses was discussed.