Broadband Patch Antenna Design with Hardware Implementation for Satellite Tracking Applications

This paper focuses on the design and development of a hardware system for satellite tracking in dynamic wireless links. It determines the relative position of a moving vehicle or ground station concerning a geostationary satellite. An antenna with applicable range, mounted on a rotational mechanism, continuously aligns with the satellite to maintain a stable link, regardless of vehicle movement. The hardware system consists of Arduino UNO, Stepper motor, MPU, Magnetometer, GPS module to measure azimuth and elevation angles, enabling precise antenna positioning for effective satellite tracking. Additionally, a broadband patch antenna was designed to operate within the S-band downlink frequency range of 2.17 GHz to 2.20 GHz, featuring optimized characteristics such as low return loss, moderate gain, and circular polarization. The designed antenna was fabricated and tested, and the results show that it resonates at 2.16 GHz with a return loss of –22 dB, closely matching the simulated frequency band. Both simulated and fabricated results fall within the downlink frequency range, making the antenna suitable for satellite-based mobile communication applications. The fabricated antenna was mounted on the rotor of the hardware system to ensure proper alignment with the satellite.