Design and Prototyping of a Switching Beam Disc Antenna for Wideband Communications

The design procedure for a switching beam antenna for wireless communication systems is given. The antenna can rotate the beam over the whole azimuthal angle exploiting its geometrical and electrical cylindrical symmetry. The required directivity and the beam rotation are provided by a sequential insertion of metallic posts into the radial waveguide that forms the main body of the antenna. The first stage of the design involves setting up the dimensions of an omnidirectional antenna, to which the desired directivity is subsequently provided. After optimization to maximize the impedance bandwidth, the final antenna was prototyped. A comparison between simulated results and experimental data is presented