Broadband Impedance Matching of Narrowband Slotted Waveguide Array Antenna

This paper describes design, development and characterization of post tuned broadband slotted waveguide array (SWA) antenna. Impedance bandwidth of narrowband SWA antenna has been enhanced using admittance overloading and introducing broadband matching section designed using posts. The performance of post tuned SWA antenna has been compared with conventional narrowband SWA antenna. The proposed method to achieve broad impedance bandwidth features simple antenna structure as compared to conventional subarray technique, resulting in less mass and fabrication complexity in large arrays. The design and prototype development of X-band 10 elements linear post tuned SWA antenna has been presented. The developed prototype antenna shows 5.3% measured impedance bandwidth and 16.80dBi measured gain at 9.65GHz. The measured results are also compared with simulated results and found in good agreement with each other.