Reconfigurable wideband patch antenna for cognitive radio

Cognitive radio communication is envisaged to be a new paradigm of methodologies for enhancing the performance of radio communication systems through the efficient utilization of radio spectrum. A key enabler for realization of a cognitive communication system is the capability of re-configurability in the underlying hardware and the associated protocol suite. Reconfigurable double C-slot microstrip patch antenna fed by 50 Ω microstrip line is proposed in this paper. The frequency tuning is performed by switching on and off two patches. The antenna can operate in dual-band or in very wide band mode in 5, 6 and 7 GHz bands. The wide-band mode can be obtained when both switches are in the ON state with impedance bandwidth of 33.52 % from 4.99 to 7 GHz. The total size of the ground plane is 50 × 50 mm². The proposed antenna verified through both numerical simulation and measurement of an experimental prototype. The antenna achieves a gain of 5 to 8 dBi and radiation efficiency about 80%.