Wall-Proximity Effects on the Performance of Small Antennas for UHF Wireless Applications [Wireless Corner]

This paper addresses the effects of the proximity of walls on the radiation characteristics of shorted planar antennas designed for wireless applications. Walls with different relative dielectric constants at varying separation distances from the antenna are considered. The observed effects are analyzed for two different planar antenna models, operating in the ultra-high-frequency (UHF) band. This study focuses on the changes in the optimal operating frequency and the corresponding radiation-pattern directivity. This should help in determining the proper distance between a wall and these types of antennas for acceptable operation.