Differential antenna design and characterization

Differential front-end co-design presents good promises for new smart object applications. In this work, we present a characterization method that allows the measurement of differential antennas´ input impedance and gain pattern without using baluns. Two miniature dipole antennas are also presented. The first antenna is fed by an asymmetrical feed line and thus shows a non symmetrical radiation pattern at low frequencies. The second antenna is fed by a differential CPS line. This planar antenna shows a miniature size and is easy to integrate inside the smart device´s structure. A complete characterization of this antenna has been carried out using the proposed measurement method.