Diamond and rounded diamond antennas for ultrawide-band communications

Diamond and rounded diamond antennas have been shown to have wide-band properties suitable for ultrawide-band (UWB) applications. In this work, theoretical analysis, simulations and experiments are all conducted to further characterize these two antennas in terms of radiation pattern, gain versus frequency, impedance properties, etc. It is shown that the diamond antenna can be approximated by a simplified analytical model composed of simple linear elements. This simplified model allows for characterizing of the diamond antenna, its behavior and ways of improving its performance. This includes "rounding" the diamond antenna, i.e., a rounded diamond is shown to perform better than the conventional diamond for UWB purposes. The model is verified by simulations. Furthermore, the simulations are verified by experimental measurements conducted in an anechoic chamber. This approach circumvents measurement difficulties and establishes confidence in using simulation software for studying UWB antennas.