La precision du filtre ne depend que du nombre de termes pris

en compte.
Conclusion: A partir de sa reponse impulsionnelle, nous avons
synthetise un filtre recursif nonlineaire par utilisation de la
transformee de Laguerre multivariable et d'un isomorphisme
entre l'espace I}{J2) et 1'espace 12{^V2).

together with results from a feasibility test on such an array.

Owing to the difficulties involved in analysis of the array, the
performance parameters are not yet fully controlled and empirical methods are used in the design. Despite this, performance
results show considerable improvement over existing microstrip antennas.
Array description: Fig. la shows the array of patch resonators.

M. MONSION

18th December 1979

Laboratoire <TAutomatique
Universite de Bordeaux I
33405 Talence Cedex, France

lower substrate
upper substrate

patch resonators

D. COMMANGES
Laboratoire dinformatique
Universite de Bordeaux II
Chercheur a V Universite de Bordeaux I, France

References
1

GOLD, B., and RADER, c. M.: 'Digital processing of signals'

(McGraw-Hill, 1969)
2 GEORGES, D. A.: 'Continuous nonlinear systems'. MIT Research
Laboratory of Electronics report 355, 1959
3 SCHETZEN, M.: 'Power series equivalence of some functional series
with application', IEEE Trans., 1970, CT-17, (3)
4 MONSION, M.: 'Identification par analyse de Fourier generalisee des
systemes non-lineaires caracterises par series de Volterra. Application a un systeme physiologique'. These de doctorat es sciences,
Bordeaux, 1976
EP771

0013-5194180/040125-03$!. 50/0
Fig.
a
b
c

1 Log-periodic microstrip patch array

Cutaway view
Patch details
Configuration using tapered substrates and feed line

The length L, width w and spacing s (Fig. Ib) of the patch

resonators increase along the array by a factor x where

NEW WIDEBAND MICROSTRIP ANTENNA

USING LOG-PERIODIC TECHNIQUE
Indexing terms: Antennas, Microstrip
A novel wideband microstrip antenna using a series-fed linear
array of patch resonators in a log-periodic arrangement is
described. A 9-element example gives good input v.s.w.r. and
radiation control over a 30% bandwidth with better than
70% efficiency. The new array configuration gives wider
bandwidth than single-layer or stacked microstrip patches
combined with better efficiency than patches on lossy substrates or microstrip spirals.

Introduction: The narrow bandwidth of the basic microstrip

radiating element1 has proved a significant limit to its applicability. This narrow bandwidth is related to the high wavetrapping action of the microstrip transmission line. The
bandwidth of resonant elements, a typical example being given
in Table 1, can only be increased by lowering the dielectric
constant or increasing the substrate height, and both these
techniques are limited in their effect. Alternatively a lossy substrate may be used, but the resulting low efficiency is usually
unacceptable. An example is shown in Table 1 for a substrate
having tan 8 = 0-47. If a travelling-wave element is used, for
example the microstrip spiral,2 the wave-trapping action prevents conventional spiral action; wide bandwidths result but
again efficiency is low. Stacked resonators3 can also be used,
where the multiple resonances lead to a broadening of the
bandwidth, but this technique is limited by the increased overall height.
In the new antenna configuration, wide-bandwidth operation is obtained from a linear coplanar array of patch resonators whose size and spacing increase in a log-periodic manner.
At a given frequency only a few of the resonators are excited
and radiate. These resonators form an 'active region' that
moves along the array as the frequency is changed in a manner
similar to the log-periodic array of dipoles in free space.4 A
possible form of such a microstrip array is described here,
ELECTRONICS LETTERS

14th February 1980

Vol. 16

n+l

(1)

To produce a truly log-periodic array the substrate height

should be similarly scaled, producing a tapered configuration
as shown in Fig. lc. In the array described here, flat substrates
are used for manufacturing simplicity, and this results in some
deviation from log-periodic performance.
The concept of achieving wide bandwidth by utilising a logperiodic microstrip patch array leads to excitation difficulties if
a corporate feed5 is used, and in addition the feed lines can
introduce significant losses. However, if a series feed6 is used
these problems can be overcome. The patch resonators can in
principle be etched on the same substrate as the feed line and
directly or capacitively coupled to it. However, greater flexibility of coupling can be achieved by using the electromagnetically coupled overlaid resonator7 and this significantly
simplifies the design. The patch resonators located on the
upper substrate, shown in Fig. la, are spaced by half a wavelength in the feed line and laterally displaced in alternate directions from the feed line in order to produce radiation that is in
phase from adjacent patches. The main beam is then directed
normal to the substrate. The coupling between the feed line
and the patch is controlled by the displacement d (Fig. Ib), and
the ratio of the thickness of the upper to the lower substrate, hp
to hf. If strong coupling is chosen, then the power will be
removed from the line over a few elements, resulting in a broad
H-plane beamwidth and a peaky v.s.w.r. If weak coupling is
used then power will be removed more slowly, producing a
narrow beamwidth and smoother v.s.w.r.
Experimental results: An array having 9 patches was designed
for the frequency ran6c 8 to 12 GHz. L, w and 5 were calculated
using eqn. 1 for T = 105. The lateral displacement d, which was
constant for all patches, was empirically optimised to produce
the best v.s.w.r. over the band. The feed line was terminated in
a matched load in order to prevent reflections degrading the
radiation patterns at the edges of the frequency band; about
No. 4

127

10% of the power was lost in the load at the band edges and
considerably less at midband. Fig. 2 shows the power gain and
input v.s.w.r. over a 70 to 120 GHz frequency range. Fig. 3
shows the radiation patterns in the H-plane at 80, 9-25 and
10-75 GHz. Deep nulls were found in the //-plane patterns at
higher and lower frequencies, suggesting that the bandwidth is
at present limited by radiation-pattern control.
It can be seen that the beam width decreases with frequency;
the E-plane beamwidth also decreases with frequency. Some
frequency-dependent squint is evident in the //-plane. These

problems are attributed to the lack of knowledge of the design

parameters and the use of flat substrates.
The performance of the array is summarised in Table 2,
together with the details of the array dimensions. The efficiency
was found by comparing the measured gain to that found from
the approximate expression G = 21000/6E 6H where 6E and 6H
are the E- and H-plane half-power beamwidths. This expression is subject to errors when used for low-gain antennas, but is
useful in allowing a qualitative comparison with the efficiencies
given in Table 1.
Conclusion: By series-feeding a linear array of microstrip patch
resonators in a log-periodic arrangement a new wide-bandwidth microstrip array has been formed. An example using
electromagnetic coupling between the feed line and the overlaid resonators has achieved 30% bandwidth with greater than
70% efficiency. Comparing this performance with those given
in Table 1 for existing microstrip antennas it can be seen that
the log-periodic microstrip patch array combines bandwidths
greater than \\ times that achieved for stacked resonators with
efficiencies significantly higher than that obtainable from the
microstrip spiral.

106

90
100
frequency, GHz

Acknowledgments: I would like to thank J. R. James and C.

Wood for their helpful discussions.

[giro

Fig. 2 Power gain and input v.s.w.r. against frequenc

ncy

P. S. HALL

Nth January 1980

Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering

Royal Military College of Science
Shrivenham, Swindon, Wilts. SN6 8LA, England

8-OGHz

9-25GH2

1075GHz

References
1
2

HOWELL, J. Q.: 'Microstrip antennas', IEEE Trans., 1975, AP-23, pp.

90-93
WOOD, c.: 'Curved microstrip lines as compact wideband circularly
polarised antennas', IEE J. Microwaves, Opt. & Acoust., 1979,3, pp.
5-13

HALL, p. s., WOOD, c , and GARRETT, c : 'Widebandwidth microstrip

antennas for circuit integration', Electron. Lett., 1979, 15, pp.

458-460
4 ISBELL, D. E.: 'Log periodic dipole arrays', IRE Trans, 1960, AP-8,
pp. 260-267
5

-90

-60

-30

0
30
9,degrees

90

Fig. 3 H-plane radiation patterns at 80, 925 and 10-75 GHz

Table 1 BANDWIDTH AND EFFICIENCY OF

MICROSTRIP RADIATING ELEMENTS
Thickness

Bandwidth

PUbS, H., VANDESANDE, J., and VAN DE CAPELLE, A.: 'Broadband

microstrip resonator antennas'. Proceedings of the IEEE international symposium on antennas and propagation, Washington DC,
1978, pp. 268-271
6 HALL, P. s.: 'Log periodic microstrip patch array'. UK Patent
Application 7940382, 22nd Nov 1979
7 OLTMAN, c H.: 'Electromagnetically coupled microstrip dipole
antenna elements'. Proceedings of the 8th European microwave
conference, Paris, Oct. 1978, pp. 281-285

0013-5194/80/040127-02$!.50/0

Efficiency
%

Resonant patch
Patch on lossy substrate
Microstrip spiral2
Stacked resonators3

1-59
1 59
1-59
3-68

6-6
40
40
18

>90
16
50 (average)
>80

Substrate er = 2-32, frequency 10 GHz

Indexing terms: Signal processing, Speech synthesis and

recognition

Table 2 PERFORMANCE OF 9-ELEMENT LOGPERIODIC MICROSTRIP PATCH ARRAY

Bandwidth
Gain
Efficiency
Input v.s.w.r.
Beam widths
Polarisation

The system delay involved in time-encoded speech can be

made tolerable by a modest increase in transmission rate over
average source generation rate.

8-0 to 10-75 GHz = 30%

> 6 5 dB
> 70%
< 2-2:1
34 to 27 x 92 to 84
linear

Dimensions of smallest patch = 6-8 x 5-4 mm, shortest spacing = 6-97

mm, T = 1-05, hf = 0-793 mm, hp = 0-793 mm, e, = 2-32, feed-line
width = 4 0 mm, overall size 30 x 100 mm

128

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SYSTEM DELAY

AND TRANSMISSION RATE IN TIMEENCODED SPEECH

Introduction: A recent paper by Turner et al.1 considered some

aspects relating to the performance of variable-source-rate to
constant-transmission-rate schemes of data compression. An
important example of such a scheme is the time encoding of
speech.2 The basis of this approach is that instead of encoding
instantaneous values of speech waveform at regular intervals
as with p.c.m., changes of values as with delta modulation, or
descriptors of the speech spectrum as in channel and formanttracking vocoders, time encoding depends on the transmission

ELECTRONICS LETTERS

14th February 1980

Vol. 16 No. 4