A six-beam-switched array antenna for 5.2 GHz high-speed wireless local area networks

A six-beam-switched array antenna with a flat profile was designed for the application of high-speed wireless local-area networks in the range of 5-6 GHz. This six-beam-switched array antenna is composed of an analog beamformer and a microstrip-slot array. The beamformer, including single-pole double-throw switches, quadrature couplers, and power splitters, was implemented on a single substrate, while the array was designed with three pairs of microstrip slots for the ease of integration with the beamformer as a low-profile two-layer structure. The circuit simulator and the full-wave numerical electromagnetic simulator were employed for circuit and antenna design to generate six spatially oriented antenna beams. Measurement of the six-beam-switched antenna was also conducted and showed the accurate generation of six switchable antenna beams.