Experimental Characterization of Conformal Embroidered Disc-Shaped Textile Array Antenna

초록

The evolution of mobile communication systems drives the demand of flexible antennas suitable for mobile communication systems. This paper presents the experimental characterization of an embroidered disc-shaped textile array antenna in conformal configuration. By focusing on experimental characterization, the influence of conformal configuration on the electrical properties of array antenna is highlighted for potential use in mobile communication applications. The array antenna comprises five square layers of cotton fabrics, each with the thickness of 0.2 mm, to provide flexibility for desirable implementations. The characterization is emphasizing on measuring the reflection coefficient (S11), gain, and radiation pattern to analyze its performances and assess the influence of flat and conformal configurations under realistic conditions. To evaluate the impact of deformation on its performance, the array antenna is bent to a curvature with the radius of 50 mm. Measurement results reveal that the realized array antenna in the conformal configuration yields the S11 value of -28.95 dB at the operating frequency of 3.48 GHz, whereas in the flat configuration it achieves a more profound value of -35.59 dB. Furthermore, the measured bandwidth of realized array antenna in the flat configuration is 400 MHz, slightly narrower than the conformal configuration of 450 MHz. The results provide valuable insights, paving the way for future developments in textile-based antennas tailored to the evolving demands of mobile communication environments. © 2025 IEEE.