Study of a printed meander antenna using the FDTD method

A printed meander antenna is studied using the FDTD method. The influence of a number of antenna parameters (dielectric constant, substrate thickness, and presence of ground plane) on the input impedance and radiation pattern of the antenna is examined. It is found that a 60% size reduction compared to a half-wave dipole can be achieved with a substrate dielectric constant of 4. Data presented can be used to design antennas with resonant resistances of 400 or higher. A similar study of an antenna on a dielectric slab is also performed. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.