Broadband loaded monopole antenna with a novel on-body matching network

This paper describes the concept and a sample design of a broadband loaded monopole antenna with a novel matching network integrated with the antenna body. The proposed monopole antenna is designed by loading three different lumped loads integrated on a wire antenna and a simple input matching network. Parameters of the matching circuits and the lumped loads optimized by using a genetic algorithm (GA). The proposed antenna loads and the matching network is integrated into the antenna body by the use of printed circuit technology making the antenna fabrication process easy. A prototype of the proposed 1.19-meter monopole antenna is fabricated and measured. The simulation and measurement results show that the proposed antenna operates in the frequency band of 30-600 MHz with VSWR less than 2.5 and the realized gain better than −10 dBi.