Arduino Based PCB to Determine the Performance and Properties of an Antenna

It is an Antenna analyzer to determine the SWR(Standing Wave Ratio), return loss, input impedance, and other parameters of an antenna in an electronic system.

Antenna in Wireless Communication:

Antennas are everywhere! An Antenna is an electrical device that converts electric power into electromagnetic waves or radio waves and vice-versa. In every wireless communication, antennas are involved. For instance, let's consider important devices like mobile phones, a T.V, routers, wireless modems, game controllers, and Bluetooth devices. These devices depend on wireless communication and they have an antenna linked to them.

Antennas can transfer signals fatly and easily. Take an example of an airplane, the pilot needs to frequently communicate with the air traffic controllers. They can easily communicate wirelessly without any interruption or distortion of signals.

How do they work? The antennas can be used for both transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves. The transmitting side of the antenna collects electrical signals from a transmission line and converts them into radio waves whereas the receiving side of the antenna accepts radio waves from the space and converts them to electrical signals and gives them to a transmission line.

Properties of an Antenna:

• Voltage Standing wave ratio (VSWR)
• Noise
• Input Impedance
• Polarization
• Gain and Efficiency
• Pattern of radiation

Antenna Analyser:

An antenna analyzer is a radio frequency analyzer used for determining the performance of antenna systems in radio electronics applications. It is a signal generator that sends a signal to the attached load and a readout that displays a set of results. It measures the impedance matching of the electrical circuits made up of the transmitter or the receiver, RF feeder, and antenna. Impedance matching determines how much energy from the transmitter reaches the antenna and how much of the RF signal received by the antenna actually reaches the receiver.

This antenna analyzer measures the SWR of the antenna to verify maximum power transfer from the transmitter to the antenna. It is also used to measure the efficiency of the systems. They are the best tool to determine and detect the antenna.

Hardware Components:

1. Voltage Regulator x1
2. Rotary Encoder x1
3. Resistor 665 ohm x2
4. USB Connector x1
5. Resistor 10k ohm x2
6. Resistor 100k ohm x2
7. Resistor 4.75k ohm x2
8. Resistor 50 ohm x3
9. Connector header 4 pins x1
10. MCP6002T x1
11. Connector 14 pins x1
12. Conn Header 20 pins x1
13. Capacitor 10nF x3
14. Capacitor 1uF x1
15. Capacitor 100 nF x2
16. BNC Connector x1
17. Arduino pro mini x1
18. 1N4148WT x2

Software Tools:

• Altium
• Inventhub

Rotary Encoder:

In antennas, a rotary incremental encoder is attached to the rotating antenna shaft to monitor the antenna angle. In order to accurately determine the position of an object, the radar system must know the exact angle and position of the rotating radar antenna at the time the measurement is taken. Without this precise information, objects such as aircraft, ships, or ground-based vehicles could not be determined in 3D.

These are sensors that detect position and speed by converting rotational mechanical displacements into electrical signals and processing those signals. Encoders convert the motion to an electrical signal that can be read by some type of control device in a motion control system.

Voltage Regulator:

A voltage regulator regulates voltage during power fluctuations and variations in loads. It can regulate AC as well as DC voltages. It is a 1A, 10V, low-dropout voltage regulator. Dropout voltage is the input-to-output differential voltage at which the circuit ceases to regulate against further reductions in input voltage; this point occurs when the input voltage approaches the output voltage.

MCP6002 Operational Amplifier:

The MCP6002 is a dual general-purpose op-amp offering rail-to-rail (op-amp that uses the complete span between negative and positive supply voltage for signal conditioning) input and output over the 1.8 to 6V operating range. This amplifier has a typical GBWP of 1 MHz with a typical quiescent current of 100 microamperes. The MCP6002 is available in 8-lead PDIP, SOIC, and MSOP packages.

BNC Connector:

The BNC connector is a miniature quick connect or disconnect radio frequency connector used for coaxial cable. It is used to connect a computer to a coaxial cable in a 10BASE-2 Ethernet network. 10BASE-2 is a 10 MHz baseband network on a cable extending up to 185 meters - the 2 is a rounding up to 200 meters - without a repeater cable.

It is a 0-40MHz amateur radio antenna analyzer. A pocket device that measures the parameters of the antenna easily. We can add LCD to display graphically the results of the analysis.

I have used the Altium designer to design my schematic diagram. I have uploaded my schematic file online on Inventhub for the users who want to implement my design. They can go to the provided link and can view or download my design easily. I can also view the changes I have made in my design by going to the ‘view changes’ tab. I can also collaborate with the people, they can comment on my design and can give suggestions to improve my design further.

I have converted my schematic file to the PCB file in Altium, where I can create connections on the board, define the shape of the board, arrange the components on the board, and can view my PCB in 3D view. I have uploaded my PCB file on Inventhub, where I can view my boards in different layers and can focus on a specific layer by disabling the other layers. Users and manufacturers can easily view or download my design for the implementation.

I have created a release file of the project on Inventhub which contains all the design files in a ZIP file format. For the fabrication, I do not need to visit the manufacturer instead I can send him the release file of the project. He can easily download the files and can fabricate my PCB board. 

To create a backup of my design, I have uploaded different revisions of my design on Inventhub. This contains the changes in my design at different stages. If I want to get back the specific change I have made in my design, I can go to the revision and can select that particular file and can download it to reuse it as my current design. 

After the fabrication of the board, I created a list of components on Inventhub which contains the details of the manufacturer, supplier, manufacturer part number, pricing, and quantity. By just putting these details in the BOM file on Inventhub, I can easily calculate the total cost of my project automatically using the supply chain option. I can also view the datasheet of the component and can view its 3D model. Instead of visiting the component provider, I can send him this BOM file, he can download it in CSV file format and can deliver my components as per my design requirements.