Engineering Commons^™

Improved Network Analysis Of Coupled Antenna Diversity Performance, Michael A. Jensen, Matthew L. Morris

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a new framework for the analysis of mutually coupled diversity antennas based on network theory. The network model incorporates the matching network between the antennas and front-end amplifiers and uses a realistic model for the amplifier noise. The resulting analysis includes the impact of the coupled-antenna radiation patterns and impedance characteristics in determining the branch signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Application of the formulation to coupled dipole antennas characterized using full-wave electromagnetic analysis illustrates that a matching network providing a minimum amplifier noise figure achieves significantly better diversity performance than one providing maximum power transfer.