Effects of a dielectric layer over a GPS patch antenna

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Voyager1

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This thread was motivated by a discussion initiated within another thread. The question is whether using a heatshrink protective cover over a GPS patch antenna is detrimental to the antenna's, and subsequently, the GPS receiver's performance. I found a number of papers discussing the application of a dielectric layer over a patch antenna. The thickness of the dielectrics in these studies typically ranged from 0mm (no dielectric) to 6mm. Heatshrink might be of the order of 1mm, or less, when applied.

Plastic heatshrink is a dielectric material with a dielectric constant of perhaps 2-3, depending on its composition and the frequency. When it is employed to secure a GPS patch antenna, the heatshrink covering the patch becomes what is termed a superstrate layer. Dielectric superstrate layers are employed to modify the characteristics of some patch antennas including: the gain, bandwidth and beamwidth. These parameters are modified by increasing the thickness of the dielectric layer above the patch.

Some studies suggest that the impedance, gain and bandwidth display a periodic variation as the thickness increases. In some cases the gain and bandwidth can actually increase, before falling off with a periodic variation. It was also found that the antenna impedance varies periodically about its normal value, typically 50 Ohms (Real component). Interestingly, the resonant frequency does not change as rapidly as the other parameters, but tends to drop as the dielectric thickness increases. The on-axis beamwidth tends to narrow with the formation of sidelobes as the thickness increases.

Anyone with differing experiences and knowledge are invited to join the discussion, particularly if they can provide actual data. Which ever way this goes, we can only benefit from the outcome. I certainly hope to perform some measurements when I can.
 
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The added dielectric will change the 'coupling constant' between the antenna and the 'ether' this shows up in transmitters as SWR, or standing wave ratio. Minimizing this ratio optimizes the coupling.
Adding inductance will off set the added dielectric.
 
Air is a very good dielectric and heatshrink not as good, as well as having higher dielectric constant. I guess the heatshrink in very close proximity to the patch would increase the fringing fields which these antennas rely to work. Increasing the fringing would effectively add capacitance to the antenna and detune it in the direction of lower frequency. That seems to be in agreement with statement in post #1 regarding frequency dropping as dielectric thickness goes up.

The question is by how much?
 
I plotted some data from one of the papers I found showing resonant frequency, gain and bandwidth as a function of dielectric thickness over a patch antenna at 2.4 GHz. You can see the periodic variation in the gain and bandwidth. The resonant frequency does not significantly drop until after 2mm.
 

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Which of the cheap nano vna's would be useful for this investigation?
 
Any kind of dielectric around the antenna will cause an impedance change. This is a patch antenna in air (blue) and the same thing in a 2.2" cardboard airframe (yellow). In reality, anything you add to a system will almost certainly make it worse unless everything is optimized together. Even then there is little to gain for GPS since you don't really want a gain increase and any improvement in efficiency would be small if any.

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Any kind of dielectric around the antenna will cause an impedance change. This is a patch antenna in air (blue) and the same thing in a 2.2" cardboard airframe (yellow). In reality, anything you add to a system will almost certainly make it worse unless everything is optimized together. Even then there is little to gain for GPS since you don't really want a gain increase and any improvement in efficiency would be small if any.

View attachment 501828
Yes, totally agree. As suggested in the other thread, just mounting the GPS module in an airframe will expose it to several potentially interfering structures.
 
The heatshrink tubing polymer has both a dielectric constant (changes resonant frequency, gain, bandwidth, impedance...) and a dielectric loss tangent (changes efficiency, gain...). Black tubing can be pretty lossy at higher frequencies.

The big thing, though, is that this is a GPS patch antenna on a ceramic substrate. The patch is miniaturized because the ceramic dielectric constant is relatively high. This means that the Q is high and the bandwidth narrow. Out in the open, away from nearby objects, this is not a big deal, because the GPS signal itself is narrowband. It you introduce items into the antenna's environment that shift its resonant frequency, then the antenna's effective gain will drop, and it will not work as well.

Personally, I would look for other ways to secure the antenna. But using the thinnest clear heatshrink you can find should minimize the effect.
 
Which of the cheap nano vna's would be useful for this investigation?
There are so many!

I would get one of the 3 GHz versions - the 1.5 GHz versions do not quite go high enough. I've seen them for as little as ~$75 on Amazon. Might have to spring for an adapter, also, depending on how the antenna is connectorized - assuming it even is. If it's not, well, that's a PITA.
 
Get one of the later revsions of the VNA. The earlier versions used harmonics to get up in the frequency bands. I have a V2 unit (Nano VNA) and it generates the frequencies directly rather than relying on harmonics. The hardware is much better in the more contemporary units.
 
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