De La Salle Lipa

College of Information Technology and Engineering

Electronics Engineering Department

Antenna Design: Log Periodic Dipole Array

Final Project

Group 6:

Dimaano, Hadrian J.

Lumbera, Julius O.

Malabanan, Christopher Keio T.

Maranan, Aaron Karlo P.

Silva, James Laurence

Engr. Evelyn M. Falsado

October 13, 2015

I. Objectives

General Objective:

 To design a Log Periodic Dipole Antenna (LPDA) capable of receiving a wide frequency
band (100-600 MHz) within the television frequency spectrum.

Specific Objectives:

 To compute the necessary parameters for the design of the LPDA

 To implement the LPDA in accordance with the parameters calculated
 To test the functionality of the designed LPDA

II. Introduction

The continuous need for something better than of what today has to offer had caused
the rapid development of today's technology. It has been evident how wireless
communications has aided the way people communicates, ranging from mobile cell phones to
online chats. Through such, information regarding special events, social trends, developments,
achievements, etc. is being imparted to the wide group of people.

Television is one of the telecommunication medium that has always been part of the
technological advancement. Over the years, the demand of people for innovations has pushed
the need for improvements in televisions. From bulky cathode ray tubes-based televisions to
LED flat screens, televisions are continuously evolving from time to time. In line with these, it is
only important that antennas are also improved to envisage the improvements with the
television.

Antenna is a device that converts electrical energy to electromagnetic waves for

propagation in free space and vice versa. This device is connected to a transmitter or receiver
by means of a transmission line. Usually, antenna utilizes co-axial cable connectors in order to
propagate the signal in the transmitter and retrieves the converted electromagnetic wave in a
form of electrical signal to the receiver part. It plays a vital role in the transmission and
reception of television signals. The television antenna is designed for the reception of broadcast
television signals which are transmitted at frequencies from 30 to 300 MHz in the Very High
Frequency (VHF) band and 470 to 960 MHz in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band. There are
two different types of antennas; the indoor antennas which are mounted on top of the
television set and the outdoor antennas which are placed above the roof or near the house/
building where the television set is located.

Figure 1. Log Periodic Antenna

A common type of an outdoor antenna shown in figure 1 is the log periodic antenna. It
is designed for the specific purpose of having a very wide bandwidth. The achievable bandwidth
is theoretically infinite while the actual bandwidth that maybe achieved is dependent on how
large the structure is (to determine the lower frequency limit) and how precise the finer
(smaller) features are on the antenna (which determines the upper frequency limit). This kind
of antenna has the capability to provide directivity and gain while operating over a large
bandwidth.

One of most widely used among the log periodic antenna family is the LPDA which
stands for Log Periodic Dipole Array. It is a form of Log periodic antenna design which is
specifically constructed for the reception of television signals that have frequencies in the very
high frequency (VHF) band. It looks like the Yagi-Uda antenna, another type of outdoor antenna
which is also capable of handling frequencies in the Very high frequency (VHF) and Ultra high
frequency (UHF) bands. The Log periodic dipole antenna produces lower gain across wide
range of frequencies while the Yagi-Uda antenna will have higher gain at its optimal frequency.

In designing a Log Periodic dipole antenna, the dipole known as elements are spaced at
intervals following a logarithmic function of the frequency. The length of the elements
corresponds to resonance at different frequencies within the antenna's overall bandwidth.
There are different parameters that must be considered in designing a Log Periodic Dipole
Array antenna. The length of the “boom” which serves as the foundation of the antenna and
the elements comprise the main parts of antenna design. A better design of LPDA can work
over very high frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) which is the bands that cover
television signals.
III. Theory:

Log Periodic Antenna is a broadband, multi-element, unidirectional, narrow-beam antenna that

has impedance and radiation characteristics that are regularly repetitive as a logarithmic
function of the excitation frequency.

The most common is the log periodic dipole array basically consists of a number of dipole
elements. These diminish in size from the back towards the front. The main beam of this RF
antenna is coming from the smaller front.

Not all the antenna is active at any given frequency. The active region, i.e. the sections of the
antenna that are contributing to the transmission or reception vary with frequency.

The element at the back of the array where the elements are the largest is a half wavelength at
the lowest frequency of operation - the longest element acts as a half wave dipole at the lowest
frequency. The element spacing also decreases towards the front of the array where the
smallest elements are located. The upper frequency is a function of the length of the shortest
element.

Basic log periodic dipole array

In operation, as the frequency changes there are a smooth transition along the array of
the elements that form the active region.

To ensure that the phasing of the different elements is correct, the feed phase is
reversed from one element to the next.

There is also normally a sorted matching feeder stub attached to the end of the feeder
furthest from the shortest element.

The log-periodic dipole array (LPDA) consists of a system of driven elements, but not all
elements in the system are active on a single frequency of operation. Depending upon its
design parameters, the LPDA can be operated over a range of frequencies having a ratio of 2:1
or higher, and over this range its electrical characteristics — gain, feed-point impedance, front-
to-back ratio, etc. - will remain more or less constant. This is not true of any Multi-element
Directive Array Antenna, for either the gain factor or the front-to-back ratio, or both,
deteriorate rapidly as the frequency of operation departs from the design frequency of the
array. And because the antenna designs discussed earlier are based upon resonant elements,
off-resonance operation introduces reactance which causes the SWR in the feeder system to
increase
Figure A

From the definition of the factor τ it is possible to see the relationship between the sizes and
spacing of the different elements.

It is also possible to determine the reason for the name of the log periodic from the
mathematics associated with the antenna.

The features of the antenna grow by a constant geometric multiple. As result of all the
elements growing by a constant multiple then the ratios of the logarithm will be constant

Each element is shorter than the element to its left. Ratio of each element to each adjacent
element is constant, and is referred to as tau (t). The other critical dimension is the spacing
between elements, designated “d” in Figure A. Distance d1,2 for example, is the distance
between the left most element and its nearest neighbor. The distance between two adjacent
elements is equal to:

Two factors, tau (t) and sigma (s), are for the most part the only factors we need to consider.
Tau, as mentioned, is the ratio of the length of one element to its next longest neighbor. Sigma
is known as the “relative spacing constant” and along with determines the angle of the
antenna’s apex, .

Where:

l = element length

d = element spacing

t = the design constant

α = the angle of the line of the elements to the line drawn through the centre of the
elements (see diagram).

σ = relative spacing constant - ratio of is the ratio of the length of one element to its
next longest neighbor.

As seen in Figure A, the log-periodic array consists of several dipole elements which
each are of different lengths and different relative spacing. A distributive type of feeder system
is used to excite the individual elements. The element lengths and relative spacing, beginning
from the feed point for the array, are seen to increase smoothly in dimension, being greater for
each element than for the previous element in the array. It is this feature upon which the
design of the LPDA is based, and which permits changes in frequency to be made without
greatly affecting the electrical operation. With changes in operating frequency, there is a
smooth transition along the array of the elements which comprise the active region.
 Even though the LPDA is simply an array of number of dipoles, more than one elements
are responsible for transmission and reception at any given frequency / frequency band. The
region, comprising of adjacent elements with lengths slightly more or less than the resonating
length for the band frequency, is said to be active region. Before explaining the theory as to
how transmission and reception takes place, we need to turn to the basics of antenna theory.

An element is said to resonate at a particular frequency, if its length is equal to λ/2 (two
arms of length λ/4) and the element offers resistive load to the source. If the length of the
element is smaller than the resonating length at that frequency the element acts as capacitive
impedance and elements with length greater than the resonating length act as inductive load.
Thus, in case of a three element antenna array, the longer element placed at appropriate
distance (i.e. properly tuned) would cause the effect of leading voltage and thus would act as a
reflector whereas smaller element placed at appropriate distance(once again properly tuned)
would cause the effect of lagging voltage due to inductive effect.

Now consider the LPDA. Its active region, that portion of the antenna which is actually
radiating or receiving radiation efficiently, shifts with frequency. The longest element in LPDA is
active at the lowest frequency of interest where it acts as a half wave dipole. As the frequency
shifts upward, the active region shifts forward. The upper frequency limit of the antenna is a
function of the shortest, element. Each element is shorter than the element to its left. Ratio of
each element to each adjacent element is constant, and is given a value known as tau (τ).
Another critical factor in the design of the LPDA is the relative spacing between the elements
given by the factor sigma (σ).

Elements in LPDA are driven with a phase shift of 180 degrees with respect to the earlier
element by alternating the element connections as shown in Fig. A. At a given frequency, as the
inter-element spacing ‘d’ expands , there comes a point at which the reactive components of
the current plus the 180 degrees phase shift caused due to alternate feeding added to the
phase delay introduced by the transmission line length ‘d’ adds up to 360 degrees . This is the
‘Active Region’. Thus, elements slightly longer than the resonating length act as inductance and
behave like ‘parasitic reflector’ and the elements slightly shorter than the resonating length act
as ‘parasitic director’ I since they act as capacitive impedance. This gives rise to the directional
pattern of radiation from the longer elements to the shorter elements. The currents in the rest
of the elements are negligibly small and thus can be neglected as contributors of the radiation
field for that frequency.

V array is one of such popular designs in LPDA which effectively reduces span of the
array and also gives a good front to back gain.

Applications

The log periodic antenna is used in a number of applications where a wide bandwidth is
required along with directivity and a modest level of gain. There are several areas where the
antenna is used:

A. UHF Terrestrial TV: The antenna is sometimes seen in the form of UHF terrestrial antenna
applications. The television spectrum extends over a wide bandwidth - more than normal Yagi
antennas can comfortably cover. Normally channels for a given area are located within a
particular subset of the UHF television spectrum so that the channels are relatively close
together. However there can be situations where the UHF channels may be located over a wide
portion of the television spectrum. This may be because channels from different transmitters
located across the television spectrum may be needed, or that spectrum restrictions can mean
that the channels are spaced wide apart.

B. HF communications: Log periodic antenna arrays are often used in applications where HF
communications for diplomatic traffic. These antennas perform well because the diplomatic
services may need to operate over a wide selection of frequencies in the HF bands, and it is
often only feasible to have one antenna, for example on an embassy building.

C. EMC measurements: EMC measurements require scans over a wide bands of frequencies.
Log periodic antennas can be used in this application to enable operation and sensing of signals
over the wide bandwidths needed. As such the log periodic antenna is key to the operation of
many EMC tests and test environments.

Other applications: There are many other applications where log periodic antennas can be
used. Any applications where directivity and a wide bandwidth are needed are ideal
applications for this form of RF antenna design.

IV. Equipments/Materials

Quantity Component Description

22 Longest Element: 4.92 ft.

Shortest Element: 0.53 ft.

Aluminum Tubing

2 3.95 ft.

Antenna Boom

22

Element Handles

1 Length of Coaxial cable :

10 meters

Coaxial Cable w/ Matching

Transformer (Baluns)
 1 5 meters

Connecting Wires

50

Screws and knots

V. Computation

Manual Computation

Assumed Parameters

τ = 0.8

fHIGH= 600MHz

fLOW= 100 MHz

To compute for the optimum relative spacing constant

σopt = 0.258 τ − 0.066

σopt = 0.258 (0.8) − 0.066

𝛔𝐨𝐩𝐭 = . 𝟏𝟒𝟎𝟒

0.03 ≤ σ ≤ σopt

σ = 0.09

Computed Values

To compute for the Apex Half Angle

1−τ
α = tan−1 ( )
4σ
 1 − .8
α = tan−1 ( )
4(.09

𝛂 = 𝟐𝟗. 𝟎𝟓𝟒𝟔𝟎𝟒𝟏° ≈ 𝟑𝟎°

To compute for the bandwidth of the structure

Bs = BBar

Bar = [1 + 7.7(1 − τ)2 cotα]

;
fHIGH
B=
fLOW

fHIGH
Bar = [1 + 7.7(1 − τ)2 cotα]
fLOW

600
Bs = [1 + 7.7(1 − 0.8)2 cot(29.0546041)]
100

𝐁𝐬 = 𝟗. 𝟑𝟐𝟔𝟒

To compute for the length of the Boom

1 1
L = [ (1 − )(cotα)] [λMAX ]
4 Bs

1 1 3x108
L = [ (1 − )(cot(29.0546041°))] [ ]
4 9.3264 100x106

𝐋 = 𝟏. 𝟐𝟎𝟓𝟐𝟒𝟗𝟔𝟏𝟒 𝐦 𝐨𝐫 𝟑. 𝟗𝟓𝟒𝟐𝟑𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟕 𝐟𝐭

To compute for the Stub length

𝜆𝑀𝐴𝑋
𝑧𝑡 =
8

3x108
[ ]
100x106
𝑧𝑡 =
8

𝐳𝐭 = 𝟎. 𝟑𝟕𝟓 𝐦 𝐨𝐫 𝟏. 𝟐𝟑𝟎𝟑 𝐟𝐭

To compute for the number of elements

lnBs
N=1+
1
ln τ
 ln(9.3264)
N=1+
1
ln 0.8

𝐍 = 𝟏𝟏. 𝟎𝟎𝟔𝟑 ≈ 𝟏𝟏

To compute for the longest elements

492
l1 =
fLOW

492
l1 =
100

𝐥𝟏 = 𝟒. 𝟗𝟐 𝐟𝐭

To compute for the longest spacing between elements

dn
σ=
2ln

d1,2 = (0.09 )(2)(4.92)

𝐝𝟏,𝟐 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟖𝟓𝟔 𝐟𝐭

Formula of the succeeding elements

ln = τ(ln−1 )

Formula of the succeeding spacing between elements

dn−1,n = (σ)(2)(ln−1 )

Length of element,
Element dn-1, n (ft) Spacing
ln,(ft)

1 4.92 ----------------------- -----------

2 3.936 .8856 d1,2

3 3.1488 .70848 d 2,3

4 2.5190 0.5668 d 3,4

5 2.0152 0.4534 d 4,5

 d 5,6
6 1.6122 0.3627

d 6,7
7 1.2897 0.2902

d 7,8
8 1.0318 0.2321

d 8,9
9 0.8254 0.1857

d 9,10
10 0.6604 0.1486

d 10,11
11 0.5283 0.1189

Excel

Enter in Red cells only.

Enter Lowest Frequency in MHz 100 MHz
Enter Highest Frequency in MHz 600 MHz
Enter τ (Eq 1) 0.8 τ = any value between 0.8 - 0.98
Enter σ (Eq 2) 0.09 σ = any number between 0.03 and σopt calculated below
Calculated values
(Eq 3) σopt 0.1434
(Eq 5) B 6 (Eq 11) Boom Length, Ln 3.98192 feet
(Eq 8) cot α 1.8 (Eq 13) Number of elements, N 11
(Eq 9) Bar 1.6544 (Eq 15) Stub Length, Zt 1.23 inches
(Eq 10) BS 9.9264 (N is rounded up if fractional value is ≤0.3) 11.2857

Element Length (ft) Spacing (ft)

1 (Eq 14) λlft Element #1 4.92
2 (Eq 16) ℓ2 Element #2 3.94 (Eq 17) D1-2 0.89
3 ℓ3 3.15 (Eq 18) D2-3 0.71
4 ℓ4 2.52 D3-4 0.57
5 ℓ5 2.02 D4-5 0.45
6 ℓ6 1.61 D5-6 0.36
7 ℓ7 1.29 D6-7 0.29
8 ℓ8 1.03 D7-8 0.23
9 ℓ9 0.83 D8-9 0.19
10 ℓ10 0.66 D9-10 0.15
11 ℓ11 0.53 D10-11 0.12
VI. Data and Results

Channel Network Frequency

ABS-CBN 54-60MHz

60- 66 MHz

TV-5 76-82MHz

GMA 174-180 MHz

CNN 186-192 MHz

 ABS-CBN 192-198 MHz

GMA News TV 198-204 MHz

GMA 204-210 MHz

Home Shopping 210-216 MHz

ETC 512-518 MHz

ABS-CBN Sports and 524-530 MHz

Action
 NET 25 536-542 MHz

GMA-News TV 542-548 MHz

2nd Avenue 542-548 MHz

Beam 572-578 MHz

Light 584-590 MHz

ABS-CBN Sports and 602-608 MHz

Action
 UNTV 608-614 MHz

INC 680-686 MHz

VII. Discussion of Results

After the group created the design of the log periodic dipole antenna by computing its
parameters, the group started to test its functionality. The assessment of the antenna
operation was done with the antenna placed inside the vicinity of the groups working area. For
better reception of television signals, the group placed the antenna in an elevated and open
area which is mb roof deck. The time of testing is also considered, it was observed that the
reception of signals is better during the midday than the night because the ionization level is
low during the night.

The group started the testing at the lowest frequency, and there are 18 acceptable
reception of channels that the group’s antenna able to receive. These channels are
2,3,5,7,9,10,11,12,13,21,23,25,26,29,31,33,36,37,and 49. Not all received channels have good
quality this is because of the strength of their EM signal is weak and also its frequency is not
within the design’s bandwidth. The term used to describe these channels is “snowy”. Channels
23, 37, and 49 are considered snowy. The rest especially channels 7, 10, and 5 showed good
receptions.

VIII. Conclusion:

Antennas are mainly used for wireless transmission of information signals to the free space.
There are several types of antennas, one of which is the Log Periodic Dipole Antenna. From the
project, the group were able to design a Log Periodic Dipole Antenna capable of receiving
Television frequencies from 100Mhz to 600Mhz. Consequently, the group was able to do the
following:
 The group assigns the important parameters of the design through computations and
calculations. These parameters include the maximum frequency, minimum frequency,
relative spacing constant, apex half angle, length of the boom, number of elements, and
the longest element.
 With the parameters known, the design was implemented by the group. Materials
necessary to do so were bought and assembled in accordance with the calculated
parameters.
 The designed antenna was assessed as functional since it was able to receive 18
channels