In this paper, a compact microstrip antenna with radiation pattern reconfigurable characteristic employing MEMS switches is proposed and investigated. This novel antenna mainly includes four parts: a circular-shaped patch, six MEMS switches, six fan-shaped coupling cells and six fan-shaped radiation cells. Through controlling the states of MEMS switches, radiation pattern selectivity of the proposed antenna can be achieved. When switching operation states of the antenna from state 1 to state 12 sequentially, the main radiation beam direction in azimuth planes could rotate 30˚ from 0˚ to 330˚ with each switch. Meanwhile, the radiation beam directions in elevation plane and the operation frequencies of proposed antenna for different operation states are stable at about 35˚ and 4GHz, respectively. With the consideration of MEMS switches actual size, the antenna structure and dimensions were optimized and adjusted. The simulated and measured results were analyzed and compared, indicating this compact antenna can be widely used for multifunctional applications and modern wireless communication systems.
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