Patch Antenna Generator

benjamin wrote this on April 08, 2016

Overview

We are not RF experts. They hold a level of wizardry that we will never reach. Rather we are merely inspired hobbyists looking to give back to the community. That being said, we have done our best to produce a quality Patch Antenna Calculator designed specifically for FPV flight that is based on the research and calculations of experts. For links to the docs we used, check out this post: http://kempbros.github.io/antennas/DIY_Patch_Antennas/

To Use

1. Set the frequency you would like to use. We set the default as 5.795Ghz, which is right in the middle of the channel range you would get from a radio like the TS5823
2. Set the dielectric constant of the material between the patch and the ground plane. If you are using PCB (commonly FR4) then your constant should be 4.5.
3. Set the thickness of your dielectric. This is the thickness between the patch and the ground plane. Common PCB thickness is 1.575mm (0.062”) and includes the thickness of copper. We used 1.5mm as default.
4. Set the scale factor of your ground plane. From what we have read, 4 - 5 should suffice.
5. Set the polarization you need. RHP - Right Hand Polarized, LHP - Left Hand Polarized, LP - Linearly Polarized
6. Press “Generate”!

What you should see now is two fold. First, you will see an SVG generated that you can use to etch a PCB by hand. Second is a script you can directly run within EAGLE PCB CAD software and manipulate the antenna as you see fit (remember to rename the file with an SCR extension). Lastly, make sure you use two-sided PCB material, as you need the bottom layer ground plane.

Once you have made your board, simply solder on a SMA pigtail and rock out to your new high-gain patch antenna!

The Calculator

Use at your own risk. We guarantee nothing.