Co-Design of a GPS Antenna Low-Noise Amplifier Front-End Circuit

Abstract This paper presents a clear and fast design procedure for directly matched low noise active integrated microstrip antenna front end circuits. Initially, a theoretical analysis is given for the overall gain equivalence between traditional and directly matched antennas. Then, a detailed procedure is presented for the design and construction of a fully integrated GPS antenna. To validate the proposed procedure, a prototype was built and characterized by measuring the reflection coefficient, radiation pattern, noise figure and the active antenna overall gain. Additionally, a field test co...