A Meander-Line and DGS-Loaded Miniaturized 433-MHz Bidirectional Antenna for CubeSat IoT Applications
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Updated time：2026-10-04 23:12:01 Views：26
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Abstract
The rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and emerging satellite IoT communication systems based on CubeSats and low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites has increased the demand for compact and efficient antennas capable of supporting reliable long-range connectivity. However, antenna design for the 433-MHz LoRa band remains challenging due to the long operating wavelength, resulting in large physical dimensions and difficult integration into space-constrained platforms such as CubeSats and IoT terminals. This paper presents a miniaturized 433-MHz antenna for LoRa-based satellite IoT applications by employing a meandered radiating structure, a defected ground structure (DGS), and parallel stub loading. The proposed configuration effectively extends the surface current path and introduces additional reactive loading, enabling significant size reduction while maintaining satisfactory radiation performance. The antenna occupies a compact footprint of 100 mm × 80 mm, making it compatible with the size constraints of a 1U CubeSat platform. Compared with a conventional rectangular microstrip antenna, the proposed design achieves an 75.1% reduction in antenna footprint while maintaining resonance at 433 MHz. Full-wave simulations performed using CST Microwave Studio demonstrate that the antenna achieves an S11 of −25.1 dB, an impedance bandwidth of 5 MHz, a peak gain of 0.71 dBi, and a radiation efficiency of 74.6%. Furthermore, the proposed antenna exhibits bidirectional radiation characteristics, providing a suitable solution for space-constrained CubeSat-based IoT communication systems.
Keywords
Meandered antenna, 433 MHz, LoRa, CubeSat.
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