Snap-on buttons as detachable shorting vias for wearable textile antennas

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that commercial snap-on buttons can be utilized as detachable shorting vias for wearable textile antennas. As a consequence, modularity in antenna characteristics can be obtained based on a common initial design. As an illustration, a patch antenna with different configurations of shorting vias is designed and experimentally characterized. In this design, adapted from a recently reported modular snap-on-button-based wearable antenna, four sets of two back-to-back male snap-on buttons affixed within a two-layered substrate are used as detachable patch holders and/or modular shorting vias to the ground plane. By engaging selected male buttons from the ground plane with female buttons to form shorting vias, various antenna patterns can be selected.