Broadband helical microstrip antenna

1. A broadband helical microstrip antenna comprising:

a printed circuit board having a first planar side opposite a second planar side with dielectric material therebetween;

a first array of spaced apart parallel antenna segments on the first planar side, each of the antenna segments in the first array having one or two electrical vias to the second planar side;

a second array of spaced apart parallel antenna segments on the second planar side, each of the antenna segments in the second array being connected to one or two of the antenna segments in the first array by one or two electrical vias, thereby forming at least one helical path;

a linear antenna segment disposed along a center line of the second planar side, the linear antenna segment being more than twice as long as any of the antenna segments in the first and second array, and the linear antenna segment connected to one or two of the antenna segments in the first or second array;

wherein the first and second arrays are generally parallel to each other and wherein the first and second arrays are arranged with an equal number of antenna segments on both sides of the linear antenna segment.

2. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the antenna segments in the first array are all of equal size and shape.

3. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the antenna segments in the second array are all of equal size and shape.

4. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first and second array both have the same number of antenna segments, and wherein the number is an even number.

5. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the linear antenna segment is connected to two antenna segments in the first array, which two antenna segments are closest to the center line.

6. The antenna of claim 5 , wherein the two antenna segments to which the linear antenna segment is attached are each the beginning of a helical path on each side of the center line.

7. The antenna of claim 6 , wherein each of the antenna segments in the first array have two electrical vias, one electrical via at each end.

8. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the broadband helical microstrip antenna has a physical width and a physical length both between 15 mm and 40 mm.

9. The antenna of claim 8 , wherein the broadband helical microstrip antenna operates at transmit and receive frequencies between 902 MHz and 928 MHz.

10. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first array and the second array each comprise at least 14 spaced apart antenna segments.

11. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein each the antenna segments in the first array have an angled top section and an angled bottom section.

12. The antenna of claim 11 , wherein each of the angled top sections form a first interior angle and each of the angled bottom sections form a second interior angle and all of the first interior angles and second interior angles are supplementary angles.

13. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein each of the antenna segments in the first and second arrays have a length between 4 mm and 8 mm.

14. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first planar side includes an antenna ground plane.

15. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the linear antenna segment is a radiating element of the broadband helical microstrip antenna.

16. The antenna of claim 15 , wherein the broadband helical microstrip antenna is powered by a feed point at an end of the linear antenna segment.

17. The antenna of claim 16 , wherein electronics for driving the broadband helical microstrip antenna are located on the first planar side.

18. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the electrical vias are plated through hole vias which are not solder filled.