A 430MHz RF Power Harvester with Integrated Antenna

An RF power harvester with an onboard microcontroller operating at 430MHz is presented. A PIFA type antenna has been adopted in the design to reduce ground and metal structure proximity problems that occur in a variety of applications. An energy accumulation strategy that allows system operation in two cycles; a standby mode cycle and a fully active one has been implemented. Vector Network Analyzer measurements as well as indoor measurements have been performed to demonstrate that harvester performance near metal structures is not degraded in contrast to systems equipped with dipole antennas.