An electronically switchable leaky wave antenna

We report an electronically switchable dielectric leaky wave antenna. The main beam angle can be electronically steered using p-i-n diodes. The diodes are used as switches to control the radiation from two sets of gratings with different periods, thereby switching the main beam angle. Beam steering is achieved at a single fixed frequency; no frequency sweeping is necessary. A microwave prototype demonstrates a 35° change in beam direction at 3.5 GHz. Measured antenna patterns agree with theoretical predictions. This approach should be scalable to millimeter-wave frequencies using diodes monolithically integrated on a semiconductor waveguide     

Effect of reactive loading in microstrip leaky wave antennas

The influence of capacitors periodically soldered along the radiating edges of a leaky wave antenna (LWA) is described. As the propagation characteristics are modified, the main beam is tilted from the angle observed for the unloaded LWA. This property allows beam steering applications at a fixed frequency if bias-controlled reactances are used     

How to make an ideal HBT and sell it too

New technology of active packaging (AP) is proposed. It permits the implementation of device structures that require lithography on opposite sides of a thin semiconductor crystal layer. A major goal of the AP technology is to integrate III-V devices with silicon integrated circuitry on a single substrate; the purpose, however, is not only to “teach the old dog new tricks” but also to greatly expand the assortment of tricks available. The concept is illustrated by describing a process for the fabrication of a collector-up InP heterojunction bipolar transistor, capable of oscillation in the frequency range of 300-400 GHz. An attractive application for this technology is the implementation of millimeter and submillimeter phased antenna arrays, in which beam steering is accomplished by amplitude modulation of array elements at a fixed phase difference. Focal plane antenna arrays on a silicon chip should have important applications in automobile collision avoidance and early warning systems, as well as satellite communication systems     

Reconfigurable RF MEMS Phased Array Antenna Integrated Within a Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) System-on-Package

For the first time, a fully integrated phased array antenna with radio frequency microelectromechanical systems (RF MEMS) switches on a flexible, organic substrate is demonstrated above 10 GHz. A low noise amplifier (LNA), MEMS phase shifter, and 2 times 2 patch antenna array are integrated into a system-on-package (SOP) on a liquid crystal polymer substrate. Two antenna arrays are compared; one implemented using a single-layer SOP and the second with a multilayer SOP. Both implementations are low-loss and capable of 12deg of beam steering. The design frequency is 14 GHz and the measured return loss is greater than 12 dB for both implementations. The use of an LNA allows for a much higher radiated power level. These antennas can be customized to meet almost any size, frequency, and performance needed. This research furthers the state-of-the-art for organic SOP devices.     

箭载共形相控阵天线波控系统设计分析

为完成适用于天基测控的箭载共形相控阵天线对波束指向控制的需求,分析了箭载天线波控系统的设计要求与任务,论述了平面相控阵天线波控系统的实现方法,并根据波控系统基本原理推导出基于阵因子函数的箭载共形相控阵天线波控算法。针对运载火箭天基测控这一新需求提出了基于查表法的集中式波控设计方案,给出了系统设计方法。样机测试结果表明,该波控系统方案正确、可行,满足工程需求。     

Design and analysis of a reconfigurable dual-beam grating antenna for low-cost millimeter-wave beam-steering

This paper presents a reconfigurable dual-beam grating antenna for low-cost millimeter-wave beam steering. Experimental results indicate that this multibeam approach provides over /spl plusmn/50/spl deg/ beam steering at fixed frequencies across the entire 35 to 40 GHz band, with excellent radiation patterns maintained across the scans. An approximate analysis developed for the reconfigurable antenna closely predicts the observed scan angles and main beam radiation patterns across the complete range of scan states. These results should have numerous applications in millimeter-wave beam-steering technology.     

一种平面印刷电控波束扫描天线阵

该文设计了一种平面印刷偶极子波束扫描寄生阵列天线,可用于移动终端设备以提高通信质量和系统容量。通过改变加载在寄生单元中的电抗值可以控制天线的最大辐射方向。天线基本结构用电磁场全波软件设计,所需加载的电抗值通过差分进化算法(DE)优化得出。实测的天线主波束方向在xoy平面内-34~38之间扫描;在各方向上,中心工作频率上的增益在3.6~4.9 dBi之间变化,反射系数小于-10 dB的频带在5.63~5.96 GHz之间,带宽为330 MHz。实测结果表明,天线具有良好的波束扫描性能,采用的设计和优化方法准确高效。     

Antenna pulsewidth distortion paradox explained

A paradox of why there can be no pulsewidth distortion for an antenna array which is receiving or transmitting a wide-bandwidth chirp waveform is presented and explained. When a very narrow pulse is received at an off-boresite angle by an antenna array using phase steering, the pulse becomes distorted, that is, dispersed. The pulsewidth spreading is equal to the difference in the times of arrival of the pulse at the opposite ends of the antenna. However, if a wideband chirp waveform instead is incident on the antenna, no dispersion can be made to occur if the antenna is resteered toward the signal source during the time the chirp waveform is being received. The steering prevents frequency scanning of the antenna beam because of the changing carrier frequency of the linear FM chirp waveform. This represents a paradox because the dispersion still exists over the antenna. The author explains why the chirp signal is received undistorted at the output of the antenna in spite of the dispersion     

面向顺飞双站小卫星条带SAR的电扫多普勒中心导引方法

多普勒导引是保证星载条带SAR正常工作的重要手段。传统星载双站SAR通过分别对主、辅星进行偏航控制实现多普勒导引,该方法对天线安装、波束宽度、基线长度等因素有较高的依赖性。高频段小卫星条带SAR波束较窄,对主、辅星分别进行多普勒导引会引入较大的增益损失;且对于天线指向星下点的小卫星,调整偏航角不再改变信号的多普勒中心,传统方法失效。为解决上述问题,本文提出了一种面向顺飞双站小卫星条带SAR的电扫多普勒中心导引方法。该方法采用电扫描的方式对主、辅星波束指向进行联合调整,并通过多普勒方程的联立保证调整后多普勒中心为零,因此实现了在不降低回波增益的条件下抑制多普勒中心的变化,从而大幅放宽了顺飞双站小卫星SAR受天线安装指向、雷达波段、基线长度的限制。本文使用Ka波段双站小卫星的参数进行了仿真实验,实验结果符合预期,验证了本文方法的有效性。      

Optical steering of dual band microwave phased array antenna using semiconductor laser switching

The first microwave phased array antenna steered by optical delay lines is presented. Delay times specified by the antenna steering angle were implemented by switching bias currents of high speed lasers pigtailed to the fibre optic delay lines. No beam squint was observed in the radiation pattern of the antenna as its frequency was switched from the L- to the X-band.<>     

Spherical array self-mixing oscillator antenna

A spherical array self-mixing oscillator antenna is designed by applying the injection locking technique to the spherical array of Gunn diode mounted waveguide radiators. The beam steering with considerably constant pattern and low cross-polarisation can be accomplished without using the sophisticated phase shifters. This antenna is designed and tested at the frequency of 10 GHz     

基于波导缝隙阵列的新型太赫兹频率扫描天线

为缩短太赫兹系统成像时间,该文提出将频率扫描天线应用于太赫兹成像系统中,并设计了一种基于波导缝隙阵列的太赫兹频率扫描天线。该文采用泰勒综合法降低副瓣电平,通过软件仿真结合功率传输法设计最优的缝隙分布。太赫兹波导缝隙阵列天线具有加工简单、成本低的优势,通过太赫兹准光测试系统对天线性能进行测试,实测天线扫描角度可达40°,增益约为15 dB,副瓣电平抑制优于–20 dB。测试结果表明太赫兹波导缝隙天线具有扫描角度大和副瓣低的优良特性,在太赫兹成像和目标探测等领域有巨大的应用价值。      

一种基于PC104计算机的波控系统设计

相控阵雷达波控系统的主要功能是实现天线波束指向的控制。论述了由PC10 4计算机构成的波控系统 ,其相位计算和控制由软件实现 ,具有简单、灵活的特点 ;重点介绍了该波控系统的原理、组成及性能。此外 ,还介绍了一种新的定量检测相控阵雷达天线移相单元的方法 ,使系统的检测、维护、诊断有了可靠的依据。对有限相控阵雷达天线系统有很好的通用性 ,通过积木式组合 ,也能适应大型相控阵天线系统的要求     

多子阵平板天线波束指向频率响应分析与固定长度延迟线应用

天线高度是宽带卫星移动通信系统推广应用的一个重要制约因素,采用多子阵技术可以降低平板天线的天线高度。然而多子阵平板天线阵的离散口径会造成天线波束指向频率响应的恶化。为改善天线波束指向频率响应,该文采用固定长度延迟线与移相器相结合的两级馈相方法,提出了一种基于多套延迟线的切换波束技术,将天线波束的扫描范围划分为多个区域,各区域采用不同的延迟线以合成相应的波束。仿真结果表明,该方法可以有效减小天线波束指向漂移,满足卫星移动通信系统对天线波束指向精度的要求。     

Ka-band E-plane Beam Steering/Shaping Phased Array System Using Antipodal Elliptically-tapered Slot Antenna

In this letter, we present a Ka-band 8-element E-plane beam steering/shaping phased antenna array (PAA) using antipodal elliptically tapered slot antenna (AETSA). The power feeding network, phase shifter and antenna element were fabricated on a single low cost PCB substrate to avoid the extra loss caused by connection of different circuit pieces and for easier integration and easier fabrication. The system achieved wide scanning angle, which is from ?21° to +24° and the 3 dB beamwidth is widened by 10°, the latter being the requirement for plasma imaging application.     

Magneto optical technique for beam steering by ferrite based patcharrays

An improved technique is presented to scan a beam of a phased antenna array on a ferrite substrate through use of time delays instead of phase shifts provided by nonlinear transmission lines coupled to elements of the array. A coplanar transmission line loaded with a varactor diode when subjected to varied optical illumination offers bias dependent time delays to the elements of the arrays over a wide range of tunable operating frequencies at lower UHF without scan blindness effect. This method results in a broadband ferrite based phased antenna array with reduced weight, loss and complexity of the integrated system. This technique has proved to have a special application potential in case of beam steering by ferrite based microstrip antenna arrays at lower UHF (800 MHz-2 GHz)     

唯相相控阵自适应赋形收发波束形成

在大型窄带自适应相控阵列中,由于实际阵列的非理想化及处理随机分布的干扰时的各种误差,导致控制方向错误,包括控制方向角度错误和载频波动引起的错误,急剧地降低了阵列的性能。本文为减小控制方向错误,考虑在主瓣幅度波形在主瓣方向的导数为零的约束下,按最大信干噪比原则自适应地波束形成,获得优化的唯相权值,采用优化方法中的罚函数法,并结合共轭梯度和拟牛顿法来计算优化的唯相数值权向量。模拟结果表明,在相控阵列的有效自由度下,这种方法能够有效的对抗干扰,同时保持阵列的主瓣波束的幅度波形。     

A V-Band Beam-Steering Antenna on a Thin-Film Substrate With a Flip-Chip Interconnection

We propose a planar V-band beam-steering antenna based on a millimeter-wave (mm-wave) system-on-package technology using advanced thin-film technology on a silicon mother board. The thin-film substrate has the capability of integrated passive elements and flip-chip interconnection. Space-consuming components such as a microstrip Rotman lens and patch antennas are implemented on a low-loss, low-cost, and low-dielectric-constant material, benzocyclobutane. V-band monolithic microwave integrated circuits, a power amplifier, and a SP4T switch, are flip-chipped on the thin-film substrate while minimizing parasitic effects. The fabricated antenna module shows if-plane beam steering at four angles, plusmn6deg and plusmn20deg. The measured effective isotropic radiated power is in the range of 17.3-18 dBm. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a planar mm-wave beam-steering antenna module on a thin-film substrate incorporating integrated terminating loads and flip-chip interconnections.     

Active dual-beam leaky-wave antenna with asymmetrically scanningcapability

An active microstrip leaky-wave antenna possessing asymmetrically dual-beam scanning capability is demonstrated. An active HEMT up-converter is integrated at the right terminal of the two-terminal feeding microstrip leaky-wave antenna. This approach creates dual-beam asymmetrically scanning radiation patterns. When the right beam is fixed in one position, the other beam can be scanned electronically by varying the IF frequency. The measured results show that when the position of the right beam was fixed (48°), a scanning angle of 22° for the left beam could be achieved as the IF input frequency was varied from 0.7 to 2 GHz (UHF band)     

Optical feed for a phased array microwave antenna

Microwave signals for all array elements in a phared array microwave antenna are simultaneously generated by spatial sampling of a moving sinusoidal interference pattern formed between two frequency-offset injection-locked laser diodes. The offset and radar frequency of 3.2 GHz were generated by a Bragg cell. A nearly distortionless antenna beam pattern and 180° steering are demonstrated in a linear seven-element array.