The design, fabrication, and measurement of a 16 × 16 dual-polarized planar ultrawideband modular antenna (PUMA) array operating over 7-21 GHz (3:1 bandwidth) are presented. The array is comprised of tightly coupled dipoles printed on a grounded dielectric substrate and are excited by an unbalanced feeding scheme that eliminates external wideband baluns and feed organizers. The array can be assembled modularly, where each low-profile, fully planar, low-cost tile is fabricated using standard multilayer microwave PCB techniques. A unique solderless, modular interconnect mates the array to a dilation fixture that facilitates measurements using standard surface-mount assembly (SMA) connectors and terminations. After presenting the most critical design trends, simulation results of the final array in infinite, infinite × finite, and finite × finite models are compared with measurements. This prototype array exhibits a measured active VSWR <; 2.1 and close to ideal gain at broadside, and VSWR <; 2.8 with low cross-polarization out to θ = 45° in all planes, showing close agreement with simulations.

A 7–21 GHz Dual-Polarized Planar Ultrawideband Modular Antenna (PUMA) Array

Communication is one of the most essential activities of mankind and there is no doubt that satellite communications have made a tremendous stride in this matter. The goal has been to create uninterrupted, seamless, high throughput connectivity no matter where. The fact that this is all possible is because of the existence of electromagnetic waves: Antennas play a pivotal role in advanced functionality, efficient usage of the bandwidth, and cost effective deployment of this technology. The trends of the technological development of antennas for a wide range of commercial satellite communication services and the challenges faced in their development are chronologically reviewed. Various antenna concepts are summarized and future challenges are projected. A rather comprehensive list of references is included to assist the reader with further reading beyond this paper.

Technology Trends and Challenges of Antennas for Satellite Communication Systems

Systems and methods for collision avoidance in unmanned aerial vehicles are provided. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a method for collision avoidance system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method including scanning for objects within a preselected range of the UAV using a plurality of phased array radar sensors, receiving scan information from each of the plurality of phased array radar sensors, wherein the scan information includes information indicative of objects detected within the preselected range of the UAV, determining maneuver information including whether to change a flight path of the UAV based on the scan information, and sending the maneuver information to a flight control circuitry of the UAV.

Systems and methods for collision avoidance in unmanned aerial vehicles

This communication presents a beamforming shaped-beam satellite (SBS) antenna based on a phased array technique and a boosted-beam control. The presented SBS antenna is specifically designed to cover the whole regions of Korea including the southern and northern areas. The proposed SBS antenna consists of waveguide feed network, beamforming circuits, waveguide circular polarizers, 19 radiation elements, and a boosted-beam control panel with active component calibration for temperature variation. To maximize the flexible performance, boosted-beam mode is supported to meet the required high-power signal regardless of bad weather conditions. The adjustable effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) range was around 6 dB and there are a total of 19 beamforming units each configured by drive amplifier, phase shifter, and attenuator. Also, one extra beamforming unit synchronized with the other 19 elements is integrated for active component calibration. Each beamforming element can control relative phase shift up to 360° with 5° step and relative amplitude variation up to 10 dB with 1 dB step as well. Also, each radiation element is configured by waveguide horn and the return losses were better than 25 dB at 21 GHz.

Phased Array Shaped-Beam Satellite Antenna With Boosted-Beam Control

The general issue of this letter deals with the design of a phased array antenna for high-data-rate SATCOM. A final demonstrator antenna could be installed on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to communicate with a satellite in Ka-band. First, a compact reflection-type phase shifter is designed and realized. Second, the conception of a phased array antenna prototype is detailed. Third, a new calibration method is involved that can provide the bias voltage to be applied to each phase shifter in order to scan the beam in the desired direction.

Ka-Band Phased Array Antenna for High-Data-Rate SATCOM

Equivalent circuits are frequently used as optimization tools for the design of dipole arrays. Previous approaches exist, but are valid only on tight bandwidths or do not model the array input impedance in both broadside and scan configurations. In this letter, we propose a new equivalent circuit that provides a large representation of dipole arrays from DC to the first free-space grating lobe frequency. This model is efficient for arrays of connected as well as tightly coupled dipoles operating in the E- and H-planes, and it can take into account a ground plane and dielectric layers. Based on the proposed equivalent circuit model, an optimization process can be implemented in order to find the dielectric arrangement and the ground plane distance that offer the best performances in both bandwidth and scanning capabilities. The optimization example given in this letter shows an active voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) less than 2 over a 4.5:1 bandwidth at broadside and at least a 3.4:1 bandwidth up to 40 °
 in the E-, H-, and D-planes.

New Equivalent Circuit Model for a Broadband Optimization of Dipole Arrays

This article presents a new reflection-type 360° phase shifter, for Ku- and Ka-bands applications.At 12 GHz, the measured prototype has more than 360° phase shift with insertion loss of 3.3 ± 0.5 dB. For the Ka-band circuit, the lowest insertion loss is obtained at 30.3 GHz (3.6 dB ± 1.8 dB) and the phase shift is 315°. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1733–1736, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25307

A novel analog 360° phase shifter design in Ku and Ka bands

The general issue of this paper deals with the design of a phased array antenna for high data rate SATCOM on UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) in Ka band. This paper presents: 1) a comparative study of possible antenna element candidates for a 30 GHz circularly polarized and wide angle scan phased array. 2) a new low loss analog phase shifter concept. This will lead to the conception of a phased array antenna and also of phase shifters.

Design of a KA-band wide scanning phased array antenna

This paper presents a new 360° analog phase shifter for Ku and Ka bands applications. These devices are reflection-type analog phase shifters implemented with a 90° branch-line coupler and a new load concept. Varactor diode is used as the tuning element to change capacitance with voltage. Test circuits have been optimized, in order to have 360° phase shift range with low insertion loss. The measured Ku band phase shifter presents more than 360° phase shift between 11.5 and 12.5 GHz. At 12 GHz the insertion loss is 3.3dB+/−0.5dB. For the Ka band example, the lowest insertion loss is obtained at 30.3 GHz (3.6dB+/−1.8dB) and the phase shift is 315°. In both case, the return loss is always lower than −10dB.

Hervé Jeuland

Papers

Ka-Band Phased Array Antenna for High-Data-Rate SATCOM

New Equivalent Circuit Model for a Broadband Optimization of Dipole Arrays

A novel analog 360° phase shifter design in Ku and Ka bands

Design of a KA-band wide scanning phased array antenna

A novel analog 360° phase shifter design in Ku and Ka bands