A phased array antenna system includes an RF front end, a radome, and an optical calibrator embedded in the radome for enabling in-situ calibration of the RF front end The optical calibrator employs an optical timing signal generator (OTSG), a Variable Optical Amplitude and Delay Generator array (VOADGA) for receiving the modulated optical output signal and generating a plurality of VOADGA timing signals, and an optical timing signal distributor (OTSD) The in-situ optical calibrator allows for reduced calibration time and makes it feasible to perform calibration whenever necessary

Antenna calibration method and system

Several techniques for calibrating and aligning different aspects of a digital phased array are demonstrated using a 16-element, panelized, vertically-polarized S-band subarray with element-level digitization on both transmit and receive. These techniques make use of the element-level functionality not only to expedite the process of initial alignment and calibration but to enhance the ability of the array to maintain and enforce this calibration over time as RF/analog system variations occur. A method for maintaining element amplitude and phase over time in fully digitized arrays is demonstrated as well as a technique for element-level self-calibration of quadrature mismatches.

Calibration techniques for digital phased arrays

A semiconductor device package includes an integrated circuit chip comprising a radio frequency device. The radio frequency device includes active circuitry at a first surface of the integrate circuit chip. An antenna substrate is disposed over the first surface of the integrated circuit. The antenna substrate includes a first conductive layer disposed over the first surface of the integrated circuit chip. The first conductive layer includes a first transmission line electrically coupled to the integrated circuit chip. A first laminate layer is disposed over the first conductive layer. The first laminate layer overlaps a first part of the first transmission line. A second conductive layer is disposed over the first laminate layer. The second conductive layer includes a first opening overlapping a second part of the first transmission line. A second laminate layer is disposed over the second conductive layer. A first antenna is disposed over the second laminate layer and overlaps the first opening, the second part of the first transmission line, and the integrated circuit chip.

Radio frequency device packages and methods of formation thereof

A method, controller, system, and computer program for generating data points by measuring the power of the transmitted/received signal while each antenna element is rotated through a series of phase angles. Thereafter, a pairwise comparison of these data points is performed in order to determine the phase and amplitude corrections needed for each antenna element. This pairwise analysis uses as few as three signal measurements for each antenna element, made at sparse, arbitrarily spaced phase angles. Further, the method includes smart data selection to ignore bad data points resulting from anomalies or noise bursts.

Phased array calibration using sparse arbitrarily spaced rotating electric vectors and a scalar measurement system

A novel approach to beam steering is presented using an array composed of elements each supporting a unique radiating mode. The one-dimensional (1-D) beam synthesis properties of the novel ideal multiple mode dipole array are quantified using Fourier synthesis and shown to have significant improvement in scan range compared to a conventional linear dipole reference array. A hybrid phased array composed of multiple mode subarrays is also proposed and shown to be an efficient tradeoff between performance improvement and design complexity. Reasonable agreement is obtained between the simulated and measured impedance and radiation pattern properties of a four-element multiple mode array. Finally, a 16-element hybrid phased array composed of four four-element multiple mode subarrays is fabricated and measured. The array is shown to have a 3-dB scan range of $\pm 68^{\circ}$ , which is in good agreement with the simulated value of $\pm 69^{\circ}$ at the design frequency of 4.6 GHz. Additionally, the 3-dB bandwidth of the array is more than 1 GHz at broadside. This bandwidth reduces to approximately 300 MHz at the widest scan angles, which is consistent with an equivalent conventional linear array.

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A Novel Approach to Beam Steering Using Arrays Composed of Multiple Unique Radiating Modes

A technique to compensate for differences in the element patterns of an array antenna is presented and discussed in comparison with previously published procedures. It follows the classical approach of correcting the array output vector by multiplication by a decoupling matrix to achieve a more or less unperturbed array response. The technique is applicable to linear as well as planar arrays and allows a rather flexible choice of the calibration points. The performance is demonstrated by a simulation based on a numerical analysis with the method of moments and a practical application to a Ku-band digital beamforming array.

L. Kuehnke

Papers

Phased array calibration procedures based on measured element patterns