Design and optimization of corrugated feeds: X_HORN software package

Abstract

Satellite telecommunication-antenna systems require high performance, in terms of extremely low cross polarization, low return loss, high power levels, and low levels of passive intermodulation, over a range of more than 30% of the frequency bandwidth. Among the available feeds that provide good performance, circular corrugated horns have long been among the most popular. This is because of their ease of manufacture, low cross polarization, and low return loss over a broad range of frequencies. To achieve optimum performance for these feed horns, an accurate design tool is needed. With this mind, a software package was developed for the analysis (Coccioli et al., 1997) and optimization (Coccioli et al., 1996) (based on the Davidon-Fletcher-Powell method, Fletcher and Powell, 1963) of corrugated horns. The current version of the code is suitable for circular corrugated horns, but future plans are to extend this to elliptical configurations, as well. The analysis approach employed (Coccioli et al., 1997) is based on a hybrid technique, which combines the generalized scattering matrix for modeling the interior region of the horn, with the combined electric- and magnetic-field integral equation (CFIE), to model the surface currents on the exterior perfectly conducting walls of the feed. The combined used of these modeling techniques provides a rigorous and efficient representation of the fields on their respective regions of application.