Abstract
This work presents the design and prototyping of a reconfigurable phased array in Ku band (16 to 18 GHz) implemented in waveguide technology. The design is based on the use of a novel seamless waveguide module integrating four reconfigurable phase shifters to adjust the relative phase shift between the unitary elements of a linear array, which are illuminated uniformly by a corporate waveguide feeding network. The phase shifters are implemented by a 90° hybrid coupler in waveguide technology where two of its ports are loaded with a tunable reactive load, implemented in this proof of concept with a tuning screw. The four phase shifters have been manufactured in a single part using direct metal laser sintering, avoiding the losses related to bad electric contacts and misalignments associated to multipart devices. This also simplifies the assembly of the full phased array, leading to a modular approach with three parts whose design can be addressed separately. The experimental results for the complete array antenna show great performance and demonstrate that the main-lobe of the radiation pattern can be effectively scanned continuously between the angles -25° and 25°, with a high efficiency in the whole design band thanks to the proposed waveguide implementation.
Highlights
In the last years different reconfiguration techniques have been developed in the area on antenna systems in order to increase their flexibility
For the case of θ0 = 0◦ the measured radiation pattern is the same that was obtained when measuring the array without the Waveguide Reflection-type Phase Shifter (WRPS) module [26], which shows that the phase shifters do not introduce a significant disturbance in the behaviour of it is important to emphasize that there is a good correspondence between the experimental and simulated results for all the scanning directions, which demonstrates the reliability of the proposed beam scanning mechanism
In this work, a reconfigurable phased array in waveguide technology has been presented. It is based on a novel reconfigurable reflection-type phase shifter which is controlled by means of two tuning screws, and that can be integrated with other shifters into a seamless module
Summary
In the last years different reconfiguration techniques have been developed in the area on antenna systems in order to increase their flexibility. The scanning of the radiation pattern main lobe, which is one of these techniques, has been extensively applied to planar array antennas by using tunable electronic components like varactor diodes, p-i-n diodes or digital phase shifters [1]–[5]. Polo-López et al.: Mechanically Reconfigurable Linear Phased Array Antenna reconfiguration techniques are specially adequate to achieve high performance and low power losses [16]–[18] In this field, Tuning Screws (TS) have been extensively used in the last decades to tune filters [19] or to implement reconfigurability in waveguide devices [20], [21]. It will be shown that each WRPS is adjusted using only two TS, which significantly reduces the number of TS of the whole antenna array (8 instead of 43) while still achieving the same beam scanning range
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
