Calibration method for satellite communications payloads using hybrid matrices
First Claim
1. A communication payload system comprising:
- a beam forming network having at least one input port and a plurality of output ports, said at least one input port being mapped to selected output ports, said beam forming network providing an appropriate amplification and phase shift between said at least one input port and said output ports;
a plurality of amplifiers, each amplifier of said plurality of amplifiers having an input connected to a respective one of said output ports of said beam forming network and an output;
at least one hybrid matrix having a predetermined number of inputs and a corresponding number of outputs, said predetermined number of inputs of said at least one hybrid matrix being connected to said output of a respective one of said plurality of amplifiers;
a calibration sample output port connected to one of said outputs of each of said at least one hybrid matrix, said calibration sample output port producing a first calibration sample having a value corresponding to the power output from said hybrid matrix; and
a calibration system responsive to at least said first calibration sample to generate corrections applied to said beam forming network to maintain the calibration of said payload system.
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Abstract
A communication payload system for a satellite having a beam forming network, an amplifier associated with each output port of the beam forming network, and a plurality of hybrid matrices and a calibration pick-up antenna. Each hybrid matrix has a plurality of inputs connected to selected amplifiers and a corresponding number of outputs. One output of each hybrid matrix is connected to a power absorber adapted to function as an output calibration port producing a calibration sample and the remaining outputs connected to feed radiating elements. A calibration system applies power to selected output ports and calculates calibration corrections in response to the values of the calibration samples and the values of the power radiated by each feed radiating element which are applied to the beam forming network to maintain the calibration of the payload system.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A communication payload system comprising:
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a beam forming network having at least one input port and a plurality of output ports, said at least one input port being mapped to selected output ports, said beam forming network providing an appropriate amplification and phase shift between said at least one input port and said output ports; a plurality of amplifiers, each amplifier of said plurality of amplifiers having an input connected to a respective one of said output ports of said beam forming network and an output; at least one hybrid matrix having a predetermined number of inputs and a corresponding number of outputs, said predetermined number of inputs of said at least one hybrid matrix being connected to said output of a respective one of said plurality of amplifiers; a calibration sample output port connected to one of said outputs of each of said at least one hybrid matrix, said calibration sample output port producing a first calibration sample having a value corresponding to the power output from said hybrid matrix; and a calibration system responsive to at least said first calibration sample to generate corrections applied to said beam forming network to maintain the calibration of said payload system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for calibrating a communication payload system having a beam forming network having input ports mapped to selected output ports, at least one hybrid matrix having a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, each input respectively connected to a respective one of said output ports of said beam forming network, a calibration output port connected to one output of said at least one hybrid matrix and a plurality radiating element one connected respectively to each of the remaining outputs of the at least one hybrid matrix, and a calibration system connected between the calibration output port and the beam forming network, said method comprising the steps of:
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applying power to the inputs of the beam forming network by the calibration system, to produce one at a time power at each output port of the beam forming network; measuring the value of the power produced at the calibration output port of said beam forming network connected to at least one hybrid matrix to generate first calibration samples; applying to inputs of the beam forming network by the calibration system to produce power at the outputs of the beam forming network selected to produce a power output to each feed radiating element, one at a time; measuring the value of the power radiated by each feed radiating element to generate second calibration samples; and calculating a correction by the calibration system applied to said beam forming network to maintain the calibration of said payload system in response to said first and second calibration samples. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification