Phase array calibration orthogonal phase sequence

• US 5,861,843 A
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Clinton, Reinhardt, Victor S., Sorace, Ronald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US08/997,078
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 342/174, 342/372, 342/373, 342/374
• US Class Current: 342/372
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/28 varying the amplitude

Abstract

Methods and systems for calibrating an array antenna are described. The array antenna has a plurality of antenna elements each having a signal with a phase and an amplitude forming an array antenna signal. For calibration, the phase of each element signal is sequentially switched one at a time through four orthogonal phase states. At each orthogonal phase state, the power of the array antenna signal is measured. A phase and an amplitude error for each of the element signals is determined based on the power of the array antenna signal at each of the four orthogonal phase states. The phase and amplitude of each of the element signals is then adjusted by the corresponding phase and amplitude errors.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating an array antenna element having a signal with a phase and an amplitude, the method comprising:

sequentially switching the phase of the antenna element signal through four orthogonal phase states;

measuring the power of the array antenna signal at each of the four orthogonal phase states;

determining a phase error for the antenna element signal as a function of the power of the array antenna signal at each of the four orthogonal phase states; and

adjusting the phase of the antenna element signal by the phase error.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the phase error for the antenna element signal is determined by the equation;

##EQU24## where, δ

_k is the phase error for the antenna element signal, and

q₀, q₉₀, q₁₈₀, and q₂₇₀ is the power of the array antenna signal at each of the four orthogonal phase states.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

at least one updated phase error for the antenna element signal is determined and the phase of the antenna element signal is adjusted until the one updated phase error converges within an acceptable level.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an amplitude error for the antenna element signal as a function of the power of the array antenna signal at each of the four orthogonal phase states; and

adjusting the amplitude of the antenna element signal by the amplitude error.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the amplitude error for an antenna element signal is determined by the equation;

##EQU25## where, a_k is the amplitude error for the antenna element signal,

q₂₇₀, q₉₀, q₀, and q₁₈₀ is the power of the array antenna signal at each of the four orthogonal phase states, and

A_c is the power of all the other signals of the antenna elements of the array antenna produced by the phase errors of these signals.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein:

at least one updated amplitude error for the antenna element signal is determined and the amplitude of the antenna element signal is adjusted until the one updated amplitude error converges within an acceptable level.

7. A method for calibrating an array antenna provided with a plurality of antenna elements each having a signal with a phase and an amplitude forming an array antenna signal, the method comprising:

sequentially switching the phase of each antenna element signal one at a time through four orthogonal phase states;

measuring at each orthogonal phase state the power of the array antenna signal;

determining a phase error for each of the antenna element signals, wherein the phase error for an antenna element signal is a function of the power of the array antenna signal at each of the four orthogonal phase states; and

adjusting the phase of each of the antenna element signals by the corresponding phase error.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the phase error for an antenna element signal is determined by the equation;

##EQU26## where, δ

_k is the phase error for the antenna element signal, and

q₀, of q₉₀, q₁₈₀, and q₂₇₀ is the power of the array antenna signal at each of the four orthogonal phase states.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein:

at least one updated phase error for the antenna element signal is determined and the phase of the antenna element signal is adjusted until the one updated phase error converges within an acceptable level.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining an amplitude error for each of the antenna element signals, wherein the amplitude error for an antenna element signal is a function of the power of the array antenna signal at each of the four orthogonal phase states; and

adjusting the amplitude of each of the antenna element signals by the corresponding amplitude error.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the amplitude error for an antenna element signal is determined by the equation;

##EQU27## where, a_k is the amplitude error for the antenna element signal,

q₂₇₀, q₉₀, q₀, and q₁₈₀ is the power of the array antenna signal at each of the four orthogonal phase states, and

A_c is the power of all the other signals of the antenna elements of the array antenna produced by the phase errors of these signals.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein:

at least one updated amplitude error for the antenna element signal is determined and the amplitude of the antenna element signal is adjusted until the one updated amplitude error converges within an acceptable level.

13. An array antenna system comprising:

an array antenna provided with a plurality of antenna elements each having a signal with a phase and an amplitude forming an array antenna signal; and

a calibration processor operable with the array antenna to sequentially switch the phase of each antenna element signal one at a time through four orthogonal phase states and measure at each orthogonal phase state the power of the array antenna signal, the calibration processor further operable to determine a phase error for each of the antenna element signals, wherein the phase error for an antenna element signal is a function of the power of the array antenna signal at each of the four orthogonal phase states, the calibration processor further operable to adjust the phase of each of the antenna element signals by the corresponding phase error.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the calibration processor is further operable to determine an amplitude error for each of the antenna element signals, wherein the amplitude error for an antenna element signal is a function of the power of the array antenna signal at each of the four orthogonal phase states, the calibration processor is further operable to adjust the amplitude of each of the antenna element signals by the corresponding amplitude error.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a reference antenna operable with the array antenna for transmitting and receiving signals.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the array antenna transmits an array antenna signal to the reference antenna and the calibration processor is operable with the reference antenna to measure the signal received by the reference antenna to determine the power of the array antenna signal transmitted by the array antenna at each orthogonal phase state.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the reference antenna transmits a reference signal to the array antenna and the calibration processor is operable with the array antenna to measure the signal received by the array antenna to determine the power of the reference signal received by the array antenna at each orthogonal phase state.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the calibration processor includes a power detector which measures the power of each antenna element signal.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein:

the power detector is a quadratic detector.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the array antenna is positioned on a spacecraft.