Simplified quadrant-partitioned array architecture and measure sequence to support mutual-coupling based calibration

• US 5,864,317 A
• Filed: 05/23/1997
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Lewis, Gib, Boe, Eric N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US08/862,688
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 342/368, 342/372, 342/374, 342/153
• US Class Current: 342/374
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices

Abstract

A quadrant-partitioned array architecture and measurement sequence supporting mutual-coupling based calibration. The architecture includes an array of radiating elements grouped into quadrants, with a quadrant feed network and an intra-quadrant feed network connected between a transmitter/receiver and the radiating elements. The architecture includes test signal switches which provide access for quadrant testing functions, allowing a test signal to be injected into one quadrant while making measurements of the received signal in an adjacent quadrant. Mutual coupling based module-to-module RF measurements are performed to phase up the array.

Claims

1. A phased array antenna, comprising:

an array of radiating elements, arranged in a regular, rhombic lattice in first, second, third and fourth quadrants;

a quadrant feed network for dividing a feed signal into separate feed signals for each quadrant, the quadrant feed network including first, second, third and fourth quadrant feed transmission lines which take RF signals to and from each quadrant; and

first, second, third and fourth quadrant test signal switches connected respectively in the first, second, third and fourth feed transmission lines to provide a switch function to selectively interrupt one or more of said feed transmission lines and to provide instead signal paths to a test signal generator.

2. A phased array antenna, comprising:

an array of radiating elements arranged in a regular, rhombic lattice in first, second, third and fourth quadrants;

a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) modules, each of said T/R modules being connected to a corresponding one of the radiating elements;

a reciprocal quadrant feed network for dividing a feed signal into separate feed signals for each quadrant, the quadrant feed network including first, second, third and fourth quadrant feed transmission lines which take RF signals to and from each quadrant;

reciprocal intra-quadrant feed networks for each quadrant connected between the quadrant feed network and the T/R modules associated with a given quadrant, wherein each intra-quadrant feed network divides the quadrant feed signal into feed signals for each T/R modules comprising the corresponding quadrant;

first, second, third and fourth quadrant test signal switches connected respectively in the first, second, third and fourth feed transmission lines to provide a switch function to selectively interrupt one or more of said feed transmission lines and to provide instead signal paths to a test signal generator for array self phase-up.