A 256-Element Dual-Beam Polarization-Agile SATCOM Ku-Band Phased-Array With 5-dB/K G/T

This article presents a 16 x 16 dual-polarized Ku-band (10.7-12.7 GHz) satellite communications (SATCOM) phased-array receiver with simultaneous dual-beam reception capability. The array incorporates 64 16-channel beamformer chips and 256 dual-polarized antennas. A dual-channel low noise amplifier (LNA) is employed on every antenna to lower the system noise figure (NF) and increase the antenna gain-to-noise temperature (G/T). The phased-array is built on a low-cost printed circuit board (PCB), with an antenna spacing of lambda/2 at 12.2 GHz in an equilateral triangular grid to result in +/- 70 degrees scan volume, and is capable of receiving two concurrent data-streams with a distinct direction of arrival (DOA) since it employs two 64:1 Wilkinson combiner networks. A transmit band (14-14.5 GHz) filter is also implemented between the LNA and the beamformer chip. The 256-element array has a directivity of 28 dB at mid-band with a G/T of 5 dB/K (T-ant = 20 K), which results in a G/T of 11 dB/K for a 1024-element array. This array is a feasible solution for make-before-break connections and for multi-satellite reception systems, such as simultaneous television (TV) reception and connectivity.

Automated summary

This article presents a 16 x 16 dual-polarized Ku-band phased-array receiver with simultaneous dual-beam reception capability, incorporating 64 beamformer chips and 256 antennas. The array has a directivity of 28 dB at mid-band, making it suitable for multi-satellite reception systems, such as simultaneous television reception.