A compact switched-beam array antenna for mobile satellite communications

✍ Scribed by N. C. Karmakar; M. E. Bialkowski

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 289 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0895-2477
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2760(19990505)21:3<186::aid-mop9>3.0.co;2-7

✦ Synopsis

This paper presents the design and de¨elopment of a compact switched-beam array antenna for operation with the Australian mobile satellite communications system. Mobilesat T M . The antenna is formed by eight aperture-coupled microstrip patch elements that are positioned on the side of a truncated cone. Two elements, facing the satellite, are acti¨ated using an eight-way two-ports-on radial switch. The output ports of the radial switch incorporate 1-bit phase shifters. A total of 24 beams are produced using this beam-forming system. In order to reduce the manufacturing cost, inexpensi¨e substrates and low-cost UHF p-i-n diodes are employed. Further reduction in cost is achie¨ed by eliminating coaxial connectors between the beam-forming network and the antenna elements. Experimental results are presented for the indi¨idual antenna elements, the beam-forming network, and the entire switched-beam array.