CALIBRATION NETWORK FOR A PHASED ARRAY ANTENNA

摘要

A calibration network system for an array antenna and method for calibrating of the array antenna are described. The system includes a pair of rectangular waveguides stacked in parallel relation to each other and spaced apart at a distance of a quarter of an operating wavelength. The rectangular waveguides includes through-holes extending through a side-wall of the stacked rectangular waveguides from a bottom of a lower waveguide to a top of an upper waveguide to accommodate coaxial transmission lines. The side-wall has openings between the through-holes and an interior region of the rectangular waveguides in order to provide coupling of the coaxial transmission lines into the pair of rectangular waveguides. The system includes 90 degree phase shifter coupled to the upper rectangular waveguide, and a power divider/combiner coupled to a reference T/R Module, to the 90 degree phase shifter and to the lower rectangular waveguide.

主权项

1. A calibration network system for an array antenna having a plurality of antenna elements and a plurality of Transmit/Receive (T/R) modules coupled to the antenna elements through a plurality of corresponding coaxial transmission lines, the calibration network system comprising:
a waveguide arrangement comprising at least one pair of rectangular waveguides having an inside height of side-walls smaller than an inside width of top and bottom walls; wherein said at least one pair of rectangular waveguides being stacked in a substantially parallel relation to each other to form a lower rectangular waveguide and an upper rectangular waveguide spaced apart from the lower rectangular waveguide at a distance of about a quarter of a desired operating wavelength of the array antenna; wherein said at least one pair of rectangular waveguides including a plurality of circular through-holes extending through at least one side-wall of the stacked rectangular waveguides from a bottom of the lower rectangular waveguide to a top of the upper rectangular waveguide and having a diameter sufficient to accommodate coaxial transmission lines passing through said circular through-holes; wherein said at least one side-wall having openings between said circular through-holes and an interior region of said lower and upper rectangular waveguides in order to provide coupling of the coaxial transmission lines into said at least one pair of rectangular waveguides; at least one 90 degree phase shifter having two phase shifter terminals and coupled at one phase shifter terminal to one end of the upper rectangular waveguide; and at least one RF power divider/combiner having an input port configured for coupling to a reference Transmit/Receive (T/R) Module and two output ports being coupled correspondingly to said at least one 90 degree phase shifter at another phase shifter terminal and to one end of the lower rectangular waveguide.