A modular phased-array antenna

摘要

A modular phased-array antenna comprises a beam forming network (BFN) module 31 and a patch array module 15 which are interconnected by a matching network module 21. The BFN includes suspended stripline, passive hybrid and crossover elements configured in a Butler Matrix formation. The said BFN is interconnected with transceiver antenna patches via the matching network module 21 which in turn comprises suspended stripline, phased-matched tracks and a plurality of oppositely polarised matching elements. Each of the said modules 31, 15, 21 may be formed on a circuit board made of flame retardant material (FR-4) with a respective ground plane. The patch antenna array may have a periodic pattern with square or diamond shaped patches. The antenna array may include at least one pair of coupled driver patches and at least one parasitic patch. The said antenna array may be arranged to produce first a second orthogonally polarized signals. The antenna is intended to increase the effective level of data throughput and/or its effective range.