WIDE BAND LONG SLOT ARRAY ANTENNA USING SIMPLE BALUN-LESS FEED ELEMENTS

摘要

In one embodiment, a wide bandwidth, reduced depth transmit/receive antenna array (200) includes unit cells having continuous slots (212A), a transceiver, unbalanced feeds (230), impedance transformers (234, 264), and exciters (246, 248). The continuous slots are formed in a conductive antenna plane, and the transceiver generates and/or receives electrical signals. The unbalanced feeds may be electrically connected between the transceiver and impedance transformers which match the impedance between feed lines and the exciter. They may be located in a plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the radiation, and also may be arranged between the conductive antenna plane and a backplane. The exciter spans a continuous slot, and emits and/or receives radiation from the slot. The antenna array is capable of operating without a radome or balun.