Microstrip fed printed dipole with an integral balun and 180 degree phase shift bit

摘要

An improved element for use in an electrically steered antenna array is disclosed comprising a dipole, an integral balun and a 180 DEG phase shift bit. The arrangement utilizes printed circuit techniques throughout using an unbalanced microstrip for connection to electrical circuitry, a balun for transitioning from unbalanced microstrip to a balanced dipole antenna and includes a low loss 180 DEG phase shift bit formed by the use of a branched feed network including two diodes whose conductive states determine the sense of antenna excitation, and produce the equivalent of a 180 DEG phase shift bit.