Phase quantization error decorrelator for phased array antenna
US5103232A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 18, 1991 |
| Grant date | Apr 7, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 18, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01Q3/38
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An improved means of decorrelating phase quantization errors in a phased array radar antenna using digital randomization at each of the array elements to reduce peak steering erorrs and to reduce peak sidelobe levels of the antenna. A random phase adjust term is provided to each of the array's antenna elements which comprises a distributed controller (DC) co-located with a digital phase shifter. The distributed controllers are each programmed with a random phase adjust term which represents a phase shift adjustment statistically independent from element to element. The random phase adjust term is stored in a memory located in each disbtributed controller. The distributed controller drives each element's digitally controlled phase shifter in response to a beam steering command received over a serial line. The performance improvement achieved with this decorrelation method is equivalent to that obtained by using more expensive phase shifters and adding costly randomized cables in the path to each element.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.