AP.

3 - 2
FESD ARRAY AND BEAM FORMINGNETWORK
DESIGN FOR A RECONFIGURABLE SATELLITE ANTENNA?

R. M. Sorbello, P. R. Karmel*, and R.W

. Gruner
CQMSAT Laboratories
Clarksburg. Maryland 20734

INTRODUCTION

This paper describes the design considerations and component de-

velopment for a feed array and beam forming network (BFN) asso-
ciated with a multibeam reconfigurable antenna. Such antennas
are being considered for future communications satellite systems
to provide increased capacity and coverage flexibility.

A general description of an antenna being developed to demonstrate

this technology was presented 1in
11. It consists of a large off-
set reflector system and an active feed cluster of 128 horns, each
with an associated amplifier, that generates 128 component beams
of 0.45O-3 dB beamwidths in the 12/14-GHz bands over
4Ox8Oa field
of view for CONUS coverage. Eight reconfigurable shaped beams,
each using the entire frequency band, are formed by the beam form-
ing networks discussed below. The feed elements are dual mode con-
ical horns providing good beam symmetry, low mutual coupling ef-
(>30 dB).
fects, and good cross-polarization properties

BEAM FORMINGNETWORK (BFN)

For a transmitting antenna BFNthemust precisely distribute power

in the correct phase and amplitude from a given input port to th
appropriate subcluster of the active feed elements. The BFN may
be passive or active, and the latter may be fixed or variable. Fi
1 shows a portion of a passive BFN for a single reuse. 8 The
channels are power amplified and then multiplexed to form a 500-
MHz reuse. The variable power divider (VPD) tree distributes power
in the proper proportions, and the phase shifter adjusts the rela-
tive phase. The radiating element may be supplied through the com-
biner by as many as4 reuses. A low-loss waveguide structure with
ferrite phase shifters is required since power is amplified at the
BFN for a single reuse. Fig. 2 shows a portion an active
of BFN
for a single reuse. The fixed active BFN has a summing network,
fixed power divider(PD), and attenuator and phase shifter to set
the relative gain and phase. The variable active BFN has a multi-
plexer, VPD tree and phase shifter, but no attenuator. In both,
power amplification occurs at the radiating element to minimize
the effects of relatively high losses in the BFN. The use of ac-
tive feed elements permits realization of the BFN and phase shift-
ers in lightweight MIC using PIN diodes. A description of
RF pow-
er loss, DC power requirements, weight, and controllability for
these three systems for transmit and receive BFNs will be presente
+This paper is based upon work performed
at COMSAT Laboratories
under the sponsorship of the Communications Satellite Corporation.
*Department of Electrical Engineering, The City College of the
City University of New York.
CH1557-8/80/0000-0078$00.75 @ 1980 IEEE
78
PHASE SHIFTERS

The variable phase shifters (VPS) are developed by cascading indi-

vidual phase shift bits. For example, a 4-bit VPS comprised of a
22.5O, 45O, 90°, and 180' phase shift bits is capable of phase
shifts from0-360° in 22.5O increments. The VPSs are used to set
the correct phase at each feed element. Phase shifters are also
utilized in the VPDs. The basic VPD design consists of an in-phase
2-way power divider, two VPSs, and a quadrature hybrid. The dif-
ference in phase settings of theVPSs twodetermines the resulting
power divisionat the two output ports of the hybrid. Phase shift-
ers have been designed and built in microstrip for at operation
12
GHz. Fig. 3 depicts the measured phase shifts over a 1-GHz band-
width for a 90° and 45O phase shifter design. Measured perform-
ance of phase shifters,VPSs, and VPDs will be presented.

ANTENNA AND FEED ELEMENT DESIGN

To maximize gain over the desired coverage area and to provide

high beam isolations (via sidelobe control) to adjacent coverage
regions, many narrow high-gain component beams are required. The
beam shapes to be developed CONUS
over require an antenna having
128 component beamsof a nominal0.45'-3 dB beamwidth. An offset
fed parabolic reflector with
a 12-ft diameter and f/D=l is one pos-
sibility. Multiple reflector systems are also under consideration.
Individual feed array elements should have high polarization pur-
ity, reasonable size and weight, and high efficiency. In satellite
multibeam antennas employing multi-element feeds, a tradeoff exists
between polarization purity and co-polarized pattern coverage.

A feed array consisting of circular waveguide dual mode (TE11 and

T M 1 1 ) feed
horns and waveguide orthomode transducer (OMT) junc-
tions has been developed. For a given horn, the OMT is matched to
less than1.05:l.OO in both orthogonally polarized ports and the
port-to-port isolation exceeds dB.
55 The VSWR for the entire feed
horn, OM T
, and co-ax to waveguide adapter is less than 1.2:l.O
across the11.7- to 12.2-GHz band. The OMT and co-ax to waveguide
adapters were configured to allow for touching horn apertures.
Fig. 4 shows a 15-element subcluster of the €eed array.

The dual mode feed horn yields a very symnetrical radiation pat-
tern giving high polarization purity. Measured co- and cross-
polarized patternsof a single isolated element and the same ele-
ment within the array environment are shown in Fig. 5. sin-The
gle element and "imbedded" element patterns are nearly equal with
M i 1 mode via
low cross-polarization in both cases. Adding Tthe
the step discontinuity not only symmetrizes the pattern thus re-
ducing the cross-polarization, but also reduces the radiation field
mutual coupling. The additionof the higher order mode slightly
reduces the element efficiency and increases the component beam
spacing; however, calculations of the co-polarized coverage pat-
terns made with the imbedded element patterns show that both ac-
ceptable beam shaping and cross-polarization can be obtained.

79
REFERENCES

[l] D. F. DiFonzo, P. R. Kamel, and A. E. A t i a , "A Multiple

Shaped Beam Reconfigurable Antenna," 1979 IEEE AP-S Inter-
n a t i o n a l Symposium, pp. 457-460.

> FROM OTHER

REUSES

c+- "PHASE
SHIFT

Figure 1. passiveTransmit BFN

FROM OTHER
REUSES

POWER

ATTENUATOR

Figure 2. ActiveTransmit BFN

100 1 I I I I I I
11.45 11.65 11.85 12.05 1225 1245
FREQUENCY(G&)

Figure 3 . Measured 90° and 45" Phase S h i f t e r Performance

80
 Figure 4 . Multibeam Feed Array

Figure5a. MeasuredMultimode Horn Response:

I s o l a t e d Element

Figure 5b. MeasuredMultimode Horn Response:

W e d d e d Element

81