Performance Comparison of Quantized Control Synthesis Methods of Antenna Arrays

Abstract

There is a great potential in small satellite technology for testing new sensors, processes, and technologies for space applications. Antennas need careful design when developing a small satellite to establish stable communication between the ground station and the satellite. This work is motivated by the design of an antenna array for a future rotatorless base station for the VZLUSAT group of Czech nano-satellites. The realized antenna array must cover a relatively broad range of elevation and azimuth angles, and the control must be fast enough to track the satellite in low Earth orbits. The paper deals with possibilities of synthesis of quantized control of the antenna array. It compares quantization influence for well-known deterministic synthesis methods. It shows the method for decreasing computational cost of synthesis using optimization approach and presents the multi-criteria optimization as a tool for reaching required radiation pattern shape and low sensitivity to quantization at the same time.

Reconfigurable Antenna Array Testbed for Quantized Controlling

“…Note that the expressions above provide a good approximation for larger arrays. Even for smaller arrays, however, it is possible to state that the quantization error is significant for the low number of quantization levels p ≤ 3, which is in accordance with results published in [32]. Fig.…”

A new approach to modeling a microwave antenna array with a phase radiation pattern

“…For electrical scanning of the radiation patterns of a conventional passive annular antenna array in the azimuth plane, the following is usually used: phasing of the emitter fields in a given direction using phase shifters in phased antenna arrays [1][2][3][4][5] and with the help of special matrix or lens beamforming systems in multibeam antenna arrays [6][7][8][9], selective excitation of radiators in annular antenna arrays with discrete switching scanning. Further, two variants of passive ring microwave antenna arrays are considered: with phase scanning of radiation patterns using controlled phase shifters, Figure 2 (a); with discrete-switching scanning using switches built on the basis of power dividers/combiners with switches, Figure 2 (b).…”

“…Of course, the level of the side lobes of the radiation patterns can be reduced in the case of uneven excitation of the elements of the annular antenna array [3,4], but this will require a significant complication of the beamforming system and will lead to a decrease in the radiation power of the antenna.…”

Development of a Technique for Increasing the Directivity of an Antenna Array in the Microwave Range

“…At the same time, the features of the propagation of radio waves in the centimeter and millimeter ranges make it possible to implement a number of widely demanded radio engineering and info communication systems for communication, navigation and control applications. These include microwave radiometric scattering complexes for environmental studies, systems for observing objects in conditions of limited visibility, and active survey radar stations [3][4][5].…”