Waveguide-Based Phased Array With Integrated Element-Specific Electronics for 28 GHz

Abstract

Scalable and beam-steerable phased antenna array prototype for the wireless backhaul communication is presented for the 28 GHz. The 16-element phased array consists of low-loss waveguide power division network, waveguide-to-PCB transitions, phase shifters on PCB, and horn antenna elements fed from the PCB. The paper presents a state-of-the-art design where the electronically controlled phase shifters are implemented on the PCB right in the immediate proximity of the radiating elements. Thus, the transmission losses are kept as low as possible, even though each element has their specific PCB-mounted electronics. The design is scalable so that element-specific parts on the PCB do not consume more area than the antenna element. Furthermore, novel matching steps with easy manufacturing are presented in the power division network. The simulated and measured results show good agreement. The measurement results show that the grating-lobe free beam-steering range is ±20 • in both azimuth and elevation. The measured antenna gain at broadside is 11.3 dBi after element phase adjustment, and the majority of the losses are due to the implemented electronics, i.e., the phase shifters.INDEX TERMS 5G, phased arrays, beam steering, phase shifters, power dividers, waveguide transitions.

5G Antenna Challenges and Opportunities

“…The shapes of the simulated and measured beams agree well and the simulated total efficiency is -0.25 and the measured one -1.9 dB. The approach is widely usable at different mm-wave frequency bands and we have also demonstrated similar kind of antenna structure with active phase shifters at 28 GHz [13].…”

A N260 Band 64 Channel Millimeter Wave Full-Digital Multi-Beam Array for 5G Massive MIMO Applications

“…Although a calibration-free solution for a 28-GH active phased-array based on a highly integrated multi-core chip has been proposed [44], [45], the calibration is still worthwhile for arrays working in higher millimeter-wave frequency, due to the more pronounced chip-to-chip variation in amplitude and phase response. The calibration could potentially bring a significant increase in the realized gain and a decrease in the sidelobe level to deliver optimal beamforming performance [46]. Additionally, due to the fact that the size of the antenna array is much smaller than that of the module array, it is a good choice to utilize feedlines between antenna elements and transmitting/receiving modules with different lengths for each channel in this massive MIMO array.…”

Mechanically Reconfigurable Linear Phased Array Antenna Based on Single-Block Waveguide Reflective Phase Shifters With Tuning Screws

“…Another two-dimensional array is presented in [14], although in this case it is formed by a 4x4 array of horn antennas which are excited, with equal amplitude and phase, by a waveguide feeding network. This network incorporates one integrated circuit phase shifter to control the excitation phase of each horn electronically.…”