Phased Array Antenna for Radar Application

Abstract

Phased array antenna (PAA) systems have emerged as the state-of-the art technology providing a solution to almost all of the modern-day communication requirements like 5G mobile system, upcoming 6G mobile system, Massive MIMOs, focal plane arrays, radars, SatCom, driverless vehicles, weather monitoring, air traffic control, etc. Phased array antennas are system of systems comprising of smaller subsystems being integrated to realize the whole system. Thus, the design and development of these requires a meticulous approach taking care of the needs of the end user, performance of the whole system, system life cycle, and environmental eventualities during the design cycle. PAA involves various subsystems such as antenna array, transmit receive modules, beamformer architecture, power supplies, cooling systems, etc. PAAs are complicated and costly systems due to involved active circuitry and fabrication expenditures; however, with the advent of the cheaper and more efficient semiconductor technology, the system cost is manageable. Henceforth, the use of these is extended for commercial applications as well. This class of antenna systems require specialized measurement techniques for assessment of their operational capabilities. These are called as array calibration techniques.

The chapter briefly discusses the phased array antennas, beamforming principles, system architecture for phased array antennas, and the various technologies involved and finally concludes by the measurement and calibration techniques specifically for radar applications. The chapter aims at providing the basic information to the readers about the phased array antennas with their applications focused toward radar applications.