Syntonics FSS-Antenna AMTA2005
Syntonics FSS-Antenna AMTA2005
Syntonics FSS-Antenna AMTA2005
Eugene Lee
The ElectroScience Laboratory, The Ohio State University, 1320 Kinnear Rd
Columbus, Ohio 43220
ABSTRACT
This paper describes the design and testing of a feed
network for a transparent flat plate array antenna. This
antenna is the top of a stack of three antennas that must
occupy the same volume while pointing in different
directions. At many pointing angles, the antenna will
create blockage for the antennas underneath. In order to
minimize the blockage, the array and its transmission
lines must be as transparent as possible to the antennas
underneath.
1.0 Introduction
For a new type of communications antenna system, 3
antennas must occupy the same volume while pointing in
different directions [1]. At many pointing angles, the
antennas above will create blockage for the antennas
underneath, as seen in Figure 1. In order to minimize the
blockage, the array and its transmission lines must be as
transparent as possible to the antennas underneath.
Each antenna is a flat plate array that consists of active
circular polarized elements over a frequency selective
surface (FSS) ground plane that is transparent at the
frequencies of the antennas below. The traditional
corporate feed is a common feed network for antenna Figure 2 - Feed Network, full
arrays. However a corporate feed network occupies a large Each quarter panel consists of a main line (ML in Figure
surface area with its feed lines. A new type of series feed 3) and 6 branch lines (BL1, BL2, BL3, BL4, BL5 BL6
network was developed which minimizes the total area in Figure 3) of multiple lengths. The main and branch
occupied by the feed lines. lines both consist of a number of couplers connected in
series with the coupled port of the coupler going to an
output and the through output being connected to the 3 -6.02 -1.25 -7.78 -6.99 -6.02 n/a
input of the succeeding coupler. Each output of the main
line is connected to a single branch line. Each branch line 4 -4.77 -1.76 -7.78 -6.99 -6.02 -4.77
output is connected to a radiating element via a vertical 5 -3.01 -3.01 -7.78 -6.99 -6.02 -4.77
microstrip transmission line.
6 0 -Inf -7.78 -6.99 -6.02 -4.77
BL6 BL5 BL4 BL3
BL2
The main line output OMLm is connected to BLm and can
BL1 be calculated from the individual coupling and through
outputs as below. Likewise, the branch line BLm output
OBLn is connected to the feed point output Fmn.
ML
F 24 m −1
OMLm = C MLm + ∑ TMLm
OBL4 1
OML2 n −1
OBLn = C BLn + ∑ TBLn
1
5. Phase distribution
In contrast to a corporate feed system, this transmission
line design results in an unequal distribution of phase to
the feed points due to different distances between the Figure 10 - Phase Measurement Data – unrotated
input and the individual feed point for the radiating antennas (top), rotated antennas (bottom)
This work was supported by Syntonics, LLC and the
7. Summary Space and Naval Warfare Sys. Command. under contract
The design and data is presented for a 12x12 L band N00039-04-C-003.
array. The same concept is utilized for an underlying
14x14 S band array. Full transmission line structures
using the quadrature hybrid coupler for the L and S band
are currently being fabricated. Data on the new
transmission line structures is expected in August 2005.
8. REFERENCES
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[2] Ramesh Garg, Prakash Bhartia, Inder Bahl, and
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http://microwaves101.com/encyclopedia/Branchline_coupl
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[7] L. W. Henderson, “Introduction to PMM, Version
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9. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS