A sectored phased array for DBF applications

In this paper, we present the idea of using switching techniques in phased arrays in order to reduce the size and cost of the RF/IF circuitry on a smart array system with a given number of array elements. The principle is illustrated using a sectored phased array antenna working on the 5.2 GHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band. The antenna is a four-element dipole array, with two active and two parasitic elements. The array uses a reflective 2P4T switch to route the RF signals to consecutive elements of the array and four pin diode SPST switches for short or open circuiting the antenna elements. The performance of the proposed antenna system surpasses the performance of traditional two-port phased array systems and is comparable to that of four-element planar arrays. Simulated results of the antenna performance and beam-forming capabilities are presented.