A Ku-band active transmit-array module with a horn or patch array as a signal launching/receiving device

This paper is concerned with the design of a Ku-band active transmit-array module of transistor amplifiers excited by either a pyramidal horn or a patch array. Optimal distances between the active transmit array and the signal-launching/receiving device, which is either a passive corporate-fed array or a horn, are determined to maximize the power gain at a design frequency. Having established these conditions, the complete structure is investigated in terms of operational bandwidth and near-field and far-field distributions measured at the output side of the transmit array. The experimental results show that the use of a corporate-fed array as an illuminating/receiving device gives higher gain and significantly larger operational bandwidth. An explanation for this behavior is sought.