Title :
Ultra-wideband arrays
Author :
Dover, R. Thomas ; Irion, J. ; McGrath, Daniel T. ; Schuneman, Nicholas
Author_Institution :
Adv. Products Center, Raytheon Co., McKinney, TX, USA
Abstract :
There is a need for ultra-wideband phased arrays for military applications such as multifunction, EW, and ESM systems. This need was addressed on the DARPA reconfigurable aperture (RECAP) program, with a goal of a 10:1 bandwidth array aperture. Previous aperture designs covered 3 or 5:1 bandwidths [Hemmi, C, et al., March 1999, Chio, T.H., et al., Sept. 1999 and June 2000]. On this program we designed array radiating apertures tunable over a 10:1 bandwidth, using RF micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switches. Design trades addressed multiple tunable approaches, but ultimately a 10:1 instantaneous-bandwidth approach, requiring no tuning, was selected for further development. An array aperture operating from 1.8 to 18 GHz (10:1), with dual polarization and wide-angle scan capability, was designed and demonstrated with hardware measurement.
Keywords :
UHF antennas; antenna phased arrays; antenna radiation patterns; aperture antennas; broadband antennas; electromagnetic wave polarisation; micromechanical devices; military systems; 1.8 to 18 GHz; DARPA reconfigurable aperture program; MEMS; RF microelectromechanical system switches; array radiating apertures; bandwidth array aperture; dual polarization capability; hardware measurement; instantaneous-bandwidth approach; military applications; multiple tunable approaches; ultra-wideband phased arrays; wide-angle scan capability; Apertures; Bandwidth; Hardware; Microelectromechanical systems; Micromechanical devices; Phased arrays; Polarization; Radio frequency; Switches; Ultra wideband technology;
Conference_Titel :
Phased Array Systems and Technology, 2003. IEEE International Symposium on
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7827-X
DOI :
10.1109/PAST.2003.1257013
