Mutual Coupling Calibration for Microstrip Antenna Arrays via Element Pattern Reconstruction Method

The element pattern reconstruction method is introduced to calibrate the mutual coupling effect of the microstrip arrays. This method is based on the fact that if the reconstructed pattern of the embedded element is consistent with that in the isolated state, then the corresponding calibrated received signal will be consistent with the received signal without mutual coupling effect. The calibration matrix is developed and is employed in the microstrip array to reconstruct the element patterns and in the direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimations. The new method has a wide adaptability for element structures and is very effective for the microstrip antenna array. Effectiveness of the new method is verified by the numerical examples.