Digital antenna array with microwave photonic components

Design considerations are presented and structural configuration of digital antenna array (DAA) with fiber-optic microwave signal distribution system is proposed. The latter provides phase stabilized multichannel transmission of microwave signals received by array antenna elements to digital processing unit (DPU). Compared with conventional coax-waveguide analogs fiber-optic distribution system proposed provides high bandwidth, small losses, less values of noise figure and amplitude-phase distortions and essentially better weight-size characteristics.