Near/farfield measurements of a polarisation AGILE phased array at Ku-band

This article describes the near field measurements of a first prototype realised within the ESA-project NATALIA. This phased array antenna is designed for mobile satellite services and is a dedicated concept for the automotive sector. Key components of the overall buildup are a highly compact Printed Circuit Board (PCB) including antenna aperture, various circuits like RF-feeding network and digital logic, designed for mass production, and a dedicated MMIC-component that is the core element responsible for the beam steering of the array. In order to verify the complete buildup including RF-components, a 4×4 phased array has been realised. Nearfield and farfield measurements have been performed and show that the array performs according to specifications. Also, the nearfield measurement proofs to be a good diagnostic tool to analyse the proper functioning of the key RF-components.