Antenna array calibration device and method

An antenna array calibration device, comprising:

• a radio frequency/optical (RF/optical) data center having at least one optical input/output;
• multiple single mode fibers (SMFs) each having a proximal end connected to the at least one optical input/output of the RF/optical data center and a distal end;
• multiple optical/RF dish calibrators each having an optical input/output connected to the distal end of one of the SMFs and an RF input/output;
• multiple coaxial transmission lines each having a proximal end connected to the RF input/output of one of the optical/RF dish calibrators and a distal end;
• and
• multiple dish antennas each connected to the distal end of one of the coaxial transmission lines;
• wherein the RF/optical data center comprises:
• an RF measurement system having an RF input/output;
• a coaxial transmission line having a proximal end connected to the RF input/output of the RF measurement system and a distal end;
• an RF switch having an RF input/output connected to the distal end of the coaxial transmission line and multiple RF input/outputs;
• a low phase noise source having a 10 MHz input, a 550 MHz output, an output, a first output bus, and a second output bus;
• a calibration manager controller having a 1 pulse per second (PPS) input, an Inter-Range Instrumentation Group Time Code Format B (IRIG B) input, a 10 MHz input, a 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) input, a 1 GbE input, a 550 MHz input connected to the 550 MHz output of the low phase noise source, and a resource period (RP) synchronization (sync) output;
• a calibration digital receiver/exciter (DREX) assembly having a 1 GbE input, a 1 PPS input, a 10 MHz input, a first input connected to the RP sync output of the calibration manager controller, a second input connected to the output of the low phase noise source, a calibration DREX data input/output, an output, a third input, and a fourth input;
• a dual coupler having a first input/output connected to the output of the calibration DREX assembly, a first output connected to the third input of the calibration DREX assembly, a second output connected to the fourth input of the calibration DREX assembly, and a second input/output;
• multiple first dividers each having an input bus connected to the first output bus of the low phase noise source and an output bus;
• multiple second dividers each having an input bus connected to the second output bus of the low phase noise source and an output bus;
• multiple RF multiplexer assemblies each having an input/output bus connected to the input/output bus of the RF switch, a first input bus connected to the output bus of one of the first dividers, a second input bus connected to the output bus of one of the second dividers, and an optical input/output bus;
• and
• multiple phase stabilization cards each having a first optical input/output bus connected to the optical input/output bus of one of the RF multiplexer assemblies and a second optical input/output bus;
• wherein the RF switch has a 1 GbE input and an RF input/output bus.

An antenna array calibration device, comprising:

• a radio frequency/optical (RF/optical) data center having at least one optical input/output;
• multiple single mode fibers (SMFs) each having a proximal end connected to the at least one optical input/output of the RF/optical data center and a distal end;
• multiple optical/RF dish calibrators each having an optical input/output connected to the distal end of one of the SMFs and an RF input/output;
• multiple coaxial transmission lines each having a proximal end connected to the RF input/output of one of the optical/RF dish calibrators and a distal end;
• and
• multiple dish antennas each connected to the distal end of one of the coaxial transmission lines;
• wherein the RF/optical data center comprises:
• an RF measurement system having an RF input/output;
• a coaxial transmission line having a proximal end connected to the RF input/output of the RF measurement system and a distal end;
• and
• an RF switch having an RF input/output connected to the distal end of the coaxial transmission line and multiple RF input/outputs;
• and
• wherein each of the optical/RF dish calibrators comprises:
• an optical/RF multiplexer assembly having an optical input/output, a first RF output, a second RF output, and an RF input/output;
• a divider having an RF input connected to the first RF output of the optical/RF multiplexer assembly and multiple RF outputs;
• a termination (TERM) device having an RF input connected to the second RF output of the optical/RF multiplexer assembly;
• a switch having an RF input/output connected to the RF input/output of the optical/RF multiplexer assembly, a first RF input/output, a second RF input/output, a third RF input/output, a fourth RF input/output, a first RF output, a second RF output, a third RF output, a first RF input, and a second RF input;
• a short tester having an RF input/output connected to the second RF input/output of the switch;
• an open tester having an RF input/output connected to the third RF input/output of the switch;
• a load tester having an RF input/output connected to the fourth RF input/output of the switch;
• a dish digital receiver/exciter (DREX) assembly having a 1 pulse per second (PPS) input, a 10 MHz input, a resource period (RP) synchronization (sync) input, a first RF input connected to the RF output of the divider, a second RF input, a third RF input, a first RF output, a fourth RF input connected to the first RF output, a fifth RF input connected to the first RF output of the switch, a second RF output configured to provide a first excitation signal, and a third RF output configured to provide a second excitation signal;
• a low noise amplifier (LNA) assembly having a first RF output connected to the second RF input of the dish DREX assembly, a second RF output connected to the third RF input of the dish DREX assembly, a first RF input connected to the second RF output of the switch, a second RF input connected to the third RF output of the switch, a third RF input, and a fourth RF input;
• a transmit assembly having a first RF input connected to the third RF output of the dish DREX assembly, a second RF input connected to the second RF output of the dish DREX assembly, a first RF output, and a second RF output;
• a first circulator having a first RF input connected to the first RF output of the transmit assembly, an RF output connected to the fourth RF input of the LNA assembly, and an RF input/output;
• a second circulator having a first RF input connected to the second RF output of the transmit assembly, an RF output connected to the third RF input of the LNA assembly, and an RF input/output;
• a first coupler having a first RF input/output connected to the RF input/output of the first circulator and a second RF input/output;
• a second coupler having a first RF input/output connected to the RF input/output of the second circulator and a second RF input/output;
• and
• a polarizer having a first RF input/output connected to the second RF input/output of the first circulator, a second RF input/output connected to the second RF input/output of the second circulator, and a third RF input/output comprising the RF output of the optical/RF dish calibrator.

A method of antenna array calibration, comprising:

• transmitting multiple optical signals by a radio frequency/optical (RF/optical) data center having at least one optical input/output;
• receiving the optical signals via multiple single mode fibers (SMFs) each having a proximal end connected to the at least one optical input/output of the RF/optical data center and a distal end, the optical signals received by multiple optical/RF dish calibrators each having an optical input/output connected to the distal end of one of the SMFs and an RF input/output;
• and
• receiving multiple RF signals via multiple coaxial transmission lines each having a proximal end connected to the RF input/output of one of the optical/RF dish calibrators and a distal end, the RF signals received by multiple dish antennas each connected to the distal end of one of the coaxial transmission lines;
• wherein the RF/optical data center comprises:
• an RF measurement system having an RF input/output;
• a coaxial transmission line having a proximal end connected to the RF input/output of the RF measurement system and a distal end;
• an RF switch having an RF input/output connected to the distal end of the coaxial transmission line and multiple RF input/outputs;
• a radar scheduler configured to correct, based on phase information received via the multiple SMFs, each of dish beam position movement, time temporal stability effects, and temperature effects on one or more dish antennas of the multiple dish antennas;
• a low phase noise source having a 10 MHz input, a 550 MHz output, a 1 GHz output, a first output bus, and a second output bus;
• a calibration manager controller having a 1 pulse per second (PPS) input, an Inter-Range Instrumentation Group Time Code Format B (IRIG B) input, a 10 MHz input, a 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) input, a 1 GbE input, a 550 MHz input connected to the 550 MHz output of the low phase noise source, and a resource period (RP) synchronization (sync) output;
• a calibration digital receiver/exciter (DREX) assembly having a 1 GbE input, a 1 PPS input, a 10 MHz input, a first input connected to the RP sync output of the calibration manager controller, a second input connected to the 550 MHz output of the low phase noise source, a calibration DREX data input/output, an output, a third input, and a fourth input;
• a dual coupler having a first input/output connected to the output of the calibration DREX assembly, a first output connected to the third input of the calibration DREX assembly, a second output connected to the fourth input of the calibration DREX assembly, and a second input/output;
• multiple first dividers each having an input bus connected to the first output bus of the low phase noise source and an output bus;
• multiple second dividers each having an input bus connected to the second output bus of the low phase noise source and an output bus;
• multiple RF multiplexer assemblies each having an input/output bus connected to the input/output bus of the RF switch, a first input bus connected to the output bus of one of the first dividers, a second input bus connected to the output bus of one of the second dividers, and an optical input/output bus;
• and
• multiple phase stabilization cards each having a first optical input/output bus connected to the optical input/output bus of one of the RF multiplexer assemblies and a second optical input/output bus;
• and
• wherein the RF switch has a 1 GbE input and an RF input/output bus.