Low side lobe level AESA hybrid fate / ensemble calibration
AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorsConnor C. McBryde, James B. West
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A calibration system for AESAs induces the AESA to produce a far field radiation pattern while near field measurements are taken; an initial calibration is produced, and complex aperture holograms are calculated. Based on the complex holograms, phase and amplitude error maps are computed. T/R module amplitude and phase are then adjusted to compensate for the error map. The system evaluates the refined far field radiation pattern to iteratively recompute complex aperture excitations to realize adequate far field performance and new hologram error maps until a desired level of precision is reached.
Claims17
A computer apparatus comprising:
- one or more sensors disposed proximal to an ESA antenna in a near field range test environment to directly receive signals from radiating elements of the ESA antenna;
- and
- at least one processor in data communication with a memory storing processor executable code for configuring the at least one processor to:
- drive radiating elements in an electronically scanned array (ESA) antenna being calibrated when the ESA is in a transmit mode;
- receive signals from the one or more sensors based on the driven radiating elements when the ESA is in a receive mode;
- calculate far field calibration coefficients for each of the radiating elements;
- calculate one or more error maps corresponding to a face of the ESA antenna being calibrated;
- determine amplitude and phase adjustments for one or more T/R modules in the ESA being calibrated;
- apply the amplitude and phase adjustments to the one or more T/R modules in the ESA being calibrated;
- and
- recalculate far field calibration coefficients for each of the radiating elements to produce a calibrated ESA antenna to a desired far field radiation pattern.
A method comprising:
- driving radiating elements in an electronically scanned array (ESA) antenna being calibrated;
- receiving signals based on the driven radiating elements;
- calculating far field calibration coefficients for each of the radiating elements;
- calculating one or more error maps corresponding to a face of the ESA antenna being calibrated;
- determining amplitude and phase adjustments for one or more T/R modules in the ESA being calibrated;
- applying the amplitude and phase adjustments to the one or more T/R modules in the ESA being calibrated while in a transmit mode;
- and
- recalculating far field calibration coefficients for each of the radiating elements to produce a calibrated ESA antenna to a desired far field radiation pattern.
An antenna calibration system comprising:
- a near field range test environment;
- one or more sensors disposed in the near field range test environment;
- and
- at least one processor in data communication with a memory storing processor executable code for configuring the at least one processor to:
- drive radiating elements in an electronically scanned array (ESA) antenna being calibrated when in a transmit mode;
- receive signals from the one or more sensors based on the driven radiating elements when the ESA is in a receive mode;
- calculate complex aperture calibration coefficients for each of the radiating elements;
- calculate one or more error maps corresponding to a face of the ESA antenna being calibrated;
- determine amplitude and phase adjustments for one or more T/R modules in the ESA being calibrated;
- apply the amplitude and phase adjustments to the one or more T/R modules in the ESA being calibrated;
- and
- recalculate far field calibration coefficients for each of the radiating elements to produce a calibrated ESA antenna to a desired far field radiation pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.