System and method for a digitally beamformed phased array feed

A method for receiving signals using a large form-factor phased array system comprising a plurality of multi-band software defined antenna array tiles including a first multi-band software defined antenna array tile,

• wherein the first multi-band software defined antenna array tile comprises:
• (A) a plurality of coupled dipole array antenna elements including a first coupled dipole array antenna element comprising:
• i. a first principal polarization component oriented in a first direction, and
• ii. a first orthogonal polarization component oriented in a second direction;
• (B) a plurality of pairs of frequency converters, including a first pair of frequency converters comprising:
• i. a first principal polarization frequency converter operatively connected to the first principal polarization component, and
• ii. a first orthogonal polarization frequency converter operatively connected to the first orthogonal polarization component;
• and
• (C) a plurality of digital beamformers operatively connected to the plurality of pairs of frequency converters including a first digital beamformer operatively connected to the first principal polarization frequency converter and a second digital beamformer operatively connected to the first orthogonal polarization frequency converter;
• and
• wherein the method comprises the steps of:
• (a) transporting, from memory of the first multi-band software defined antenna array tile to the first principal polarization frequency converter and the first orthogonal polarization frequency converter:
• i. a mission center radio frequency for the first coupled dipole array antenna element;
• ii. a mission intermediate frequency for the first coupled dipole array antenna element;
• (b) transporting, from the memory to the first digital beamformer:
• i. a channel selection for the first principal polarization component and the first orthogonal polarization component of the first coupled dipole array antenna element;
• ii. a first weighting factor of an array of weighting factors for the first principal polarization component and the first orthogonal polarization component;
• iii. a first oscillating signal frequency for the first principal polarization component and the first orthogonal polarization component,
• (c) receiving, by the first coupled dipole array antenna element, a plurality of modulated signals associated with a plurality of radio frequencies, wherein the plurality of radio frequencies is associated with the mission center radio frequency,
• (d) receiving, by the first principal polarization frequency converter, from the first principal polarization component, first modulated signals associated with the plurality of radio frequencies,
• (e) converting, by the first principal polarization frequency converter, the first modulated signals associated with the plurality of radio frequencies into second modulated signals having a first intermediate frequency, wherein the first intermediate frequency is associated with the mission intermediate frequency;
• (f) receiving, by the first digital beamformer, from the first principal polarization frequency converter, the second modulated signals associated with the first intermediate frequency,
• (g) converting, by the first digital beamformer, the second modulated signals from analog signals to a digital data format;
• (h) generating, by the first digital beamformer, a first plurality of channels of first digital data by decimating the first digital data using a first polyphase channelizer and filtering using a first plurality of cascaded halfband filters;
• (i) selecting, by the first digital beamformer, a first channel of the first plurality of channels, wherein the first channel is associated with the channel selection;
• (j) applying, by the first digital beamformer, a first weighting factor to the first digital data associated with the first channel to generate a first intermediate partial beamformed data stream, wherein the first weighting factor is associated with the array of weighting factors;
• (k) combining, by the first digital beamformer, the first intermediate partial beamformed data stream with a plurality of other intermediate partial beamformed data streams to generate a first partial beamformed data stream;
• (l) applying, by the first digital beamformer, a first oscillating signal to the first partial beamformed data stream to generate a first oscillating partial beamformed data stream, wherein the first oscillating signal is associated with the first oscillating signal frequency;
• (m) applying, by the first digital beamformer, a first three-stage halfband filter to the first oscillating partial beamformed data stream to generate a first filtered partial beamformed data stream;
• (n) applying, by the first digital beamformer, a first time delay to the first filtered partial beamformed data stream to generate a first partial beam;
• and
• (o) transmitting, by the first digital beamformer via a data transport bus to a digital software system interface, the first partial beam of a first beam, which is transmitted via the data transport bus along with a first set of a plurality of other partial beams of the first beam.