Compact switched line phase shifter for a microstrip phased array antenna

A phase shifter circuit comprising:

• a substrate;
• a plurality of RF line segments disposed on a surface of the substrate in a substantially circular pattern about a common point;
• an interconnect device disposed on the substrate at the common point to electrically couple to the plurality of RF line segments, the interconnect device to electrically couple to an antenna element;
• and
• a switching arrangement to switchably electrically couple one or more RF line segments of the plurality of RF line segments to the antenna element via the interconnect device to introduce a selected phase shift into an output RF signal.

A method for switchably introducing a target phase shift into an RF signal, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a phase shifter circuit, a driving signal;
• in response to receiving the driving signal, switchably electrically coupling at least one transmission path of a plurality of transmission paths to an antenna element to introduce the target phase shift in an RF signal;
• and
• receiving, by the phase shifter circuit, an RF signal via the electrically coupled transmissions paths and transmitting the same with the target phase shift via the antenna element.