Optoelectronic phased array with digital transmit signal interface

A phased array radar system comprising:

• signal processing means for providing and processing control, modulation and clocking signals for said phased array radar system;
• display means for displaying a representation of one or more of said signals as processed by said signal processing means;
• a plurality of subarrays, each of said subarrays having a plurality of transmit/receive modules, each of said transmit/receive modules having at least one radiating element;
• reference signal generating means for generating a digital reference signal for each of said subarrays;
• reference signal propagating means for propagating said digital signal from said reference signal generating means to each of said subarrays such that said subarrays have a digital interface with said reference signal generating means;
• RF carrier signal generating means within each of said subarrays for generating an RF carrier signal in response to said digital reference signal, said RF carrier signal having a phase coherency with said digital reference signal;
• fiber optic true time delay circuit means within each of said subarrays for providing an appropriate phase delay to said RF carrier signal, said fiber optic true time delay circuit means further providing an appropriate time delay to said modulation and clocking signals provided by said signal processing means;
• transmit waveform modulators within each of said subarrays for modulating said modulation signal from each of said true time delay circuit means onto said RF carrier signal to provide modulated transmit signals;
• switching means within each of said subarrays for providing said transmit signal from said transmit waveform modulator to each of said transmit/receive modules within said subarray such that said transmit signal is radiated from said radiating element within said transmit/receive module;
• receive signal processing means within each of said subarrays for receiving and demodulating receive signals received by said radiating element of each of said transmit/receive modules to produce baseband signals, said receive signal processing means further processing said baseband signals in accordance with said clocking signals from said true time delay circuits to provide digitized baseband signals;
• receive signal propagating means for propagating said digitized baseband signals from each of said subarrays to said signal processing means such that said subarrays have a digital interface with said signal processing means;
• and
• dc power supply means for providing dc voltage to each of said subarrays, said signal processor and said display.