A method for generating multiple beam feeds, the method comprising:
- receiving a plurality of radio frequency (RF) signals through a plurality of antenna elements, wherein a predetermined number of the plurality of antenna elements are active;
- encoding the RF signals through a plurality of analog encoders to generate orthogonally coded analog signals;
- combining the orthogonally coded analog signals by a combiner, the combiner having a plurality of input ports coupled to at least one of the plurality of analog encoders, wherein the input ports are continuously electrically coupled to an output port of the combiner such that the orthogonally coded analog signals provided to the input ports are combined at the output port;
- splitting the combined orthogonally coded analog signals into a number of coded analog output signals, wherein the number of coded analog output signals corresponds to the number of active antenna elements;
- and
- decoding the coded analog output signals to generate decoded analog signals, wherein the number of decoded analog signals corresponds to the number of active antenna elements, wherein decoding comprises:
- generating, by a coding circuit, an orthogonal code at a first one of a plurality of output ports and an offset clock signal at each of second ones of the plurality of output ports;
- receiving, by a mixer, at a first input port coupled to the first one of the plurality of output ports of said coding circuit, an orthogonally coded analog signal from said coding circuit, and at a second input port an orthogonally coded analog signal
- generating, by the mixer, at an output port a demodulated signal corresponding to a sum and difference of the orthogonally coded analog signals provided to the first and second input ports of the mixer;
- receiving, by a plurality of sample and hold circuits at a first input, the demodulated signal from the output of the mixer
- receiving, by the plurality of sample and hold circuits at a second input coupled to a respective one of the second ones of plurality of output ports of the coding circuit, the offset chip clock signals provided by said coding circuit;
- sampling, by each of the plurality of sample and hold circuits, the demodulated signal received from the output of said mixer and hold the samples at a constant amplitude level for a period of time corresponding to the respective offset clock signal provided thereto by the coding circuit so as to provide at an output thereof a sample and hold signal corresponding to analog samples of decoded analog signals;
- combining, by a summing circuit, the decoded analog signals provided thereto from each of the sample and hold circuits to provide a summed signal at an output thereof;
- receiving, by a sample and hold circuit, a clock signal at a first input and the summed signal from said summing circuit at a second input;
- and
- generating a discrete time signal at an output of the summing circuit.