Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Jeremiah Damien Wolf

James B West

Matilda Gabriela Livadaru

Lee M Paulsen

David W Cripe

Michael J Buckley

Jonathan P Doane

Brian J Herting

Anders P Walker

Ross Keith Wilcoxon

William E Rhoden

Michael L Hageman

Nathan P Lower

Mark M Mulbrook

Scott L Patten

Christopher G Olson

Wajih A ElSallal

Aimee M Matland

John C Mather

Reginald D Bean

Nathaniel P Wyckoff

Roger A Dana

Bryan S McCoy

Theodore Jay Hoffmann

Michael C Meholensky

Adrian A Hill

Russell C Tawney

Mark A Willi

Wajih A El Sallal

Scott J Sellner

Eric D Baldwin

Scott J Seller

Benjamin Peiffer

Alexander D Johnson

Anna C Kern

Daniel B Roggendorf

A radio system is used for adaptive digital beamforming in a phased antenna-array. The radio system scales with large numbers of antenna elements in a phased array. The radio system uses a distributed computing method that is inherently scalable with large numbers of the antenna elements. The radio system includes a digital beamformer. The digital beamformer is an analog combiner, digital beamformer. The digital beamformer includes element processing hardware (EPH) which perform the distributed computing.

System for scalable adaptive digital beamforming in a phased antenna-array

Phased array antennas, such as a multi-function aperture, are limited in performance and reliability by traditional air-cooled thermal management systems. A fuel-cooled multi-function aperture passes engine fuel through channels within the ribs of the multi-function aperture to provide better heat transfer than can be achieved through air cooled systems. The increased heat transfer and thermal management results in a multi-function aperture with improved performance and reliability.

Heat exchanger rib for multi-function aperture

Phased array antennas, such as a multi-function aperture, are limited in performance and reliability by traditional air-cooled thermal management systems. A fuel-cooled multi-function aperture passes engine fuel through heat exchangers that surround the multi-function aperture to provide better heat transfer than can be achieved through air cooling systems. The increased heat transfer and thermal management results in a multi-function aperture with improved performance and reliability.

Fuel cooled multi-function aperture

Systems and methods provide an antenna array with separately fed subarrays. The systems and methods provide optimized or improved physical embodiments of each sub-banded subarray in terms of radiating element type and physical implementation, radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) technology choice, RFIC packaging and interconnect implementation, and/or intra-subarray feed typology choice and implementation. The antenna array can include first elements within a first distance range from a point in a surface associated with the antenna array and configured for first signals in a first frequency range, and second elements within a second distance range from the point and configured for second signals in a second frequency range. The antenna system also can include an interconnect system comprising a first multichip module and a second multichip module region.

Active electronically scanned array system and method with optimized subarrays

A chip-scale gyrometric apparatus is disclosed. In embodiments, the chip-scale gyrometric apparatus includes a dielectric substrate and an antenna element attached thereto for receiving an inbound signal having an initial phase. The apparatus includes a splitter for splitting the inbound signal into two equivalent signals, and two coils connected to the splitter. The first coil carries one of the split signals in a clockwise (CW) path relative to a rotational axis, while the second coil carries the other split signal in a counterclockwise (CCW) path relative to the same axis. An integrated circuit (IC) on the substrate and connected to the first and second coils measures a phase shift between the first and second signals (e.g., deviation from the initial phase) based on their respective CW and CCW paths and determines, based on the measured phase shift, a degree of rotation relative to the common rotational axis.

Chip-scale gyrometric apparatus

The antenna includes a substrate and a plurality of unit cells coupled to the substrate. Each unit cell includes a dipole feed extending from the substrate, a first antenna dipole coupled to the dipole feed, and a second antenna dipole coupled to the dipole feed. The first antenna dipole includes a first arm on a first side of the dipole feed and a second arm on a second side of the dipole feed opposite the first side. The second antenna dipole includes a third arm on a third side of the dipole feed and a fourth arm on a fourth side of the dipole feed opposite the third side.

Systems and methods for phase-coincidential dual-polarized wideband antenna arrays

An antenna system includes a first printed circuit board having an array of printed circuit board antenna elements, a second circuit board having a signal distribution network for the antenna elements, and at least one first interconnect structure coupled between a bottom surface of the first printed circuit board and a top surface of the second circuit board. The first interconnect structure can include first vias having an aspect ratio of greater than 10 to 1. The vias electrically connect to respective first contacts on the bottom surface of the first circuit board and to respective second contacts on the top surface of the second circuit board.

Circuit board interconnect system and method for an array antenna

An antenna array system includes a feed antenna and circuit boards. Each circuit board has pickup antenna elements disposed on a curved edge portion of a first edge of the circuit board, radiating elements disposed on a second edge portion of the circuit board, and transmit receive modules disposed between the pickup elements and the radiating elements on the circuit board. The antenna array can be part of an active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna assembly.

Spherical space feed for antenna array systems and methods

An antenna array system can including a plurality of antenna subarray panels assembled together to form a single wavelength scaled aperture (WSA) antenna array. Each antenna subarray panel can include a corresponding plurality of antenna elements such that at least two antenna elements of the plurality of antenna subarray panels have different antenna element sizes. The antenna array system can include one or more beamformer circuits. Each of the one or more beam former circuits can be communicatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of antenna subarray panels. For each adjacent pair of the plurality of antenna subarray panels, each antenna element adjacent to a gap separating the adjacent pair of antenna subarray panels along an elongated boundary of the gap is greater than a predetermined value. The predetermined value can be determined based on a predefined width of the gap separating the pair of adjacent antenna subarray panels.

Wavelength scaled aperture (WSA) antenna arrays

An antenna assembly includes a plurality of RF card assemblies, a backplane circuit board, a plurality of connectors, and a chassis. Each of the RF card assemblies includes a circuit board having a number of antenna elements. The backplane circuit board includes a top surface with at least one set of power supply rails. The connectors are arranged in rows along a top surface of the backplane circuit board. Each of the connectors has an inlet configured to receive one of the RF card assemblies along a plane perpendicular to the top surface of the backplane circuit board. The bottom surface includes power supply pins configured to engage the power supply rails. The chassis is configured to enclose the backplane circuit board, the RF card assemblies, and the connectors.

Modular antenna array system with thermal management

An antenna array and a method of making can use solder connections. The antenna system includes a back plane circuit board having a top surface, first radio frequency circuit boards arranged in rows on the back plane circuit board and perpendicular to the top surface, and second radio frequency circuit boards arranged in columns on the back plane circuit board and perpendicular to the top surface. Each of the first radio frequency circuit boards include at least one first antenna element, and each of the second radio frequency circuit boards include at least one second antenna. The first radio frequency circuit boards and second radio frequency circuit boards are connected to the back plane circuit board by solder connections.

Angle interconnect for card based antenna array

An active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna system can include a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCBs) having a common shape. Each PCB of the plurality of PCBs can include a respective sub-array of antenna elements surrounded by a passive area, and can include electronic circuitry for electrically steering the sub-array of antenna elements. The AESA antenna system can include a mechanical seal for mechanically connecting the PCBs hosting the sub-arrays to form an antenna array of the sub-arrays. The passive areas can form separation areas between adjacent ones of the sub-arrays when the PCBs are mechanically connected to each other. The sub-arrays are arranged such that the separation areas are contiguous along at most one straight direction across the antenna array.

Multi-tile AESA systems and methods

Growing community of inventors

Marion, IA, United States of America

Jeremiah Damien Wolf