Raytheon Company

Joseph E Hilliard, Jr

Jack J Schuss

Thomas V Sikina

Patrick J Makridakis

Described herein is an apparatus and a method for an antenna array calibration device and method. The device comprises a radio frequency/optical (RF/optical) data center having at least one optical input/output; N single mode fibers (SMF) each having a proximal end connected to the at least one optical input/output of the RF/optical data center and a distal end, where N is a positive integer; N optical/RF dish calibrators each having an optical input/output connected to the distal end of the at least one SMF input/output; N coaxial transmission lines each having a proximal end connected to one of the RF input/output of the N optical/RF dish calibrators and a distal end; and N dish antennas each connected to the distal end of one of the N coaxial transmission lines.

Antenna array calibration device and method

Method and system of calibrating and cohering at least one radar antenna in receive (RX) mode and transmit (TX) mode, comprising performing RX mode calibration on at least one radar antenna using radio frequency (RF) far field calibration source, determining RF phase Øusing RF far field calibration source for each at least one radar antenna, operating at least one radar antenna in RX mode with at least one near field antenna to determine plurality of RX mode phases in at least one radar antenna and at least one near field antenna, operating at least one radar antenna in TX mode with at least one near field antenna to determine plurality of TX mode phases in at least one radar antenna and at least one near field antenna, and deriving TX mode calibration phases as function of determined RX mode phases and determined TX mode calibration phases.

RX and TX coherence in radar antenna using near field antenna

Described embodiments calibrate an array antenna using near-field antenna measurements individually for each antenna element in an antenna under test (AUT). A signal is received at a first AUT antenna element from an antenna probe assembly by transmitting from the antenna probe assembly at each of multiple known probe locations in a near-field of the AUT. A signal is received at each probe location by transmitting from the first antenna element of the AUT to the antenna probe assembly. The received signals are combined into a combined signal for the first antenna element that de-correlates multi-path in the combination result. The combined signal is processed to generate a calibration coefficient for the first AUT antenna element. Remote boundary condition (RBC) testing is performed to reduce temporal instability. The multiple known probe locations lie on one of the following: a planar surface, a cylindrical surface, and a spherical surface.

Growing community of inventors

Chelmsford, MA, United States of America

Joseph E Hilliard, Jr