Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Robert J March

Jonathan D Egan

Scott A Wilson

Michael E Cooley

David Sall

Ty L Barkdoll

Bret J Yon

Nicholas Fasanella

John Hodge

David I Cross

Alyssa Harris

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to testing one or more signal paths. For example, a signal path may include a phase shifter that may impart a phase shift to signals passing through the signal path. Some embodiments may test a phase shift imparted to a signal by the signal path, including the phase shifter. Some embodiments may test the phase shift by comparing the phase of a signal at an input of the signal path with the phase of a signal at the output of the signal path. Some embodiments may test the phase shift by providing a signal at inputs of two phase paths and comparing the phases of signals at the outputs of the signal paths. Some embodiments may further adjust a phase shifter responsive to the test. Related devices, systems and methods are also disclosed.

Testing a signal path

A planar reflectarray system provides for bandwidth broadening by employing a tunable (amplitude and phase) feed array. The tunable feed array is adjustable in amplitude and phase to compensate for aberrations by enabling feed re-focusing and field matching. The techniques modestly increase the size of the feed array and use active tuning to effectively correct for de-focusing when operating reflectarrays at frequencies away from the tuned center frequency.

Wideband reflectarray using electrically re-focusable phased array feed

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Bel Air, MD, United States of America

Robert J March