Phased array system and method

Abstract

A beamforming circuit for receiving and/or transmitting one or more (typically a plurality of) beams. The beamforming circuit includes: an antenna I/O module having antenna ports; a data bus connection for connecting to a data bus for communication of data streams of one or more beams to be produced (received or transmitted); a beamforming module including a plurality of beam-forming channels connectable in between the data bus connection and the antenna ports for processing signals communicated between them to introduce controllable shifts (e.g. time-delays and/or phase-shifts) in order to beamform the processed signals, being received and/or transmitted. Whereby the beamforming circuit includes a cascade I/O module enabling to connect one or more additional beam-forming circuits to the beamforming circuit, in a 'vertical' cascade, to thereby enable forming of one or more additional beams by the beamforming modules of the one or more additional beamforming circuits. The cascade I/O module includes a plurality of cascade ports respectively connected to the plurality of antenna ports via a plurality of corresponding bypass channels. Each antenna port is connectable, in parallel, to at least one respective bypass channel and to one or more of the beamforming channels of the beamforming circuit, via a signal splitter/combiner. In transmission configuration/mode, the signal splitter/combiner is operable for combining signals from the bypass channel and the one or more beamforming channels, which are associated with the respective antenna port; and in reception configuration/mode, the signal splitter/combiner is configured and operable for splitting the signals of the respective antenna port to form duplicates thereof at the respective bypass channel and the one or more beamforming channels associated with the respective antenna port.