Beam control method for Ka-band phased-array antenna and related device

Abstract

The invention relates to a wave beam control method for a Ka-band phased-array antenna and a related device, and the method comprises the steps: obtaining a target pointing instruction of at least one wave beam, and carrying out the parallel calculation of target weights needed by a plurality of receiving and transmitting assemblies in the phased-array antenna for the at least one wave beam based on the target pointing instruction; packaging the target weight into a control instruction and issuing the control instruction to a plurality of corresponding transceiving components; loading the target weights to respective storage units by the plurality of receiving and transmitting components; broadcasting a global synchronous trigger signal to the plurality of receiving and transmitting components after the plurality of receiving and transmitting components finish loading the target weights to the storage unit; and synchronously updating the working states of the plurality of receiving and transmitting components by using the target weight in the storage unit at the same moment when the plurality of receiving and transmitting components receive the global synchronous trigger signal. According to the invention, all the antenna units can be ensured to accurately and synchronously complete state updating at the same time, so that the instantaneity of a beam switching process and the stability of signals are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a beam control method and related apparatus for a phased array antenna. Background Technology

[0002] Phased array antennas achieve inertial-free electronic scanning by controlling the phase and amplitude of the feed signals to each radiating element (usually a transceiver component) in the antenna array to change the direction and shape of the antenna beam. Compared to traditional mechanically scanned antennas, phased array antennas have significant advantages such as fast scanning speed, flexible beam switching, and high reliability, and are widely used in satellite communications, radar detection, electronic countermeasures, and fifth-generation mobile communications.

[0003] A typical phased array antenna beam control process includes: the central beam controller calculates the target phase / amplitude values ​​(i.e., beamforming weights) required by thousands of transceiver components in the array at the next moment according to the mission requirements; then, these weight commands are sent to each corresponding transceiver component through the control bus; finally, each transceiver component executes the commands to update the state of its internal phase shifter and attenuator, thereby completing the switching of the entire antenna beam.

[0004] As application demands continue to increase, phased array antennas are evolving towards higher frequency bands (such as Ka-band), larger scales, and more functions (such as simultaneous multi-beam operation). This leads to an exponential increase in the number of control commands that need to be calculated and distributed in an extremely short time. For example, a large-scale Ka-band phased array antenna may contain thousands or even tens of thousands of transceiver components, and a single beam switching requires the issuance of tens of thousands of control commands. Existing technologies typically use high-speed serial buses or simple parallel bus architectures to transmit these commands.

[0005] However, in applications requiring microsecond or even nanosecond-level beam switching, even with a high-speed bus, distributing massive amounts of control commands sequentially from the central controller to each transceiver component at the far end of the array still requires a significant transmission time. Due to differences in physical paths, the arrival times of commands at different transceiver components will inevitably differ; this temporal inconsistency is known as command skew. If the transceiver components immediately perform state updates upon receiving commands, the entire array's state update process will be a sequential process, rather than the ideal "instantaneous" synchronous switching. During the entire switching transition, the antenna pattern will degrade or even distort, leading to signal quality degradation, target tracking loss, or communication interruption.

[0006] Therefore, existing technologies for achieving ultra-high-speed beam switching of large-scale arrays generally suffer from a contradiction between command transmission delay and synchronous execution of the entire array, resulting in insufficient instantaneity and accuracy of beam switching. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To overcome the effects of transmission delay and time skew of control commands, and to ensure that all antenna elements can complete state updates accurately and synchronously at the same time, thereby guaranteeing the instantaneity of beam switching and signal stability, this application provides a beam control method and related apparatus for Ka-band phased array antennas.

[0008] Firstly, this application provides a beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna, which adopts the following technical solution: A beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna includes the following steps: S1. Obtain the target pointing instruction of at least one beam, and based on the target pointing instruction, calculate the target weights required by each of the multiple transceiver components in the phased array antenna for at least one beam in parallel, wherein the calculation method of the target weights includes fusing pre-stored calibration data to compensate for theoretical calculation values; S2. Encapsulate the target weights required by each of the multiple transceiver components into control commands, and send the control commands to the corresponding multiple transceiver components through a hierarchical parallel transmission network; S3. After receiving the control command, multiple transceiver components load the target weight into their respective storage units, but do not immediately update the working status of multiple transceiver components; S4. After multiple transceiver components have completed loading the target weights into the storage unit, a global synchronization trigger signal is broadcast to the multiple transceiver components; S5. At the same time that multiple transceiver components receive the global synchronization trigger signal, they use the target weight in the storage unit to synchronously update the working status of multiple transceiver components.

[0009] By employing the above technical solution, the target weights are pre-loaded into the storage units of the transceiver components without immediately updating their operating states, thus achieving temporal decoupling between the command transmission process and the execution time. This allows control commands, which physically have a sequential arrival order, to be synchronously invoked and executed by all transceiver components at the same physical moment upon receiving a subsequent broadcast global synchronization trigger signal. This mechanism eliminates the beam switching asynchrony problem caused by time skew in the physical transmission path of the commands. Simultaneously, by incorporating calibration data to compensate for theoretical values ​​during the calculation step, beam pointing accuracy under high-speed switching is ensured, ultimately achieving fast and precise beam control for large-scale phased array antennas.

[0010] Optionally, S1 includes the following sub-steps: S11. Based on the target pointing command, a predetermined beamforming algorithm is used to calculate the theoretical weights allocated to each of the multiple transceiver components in parallel. S12. Based on the operating status or environmental parameters of multiple transceiver components, read the corresponding calibration data from a storage device; S13. Integrate the theoretical weights with the read calibration data to generate the target weights.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, a predetermined beamforming algorithm is first used to calculate theoretical weights in parallel for rapid array weight calculation. Then, based on the real-time operating status or environmental parameters of the transceiver components, corresponding calibration data is accurately read from the storage device. This introduces a dynamic and targeted compensation mechanism into the calculation process to suppress performance degradation caused by physical factors such as temperature drift or changes in operating frequency. Finally, the efficiently calculated theoretical weights are fused with the dynamically read calibration data to generate target weights that reflect the current physical state of the antenna array.

[0012] Optionally, S2 includes the following sub-steps: S21. From a first-level control node, a control command containing a target weight assigned to a preset transceiver component group is sent to a second-level control node through a backbone transmission network. S22. The second-level control node receives and parses the control commands to separate the target weights assigned to each transceiver component in the preset transceiver component group; S23. The second-level control node sends the separated target weights to the corresponding transceiver components in the preset transceiver component group through a branch transmission network.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the hierarchical parallel transmission network is concretized into a two-level distribution architecture containing first-level and second-level control nodes. The first-level control node transmits macro instructions containing the target weights of the entire transceiver component group to the second-level control node through the backbone transmission network. This structure consolidates the connection requirements of the central control end from a large number of transceiver component ends into a limited number of secondary control nodes, greatly reducing the data fan-out and wiring complexity of the system.

[0014] Subsequently, the second-level control node is responsible for receiving and parsing macro commands to separate independent weights, and then distributing them to the transceiver components within its jurisdiction via a branch network. This mechanism allows the command distribution process of different transceiver component groups to be processed in parallel, avoiding a central transmission bottleneck, and thus providing an efficient and scalable transmission path for control commands of large-scale antenna arrays.

[0015] Optionally, S3 includes the following sub-steps: S31. Multiple transceiver components receive control commands and load the target weights contained in the control commands into a second storage area; wherein, the storage unit of each of the multiple transceiver components includes a first storage area associated with the current working state of the transceiver component and a second storage area for receiving the target weights to be updated. S32. During the loading of the target weights into the second storage area, the contents of the first storage area remain unchanged.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the internal storage unit of the transceiver component is concretized into a two-layer storage architecture, comprising a first storage area associated with the current operating state and a second storage area for receiving the target weights to be updated. This solution allows the target weights in new control commands to be fully loaded into the second storage area, while the contents of the first storage area remain unchanged during this period. The antenna array can pre-load all the data required for the next beam switching without interrupting or interfering with the normal operation of the current beam.

[0017] Optionally, S4 includes the following sub-steps: S41. Perform a skew calibration process, which includes: measuring the transmission delay of a global synchronization trigger signal emitted from a signal source to different nodes in a hierarchical parallel transmission network to determine the transmission delay difference, and configuring delay compensation units set at different nodes to compensate for the delay of the global synchronization trigger signal based on the determined transmission delay difference. S42. Broadcast a global synchronization trigger signal to multiple transceiver components through the transmission path compensated by the delay compensation unit.

[0018] By employing the above technical solution, the actual transmission delay of the trigger signal to different nodes in the distributed network is first measured to transform the unknown time skew caused by physical path differences into a set of quantifiable delay difference data. Then, based on this data, delay compensation units located at each node are configured to introduce precise compensation delays for faster signal paths, thereby effectively aligning the total delay of all transmission paths to the level of the longest path. Finally, when the global synchronization trigger signal is broadcast via these compensated paths, it ensures that the signal physically arrives at all distributed nodes simultaneously.

[0019] Optionally, S41 includes the following sub-steps: S411. A calibration signal is sent from a signal source to multiple different nodes in a hierarchical parallel transmission network; S412. After receiving the calibration signal, multiple different nodes return the calibration signal to the signal source via a loopback test path corresponding to each of the multiple different nodes; S413. The signal source measures the calibration signals received and returned from multiple different nodes to determine the round-trip transmission time of the calibration signals along the signal path corresponding to each node, and calculates the transmission delay difference based on the round-trip transmission time. S414. Based on the calculated transmission delay difference, generate configuration instructions and send them to the delay compensation units set at different nodes.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, a calibration signal is first emitted by the signal source, and the signal is returned using the loopback test path built into each node. Then, based on the accurate measurement of the round-trip transmission time of each returned signal, the actual transmission delay difference between each transmission path caused by physical factors is quantified.

[0021] Optionally, S413 includes the following sub-steps: S4131. Record the transmission time of the calibration signal from the signal source; S4132. For each of the multiple different nodes, record the arrival time when the signal source receives the calibration signal returned from the corresponding node; S4133. For each of the multiple different nodes, the round-trip transmission time of each node is determined by calculating the time difference between the arrival time and the sending time of the node; S4134. Define the set of round-trip transmission times for multiple different nodes as the transmission delay difference.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, the measurement and calculation process of transmission delay difference is decomposed into a series of time-correlated basic physical operations. First, the uniform transmission time of the calibration signal is recorded, and then the arrival time of the return signal from each node is recorded separately. By calculating the time difference between the arrival time and the transmission time of each node, the physical delay characteristics of each path can be converted into round-trip transmission time values.

[0023] Optionally, S414 includes the following sub-steps: S4141. Based on the difference in transmission delay, determine a reference node with the maximum transmission delay among multiple different nodes; S4142. For each node other than the reference node, calculate the compensation value for the transmission delay used to align to the reference node; S4143. Encapsulate the compensation value together with the node identifier used to identify different nodes into a configuration instruction, and send the configuration instruction to the delay compensation unit corresponding to each node except the base node.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, a synchronization target for delay alignment is first set by identifying a reference node with the largest transmission delay among multiple nodes, rather than a fixed theoretical design value. Based on this reference node, compensation values ​​are generated for each of the remaining nodes, and these compensation values, along with node identifiers, are encapsulated into addressable configuration instructions for distribution, thereby transforming delay difference data into control over the distributed delay compensation unit.

[0025] Secondly, the computer device provided in this application adopts the following technical solution: A computer device comprising: One or more processors; Memory; One or more applications, wherein the one or more applications are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more applications being configured to: The beam control method described above for Ka-band phased array antennas is implemented.

[0026] Thirdly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium that adopts the following technical solution: A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that can be loaded by a processor and executed as described above.

[0027] The storage medium stores at least one instruction, at least one program, a code set, or an instruction set, wherein the at least one instruction, the at least one program, the code set, or the instruction set is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the following: The beam control method for Ka-band phased array antennas, as described above. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the S1 sub-step in one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating the S2 sub-step in one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0031] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating sub-step S3 in one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0032] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating sub-step S4 in one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0033] Figure 6A flowchart illustrating sub-step S41 in one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0034] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating sub-step S413 in one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0035] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating sub-step S414 in one embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the application and are not intended to limit the scope of the application.

[0037] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth for purposes of explanation in order to provide a thorough understanding of the inventive concept. As part of this specification, some of the accompanying drawings of this disclosure are block diagrams illustrating structures and devices to avoid complicating the disclosed principles. For clarity, not all features of the actual embodiment need to be described. Furthermore, the language used in this disclosure has been primarily chosen for readability and instructional purposes and may not have been chosen to define or limit the subject matter of the invention, thus requiring the necessary claims to determine such inventive subject matter. References to “an embodiment” or “an embodiment” in this disclosure mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment, and multiple references to “an embodiment” or “an embodiment” should not be construed as necessarily referring to the same embodiment.

[0038] Unless explicitly defined, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” are not intended to refer to a singular entity, but rather to include a general category whose specific examples can be used for illustration. Therefore, the use of the terms “a” or “an” can mean any number of at least one, including “a,” “one or more,” “at least one,” and “one or more.” The term “or” means any of the options and any combination of the options, including all options unless explicitly indicated that the options are mutually exclusive. The phrase “at least one of” when combined with a list of items refers to a single item in the list or any combination of items in the list. The phrase does not require all items listed unless explicitly defined as such.

[0039] In practical applications of phased array antennas, a conventional beam control method employs a centralized control architecture. This architecture typically includes a central control unit and multiple transceiver components distributed across the antenna array. The central control unit, such as a beamforming computer, is responsible for calculating the required target weights for each transceiver component in the antenna array based on the target pointing commands issued by the upper-level application. After the calculation is completed, the central control unit distributes the control commands containing the target weights to each transceiver component through a single-level bus network, such as a parallel digital bus or a serial daisy-chain bus. The transceiver components then execute these commands to update the states of their internal phase shifters and attenuators, thereby completing the beam pointing switch.

[0040] For applications with small antenna size, low operating frequency, and low beam switching speed requirements, the aforementioned conventional control architecture can still meet the needs. However, when this architecture is applied to large-scale, high-frequency antenna arrays, such as the Ka-band phased array antenna with 4096 transceiver components mentioned above, its inherent physical limitations will lead to severe performance bottlenecks. The core problem lies in command transmission skew. Since electrical signals propagate at a finite speed in the physical medium, the length of the signal transmission path from the central control terminal or bus source to the transceiver components at different physical locations in the antenna array varies significantly. This means that the time when the control command arrives at the transceiver components near the array must be earlier than the time when it arrives at the transceiver components at the far end of the array. This time difference in command arrival caused by the difference in physical paths is the command transmission skew. In the conventional control mode, each transceiver component updates its operating state immediately after receiving the command. This results in the state update of the entire array not being an instantaneous synchronous action, but an asynchronous process that expands gradually from beginning to end. During this asynchronous update transition, some transceiver components switch to the new state while others remain in the old state. This causes severe distortion in the entire antenna pattern, potentially leading to main lobe energy loss, sidelobe level elevation, or even temporary beam pointing errors. For applications such as high-speed satellite tracking, this instantaneous switching can result in significant performance degradation.

[0041] Therefore, refer to Figure 1 This application discloses a beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna, including the following steps S1-S5.

[0042] S1. Obtain the target pointing instruction for at least one beam, and based on the target pointing instruction, calculate the target weights required for each of the multiple transceiver components in the phased array antenna in parallel for at least one beam, wherein the calculation method of the target weights includes fusing pre-stored calibration data to compensate for theoretical calculation values.

[0043] S2. Encapsulate the target weights required by each of the multiple transceiver components into control commands, and send the control commands to the corresponding multiple transceiver components through a hierarchical parallel transmission network.

[0044] S3. After receiving the control command, multiple transceiver components load the target weight into their respective storage units, but do not immediately update the working status of multiple transceiver components.

[0045] S4. After multiple transceiver components have completed loading the target weights into the storage unit, a global synchronization trigger signal is broadcast to the multiple transceiver components.

[0046] S5. At the same time that multiple transceiver components receive the global synchronization trigger signal, they use the target weight in the storage unit to synchronously update the working status of multiple transceiver components.

[0047] The control command mentioned here is a data-intensive command, which encapsulates the target weights required by thousands of transceiver components. The main function of this command is to transmit information about the actions required for beam switching. The method of this invention allows for time skew in the transmission of this control command; that is, the command can arrive at each transceiver component asynchronously at different times, and the data is pre-loaded through the S3 pre-loading action without affecting the current operating state of the antenna.

[0048] In contrast, the global synchronization trigger signal broadcast in S4 is a high-precision timing signal. This signal does not carry complex target weight data; its sole purpose is to provide a precise "when to do" time reference. After all transceiver components have completed data preloading, this trigger signal is broadcast to the entire array. Because it contains no complex data, the physical transmission and processing of this signal can achieve extremely low latency and jitter. Ultimately, S5 ensures that all transceiver components synchronously execute state updates at the same physical moment they receive the trigger signal. This data-first, synchronization-triggered mechanism fundamentally eliminates the execution time differences caused by varying control command data transmission paths.

[0049] To more clearly illustrate the method disclosed in this invention, the following description will be based on the system hardware architecture of a preferred embodiment. In a specific embodiment, the beam control system may include a central control terminal, one or more secondary control nodes, a hierarchical parallel transmission network connecting the aforementioned nodes, and a large number of transceiver components.

[0050] The central control unit, or first-level control node, is responsible for receiving mission instructions from the upper-level mission system (such as a satellite communication modem or radar signal processor), such as the azimuth information of the target satellite to be tracked, and for calculating accurate target weights for all 4096 transceiver components in the antenna array at high speed and in parallel. In one embodiment, the central control unit can be implemented by one or more field-programmable gate arrays or application-specific integrated circuits to meet the needs of large-scale parallel computing.

[0051] Specifically, refer to Figure 2 In one embodiment, S1 includes the following sub-steps S11-S13.

[0052] S11. Based on the target pointing command, a predetermined beamforming algorithm is used to calculate the theoretical weights allocated to each of the multiple transceiver components in parallel.

[0053] S12. Based on the operating status or environmental parameters of multiple transceiver components, read the corresponding calibration data from a storage device.

[0054] S13. Integrate the theoretical weights with the read calibration data to generate the target weights.

[0055] The central control unit first employs a pre-defined beamforming algorithm suitable for hardware implementation, such as a coordinate rotation digital calculation algorithm, to efficiently calculate the theoretical weights of all transceiver components. Simultaneously, based on the current operating status or environmental parameters (such as array surface temperature and operating frequency) of the antenna array collected from various sensors, the central control unit reads corresponding calibration data from the onboard storage device. Finally, the central control unit fuses the theoretical weights with the calibration data to generate the final target weights and initiates the distribution process to the secondary control nodes.

[0056] For example, in a specific beam-switching task, the central control unit first receives a target pointing instruction, such as a beam pointing at an azimuth angle of 30 degrees and an elevation angle of 45 degrees. Based on this pointing instruction, the central control unit uses a predetermined coordinate rotation digital calculation algorithm embedded in the hardware logic to calculate the theoretical weights for all 4096 transceiver components in the antenna array in parallel. These theoretical weights are primarily theoretical phase values, the values ​​of which depend on the precise physical position of each transceiver component in the 64x64 array. For example, for a transceiver component located at array coordinates (10, 25), the calculated theoretical phase value might be 185.5 degrees.

[0057] In S12, the central control unit reads the corresponding calibration data from the onboard storage device based on the real-time operating status or environmental parameters of the transceiver components. Environmental parameters may include the current temperature of each area measured by multiple temperature sensors deployed on the array surface; the operating status may include the specific operating frequency used by the current communication link. For example, the central control unit detects a temperature of 65 degrees Celsius near the transceiver component at coordinates (10, 25) and a current operating frequency of 29.5 GHz. A multi-dimensional calibration data lookup table is pre-stored in the storage device. This table, established through precise measurements before the antenna leaves the factory, records the phase response deviation of each transceiver component at different temperatures and frequencies. The central control unit uses the transceiver component identifier, temperature, and frequency as indexes to retrieve the phase compensation value of the transceiver component under the current conditions from this lookup table, finding that it should be +3.2 degrees.

[0058] Finally, the central control unit fuses the theoretical weights with the calibration data. In this example, the theoretical phase value of 185.5 degrees is arithmetically summed with the phase compensation value +3.2 degrees, yielding a target weight (phase portion) of 188.7 degrees to be sent to the transceiver component at coordinates (10, 25). Steps S11-S13 are executed in parallel across all 4096 transceiver components within the central control unit, generating a complete, accurate, and dynamically compensated set of target weights in a very short time.

[0059] The hierarchical parallel transmission network is the physical link connecting the central control unit, secondary control nodes, and the final transceiver components, responsible for executing S2. Structurally, this network is hierarchical, including a backbone transmission network connecting the central control unit and secondary control nodes, and branch transmission networks connecting the secondary control nodes and their managed transceiver components. In a preferred embodiment, the backbone transmission network can employ a high-speed fiber optic link to meet the requirements of high bandwidth, long distance, and resistance to electromagnetic interference; the branch transmission networks can employ high-speed electrical signal chains such as low-voltage differential signaling. Specifically, refer to... Figure 3 In one embodiment, S2 includes the following sub-steps S21-S23.

[0060] S21. A control command containing a target weight assigned to a preset transceiver component group is sent from a first-level control node to a second-level control node via a backbone transmission network.

[0061] S22. The second-level control node receives and parses the control commands to separate the target weights assigned to each transceiver component in the preset transceiver component group.

[0062] S23. The second-level control node sends the separated target weights to the corresponding transceiver components in the preset transceiver component group through a branch transmission network.

[0063] Secondary control nodes, also known as second-level control nodes, are intermediate data distribution and processing units in a hierarchical network. In an array containing 4096 transceiver components, for example, 16 secondary control nodes can be configured. Each secondary control node manages a subarray consisting of 256 transceiver components. Each secondary control node receives a data packet containing the target weights of all 256 transceiver components under its jurisdiction from the central control unit via the backbone transmission network. Subsequently, the secondary control node parses the data packet, extracts the independent target weights corresponding to each transceiver component, and distributes these independent control commands to the corresponding transceiver components via the branch transmission network.

[0064] After receiving the control command specified for itself from its subordinate secondary control node, each transceiver component is responsible for executing the subsequent S3, S4, and S5 steps. The transceiver component integrates necessary storage units and control logic, enabling it to preload the received target weights and, upon receiving the subsequent broadcast global synchronization trigger signal, instantaneously update the preloaded weights to the current operating state, thereby driving the internal phase shifters and attenuators to change the phase and amplitude of its radio frequency signal.

[0065] Specifically, refer to Figure 4 In one embodiment, S3 includes the following sub-steps S31-S32.

[0066] S31. Multiple transceiver components receive control commands and load the target weights contained in the control commands into a second storage area; wherein, the storage unit of each of the multiple transceiver components includes a first storage area associated with the current operating state of the transceiver component and a second storage area for receiving the target weights to be updated.

[0067] S32. During the loading of the target weights into the second storage area, the contents of the first storage area remain unchanged.

[0068] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the internal storage unit of the transceiver component adopts a two-layer storage architecture. This architecture separates the maintenance of the current working state from the loading of data to be updated by setting up a first storage area and a second storage area that are physically isolated from each other.

[0069] Specifically, the first storage area, also known as the effective register, stores weight data that is directly related to the RF link control circuits such as phase shifters and attenuators within the transceiver assembly. The contents of this area directly determine the current phase and amplitude output of the transceiver assembly, thereby maintaining the stable pointing of the antenna beam. The second storage area, also known as the shadow register, serves as a pre-loading buffer for the target weights to be updated. Its data input is connected to the control command link from the secondary control node, but its output is isolated from the RF link control circuit during the pre-loading phase.

[0070] Continuing with the previous example, suppose the transceiver unit located at coordinates (10,25) is currently participating in forming a beam pointing towards satellite A, and its first storage area stores a phase value of 123.4 degrees. When the central control unit calculates a new target weight of 188.7 degrees for the unit in order to switch to satellite B, this value is sent to the transceiver unit through a hierarchical parallel transmission network. After receiving this control command, the transceiver unit writes the new target weight of 188.7 degrees, and only writes it to the second storage area. Throughout the writing process, the content of the first storage area remains unchanged at 123.4 degrees. Thus, after the transceiver unit completes the preloading of the new data, its radio frequency state remains undisturbed, and it still stably maintains the beam pointing towards satellite A. At this point, the transceiver unit is in a ready state, and its second storage area already contains the complete and accurate set of target weights required for the next moment, awaiting the global synchronization trigger signal of S4 to execute the instantaneous update of S5.

[0071] Specifically, refer to Figure 5 In one embodiment, S4 includes the following sub-steps S41-S42.

[0072] S41. Perform a skew calibration process, which includes: measuring the transmission delay of a global synchronization trigger signal emitted from a signal source to different nodes in a hierarchical parallel transmission network to determine the transmission delay difference, and configuring delay compensation units set at different nodes to compensate for the delay of the global synchronization trigger signal based on the determined transmission delay difference.

[0073] S42. Broadcast a global synchronization trigger signal to multiple transceiver components through the transmission path compensated by the delay compensation unit.

[0074] Following the aforementioned embodiments, in this system comprising 16 secondary control nodes, the central control unit acts as a signal source, executing the skew calibration process of S41 during system initialization or a preset calibration cycle. Specifically, in one embodiment, referring to... Figure 6 S41 includes the following sub-steps S411-S414.

[0075] S411. A calibration signal is sent from a signal source to multiple different nodes in a hierarchical parallel transmission network.

[0076] S412. After receiving the calibration signal, multiple different nodes return the calibration signal to the signal source via a loopback test path corresponding to each of the multiple different nodes.

[0077] S413. The signal source measures the received calibration signals returned from multiple different nodes to determine the round-trip transmission time of the calibration signal along the signal path corresponding to each node, and calculates the transmission delay difference based on the round-trip transmission time.

[0078] S414. Based on the calculated transmission delay difference, generate configuration instructions and send them to the delay compensation units set at different nodes.

[0079] Through steps S411 to S413, the round-trip time from the signal source to all 16 secondary control nodes is measured and calculated. Due to differences in physical wiring length and components along the path, the measured round-trip times vary. Assume the measurement results are as follows: the round-trip time to secondary control node 1 is 5.2 ns, the round-trip time to secondary control node 2 is 5.5 ns, and so on, with the round-trip time to secondary control node 16, which has the longest physical path, being 8.8 ns. This set of 16 different round-trip times represents the transmission delay difference determined in S413. Subsequently, secondary control node 16, with the longest round-trip time, is determined as the reference node. The system then calculates compensation values ​​for the remaining 15 nodes; for example, the compensation value calculated for node 1 is (8.8 - 5.2) = 3.6 ns, and the compensation value calculated for node 2 is (8.8 - 5.5) = 3.3 ns. Finally, the central control unit generates corresponding configuration instructions based on S4143, and sends them to the built-in delay compensation unit of each node through the control link to complete the configuration.

[0080] After the aforementioned skew calibration process is completed, the system enters a state where high-speed beam switching can be performed. When a new beam switching task arrives, after all 4096 transceiver components have completed the data preloading in S3, step S42 is executed. At this time, the central control unit simultaneously broadcasts a global synchronization trigger signal to all 16 secondary control nodes through these compensated transmission paths. For secondary control node 1, the signal propagates for 5.2 ns on the physical path and is further delayed by its delay compensation unit by 3.6 ns, resulting in a total effective arrival time of 8.8 ns. For secondary control node 16, the signal propagates for 8.8 ns on the physical path, and its delay compensation unit has a compensation value of 0 ns, resulting in a total effective arrival time of 8.8 ns as well. Similarly, the trigger signal arrives at all 16 secondary control nodes logically and physically at the same time, thus providing a skew-free time reference for subsequent full-array precise synchronization updates.

[0081] To clarify the algorithmic details within the aforementioned skew calibration process, preferred embodiments of S413 and S414 will be further disclosed below.

[0082] Specifically, in one embodiment, reference is made to... Figure 7 S413 includes the following sub-steps S4131-S4134.

[0083] S4131. Record the time when the calibration signal is sent from the signal source.

[0084] S4132. For each of the multiple different nodes, record the arrival time when the signal source receives the calibration signal returned from the corresponding node.

[0085] S4133. For each of the multiple different nodes, determine the round-trip transmission time of each node by calculating the time difference between the arrival time and the sending time of the node.

[0086] S4134. Define the set of round-trip transmission times for multiple different nodes as the transmission delay difference.

[0087] As described above, the precise measurement of round-trip time is accomplished through a series of basic timing operations. In S4131, the moment the central control unit sends a calibration signal, its internal timer records a start timestamp, i.e., the transmission time. Subsequently, in S4132, a receiving channel is prepared, and when a return calibration signal from a certain node arrives, the timer records the corresponding arrival time. Since there are 16 secondary control nodes, this step records 16 independent arrival times. The central control unit subtracts the corresponding arrival time of each node from the unified transmission time to calculate the round-trip time for each signal path. Finally, the set of these 16 precisely calculated round-trip times is defined as the transmission delay difference.

[0088] Specifically, in one embodiment, reference is made to... Figure 8 S414 includes the following sub-steps S4141-S4143.

[0089] S4141. Based on the difference in transmission delay, determine a reference node with the maximum transmission delay among multiple different nodes.

[0090] S4142. For each node other than the reference node, calculate the compensation value for the transmission delay used to align to the reference node.

[0091] S4143. Encapsulate the compensation value together with the node identifier used to identify different nodes into a configuration instruction, and send the configuration instruction to the delay compensation unit corresponding to each node except the base node.

[0092] After obtaining the transmission delay difference, the algorithm iterates through the time set and finds the maximum value. Continuing the previous example, it first determines 8.8 ns as the maximum value and sets the corresponding secondary control node 16 as the base node. Then, the algorithm iterates through the remaining 15 nodes (excluding the base node) and calculates the required compensation value for each. The calculation method is to subtract the round-trip time of the current node from the round-trip time of the base node. For example, the compensation value calculated for node 1 is 8.8 ns minus 5.2 ns, resulting in 3.6 ns. Finally, the system encapsulates these calculated compensation values ​​along with the unique node identifier of each node into standard configuration instructions. These configuration instructions are sent to the delay compensation unit of the corresponding node via the control link to complete the final configuration.

[0093] S5. At the same time that multiple transceiver components receive the global synchronization trigger signal, they use the target weight in the storage unit to synchronously update the working status of multiple transceiver components.

[0094] Following the previous example, when the skew-calibrated global synchronization trigger signal arrives at the transceiver component located at coordinates (10,25), at the same moment the valid edge of the trigger signal arrives, the transceiver component will simultaneously and instantaneously load or copy the pre-loaded target weight (phase value of 188.7 degrees) in its second storage area into its first storage area. This action will overwrite the original phase value (123.4 degrees) in the first storage area that was used to point to satellite A.

[0095] This process does not occur only in a single transceiver component, but simultaneously and synchronously across all 4096 transceiver components in the antenna array. At the same physical moment upon receiving the global synchronization trigger signal, each transceiver component performs the same operation: synchronously updating the contents of its first storage area using the target weights pre-stored in its second storage area. Since the first storage areas of all transceiver components are directly connected to the radio frequency link, this array-wide synchronous update causes the electromagnetic wavefront formed by the antenna array to change from pointing to satellite A to pointing to satellite B, thus completing this high-speed, high-precision beam switching task without any transitional beam distortion.

[0096] It should be understood that the sequence number of each step in the above embodiments does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0097] In one embodiment, a computer device is provided, which may be a server. The computer device includes a processor, memory, a network interface, and a database connected via a system bus. The processor provides computing and control capabilities. The memory includes a non-volatile storage medium and internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium stores an operating system, computer programs, and a database. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and computer programs in the non-volatile storage medium. The database contains data related to a beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna. The network interface is used for communication with external terminals via a network connection. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements a beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna.

[0098] In one embodiment, a computer device is provided, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the beam control method for Ka-band phased array antennas described in the above embodiments. To avoid repetition, further details are omitted here.

[0099] In one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When executed by a processor, the computer program implements the beam control method for Ka-band phased array antennas described in the above embodiments. To avoid repetition, further details are omitted here.

[0100] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. This computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the computer program can include the processes of the embodiments of the above methods. Any references to memory, storage, databases, or other media used in the embodiments of this application can include non-volatile and / or volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in various forms, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), dual data rate SDRAM (DDRSDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), Rambus direct RAM (RDRAM), direct memory bus dynamic RAM (DRDRAM), and memory bus dynamic RAM (RDRAM), etc.

[0101] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the above-described division of functional units and modules is used as an example. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0102] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Obtain the target pointing instruction of at least one beam, and based on the target pointing instruction, calculate the target weights required by each of the multiple transceiver components in the phased array antenna for at least one beam in parallel, wherein the calculation method of the target weights includes fusing pre-stored calibration data to compensate for theoretical calculation values; S2. Encapsulate the target weights required by each of the multiple transceiver components into control commands, and send the control commands to the corresponding multiple transceiver components through a hierarchical parallel transmission network; S3. After receiving the control command, multiple transceiver components load the target weight into their respective storage units, but do not immediately update the working status of multiple transceiver components; S4. After multiple transceiver components have completed loading the target weights into the storage unit, a global synchronization trigger signal is broadcast to the multiple transceiver components; S5. At the same time that multiple transceiver components receive the global synchronization trigger signal, they use the target weight in the storage unit to synchronously update the working status of multiple transceiver components.

2. The beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, S1 includes the following sub-steps: S11. Based on the target pointing command, a predetermined beamforming algorithm is used to calculate the theoretical weights allocated to each of the multiple transceiver components in parallel. S12. Based on the operating status or environmental parameters of multiple transceiver components, read the corresponding calibration data from a storage device; S13. Integrate the theoretical weights with the read calibration data to generate the target weights.

3. The beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, S2 includes the following sub-steps: S21. From a first-level control node, a control command containing a target weight assigned to a preset transceiver component group is sent to a second-level control node through a backbone transmission network. S22. The second-level control node receives and parses the control commands to separate the target weights allocated to each transceiver component in the preset transceiver component group; S23. The second-level control node sends the separated target weights to the corresponding transceiver components in the preset transceiver component group through a branch transmission network.

4. The beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, S3 includes the following sub-steps: S31. Multiple transceiver components receive control commands and load the target weights contained in the control commands into a second storage area; wherein, the storage unit of each of the multiple transceiver components includes a first storage area associated with the current working state of the transceiver component and a second storage area for receiving the target weights to be updated. S32. During the loading of the target weights into the second storage area, the contents of the first storage area remain unchanged.

5. The beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, S4 includes the following sub-steps: S41. Perform a skew calibration process, which includes: measuring the transmission delay of a global synchronization trigger signal emitted from a signal source to different nodes in a hierarchical parallel transmission network to determine the transmission delay difference, and configuring delay compensation units set at different nodes to compensate for the delay of the global synchronization trigger signal based on the determined transmission delay difference. S42. Broadcast a global synchronization trigger signal to multiple transceiver components through the transmission path compensated by the delay compensation unit.

6. The beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that, S41 includes the following sub-steps: S411. A calibration signal is sent from a signal source to multiple different nodes in a hierarchical parallel transmission network; S412. After receiving the calibration signal, multiple different nodes return the calibration signal to the signal source via a loopback test path corresponding to each of the multiple different nodes; S413. The signal source measures the calibration signals received and returned from multiple different nodes to determine the round-trip transmission time of the calibration signals along the signal path corresponding to each node, and calculates the transmission delay difference based on the round-trip transmission time. S414. Based on the calculated transmission delay difference, generate configuration instructions and send them to the delay compensation units set at different nodes.

7. The beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna according to claim 6, characterized in that, S413 includes the following sub-steps: S4131. Record the transmission time of the calibration signal from the signal source; S4132. For each of the multiple different nodes, record the arrival time when the signal source receives the calibration signal returned from the corresponding node; S4133. For each of the multiple different nodes, the round-trip transmission time of each node is determined by calculating the time difference between the arrival time and the sending time of the node; S4134. Define the set of round-trip transmission times for multiple different nodes as the transmission delay difference.

8. The beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna according to claim 6, characterized in that, S414 includes the following sub-steps: S4141. Based on the difference in transmission delay, determine a reference node with the maximum transmission delay among multiple different nodes; S4142. For each node other than the reference node, calculate the compensation value for the transmission delay used to align to the reference node; S4143. Encapsulate the compensation value together with the node identifier used to identify different nodes into a configuration instruction, and send the configuration instruction to the delay compensation unit corresponding to each node except the base node.

9. A computer device, characterized in that, It includes: One or more processors; Memory; One or more applications, wherein the one or more applications are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more applications being configured to: perform a beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores at least one instruction, at least one program, code set, or instruction set, wherein the at least one instruction, the at least one program, the code set, or the instruction set is loaded and executed by a processor to implement: the beam control method for a Ka-band phased array antenna as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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