Reconfigurable beam number scalable tiled multi-beam phased array standardization subarray
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202610666037.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-04
AI Technical Summary
如何构建新架构和新电路设计方法，成为解决传统多波束相控阵标准化子阵波束数量单一、难以拓展拼接等问题的重要途径
[0027] The standardized subarray in this application uses a reconfigurable power allocation network to achieve dynamic reconfiguration of the number of beams. The number of beams can be set arbitrarily in the range of 0 to 8, which solves the problem of the single number of beams and inflexible selection of traditional multi-beam phased array subarrays, and significantly improves the system's adaptability and resource utilization in different mission scenarios.
Smart Images
Figure CN122698089A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of satellite communication technology, and in particular to a standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with an expandable number of reconfigurable beams. Background Technology
[0002] With the rapid development of low-Earth orbit satellite internet in China, standardized subarrays of multi-beam phased arrays have been extensively studied to meet the demands for high-speed transmission and seamless splicing of large-scale arrays. On the one hand, the demand for high-capacity, high-speed transmission in satellite communication is increasing dramatically, requiring phased array subarrays to integrate a greater number of beams. However, typical multi-beam phased arrays have a limited number of beams; for example, traditional analog phased arrays can integrate up to 8 beams, which cannot meet the application requirements for flexible selection of beam count under complex scenarios.
[0003] On the other hand, large-scale array antennas usually require subarrays to meet the requirements of seamless and scalable splicing. Although the Watt phased array subarray can achieve high-density integration, its single array surface cannot integrate control modules, which makes it impossible to achieve seamless splicing and meet the requirements of large-scale array scalable splicing.
[0004] In current technologies, some solutions employ a discrete architecture to achieve multi-beam transceiver functionality, but this is unsuitable for achieving high-density interconnection of transmit and receive arrays with a common aperture. Furthermore, the manufacturing process is complex, resulting in high mass production costs. Another solution uses a discrete architecture for the receive and transmit arrays, without a common aperture for transmit and receive, leading to a larger overall aperture size. Still other solutions, while achieving a common aperture for transmit and receive, do not involve multi-beam technology and fail to address the technical challenges of integrating multi-beam and common-aperture technologies.
[0005] In summary, the demand for standardized subarrays of multi-beam phased arrays with scalable reconfigurable beams is gradually increasing. Developing new architectures and circuit design methods has become an important way to solve the problems of limited beam count and difficulty in scalable splicing of traditional standardized subarrays of multi-beam phased arrays. Summary of the Invention
[0006] To address the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with an expandable number of reconfigurable beams, featuring a reconfigurable multi-beam phased array receiver chip and a highly integrated combining delay module introduced into the subarray, thereby achieving high-density integration to meet the requirements of seamless splicing.
[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, this invention provides a standardized subarray of a scalable splicing multi-beam phased array with reconfigurable beam numbers, comprising:
[0008] Antenna unit, used to receive or transmit multi-beam signals;
[0009] A receiving component is electrically connected to the antenna unit. The receiving component includes a reconfigurable multi-beam receiving chip. The reconfigurable multi-beam receiving chip integrates a reconfigurable power allocation network. The number of beams synthesized by the reconfigurable multi-beam receiving chip is dynamically reconfigured through the reconfigurable power allocation network.
[0010] A combining delay module, electrically connected to the receiving component, is used to combine and delay-compensate the signal output by the receiving component.
[0011] The liquid cooling plate serves as the structural support for the standardized subarray, used to fix the antenna unit, the receiving component, and the combining delay module, and to dissipate heat from the standardized subarray.
[0012] According to one technical solution of the present invention, the antenna element is provided with multiple input ports, each input port including a horizontal polarization port and a vertical polarization port;
[0013] The output port and the input port of the standardized subarray are both located along the outer edge of the standardized subarray.
[0014] According to one technical solution of the present invention, the reconfigurable multi-beam receiver chip is a four-channel eight-beam amplitude and phase control chip, which integrates four reconfigurable power distribution networks, thirty-two phase shifters, thirty-two attenuators and sixteen four-in-one power combining networks.
[0015] The reconfigurable power distribution network is reconfigured via an RF switch, allowing the number of beams synthesized by the four-channel eight-beam amplitude and phase control chip to be arbitrarily set within the range of 0 to 8.
[0016] According to one technical solution of the present invention, the receiving component is a 16-unit receiving component, and the 16-unit receiving component further includes a low-noise amplifier and a 3dB bridge;
[0017] The low-noise amplifier is used to amplify the signals from the 16 antenna elements with low noise. After the amplified signals are formed into circularly polarized signals by the 3dB bridge, they are sent to four of the four-channel eight-beam amplitude and phase control chips in the left-hand and right-hand branches, respectively. After each signal is processed by the reconfigurable power distribution network, attenuator and phase shifter, it is output by the four-in-one power combining network, and then enters the 16 four-in-one beam combining networks to complete the synthesis and output of 16 beam signals. The 16 beam signals include 8 left-hand and 8 right-hand beam signals.
[0018] According to one technical solution of the present invention, the low-noise amplifier is implemented using a monolithic integrated method.
[0019] According to one technical solution of the present invention, the combining delay module includes a sixteen-in-one combining network, a delay chip, and a four-in-one combining network that are electrically connected in sequence;
[0020] The sixteen-in-one synthesis network is used to receive signals from multiple receiving components and perform a first synthesis. The delay chip is used to perform dispersion compensation on the signal after the first synthesis. The four-in-one synthesis network is used to perform a second synthesis on the compensated signal and output it.
[0021] According to one technical solution of the present invention, the delay amount of the delay chip can be configured, with a delay range of 0 to 1000ps and a step of 10ps.
[0022] According to one technical solution of the present invention, the sixteen-in-one synthetic network and / or the four-in-one synthetic network are implemented using a monolithic integration method.
[0023] According to one technical solution of the present invention, it further includes a power supply module;
[0024] The power module includes a first DC-DC power module and a second DC-DC power module. The first DC-DC power module is used to power the receiving component, and the second DC-DC power module is used to power the combining delay module. The power module is also used to control the receiving component and the combining delay module and to acquire their status.
[0025] According to one aspect of the present invention, a large-scale spliced multi-beam phased array antenna is proposed, which is composed of N standardized subarrays as described in any one of the above technical solutions, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 1.
[0026] Compared with existing technologies, the scalable splicing multi-beam phased array standardized subarray with reconfigurable beam numbers provided by this invention has the following significant technical effects:
[0027] The standardized subarray in this application uses a reconfigurable power allocation network to achieve dynamic reconfiguration of the number of beams. The number of beams can be set arbitrarily in the range of 0 to 8, which solves the problem of the single number of beams and inflexible selection of traditional multi-beam phased array subarrays, and significantly improves the system's adaptability and resource utilization in different mission scenarios.
[0028] The standardized subarray in this application uses a liquid cooling plate as a structural support to fix the antenna unit, receiving component and combining delay module. At the same time, the input port and output port are set along the outer edge of the subarray, so that there are no components in the horizontal direction around the antenna array. This solves the problem that traditional tile-type phased array subarrays cannot achieve integrated control module integration, which makes it difficult to seamlessly splice the subarrays. This meets the requirement of large-scale array expansion and splicing.
[0029] The standardized subarray in this application highly integrates antenna elements, receiving components, combining delay modules, liquid cooling plates, and power supply modules, realizing the integrated design of multi-beam complex networks and active circuits. It solves the problems of traditional discrete architectures being unsuitable for high-density interconnection, complex processes, and high costs for mass production, greatly simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing production costs.
[0030] The standardized subarray in this application solves the beam dispersion problem caused by aperture transit time in large-scale broadband arrays by using a two-level synthesis architecture of combining delay module and introducing a delay chip between the two levels of synthesis for dispersion compensation, thus ensuring the beam pointing accuracy and signal quality of broadband signals at different scanning angles.
[0031] The standardized subarrays in this application adopt unified interface specifications and size standards, and can be used individually or spliced together. When a subarray fails, it can be replaced individually, reducing the maintenance cost and difficulty of the system. Attached Figure Description
[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a standardized subarray of a scalable spliced multibeam phased array with a reconfigurable number of beams provided in one embodiment of this application;
[0034] Figure 2-1 This is a schematic diagram of an implementation of a 16-element receiving component in a standardized subarray of a scalable spliced multibeam phased array with reconfigurable beam numbers provided in one embodiment of this application;
[0035] Figure 2-2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a four-channel 8-beam reconfigurable multi-beam receiver chip in a receiving component provided in one embodiment of this application;
[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation of a combining delay module for a standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with a reconfigurable number of beams according to one embodiment of this application.
[0037] Figure 4-1 A schematic diagram illustrating the implementation of the first DC-DC power module in a standardized subarray of a scalable spliced multibeam phased array with reconfigurable beam count according to one embodiment of this application;
[0038] Figure 4-2 A schematic diagram illustrating the implementation of a second DC-DC power module in a standardized subarray of a scalable spliced multibeam phased array with reconfigurable beam count, according to one embodiment of this application.
[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall architecture of a standardized subarray of a scalable spliced multibeam phased array with a reconfigurable number of beams provided in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0040] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.
[0041] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0042] In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0043] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiments of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.
[0044] With the rapid development of low-Earth orbit satellite internet in China, standardized subarrays of multi-beam phased arrays have been extensively studied to meet the demands for high-speed transmission and seamless splicing of large-scale arrays. On the one hand, the demand for high-capacity, high-speed transmission in satellite communication is increasing dramatically, requiring phased array subarrays to integrate a greater number of beams. However, typical multi-beam phased arrays have a limited number of beams; for example, traditional analog phased arrays can integrate up to 8 beams, which cannot meet the application requirements for flexible selection of beam counts in complex scenarios. On the other hand, large-scale array antennas typically require subarrays to meet the requirements for seamless and scalable splicing. While tile-type phased array subarrays can achieve high-density integration, their single array surface cannot integrate control modules, resulting in the inability to achieve seamless splicing and meet the requirements for scalable splicing of large-scale arrays.
[0045] To address the aforementioned issues, embodiments of this application provide a standardized subarray of an expandable splicing multi-beam phased array with reconfigurable beam count. This standardized subarray can be applied to array antenna systems with multi-beam requirements, such as communication antennas and radar antennas.
[0046] In one embodiment, the standardized subarray may include an antenna element, a receiving component 1, a combining delay module 3, a liquid-cooled plate 2, and a power supply module 4. The antenna element is used to receive or transmit multi-beam signals; the receiving component 1 is electrically connected to the antenna element and is responsible for low-noise amplification and beamforming processing of the signals received from the antenna element; the combining delay module 3 is electrically connected to the receiving component 1 and is used for power combining and delay compensation of the signals output by the receiving component 1; the liquid-cooled plate 2 serves as the structural support for the entire standardized subarray, fixing the antenna element, the receiving component 1, and the combining delay module 3, while also dissipating heat from these modules; the power supply module 4 is electrically connected to the receiving component 1 and the combining delay module 3, providing the required operating voltage to each module and being responsible for controlling and acquiring the status of each module.
[0047] It should be understood that the stacking order and specific layout of the above modules can be adjusted according to actual needs, and the functional modules can be isolated by shielding to reduce electromagnetic interference between them.
[0048] For example, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a standardized subarray of a scalable spliced multi-beam phased array with an expandable number of reconfigurable beams according to one embodiment of this application. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall architecture of a standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with an expandable number of reconfigurable beams according to one embodiment of this application, including an antenna element, a receiving component 1, a combining delay module 3, a liquid cooling plate 2, and a power supply module 4.
[0049] In some embodiments of the present invention, the antenna element is provided with multiple input ports, each including a horizontally polarized port and a vertically polarized port. By simultaneously setting the horizontally and vertically polarized ports, dual-polarized signals can be received from the antenna element, providing a basis for the subsequent formation of dual-circularly polarized signals. The entire standardized subarray consists of 1024 antenna elements, and the multiple output ports of the standardized subarray are used for multi-beam signal output. The input and output ports are arranged along the outer edge of the standardized subarray body, so that there are no components in the horizontal direction around the antenna array surface, and the horizontal direction only serves as the antenna array surface, thereby meeting the requirements of arbitrary splicing of large-scale subarrays. When multiple standardized subarrays are spliced, the subarrays can fit tightly together without gaps due to interference from side components, achieving truly seamless splicing.
[0050] In some embodiments of the present invention, the receiving component 1 processes the dual-circularly polarized received signal from the antenna elements. The specific signal processing flow is as follows: the receiving component 1 amplifies the dual-circularly polarized received signal from the antenna elements (e.g., 16 elements) with low noise, and then the amplified signal enters a 3dB bridge to achieve circular polarization; the circularly polarized signal is then sent to four left-handed and four right-handed four-channel eight-beam amplitude and phase control chips respectively. Inside the four-channel eight-beam amplitude and phase control chip, the amplitude and phase of the signal are controlled by attenuators and phase shifters. The signal output by the chip then enters a 16-in-1 combining network to achieve beamforming at the 256 subarray level; the beamformed signal at the 256 subarray level then enters the combining delay module 3, where a delay chip is used to compensate for the dispersion of the broadband modulated signal. The compensated signal then enters 16 four-in-1 networks to achieve beamforming at the 1024 subarray level. Each 1024 subarray element corresponds to a combining delay module 3. Each combining delay module 3 outputs 16 beamforming signals, including 8 left-handed and 8 right-handed beamforming signals.
[0051] Through the above signal processing flow, this embodiment achieves efficient synthesis of signals from 1024 antenna elements to 16 independent beams. The signals are first synthesized at the 256-subarray level, effectively reducing the number of signal paths in subsequent processing and lowering the design complexity of the combining delay module 3. The introduction of the delay chip precisely compensates for beam dispersion caused by inconsistent aperture transit times in large arrays of broadband modulated signals. Beam dispersion refers to the different arrival times of signals received or transmitted by array elements at different positions in a broadband signal towards the same target direction. If only traditional phase shifters are used for phase compensation, different frequency components will correspond to different beam pointing angles, leading to beam widening and decreased pointing accuracy. This embodiment adds a delay chip between the two synthesis stages for true time delay compensation, ensuring that all frequency components are correctly superimposed in phase, thereby guaranteeing the beam pointing accuracy and signal quality of the broadband signal within the scanning range. This is particularly important for satellite communication systems with high-speed data transmission.
[0052] In some embodiments of the present invention, the receiving component 1 is specifically a 16-element receiving component 1, that is, each receiving component 1 processes signals from 16 antenna elements. For example, Figure 2-1 This is a schematic diagram of one implementation of a 16-unit receiving component 1 according to an embodiment of this application. The 16-unit receiving component 1 includes a low-noise amplifier, a 3dB bridge, a reconfigurable multi-beam receiver chip, and a combining network.
[0053] Specifically, receiver component 1 performs low-noise amplification on the dual circularly polarized received signals from 16 antenna elements. The amplified signals are then fed into four four-channel eight-beam amplitude and phase control chips (four for left-hand and four for right-hand rotation). Each four-channel eight-beam amplitude and phase control chip integrates four reconfigurable power distribution networks, 32 phase shifters, 32 attenuators, and sixteen four-in-one power combining networks. After the left-hand and right-hand circularly polarized signals enter the four-channel eight-beam amplitude and phase control chips, they first enter the reconfigurable power distribution networks. The signals output from these networks undergo amplitude and phase control via attenuators and phase shifters, and are then combined by the four-in-one power combining networks before being output from the amplitude and phase control chip. The signals output from each chip then enter the 16 four-in-one beam combining networks to synthesize and output the 16 beam signals (eight left-hand and eight right-hand beam signals).
[0054] Through the design of the above-mentioned 16-unit receiving component 1, the processing of 16 antenna signals is integrated into a standardized receiving component 1. The input and output interfaces of the component are unified, which facilitates the standardized production and maintenance of large-scale arrays.
[0055] In some embodiments of the present invention, the four-channel eight-beam reconfigurable multi-beam receiver chip in the receiving component 1 has a reconfigurable power divider, thus enabling dynamic reconfiguration of the number of beams. For example, Figure 2-2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a four-channel, eight-beam reconfigurable multi-beam receiver chip in a receiving component 1 provided according to one embodiment of this application. The chip integrates a reconfigurable power divider, a phase shifter, an attenuator, a power combiner, and an amplifier. The power divider can be reconfigured via an RF switch, allowing dynamic reconfiguration of the number of beams; the number of beams can be arbitrarily set within the range of 0 to 8. Typically, the power divider is implemented using an RF switch.
[0056] The ability to reconfigure the number of beams provides crucial technical support for the flexible application of phased array antennas in complex scenarios. In traditional fixed-beam phased arrays, the number of beams is determined by the hardware design and cannot be changed once the hardware is manufactured. However, in practical applications, different mission phases often require different numbers of beams: for example, the target search phase may require multiple beams to perform a large-area scan simultaneously to improve search efficiency; in the target confirmation and tracking phase, only a few beams or even a single beam may be needed for staring tracking of the target. In this case, excess beams would cause unnecessary power consumption waste. This embodiment uses an RF switch to dynamically reconfigure the power distribution network, allowing the same standardized subarray to switch the number of beams in real time according to mission requirements, flexibly configuring within the range of 0 to 8 beams. This achieves hardware resource reuse, effectively reduces the overall power consumption of the system, and improves the system's mission adaptability.
[0057] In some embodiments of the present invention, the low-noise amplifier in the receiving component 1 is implemented using a monolithic integration method. Its fabrication process may include GaAs, GaN, and silicon-based processes, but is not limited to these processes. Implementing the low-noise amplifier using a monolithic integration method can reduce the influence of device parasitic parameters, improve the amplifier's gain and noise performance, and simultaneously reduce device size, which is beneficial for improving the overall integration of the subarray and ensuring consistency between multiple channels.
[0058] In some embodiments of the present invention, the combining delay module 3 is used to combine and delay-compensate signals from multiple receiving components 1. For example, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation of a combining delay module 3 according to one embodiment of this application. The combining delay module 3 includes a sixteen-in-one combining network, a delay chip, and a four-in-one combining network that are electrically connected in sequence.
[0059] Specifically, the combining delay module 3 first uses a 16-in-1 combining network to combine the signals from the 64 16-unit receiving components 1 at the 256-subarray level. The combined signal at the 256-subarray level then enters the delay chip, where dispersion compensation is performed on the broadband modulated signal. The compensated signal then enters 16 4-in-1 combining networks to achieve beam combining at the 1024-subarray level. Each combining delay module 3 ultimately outputs 16 beam-combined signals, including 8 left-handed and 8 right-handed beam signals.
[0060] A cascaded architecture of "16-in-1 synthesis – delay compensation – 4-in-1 synthesis" is adopted to synthesize 1024 signals in two stages. Compared with a one-step synthesis network of over 1000 channels, this significantly reduces the design complexity and engineering implementation difficulty. The first stage of 16-in-1 synthesis reduces the signal from 64 channels to 4 channels (taking a single beam as an example), and the second stage of 4-in-1 synthesis combines the 4 signals into 1 channel. The advantage of inserting a delay chip between the two synthesis stages is that at this node, each signal represents the synthesized output of different 256 subarrays, and their spatial positions in the large array are different. Therefore, there is an aperture transit time difference, which requires delay compensation to eliminate beam dispersion. The delay chip performs compensation at this level, which can ensure the accuracy of compensation while keeping the required compensation range and step size within a reasonable engineering implementation range.
[0061] In some embodiments of the present invention, the delay amount of the combining delay module 3 can be configured, ranging from 0 to 1000 ps in 10 ps increments. This configuration capability allows the combining delay module 3 to adapt to delay compensation requirements under different operating frequencies, scanning angles, and array apertures. For example, at smaller scanning angles, the required delay compensation is smaller; at larger scanning angles, the aperture transit time increases, requiring a larger delay compensation. Precise configuration in 10 ps increments allows for fine delay adjustment, ensuring accurate pointing of the broadband beam.
[0062] In some embodiments of the present invention, the 16-in-1 and / or 4-in-1 synthesized networks can be implemented using a monolithic integration method. The process can include semiconductor processes such as CMOS, GaAs, and GaN, but is not limited to these processes. Implementing the synthesized network using a monolithic integration method allows large power divider / combiner networks, originally composed of discrete components, to be integrated onto one or more chips, significantly reducing the area occupied by the network, lowering interconnect losses, and improving amplitude and phase consistency.
[0063] In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid-cooled plate 2 serves as the structural support for the entire 1024-element antenna, fixing the antenna elements, receiving components 1, combining delay module 3, and power module 4, among other parts. The liquid-cooled plate 2 also incorporates liquid-cooling pipes, which, through the injection of coolant and in conjunction with an external compressor, achieve heat dissipation for the entire multi-beam phased array standardized subarray. The liquid-cooled plate 2 simultaneously performs both structural support and heat dissipation functions. On one hand, it provides a fixed mounting base for each functional module, ensuring the relative positional accuracy between modules; on the other hand, it removes the heat generated by each module through liquid cooling circulation, maintaining the subarray within its normal operating temperature range. Compared to traditional air-cooling solutions, liquid cooling offers higher heat dissipation efficiency and is more suitable for large-scale array applications with high-density integration and high-power operation. Compared to traditional designs using independent heat dissipation plates, integrating heat dissipation and structural support functions into the liquid-cooled plate 2 reduces the number of subarray parts, simplifies assembly processes, and facilitates lightweight and miniaturized design of standardized subarrays, providing a foundation for subarray deployment on aerial platforms such as UAVs and airships.
[0064] In some embodiments of the present invention, the power supply module 4 provides operating voltage for the receiving component 1 and the combining delay module 3, and is also responsible for control and status acquisition functions. The power supply module 4 includes four first DC-DC power supply modules 41 and one second DC-DC power supply module 42. (Exemplary) Figure 4-1 A schematic diagram illustrating the implementation of the first DC-DC power module in a standardized subarray of a scalable spliced multibeam phased array with reconfigurable beam count according to one embodiment of this application; Figure 4-2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation of the second DC-DC power module in a standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with reconfigurable beam count according to one embodiment of this application. The first DC-DC power module 41 converts the externally input DC voltage to DC / DC power for each of the 16-unit receiving components 1. The second DC-DC power module 42 converts the externally input DC voltage to DC / DC power for the combining delay module 3. Simultaneously, the power module 4 responds to external control commands, controlling the multi-functional chips within the 16 16-unit receiving components 1, controlling the delay units in the combining delay module 3, and collecting and reporting the operating status of each module.
[0065] By dividing the power supply into two independent parts for the receiving component 1 and the combining delay module 3, voltage conversion and power supply management can be performed separately according to the specific power requirements of the receiving component 1 and the combining delay module 3. The power supplies are isolated from each other, avoiding interference between digital control signals and radio frequency signals. The power module 4 has both control and status acquisition functions, allowing the external control system to configure and monitor the subarray through a unified interface, simplifying system-level design and debugging.
[0066] In one embodiment, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall structure of a standardized subarray of a scalable spliced multi-beam phased array with reconfigurable beam numbers, as provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, a complete standardized subarray includes 64 receiving components 1, 1 liquid-cooled plate 2, 1 combining delay module 3, and a power module 4. The power module 4 includes 4 first DC-DC power modules 41 and 1 second DC-DC power module 42. The height of the receiving components 1 is approximately 70 mm, the height of the liquid-cooled plate 2 is approximately 13 mm, the height of the combining delay module 3 is approximately 17.4 mm, and the height of the power module 4 is approximately 12.5 mm. The modules are stacked vertically to form a compact, tile-like structure.
[0067] According to one aspect of the present invention, a large-scale spliced multi-beam phased array antenna is proposed, which is composed of N standardized subarrays as described in any one of the above technical solutions, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 1.
[0068] In this embodiment, N standardized subarrays can be spliced together to form a large-scale spliced multi-beam phased array antenna, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. When splicing on a large scale, the required number of standardized subarrays is N; the number of receiving components 1 is 64 × N; the number of combining delay modules 3 and liquid cooling plates 2 are both N; the number of first DC-DC power modules 4 is N × 4, and the number of second DC-DC power modules 4 is N.
[0069] This standardized splicing method allows for flexible expansion of the array aperture to meet the needs of different application scenarios. For example, in applications requiring high gain and narrow beamwidth, a large-scale array can be constructed using more standardized subarrays (e.g., N=4 or N=16); in applications requiring miniaturization and portability, a smaller array can be formed using fewer standardized subarrays (e.g., N=1 or N=2). Each standardized subarray acts as an independent, replaceable unit. If one subarray fails, it can be replaced individually without affecting the operation of the entire array, thus improving system maintainability.
[0070] This invention proposes a reconfigurable, expandable, splicable multi-beam phased array standardized subarray with adjustable beam count. It features flexible beam count configuration, high-density integration, and expandable splicing capabilities, significantly improving beam count allocation and system splicing flexibility. This application overcomes the technical bottlenecks of fixed beam counts and difficult expansion splicing in traditional phased array standard subarrays, thus providing a solution for integrated design enabling flexible reconfiguration and large-scale subarray splicing. This application effectively solves the problems of fixed beam counts and difficulty in seamless splicing in traditional phased array antenna subarrays, achieving flexible configuration of 16 beams in the standardized subarray. This significantly improves system flexibility and meets the requirements of large-scale splicing, laying a technical foundation for the application of phased array subarrays in large-scale arrays.
[0071] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; 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; and these 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.
Claims
1. A standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with an scalable number of reconfigurable beams, characterized in that, include: Antenna unit, used to receive or transmit multi-beam signals; A receiving component is electrically connected to the antenna unit. The receiving component includes a reconfigurable multi-beam receiving chip. The reconfigurable multi-beam receiving chip integrates a reconfigurable power allocation network. The number of beams synthesized by the reconfigurable multi-beam receiving chip is dynamically reconfigured through the reconfigurable power allocation network. A combining delay module, electrically connected to the receiving component, is used to combine and delay-compensate the signal output by the receiving component. The liquid cooling plate serves as the structural support for the standardized subarray, used to fix the antenna unit, the receiving component, and the combining delay module, and to dissipate heat from the standardized subarray.
2. The standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with an expandable number of reconfigurable beams according to claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna unit is provided with multiple input ports, each of which includes a horizontal polarization port and a vertical polarization port; The output port and the input port of the standardized subarray are both located along the outer edge of the standardized subarray.
3. The standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with an expandable number of reconfigurable beams according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reconfigurable multi-beam receiver chip is a four-channel eight-beam amplitude and phase control chip, which integrates four reconfigurable power distribution networks, thirty-two phase shifters, thirty-two attenuators, and sixteen four-in-one power combining networks. The reconfigurable power distribution network is reconfigured via an RF switch, allowing the number of beams synthesized by the four-channel eight-beam amplitude and phase control chip to be arbitrarily set within the range of 0 to 8.
4. The standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with an expandable number of reconfigurable beams according to claim 3, characterized in that, The receiving component is a 16-unit receiving component, which further includes a low-noise amplifier and a 3dB bridge. The low-noise amplifier is used to amplify the signals from the 16 antenna elements with low noise. After the amplified signals are formed into circularly polarized signals by the 3dB bridge, they are sent to four of the four-channel eight-beam amplitude and phase control chips in the left-hand and right-hand branches, respectively. After each signal is processed by the reconfigurable power distribution network, attenuator and phase shifter, it is output by the four-in-one power combining network, and then enters the 16 four-in-one beam combining networks to complete the synthesis and output of 16 beam signals. The 16 beam signals include 8 left-hand and 8 right-hand beam signals.
5. The standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with an expandable number of reconfigurable beams according to claim 4, characterized in that, The low-noise amplifier is implemented using a monolithic integrated approach.
6. The standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with an expandable number of reconfigurable beams according to claim 1, characterized in that, The combined delay module includes a sixteen-in-one combining network, a delay chip, and a four-in-one combining network that are electrically connected in sequence. The sixteen-in-one synthesis network is used to receive signals from multiple receiving components and perform a first synthesis. The delay chip is used to perform dispersion compensation on the signal after the first synthesis. The four-in-one synthesis network is used to perform a second synthesis on the compensated signal and output it.
7. The standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with an expandable number of reconfigurable beams according to claim 6, characterized in that, The delay amount of the delay chip can be configured, with a delay range of 0 to 1000 ps and a step of 10 ps.
8. The standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with an expandable number of reconfigurable beams according to claim 6, characterized in that, The sixteen-in-one synthetic network and / or the four-in-one synthetic network are implemented using a monolithic integration method.
9. The standardized subarray of a multi-beam phased array with an expandable number of reconfigurable beams according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a power module; The power module includes a first DC-DC power module and a second DC-DC power module. The first DC-DC power module is used to power the receiving component, and the second DC-DC power module is used to power the combining delay module. The power module is also used to control the receiving component and the combining delay module and to acquire their status.
10. A large-scale spliced multi-beam phased array antenna, characterized in that, It is composed of N standardized subarrays as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1.