Broadband Multibeam Phased Array Front End

Abstract

The present invention discloses a broadband multi-beam phased array front end, whose application frequency band covers 2-12GHz; the front end includes 40 TR components, a beamforming and distribution network module, a self-test calibration circuit and a wave control circuit. The TR component includes a receiving channel and a transmitting channel. Each receiving channel has four power divisions, supports independent amplitude and phase control of 160 signals, and synthesizes four independent beams through the beamforming and distribution network. The transmission is divided into 40 transmitting channels through the beamforming and distribution network. The self-test calibration circuit connects the antenna transition layer and the beamforming and distribution network to realize the self-test and calibration functions of the entire front end. The wave control circuit integrates FPGA inside to realize the amplitude and phase control, switching and mode control functions of the entire front end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of phased array front ends, and more particularly to a broadband multi-beam phased array front end. Background Art

[0002] Phased array technology has attracted increasing attention from researchers in recent years due to its flexible and controllable beams. When applied to radar, known as phased array radar, the amplitude and phase of each array element can be controlled to achieve radar array scanning. Compared to traditional mechanical scanning, phased array radar offers advantages such as faster scanning speed and higher reliability. Beyond phased array radar, phased array technology can also be applied to communications, electronic countermeasures and counter-countermeasures, and other electronic equipment.

[0003] In a phased array system, the main function of the phased array front-end is to amplify the signal received from the antenna in receive mode and control the amplitude and phase of each channel separately. In transmit mode, the signal is amplitude and phase controlled for each channel, passing through the power amplifier circuit before being radiated by the antenna. The performance of the phased array front-end has a crucial impact on the entire phased array system. As the application frequency, operating bandwidth, application scenarios, and functions of systems such as radar and electronic countermeasures increase, traditional phased array front-ends that only support narrowband and single beams are unable to meet the requirements of modern systems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a broadband multi-beam phased array front end, whose application frequency band covers 2-12GHz. During reception, each receiving channel is split into four channels, and amplitude and phase control are performed separately. Four separate beams are synthesized through a beam synthesis and distribution network, and the front end has multi-beam and multi-spatial reconnaissance capabilities. During transmission, one signal is input, and the power is split into multiple transmission channels through a beam synthesis and distribution network, and the signal is radiated through the antenna to achieve interference.

[0005] The technical solution for implementing the present invention is: a broadband multi-beam phased array front end, including a beamforming and distribution network module, a self-test calibration circuit, a wave control circuit, and 40 TR components; the TR components and the beamforming and distribution network module are interconnected to realize signal transmission and reception, amplification, and power distribution; the wave control circuit is connected to the TR components to control signal amplitude and phase; and the self-test calibration circuit is connected to the beamforming and distribution network module to realize self-test and calibration functions.

[0006] Each TR component includes a receiving channel, a transmitting channel and a single-pole double-throw switch, and receiving and transmitting are switched through the single-pole double-throw switch.

[0007] The receiving channel consists of a limiter, a first-stage low-noise amplifier, an attenuator, a second-stage low-noise amplifier, a one-to-four power splitter, four amplitude and phase control chips, and four driver amplifiers. The received signal from the antenna is switched to the receive channel's limiter via a single-pole double-throw switch. It then passes through a first-stage low-noise amplifier to amplify the signal and maintain low noise levels throughout the entire receive chain. It then passes through an attenuator and a second-stage low-noise amplifier before being split into four independent receive signals via a one-to-four power splitter. Each receive signal is then adjusted for amplitude and phase by an amplitude and phase control chip before being amplified by a driver amplifier. Ultimately, the 40 TR components generate a total of 160 receive signals.

[0008] The transmit channel consists of a first-stage driver amplifier, a transmit amplitude and phase control chip, a second-stage driver amplifier, a transmit attenuator, and a power amplifier. After the transmit signal enters the transmit channel, it first passes through the first-stage driver amplifier, then the transmit amplitude and phase control chip for amplitude and phase adjustment. It then passes through the second-stage driver amplifier and transmit attenuator, then through the power amplifier and single-pole double-throw switch, and finally radiates through the antenna.

[0009] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following significant advantages:

[0010] (1) The phased array front end has the characteristics of broadband, multi-beam, and multiplexing of transmission and reception. It fully covers the 2-12 GHz wide frequency band in the application frequency band. When receiving, the phased array front end can combine into 4 separate beams, and has multi-beam and multi-space reconnaissance capabilities; when transmitting, it can distribute a single signal to multiple transmission channels to achieve interference function.

[0011] (2) High integration and small size. The design adopts a high-integration chip design scheme. The internal components adopt a double-sided design, with the transmitting and receiving sides designed on the front and back sides respectively. The sub-module design method is adopted inside the module.

[0012] (3) Good heat dissipation. When selecting devices, choose high-efficiency amplifier chips as much as possible. When designing circuits and assembling the amplifier, ensure that the heat dissipation surface at the bottom of the amplifier is in contact with a large area of ​​the entire housing so that the heat can be quickly transferred to the heat dissipation frame of the outer housing.

[0013] (4) Highly efficient serial and parallel control forwarding. A micro-processing unit is used inside the control board to quickly distribute a single set of serial wave control information to each channel amplitude and phase unit, achieving fast parallel phase control. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the broadband multi-beam phased array front end of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the TR transceiver channel at the front end of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0017] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative position relationship and movement status of various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0018] In addition, the terms "first," "second," and so on, used in this disclosure are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features being referenced. Thus, features specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of this disclosure, "plurality" means at least two, such as two or three, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0019] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "connection" and "fixation" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; "connection" can refer to mechanical connection or electrical connection. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0020] In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in this field can implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0021] The following will further introduce the specific implementation methods, as well as the technical difficulties and inventive points of this invention in combination with this design example.

[0022] The broadband multi-beam phased array front end described in this invention includes a beamforming and distribution network module, a self-test and calibration circuit, a beam steering circuit, and 40 TR modules. The TR modules and the beamforming and distribution network module interconnect to implement signal transmission and reception, amplification, and power distribution. The beam steering circuit connects to the TR modules to control signal amplitude and phase. The self-test and calibration circuit connects to the beamforming and distribution network module to implement self-test and calibration functions.

[0023] Each TR component includes a receiving channel, a transmitting channel, and a single-pole double-throw switch, with the receiving and transmitting channels switched via the single-pole double-throw switch. The receiving channel consists of a limiter, a first-stage low-noise amplifier, an attenuator, a second-stage low-noise amplifier, a one-to-four power splitter, four amplitude and phase control chips, and four driver amplifiers, all arranged in sequence. The received signal from the antenna is switched to the limiter in the receiving channel via the single-pole double-throw switch. It then passes through a first-stage low-noise amplifier to amplify the signal and maintain low noise levels throughout the receiving chain. It then passes through an attenuator and a second-stage low-noise amplifier, and is then divided into four independent receiving signals via a one-to-four power splitter. Each receiving signal is then adjusted for amplitude and phase via an amplitude and phase control chip, before being amplified by a driver amplifier. Ultimately, the 40 TR components generate a total of 160 receiving signals.

[0024] The transmit channel consists of a first-stage driver amplifier, a transmit amplitude and phase control chip, a second-stage driver amplifier, a transmit attenuator, and a power amplifier, all arranged in that order. After the transmit signal enters the transmit channel, it first passes through the first-stage driver amplifier, then the transmit amplitude and phase control chip for amplitude and phase adjustment. It then passes through the second-stage driver amplifier and transmit attenuator, and then through the power amplifier and single-pole double-throw switch before being radiated through the antenna. Due to the high power of the transmit power amplifier in the front-end components, the front-end chassis must consider heat dissipation measures and implement appropriate circuit module installation and signal routing layout based on system requirements.

[0025] The beamforming and distribution network module implements power combining and distribution in both transmit and receive modes. It includes a single-pole double-throw switch and a combined power-splitting network. The switch switches between the combined power-splitting network and the self-test and calibration circuit. In receive mode, the 160 receive signals from the TR module pass through 16 groups of 10-in-1 networks and 4 groups of 4-in-1 networks, ultimately combining into four beams with independently adjustable amplitude and phase. In transmit mode, the external input excitation signal passes through one group of 4-in-1 networks and four groups of 10-in-1 networks to the TR module, ultimately radiating through the antenna.

[0026] The self-test and calibration circuit includes a single-pole, double-throw switch and a one-to-four network. During transmit self-test and calibration, the signal is output to the antenna via the transmit link. A portion of the signal is coupled to the self-test and calibration circuit via the calibration coupling interface of the transition layer. It then passes through the beamforming and distribution network module for output to subsequent self-test and calibration stages. During receive self-test and calibration, the signal passes through the beamforming and distribution network to the self-test and calibration circuit. The calibration coupling interface of the transition layer then couples a portion of the signal to the receive link. Self-test or calibration is then performed on specific channels according to the self-test or calibration instructions.

[0027] The wave control circuit primarily consists of a wave control digital board. Its input integrates fiber-optic transmission, reference clocks, and JTAG download functions. Its output controls the entire phased array front end through an FPGA. The FPGA analyzes the control protocol and uses the GPIO interface to implement amplitude and phase control, switch control, and mode control functions on the array front end.

[0028] The proposed broadband multi-beam phased array front-end covers the entire 2-12 GHz operating frequency range and supports transceiver multiplexing, including 40 receive channels and 40 transmit channels. Each receive channel is further split into four channels, forming a total of 160 receive links. These channels support independent amplitude and phase control, and can be synthesized into four separate beams through a beamforming and distribution network, enabling multi-beam, multi-spatial reconnaissance capabilities. Transmitted signals are split into 40 transmit channels through the beamforming and distribution network, and radiated through the antennas to achieve jamming.

Claims

1. A broadband multi-beam phased array front end, characterized by: It includes a beamforming and distribution network module, a self-test calibration circuit, a wave control circuit, and 40 TR components. The TR components and the beamforming and distribution network module are interconnected to realize signal transmission and reception, amplification, and power distribution. The wave control circuit is connected to the TR components to control the signal amplitude and phase. The self-test calibration circuit is connected to the beamforming and distribution network module to realize self-test and calibration functions. Each TR component includes a receiving channel, a transmitting channel and a single-pole double-throw switch, and the receiving and transmitting are switched by the single-pole double-throw switch; The receiving channel includes a limiter, a first-stage low-noise amplifier, an attenuator, a second-stage low-noise amplifier, a one-to-four power splitter, four amplitude and phase control chips, and four driver amplifiers, which are arranged in sequence. The received signal from the antenna is switched to the limiter of the receiving channel through a single-pole double-throw switch, and then passes through the first-stage low-noise amplifier to amplify the signal and maintain a low noise level for the entire receiving link. It then passes through the attenuator and the second-stage low-noise amplifier, and is then divided into four independent receiving signals through a one-to-four power splitter. Each receiving signal is sequentially passed through the amplitude and phase control chip to achieve amplitude and phase adjustment, and then amplified by the driver amplifier. Finally, the 40 TR components form a total of 160 receiving signals. The transmission channel includes a first-stage driver amplifier, a transmission amplitude and phase control chip, a second-stage driver amplifier, a transmission attenuator, and a power amplifier, which are arranged in sequence. After the transmission signal enters the transmission channel, it first passes through the first-stage driver amplifier, then enters the transmission amplitude and phase control chip to adjust the amplitude and phase, then passes through the second-stage driver amplifier and the transmission attenuator, and then passes through the power amplifier and single-pole double-throw switch, and finally radiates the transmission signal through the antenna. The beamforming and distribution network module implements power combining and distribution in both transmit and receive modes. It includes a single-pole double-throw switch and a combined power-splitting network. The switch switches between the combined power-splitting network and the self-test and calibration circuit. In receive mode, the 160 receive signals from the TR component pass through 16 groups of 10-in-1 networks and 4 groups of 4-in-1 networks, ultimately synthesizing four beams with individually adjustable amplitude and phase. In transmit mode, the external input excitation signal passes through one group of 4-in-1 networks and four groups of 10-in-1 networks to the TR component, and is ultimately radiated through the antenna. The self-test calibration circuit includes a single-pole double-throw switch and a one-to-four network; during transmission self-test calibration, the signal is output to the antenna end through the transmission link, and part of the signal is coupled to the self-test calibration circuit through the calibration coupling interface of the transition layer, and then output through the beam synthesis and distribution network module for subsequent self-test and calibration; during reception self-test calibration, the signal is output to the self-test calibration circuit through the beam synthesis and distribution network, and then part of the signal is coupled to the receiving link through the calibration coupling interface of the transition layer, and then self-test or calibration is performed on the specific channel according to the self-test or calibration instructions.

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