AESA Antenna On-Chip Calibration via Digital Adders
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Active electronically steered array (AESA) calibration requires significant processing resources and time, reducing the efficiency of radar systems due to the need for continual monitoring and system-level calibration of antenna gain and phase.
Innovation Solution
On-chip programming is used to pre-calibrate AESA antennas by aligning gain and phase within integrated circuits, eliminating the need for system-level calibration through digital adders, phase-shift circuits, and amplitude gain circuits that modify signals based on stored calibration data, allowing for permanent storage of calibration coefficients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If system-level calibration is performed continuously during AESA operation, then beamforming accuracy is maintained, but processing resources and time are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing calibration before the AESA operates. Calibration coefficients are computed and stored in non-volatile memory during manufacturing or initial setup, so that when the system operates, the calibrated values are already available and can be applied directly without consuming processing resources for continuous calibration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by making the calibration data self-contained within the non-volatile memory of the AESA system. Once calibrated, the system uses its own stored calibration coefficients to maintain beamforming accuracy independently, eliminating the need for external continuous calibration operations.
2Manufacturing precision
If periodic monitoring and modification of signals is performed for calibration, then antenna gain and phase alignment is maintained, but calibration time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs gain and phase alignment calculations and stores the resulting calibration coefficients in non-volatile memory before the system needs to operate. This preliminary calibration action eliminates the need for time-consuming periodic monitoring and signal modification during actual operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the calibrated signal characteristics by storing calibration coefficients in non-volatile memory. These copied calibration data can be applied directly during operation without repeating the time-consuming measurement and adjustment process, thus reducing calibration time while maintaining alignment precision.
3Measurement precision
If additional hardware is used for calibration purposes, then calibration accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the calibration system self-contained by implementing calibration functionality within the existing AESA hardware architecture. The non-volatile memory and processing units already present in the AESA are utilized for storing and applying calibration data, eliminating the need for separate dedicated calibration hardware and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves multi-functionality by enabling the existing processing units and memory structures in the AESA to serve both their original functions and the calibration function. The same hardware resources used for signal processing also store and apply calibration coefficients, so no additional specialized calibration hardware is required.
Data Source
AI summary
In some example implementations, there may be provided methods for beamforming calibration of active electronically steered arrays (AESA). In some implementations, one or more adders may generate a phase offset by adding phase calibration data from non-volatile memory and phase command data from static memory, and/or generate a gain offset by adding gain calibration data from the non-volatile memory and gain command data from the static memory. Further, a phase-shift circuit can modify, based on the phase offset, a phase of a first output signal, and an amplitude gain circuit can modify, based on the gain offset, an amplitude of the first output signal. In accordance with these implementations, the modified phase of the first output signal and the modified amplitude of the first output signal are provided to enable pre-calibration of the first output signal and/or a first antenna. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.