The present disclosure relates to a phase shifter assembly comprising a phase shift circuit and a dielectric assembly having at least one dielectric element movable relative to the phase shift circuit for phase shifting, wherein the at least one dielectric element is disposed at a set distance from the phase shift circuit to form a gap between the at least one dielectric element and the phase shift circuit. In addition, the present disclosure also relates to a cavity phase shifter and a base station antenna.

A method of creating a timed array from a plurality of phased arrays is provided. The method comprises the steps of: phase steering each phased array to a desired pointing; applying processing to signals received from at least one of the phased arrays, wherein applying processing to the signals comprises applying, based on a reference, an adjustment to the signals from at least one of the phased arrays, such that the processed signals are substantially aligned in time with the reference; and combining the processed signals from each of the phased arrays; wherein the adjustment varies based at least in part on the desired pointing and the relative location of the phased arrays.

Systems and methods are provided for a digital beamformed phased array feed. The system may include a radome configured to allow electromagnetic waves to propagate; a multi-band software defined antenna array tile; a power and clock management subsystem configured to manage power and time of operation; a thermal management subsystem configured to dissipate heat generated by the multi-band software defined antenna array tile; and an enclosure assembly. The multi-band software defined antenna array tile may include a plurality of coupled dipole array antenna elements; a plurality of frequency converters; and a plurality of digital beamformers.

A base station antenna includes a first column of radiating elements containing a first plurality of physical rows of radiating elements, which are collectively operable as a first logical row of radiating elements responsive to a first radio frequency signal (RF1), and (ii) a second plurality of physical rows of radiating elements, which are collectively operable as a second logical row of radiating elements responsive to a second radio frequency signal (RF2). The radiating elements within both the first column and the first logical row include a first plurality of radiating elements responsive to RF1, and a second plurality of radiating elements responsive to a phase delayed version of RF1 generated by a first adjustable phase shifter. A radio frequency (RF) signal generator is provided to adjust a phase of RF2 relative to a phase of RF1, in-sync with a change in a phase delay (and static electric tilt) provided by the first adjustable phase shifter. This in-sync adjustment may support an improvement antenna beam characteristics, including suppression of undesired side-lobes.

The trirectangular tetrahedron array provides nearly constant gain over a hemisphere, by adaptively combining signals from elements, having substantially cosine-squared power patterns, on orthogonal faces. By using a deterministic aperiodic lattice, the array can use higher gain elements rather than lower gain elements for traditional wide-scan phased arrays. Thus, the number of elements needed can be reduced by more than a factor of two. Importantly, element spacing is increased with this design, thus lowering mutual coupling and the associated potential for scan blindness. Higher gain elements require spacing exceeding ½ wavelength can have grating lobes. This is addressed with an aperiodic lattice designed to ensure that no grating lobe can form. By connecting two trirectangular tetrahedrons by their bases and mounting on an air/space-based platform, nearly spherical coverage with constant gain results.

Transmitting and receiving apparatuses, transmitting and receiving methods, and a transceiver for a phased array antenna are provided. The transmitting apparatus may comprise a laser light source configured to provide an optical beam comprising one or more spectral components. The transmitting apparatus may comprise a modulator configured to modulate the optical beam with a signal to be transmitted. The transmitting apparatus may comprise one or more group delay controlling units configured to add one or more controllable time delays to the one or more spectral components. Further, the transmitting apparatus may comprise a plurality of waveguides each having a chromatic dispersion configured to guide the optical beam, wherein the laser light source is tunable to control time delays added by the plurality of waveguides.

A multi-band software defined antenna array tile including a set of pairs of frequency converters associated with a respective coupled dipole array antenna element and comprising a principal polarization converter for applying an oscillating signal to a first partial beam-formed data stream to generate an oscillating partial beam-formed data stream, where the oscillating signal is associated with an oscillating signal frequency received from a memory operatively connected to a system controller. The principal polarization converter applies a three-stage halfband filter to the first oscillating partial beam-formed data stream to generate a filtered partial beam-formed data stream, applies time delay to the filtered partial beam-formed data stream to generate a first partial beam and transmits a partial beam along with other partial beams to a digital software system interface through a data transport bus.

Systems and methods are provided for a digital beamformed phased array feed. The system may include a radome configured to allow electromagnetic waves to propagate; a multi-band software defined antenna array tile; a power and clock management subsystem configured to manage power and time of operation; a thermal management subsystem configured to dissipate heat generated by the multi-band software defined antenna array tile; and an enclosure assembly. The multi-band software defined antenna array tile may include a plurality of coupled dipole array antenna elements; a plurality of frequency converters; and a plurality of digital beamformers.

Systems, devices, and methods for determining and applying true time delay (TTD) values for compensating for free-space path length differences between a phased array and a reflector in wideband communication are disclosed. TTD values are determined for individual and groups of antenna elements in phased array fed reflector (PAFR) antennas based distances from a focal region of the reflector. The distance from the focal region of the reflector and the offset of the phased array from the reflectors focal plane can be used to determine path length differences. Corresponding TTD values for antenna elements are then determined based on the path length difference associated with the antenna elements. Each antenna element can be coupled to a TTD element to provide the corresponding TTD value to the signals received by and generated by the antenna elements of the phased array. The TTD elements include transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode mechanisms.

Systems and methods are provided for a digital beamformed phased array feed. The system may include a radome configured to allow electromagnetic waves to propagate; a multi-band software defined antenna array tile; a power and clock management subsystem configured to manage power and time of operation; a thermal management subsystem configured to dissipate heat generated by the multi-band software defined antenna array tile; and an enclosure assembly. The multi-band software defined antenna array tile may include a plurality of coupled dipole array antenna elements; a plurality of frequency converters; and a plurality of digital beamformers.