Examples disclosed herein relate to a radar system for use in millimeter wave applications. The radar system includes an array of transmit elements to transmit a transmit beam and to scan the transmit beam in an azimuth plane across an azimuth field of view (FOV.sub.AZ) at a transmit refresh rate. In one or more implementations, the transmit beam is a fan beam in an elevation plane, and the array of transmit elements is arranged along a first axis. The radar system further includes an array of receive elements to receive a receive beam and to scan the receive beam in an elevation plane across an elevation field of view (FOV.sub.EL) or to a predetermined elevation location. In one or more implementations, the receive beam is a fan beam in the azimuth plane, and the array of receive elements is arranged along a second axis. In some implementations, the second axis is orthogonal to the first axis.

Examples disclosed herein relate to a radar system for use in millimeter wave applications. The radar system includes a lighting device, such as a light bulb or an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs). The radar system further includes an array of transmit elements to transmit at least one transmit signal, where at least one transmit signal reflects off of at least one object to generate at least one receive signal. The array of transmit elements is configured around at least a first portion of a perimeter of the lighting device. Also, the radar system includes an array of receive elements to receive at least one receive signal, where the array of receive elements is configured around at least a second portion of the perimeter of the lighting device.

A beamforming IC operates in a transmit mode or a receive mode to respectively transmit and receive signals at different times. To that end, the beamforming IC has an element interface, a transmit branch configured to produce an output transmit signal through the element interface when in the transmit mode, and a receive branch configured to receive an input signal through the element interface when in the receive mode. The beamforming circuit also has a sampling circuit with an electrical coupling with the transmit branch. The sampling circuit is configured to sample the output transmit signal with the electrical coupling to produce a sample signal. The sampling circuit also is configured to direct the sample signal through the receive branch, which is configured to modify the phase of the sample signal to produce a modified sample signal. This modified sample signal can be used to manage the IC transmission.

A multi-function radio frequency (MFRF) system may deploy groups of small or micro-sized unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to achieve various MFRF functions and mission objectives. Each member UAS may incorporate structurally integrated/embedded, conformal/appliqu, or mechanically deployable antenna elements, or may utilize characteristic mode transducers to excite conductive exterior surfaces of the UAS, such that each UAS may maximize its limited size or surface area to emit MFRF radiation according to a variety of MFRF operating modes. Member UAS may be fashioned by three-dimensional additive manufacturing (3DAM) techniques. Each UAS may coordinate their positioning and MFRF emissions with other member UAS to collectively form synthetic apertures and swarms capable of MFRF functionalities not achievable by a single UAS. UAS swarms may form new subswarms or dynamically reconfigure depending on changing mission objectives or battlefield conditions.

Disclosed is a system and method for a complex domain radio frequency (RF) frontend, adaptive beamforming can separate the relatively slowly changed waveform delay information required from wideband RF signals, upon which a self-contained beamforming system is implemented with a low-speed baseband. By introducing vector RF multipliers in the frontend of the present invention, the amplitude and phase of RF signals are simultaneously controlled by the real and imaginary parts of complex numbers, such that beamforming algorithms derived in complex domain can be directly applied without any form of transformation. By doing so, the massive use of conventional T/R modules and high-speed baseband devices can be avoided, thus simplifying the realization and decreasing the cost of wideband digital beamforming systems for use in low cost, power efficient beamforming applications.

Systems and methods relate to an electronically scanned antenna array. A beamforming circuit includes a first input, a first output, a second input, a second output and an antenna interface. The antenna interface is coupled to the electronically scanned antenna array. A first control circuit is coupled to the first input and the first output and is configured to provide first beamforming data to the beamforming circuit via the first input. A second control circuit is coupled to the second input and the second output and is configured to provide second beamforming data to the beam forming circuit via the second input.

An active phased array antenna (APAA) device includes antenna elements, active circuits, switches, and a control circuit. The antenna elements transmit and receive radio waves. The active circuits are connected to the antenna elements and start an operation upon supply of power distributed from a power supply circuit and transmit and receive signals via the antenna elements to which the active circuits are connected. The switches are connected to the active circuits, and start, upon being closed, supply of power to the active circuits to which the switches are connected, and stop, upon being opened, the supply of power to the active circuits to which the switches are connected. The control circuit transmits to the switches switching signals to turn the switches on and off to control starting and stopping of the supply of power to the active circuits. The control circuit sets timing differences in execution timings of executing the start of the stop of supply of power to the active circuits.

A planar antenna includes a plurality of antenna elements and transmits and receives a radio wave to and from a target. An attitude controller is attached to the planar antenna and controls an attitude of the planar antenna mechanically. An antenna controller controls the attitude controller such that the planar antenna points in a predetermined direction with respect to the target. A scan controller controls beam scanning performed by the planar antenna and adjusts an excitation phase of each of the antenna elements in accordance with a signal level of a reception signal generated from a radio wave received from the target during performance of the beam scanning, thereby directing a beam from the planar antenna toward the target. The scan controller limits a range of the beam scanning to a range within which no grating lobe occurs.

A broadband phased array antenna system is set forth comprising a support member; an antenna array mounted to the support member, the antenna array having a plurality of uniformly excited hybrid radiating elements arranged in a symmetric array on a substrate; a baseband controller mounted to the support member; a radio controller mounted to the support member for modulating and demodulating signals between the baseband controller and antenna array; and a communications interface for removably connecting and disconnecting the antenna system. In one aspect, the antenna array comprises a substrate; a plurality of uniformly excited hybrid radiating elements arranged in a symmetric array on the substrate; a hybrid feeding network for transmitting RF-signals to the hybrid radiating elements; and artificial materials surrounding opposite sides of the symmetric array for suppressing edge scattered fields and increasing gain of the antenna system.

A liquid crystal panel included in a scanning antenna includes: a TFT substrate including a first dielectric substrate, a TFT supported on the first dielectric substrate, a gate bus line, a source bus line, a patch electrode, and a first alignment film covering the patch electrode; a slot substrate including a second dielectric substrate, a slot electrode formed on a first main surface of the second dielectric substrate and including a slot arranged corresponding to the patch electrode, and a second alignment film covering the slot electrode; and a liquid crystal layer provided between the TFT substrate and the slot substrate and containing a liquid crystal molecule having an isothiocyanate group. The patch electrodes and the slot electrode are each formed of a Cu layer or an Al layer, and the first alignment film and the second alignment film each include a compound having an atomic group forming a coordinate bond with Cu or Al.