Concepts and Components for Active Antenna Arrays
Work-Package 3.2:
"Multilayer Technologies for Cost-effective Distribution Networks"
a German BMBF/DLR Project
Work-package 3.2 was a small part of the "KANSAS" project and dealt with cost-effective power distribution networks in LTCC multilayer technology for active antenna systems (e.g. phased array antennas). Work has started with the investigation of beam-forming networks like "multi-beam matrix feeds", which are utilizing Buttler matrices or "parallel feed networks" utilizing T-power splitters or Wilkinson dividers. It turned out, that binary trees with Wilkinson dividers are the most promising technology for feeding a high number antenna radiators with n beams, as it is specified for Ka-band (up-link: 30GHz, down-link: 20GHz) multimedia communication application satellites. Wilkinson dividers have been investigated in details. Test patterns have been designed, manufactured and characterised. Furthermore, a 2x2 and 4x4 patch antenna with different feeding networks have been developed on LTCC in co-operation with the parallel conducted research project "RAMP". The effort of WP-3.2 in "KANSAS" has been continued in the project "EASTON", where a multilayer LTCC module with two buried power divider networks has been developed. (further results: see
References)
Parallel feed network with Wilkinson dividers
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Multiple-beam feed with Buttler matrices
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