US 12,455,348 B2
Antenna array calibration device and method
Patrick J. Makridakis, Mendon, MA (US); Jack J. Schuss, Newton, MA (US); Thomas V. Sikina, Acton, MA (US); and Joseph E. Hilliard, Jr., Lawrence, MA (US)
Assigned to Raytheon Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by Raytheon Company, Waltham, MA (US)
Filed on May 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/662,094.
Prior Publication US 2023/0358860 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. G01S 7/40 (2006.01); H01Q 19/17 (2006.01); H04Q 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4008 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4021 (2013.01); H01Q 19/17 (2013.01); H04Q 11/0005 (2013.01); H04Q 2011/0016 (2013.01); H04Q 2011/0035 (2013.01); H04Q 2213/003 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An antenna array calibration device, comprising:
a radio frequency/optical (RF/optical) data center having at least one optical input/output;
multiple single mode fibers (SMFs) each having a proximal end connected to the at least one optical input/output of the RF/optical data center and a distal end;
multiple optical/RF dish calibrators each having an optical input/output connected to the distal end of one of the SMFs and an RF input/output;
multiple coaxial transmission lines each having a proximal end connected to the RF input/output of one of the optical/RF dish calibrators and a distal end; and
multiple dish antennas each connected to the distal end of one of the coaxial transmission lines;
wherein the RF/optical data center comprises:
an RF measurement system having an RF input/output;
a coaxial transmission line having a proximal end connected to the RF input/output of the RF measurement system and a distal end;
an RF switch having an RF input/output connected to the distal end of the coaxial transmission line and multiple RF input/outputs;
a radar scheduler configured to correct, based on phase information received via the multiple SMFs, each of dish beam position movement, time temporal stability effects, and temperature effects on one or more dish antennas of the multiple dish antennas;
a low phase noise source having a 10 MHz input, a 550 MHz output, a 1 GHz output, a first output bus, and a second output bus;
a calibration manager controller having a 1 pulse per second (PPS) input, an Inter-Range Instrumentation Group Time Code Format B (IRIG B) input, a 10 MHz input, a 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) input, a 1 GbE input, a 550 MHz input connected to the 550 MHz output of the low phase noise source, and a resource period (RP) synchronization (sync) output;
a calibration digital receiver/exciter (DREX) assembly having a 1 GbE input, a 1 PPS input, a 10 MHz input, a first input connected to the RP sync output of the calibration manager controller, a second input connected to the 550 MHz output of the low phase noise source, a calibration DREX data input/output, an output, a third input, and a fourth input;
a dual coupler having a first input/output connected to the output of the calibration DREX assembly, a first output connected to the third input of the calibration DREX assembly, a second output connected to the fourth input of the calibration DREX assembly, and a second input/output;
multiple first dividers each having an input bus connected to the first output bus of the low phase noise source and an output bus;
multiple second dividers each having an input bus connected to the second output bus of the low phase noise source and an output bus;
multiple RF multiplexer assemblies each having an input/output bus connected to the input/output bus of the RF switch, a first input bus connected to the output bus of one of the first dividers, a second input bus connected to the output bus of one of the second dividers, and an optical input/output bus; and
multiple phase stabilization cards each having a first optical input/output bus connected to the optical input/output bus of one of the RF multiplexer assemblies and a second optical input/output bus;
wherein the RF switch has a 1 GbE input and an RF input/output bus.