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Auto-Calibration and element failure compensation in active phased

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
Air Force 		Award ID:
19939 		Program Year/Program:
1995 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
19939 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
Technology Service Corporation
3415 S. Sepulveda Blvd Suite 800 Los Angeles, CA -
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Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 2
Fiscal Year: 1995
Title: Auto-Calibration and element failure compensation in active phased
Agency / Branch: DOD / USAF
Contract: N/A
Award Amount: $728,133.00
 

Abstract:

Solid state active phased array antennas promise to provide very low sidelobe capability. However, they will be subject to short term calibration drift and element failures. This compels an on-line, operational self calibration capability. TSC proposes a completely internal, on-line self calibration technique which utilizes the inherent mutual coupling among the radiating elements to accurately measure the transfer coefficients of each of the elements and their associated T/R module receivers and transmitters, transmission lines, and beamformers. The technique does not require knowledge of the absolute magnitude of the mutual coupling coefficients, but exploits the fact that the coupling coefficients will be very consistent across the array, and will remain very stable with time. Once the transfer coefficients are accurately measured, the appropriate corrections are applied to the T/R module phase shifters and attenuators. In case of a failed element, one of several algorithms is applied which optimally adjusts the other elements in the array to recover the antenna pattern sidelobe performance. The simplest of these to implement utilizes adjustments to the weights of the other elements in the array to synthesize, and add back, a close approximation of the missing array element pattern.

Principal Investigator:

Charles A. Shipley
3104509755

Business Contact:

Small Business Information at Submission:

Technology Service Corp
2950 31st Street, Suite 200 Santa Monica, CA 90405

EIN/Tax ID:
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No