Beam shaping by moving the phase center of array antenna

The phase center location and the phase pattern for a 110 GHz corrugated horn were measured by a novel differential phase method. This method makes it possible to overcome problems associated with the complexity of the measurement setup and errors caused by the flexible cable or rotary joint required in the system. The phase center at 110 GHz is 2.7+or-0.3 mm from the aperture. The measurements agree very well with the results given by the modal matching technique. This technique predicts very accurately both the phase center position and the phase pattern.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

The determination of multi-GNSS Differential Code Biases (DCBs) is crucial for improving both precise positioning and ionospheric modeling. While frequency-specific antenna phase center (APC) information for multi-GNSS is available, the IGS Analysis Centers have not yet fully incorporated APC calibrations into their DCB products. This study evaluates the effect of Antenna Phase Center (APC) corrections, specifically satellite Phase Center Offset (PCO) corrections, on multi-GNSS DCB estimation. Two correction strategies are proposed: (1) a rigorous approach applied during DCB estimation, and (2) an approximate approach that adjusts existing DCB products using z-PCO corrections. Through a six-month analysis, i.e., July–December 2022, we show that PCO-corrected DCB products exhibit high consistency, with root mean square differences of less than 0.1 ns compared to DLR's PCO-corrected DCB products. Positioning tests with 20 MGEX stations demonstrate notable accuracy improvements for SF-PPP when applying PCO-corrected DCBs, including a 20.3% increase for GPS and a 13.1% improvement for BDS-3. SFIC-PPP results further show convergence time reductions of 54.9% for GPS and 10.7% for BDS-3. Since June 2022, the newly generated CAS PCO-corrected DCB products have been routinely provided to the International GNSS Service (IGS).

The anti-jamming antenna is one of the most efficient ways to resist the adversary effect of the interference signal in GNSS positioning. Most anti-jamming antennas can adaptively adjust the radiation figure of the antenna to minimize the interference impact. A side effect of changing the radiation figure is that the antenna phase center (APC) is also changed accordingly. Meanwhile, a stable phase center is a prerequisite for high precision GNSS positioning, thus the anti-jamming and high-precision becomes a dilemma for the GNSS antenna design. This study proposed an efficient antenna phase center variation (PCV) compensation algorithm for the anti-jamming antennas which enables real-time high-precision applications with the anti-jamming antennas. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated with the short baseline tests, and the results indicate that the proposed algorithm can reduce the carrier phase residuals by compensation of the anti-jamming antenna PCV and consequently, the 3D root mean squares (RMS) of real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning in two experiments is improved by 42.3% and 9.7% respectively. After PCV correction, the RTK positioning with the anti-jamming antennas achieves better than 4 cm accuracy.

For the validation of an open area test site usually the normalized site attenuation (NSA) is considered. However, the model for the calculation of the NSA in the various standards is a point dipole. While this may be a correct assumption for biconical antennas or reference dipoles with a well-defined phase center, it is wrong for the antennas used in an automotive antenna test setup. Measurements of automotive antennas for radio and TV reception generally are done on a dedicated test range consisting of a turntable that can bear the weight of the vehicle and a test antenna that is placed in a considerable distance in order to ensure far field conditions. For broadband measurements often log-periodic antennas are used. In these antennas the phase center is not known exactly for all frequencies. The phase center of the automotive antenna is not known either. This uncertainty in the position of the phase centers in combination with the ground reflection occurring between object under test and test antenna results in a measurement error that cannot be neglected. In this work we show how this error can easily be calculated for all test site geometries and give an exemplary calculation for the test site used at our company.

This paper expatiates on the definition and solution of antenna phase center in planar near field. It provides the method of error analysis modeling and the 18 error items of phase pattern. And the final boundary of the error is obtained by error synthesis method. Based on error matrix, Monte Carlo method is employed for error analysis of phase center.

Initiating an error budget of the DORIS ground antenna position: Genesis of the Starec antenna type C

Three major GPS antenna calibration methods are available toda: the relative field calibrations using the GPS data collected on short baselines, the absolute field calibrations, where the GPS antenna is rotated and tilted by a robot, and calibration measurements in an anechoic chamber. Mean antenna offsets and the elevation-dependent phase center variations of GPS antennas determined by all three techniques are compared to assess their accuracy. The analysis of global GPS data with these sets of calibration values reveals that the offsets and variations of the satellite antenna phase centers have to be considered, too, to obtain a consistent picture. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

For a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system, the platform attitude drift will affect the image qualities. During SAR system design computer simulation can be used to determine the attitude stability which can satisfy the users' demands. In the computer simulation, the first step is to create the mathematic model. General models of platform attitude drift are usually created in the time domain, such as the sinusoid one, and the model presented is done in the frequency domain. For each attitude angle (roll, yaw, pitch), the amplitude and phase values are first generated in the frequency domain. Because the attitude parameters are sampled with PRF (pulse repetition frequency) in SAR system, the maximum frequency is set to PRF/2. The amplitude may be changed with the frequency (for example, inversely proportional to the square of frequency), while the phase may be uniformly distributed between 0 to 2/spl pi/. Then the inverse Fourier transformation converts this data into the time domain. Because the phase center of the SAR's antenna is usually offset from the platform center, the attitude drift will change the slant range between the antenna's phase center and the target on the ground. These changes will affect the Doppler history in azimuth direction for the SAR. After these changes are simulated, the SAR raw data of a point target can be generated. With the general SAR procession, the simulated image is obtained. Using the analysis software, the authors can get the effects on the image qualities of the attitude drift. At last, the simulation steps and an example are also presented.

Using a very short baseline interferometer, the relative stability of the YEBE and YEB1 GPS stations at the Yebes Observatory (Spain) is assessed. A baseline length bias of 1 mm was found between estimates from different observed frequencies due most likely to phase center errors resulting from antenna calibration uncertainties and/or phase center migrations caused by the electromagnetic coupling of antenna and monument. Also a bias of 0.5 mm in the vertical component of the baseline length was found between estimates from different cut-off elevation angles due to elevation-dependent errors as phase center and multipath. In addition to these biases, significant variations in the horizontal component of the baseline length were found, mostly in the form of a trend of −0.45 ± 0.10 mm/yr and an annual oscillation of amplitude 1 ± 0.1 mm and phase 155 ± 5 (beginning of June). The annual oscillation showed a high correlation with ambient temperature variations. Bedrock thermal expansion seems not to be a significant contributor to the annual variation due to the excellent agreement between the phases of the baseline and temperature annual signals. Thermoelastic expansion of the station monuments, which are comprised of concrete pillars and buildings, driven by the sunshine heating, is likely the origin of this oscillation. Near-field multipath and phase center errors are also rejected as being the main contributor to the annual signal. Conversely, near-field multipath and phase center errors may significantly contribute together to the time-correlated noise content of the baseline time series at long periods (flicker noise amplitude of 1.2 ± 0.1 mm). This research provides thus an assessment of the GPS station stability at the Yebes Observatory, which may be extended to the level of station-dependent contamination of geophysical and geodetic studies (e.g., plate tectonics, surface loadings, local ties) when similar station installations on top of buildings are used.

For several years we have been measuring the RF characteristics of a variety of GPS user antennas at both L1 and L2 using the Goddard Space Flight Center anechoic chamber. The properties that we have measured have included the location of the antenna phase center, and the amplitude, phase, and axial ratio response of the antenna as a function of zenith distance and azimuth. The use of our phase patterns and associated phase centers in the processing of GPS data has proven to be useful. However, a close examination of the phase patterns that we have measured has shown that the locations of the phase centers that we have published may not be optimal.

Recent studies have shown that the electromagnetic band gap (EBG) antenna can be used to feed a reflector, especially to realize multibeam coverage with geostationary satellite. However, it is necessary to evaluate its performances in terms of aperture efficiency to compare this solution to the classical ones. Among all the parameters which contribute to the aperture efficiency, one of the most important is the phase center, which has never been determined for EBG antennas. This is the aim of this letter. After defining a simple method to calculate the phase center of the EBG antennas, the position and the frequency evolution of this parameter will be studied. Then, the performances of such a feed associated with a Side Fed Offset Cassegrain Antenna (SFOCA) will be evaluated and compared with a classical feed for reflector, a Potter horn

Nowadays, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites are proposed to augment the Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) service of the GNSS satellites by directly transmitting navigation signals. In such cases, the users eventually need the orbits at the Antenna Phase Center (APC) of the antenna broadcasting navigation signals toward the Earth instead of those at the satellite Center of Mass (CoM). Using real attitudes of Sentinel satellites and simulated attitudes of different source types with enlarged instabilities, the influences of the attitude instability on the prediction and ephemeris fitting of the APC orbits are studied. It was found that different scenarios of attitude stabilities could lead to prediction degradations with a 3D RMS from a few millimeters to more than 4 cm. The study also showed that the ephemeris fitting errors of the APCs are not significantly impacted, considering both the real attitudes of Sentinel-6A and the simulated attitude instabilities.

This paper presents a novel polarimetric near-field two-dimension (2D) synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) suitable for ground penetrating radar (GPR) application. The imaging algorithm is intended for locating metallic and non-metallic anti-personnel (AP's) mines using an ultra-wide-band stepped frequency radar. A radar image can be formed by coherently integrating the backscattered field over the measured frequency spectrum and cross-range scan. The coherent integration is essentially a convolution of the collected data and a focusing (test) function, which only depends on the geometry of the measurement. Wavefront curvature must be taken account of when attempting to image an object within 1-2 wavelengths off an antenna(s) phase center. Applying conventional far-field SAR imaging using a direct Fourier inversion may result in images which are increasingly blurred and shifted at points more distant from the point of rotation of the focusing function. Here, a focusing function is first derived based on a conventional far-field geometrical optic propagator for a two-media problem. Then to correct for geometric distortion in the focusing function when applied in the near-field zone we introduce higher order terms to the range function. In order to verify and augment the technique described two field studies were conducted, over different frequency spectrums, the finding of which demonstrates the utility of the technique and the experimental practices.

The complex fit normalized site attenuation (CFNSA) method was introduced in 2000 as an enhancement to the normalized site attenuation (NSA) model used in ANSI C63.4 and C63.5. The simple dipole NSA model is insufficient to predict the behavior of complex antennas like log periodic dipole arrays (LPDAs) and horns. Thus, NSA measurements made with these antennas using free-space antenna factors can have significant deviations from that predicted by the model. The CFNSA model is a modification to the simple dipole NSA model to account for the variations in antenna pattern and phase center that are possible in complex antennas. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the phase center/pattern matching (PCPM) method previously proposed, as well as the use of directly measured pattern and phase center information, for a variety of antenna types.

This paper deals with the synthesis of monopulse antenna patterns, sum and difference ones, for planar phased array antennas with an elliptical aperture boundary featuring unequal ultra-low peak sidelobe levels (PSLLs) for the two principal planes of its far field. The used synthesis method is the iterative Fourier transform (IFT) approach. The elliptical planar phased array antenna involved in this synthesis contains 3656 open-ended waveguide radiating elements arranged in a triangular element grid and has an aperture width and height of 50λ <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0</sub> and 25λ <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0</sub> , respectively, where λ <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0</sub> is the wavelength at X-band center frequency 1.0f <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0</sub> . The simulated monopulse pattern results will be compared with those of a 4680-element rectangular planar phased array antenna having the same width, height, radiator type and triangular grid as the elliptical array antenna. The monopulse patterns of the rectangular array antenna meet the same unequal ultra-low PSLL requirements as those of the elliptical array antenna. It will be shown that the elliptical array antenna with a slightly enlarged aperture containing 4170 elements features on receive comparable or even better far-field performance characteristics as that of the rectangular array antenna. All reported far-field pattern simulations take mutual coupling between the array elements into account.