Abstract: The system can include and the method can provide a first printed circuit board antenna tile. The first printed circuit board antenna tile comprises a repeating pattern of antenna element units. The antenna can also include and the method can also provide a second first printed circuit board antenna tile comprising the repeating pattern. The first printed circuit board antenna tile and the second first printed circuit board antenna tile can be attached such that the antenna elements maintain the same spacing in an X-Y plane associated with the repeating pattern across a boundary the first printed circuit board antenna tile and the second first printed circuit board antenna tile.

Abstract: Electronically scanned array (ESA) antennas are disclosed. An antenna may include an electronically scanned array (ESA) panel. The ESA panel may include a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) modules, and each T/R module of the plurality of T/R modules may be contained within a unit cell of the ESA panel, where the unit cell has a surface area constrained by a maximum operating frequency of the ESA panel. The antenna may also include at least one radio frequency (RF) filter positioned within each particular unit cell of the ESA panel. The at least one RF filter may be configured to provide RF filtering specifically for the T/R module co-located within that particular unit cell of the ESA panel.

Abstract: The system can include and the method can provide a first printed circuit board antenna tile. The first printed circuit board antenna tile comprises a repeating pattern of antenna element units. The antenna can also include and the method can also provide a second first printed circuit board antenna tile comprising the repeating pattern. The first printed circuit board antenna tile and the second first printed circuit board antenna tile can be attached such that the antenna elements maintain the same spacing in an X-Y plane associated with the repeating pattern across a boundary the first printed circuit board antenna tile and the second first printed circuit board antenna tile.

Abstract: An antenna horn includes an upper waveguide ridge and a lower waveguide ridge shaped to provide impedance matching. The antenna horn operates unimodally within a 6:1 instantaneous bandwidth. A circular array of antenna horns produces an enhanced radiation pattern in a horizontal plane with reduced radiating in the direction orthogonal to the horizontal plane. Furthermore, two circular arrays of half-height antenna horns may be arranged on a collinear axis, offset by one half of a sector width as defined by each horn aperture to reduce coupling.

Abstract: A system and method verifies phase shifter operation in an antenna array system. The system can include and the method can use a number of antenna elements, and a number of phase shifters. Each of the phase shifters is associated with the respective antenna element of the antenna elements and may include a power amplifier circuit. The system also can include and the method can also use a number of power sensors in communication with the phase shifters. Each of the phase shifters can be associated with a respective power sensor and the power sensor can be configured to detect power associated with the power amplifier circuit.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a radiating element containment and ground plane structure. The method includes positioning post components, wherein each of the post components has at least one channel. The method further includes positioning a ground plane component including insertion slots and post attachment points. The method also includes attaching the post components to the ground plane component such that each post component is electrically grounded to the ground plane component.

Abstract: An antenna array includes a flexible microstrip PCB feed layer and a plurality of radiating elements attached to the flexible PCB feed layer. The radiating elements comprise a Tau scalable log periodic array of low profile radiating elements for producing a monopole, end fire radiation pattern. Radiating elements include printed inverted F antenna elements and multi-arm puck elements for circular polarization. The antenna array is conformable to a curved surface. The radiating elements can be either integrated within a multi-layer flex or rigid flex PCB, or configured as individual elements that are die attached to a common ground plane flex circuit.

Abstract: An active electronically scanned array (AESA) includes a plurality of power amplifiers including first power amplifiers and second power amplifiers. The first power amplifiers are biased by a first drain voltage. The second power amplifiers are biased by a second drain voltage. The second drain voltage is different from the first drain voltage.

Abstract: In one aspect, the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to an antenna array system employing a current sheet array (CSA) wavelength scaled aperture. The CSA wavelength scaled aperture can include a first frequency region associated with a first operating frequency band and a second frequency region associated with a second operating frequency band. The first operating frequency band can include one or more current sheet sub-arrays having a respective plurality of first unit cells scaled to support the first operating frequency band. The second operating frequency band can include one or more current sheet sub-arrays having a respective plurality of second unit cells scaled to support the second operating frequency band. The CSA wavelength scaled aperture can include one or more capacitors each of which coupled to a respective first unit cell of the first frequency region and a respective second unit cell of the second frequency region.

Abstract: A radar system, such as a weather radar system, includes a radar antenna and a processor. The processor is configured to cause a first radar beam to be provided using a first portion of the radar antenna. The processor is configured to cause a second radar beam to be provided using a phase adjusted portion of the antenna and a remaining portion of the radar antenna. A radar method and system can allow multiple low-loss overlapping radar beams to be rapidly generated to support a sequential lobing process which may be used to generate intra-beam target angle estimates. The production of these overlapping beams does not require mechanical antenna movement but beam selection is controlled by a simple electronic switch in some embodiments.

Abstract: A system and method provides time delays for an antenna array such as an electronically-scanned antenna array in a wide band range. The system and method can utilize time delay units including a radio frequency integrated circuit time delay unit portion provided on a radio frequency integrated circuit and an interposer time delay unit portion. The interposer time delay portion is provided on an interposer associated with the radio frequency integrated circuit.

Abstract: The hazard warning system that included processing system for detecting a high altitude ice crystal (HAIC) condition. The aircraft warning system can use at least two types of radar returns to detect the HAIC condition. Warnings of high altitude ice crystal conditions can allow an aircraft to avoid threats posed by HAIC conditions including damage to aircraft equipment and engines.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a stacked parasitic array. The stacked parasitic array may include a stack of multiple parasitic antenna arrays (ex.—layers). Each of the parasitic antenna arrays (ex.—layers) may be independently tuned for multiband operation or, alternatively, the parasitic antenna arrays (ex.—layers) may be designed for common band and fed coherently as a collinear array for promoting increased gain and elevation beam steering.

Abstract: An antenna array system can comprise an array of antenna elements, a near-field probe (NFP) arranged in a vicinity of the antenna elements, and a processor coupled to the array of antenna elements and to the NFP. The processor can be configured to dynamically switch the antenna array system, while deployed on an operational platform, from an operation mode to a calibration mode, and calibrate the array of antenna elements according to a receive (RX) calibration sub-mode or a transmit (TX) calibration sub-mode. In the RX calibration sub-mode, the processor can be configured to adjust at least one signal reception parameter associated with at least one receiving antenna element of the array of antenna elements. In the TX calibration sub-mode, the processor can be configured to adjust at least one signal transmission parameter associated with at least one transmitting antenna element of the array of antenna elements.

Abstract: A system and method compensates for temperature in a signal path of an antenna array. The signal path includes an antenna element, a first phase shifter or a time delay unit, and a first variable gain power amplifier. The system and method can provide at least one of a local temperature signal, a remote temperature signal, and both the local temperature signal and the remote temperature signal to a slope control circuit, and provide a phase control signal or a gain control signal using the slope control circuit at least partially in response to the at least one of the local temperature signal, the remote temperature signal, and both the local temperature signal and the remote temperature signal.

Abstract: A system and method uses an active manifold for an antenna array. The manifold can be assembled by a method including providing a first set of cards including a first set of antenna elements and a corresponding number of integrated circuit based time delay units or phase shifters for the first set of antenna elements. The first set of antenna elements is associated with a row of the antenna array. The method also includes providing a second set of cards including a second set of antenna elements and a corresponding number of integrated circuit based time delay units or phase shifters for the second set of antenna elements. The second set of antenna elements is associated with a column of the antenna array.

Abstract: Electronically scanned array (ESA) antennas are disclosed. An antenna may include an electronically scanned array (ESA) panel. The ESA panel may include a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) modules, and each T/R module of the plurality of T/R modules may be contained within a unit cell of the ESA panel, where the unit cell has a surface area constrained by a maximum operating frequency of the ESA panel. The antenna may also include at least one radio frequency (RF) filter positioned within each particular unit cell of the ESA panel. The at least one RF filter may be configured to provide RF filtering specifically for the T/R module co-located within that particular unit cell of the ESA panel.

Abstract: A combined pulsed and FMCW AESA radar system is described. The radar system includes an AESA array of radiating elements, an array of TR modules, an RF combiner/splitter, a transmitter, a pulsed radar receiver and an FMCW radar receiver. Each TR module corresponds to a respective radiating element of the array of radiating elements. The transmitter is configured to transmit an excitation signal to excite selected or all radiating elements of the array of radiating elements via the TR modules. When the transmitter is in a pulsed radar mode, the pulsed radar receiver is configured to receive radar return signals via the RF combiner/splitter from radiating elements of the array of radiating elements via the TR modules. When the transmitter is in an FMCW radar mode, the FMCW radar receiver is configured to receive radar return signals from selected radiating elements of the array of radiating elements via the TR modules.

Abstract: A system and method compensates for temperature in a signal path of an antenna array. The signal path includes an antenna element, a first phase shifter or a time delay unit, and a first variable gain power amplifier. The system and method can provide at least one of a local temperature signal, a remote temperature signal, and both the local temperature signal and the remote temperature signal to a slope control circuit, and provide a phase control signal or a gain control signal using the slope control circuit at least partially in response to the at least one of the local temperature signal, the remote temperature signal, and both the local temperature signal and the remote temperature signal.

Abstract: The system can include and the method can provide a first printed circuit board antenna tile. The first printed circuit board antenna tile comprises a repeating pattern of antenna element units. The antenna can also include and the method can also provide a second first printed circuit board antenna tile comprising the repeating pattern. The first printed circuit board antenna tile and the second first printed circuit board antenna tile can be attached such that the antenna elements maintain the same spacing in an X-Y plane associated with the repeating pattern across a boundary the first printed circuit board antenna tile and the second first printed circuit board antenna tile.