Abstract: A temperature sensor may include a capacitor, a circuit element coupled in series with the capacitor and having a resistance that varies with temperature, and a controller. The controller is for charging/discharging the capacitor through the circuit element, measuring a charging/discharging time required to charge/discharge the capacitor to a predetermined threshold, and determining a temperature based upon the charging/discharging time. More specifically, the circuit element may be a thermistor, for example. The temperature sensor may further include at least one calibration resistor coupled between the controller and the capacitor.

Abstract: A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried by the substrate. The phased array antenna may also include a plurality of antenna element controllers for the phased array antenna elements and a central controller for providing beam steering commands and edge trigger synchronization signals for the antenna element controllers. Furthermore, each of the antenna element controllers may store a respective next beam steering command and implement the respective next beam steering command as a respective active beam steering command responsive to the edge trigger synchronization signal from the central controller. The edge trigger synchronization signal may be delivered substantially simultaneously to all of the antenna element controllers, and each antenna element controller may detect the edge trigger synchronization pulse only during a predetermined time window, for example.

Abstract: A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried thereby, and an element control module for at least one of the phased array antenna elements. The element control module may include an amplifier coupled to the at least one phased array antenna element and having a controllable bias, and a controllable device coupled to the amplifier and having at least one of a controllable phase, delay, and attenuation. The element control module may also include a control application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for controlling the controllable phase, delay, and/or attenuation of the controllable device and the controllable bias of the amplifier.

Abstract: A phased array antenna includes a plurality of phased array antenna modules and associated antenna elements. Further, at least one of the phased array antenna modules may also include a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the at least one phased array antenna module. More particularly, the temperature sensor may include a capacitor and a circuit element coupled in series with the capacitor having a resistance that varies with temperature. Additionally, the at least one phased array antenna module may further include a module controller for charging/discharging the capacitor through the circuit element, measuring a charging/discharging time required to charge/discharge the capacitor to a predetermined threshold, and determining the temperature of the at least one phased array antenna module based upon the charging/discharging time.

Abstract: A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried by the substrate, and a plurality of element controllers connected to the phased array antenna elements. Each element controller may be switchable between inactive and active data receiving states. The phased array antenna may further include a plurality of subarray controllers and a plurality of data buses. Each data bus may connect a respective subarray controller to respective columns and rows of element controllers.

Abstract: A phased array antenna system may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried by the substrate, a plurality of antenna element controllers connected to the phased array antenna elements, and at least one higher level controller connected to the plurality of antenna element controllers. The at least one higher level controller and/or lower level antenna element controllers in some embodiments may perform a processing operation on a first portion of a received multi-bit command message before receiving all bits of the multi-bit command message.

Abstract: A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried thereby and an element control device for at least one of the phased array antenna elements. The element control device may include an IC die including output circuitry, readback circuitry, and control circuitry connected to the output and readback circuitry. The element control device may further include an IC package surrounding the IC die, a plurality of output terminals connected to the output circuitry and extending outwardly from the IC package, and a plurality of readback input terminals connected to the readback circuitry and extending outwardly from the IC package. Further, respective external readback connections may extend between the plurality of output terminals and the plurality of readback input terminals. The control circuitry may cause the output circuitry to output signals on the plurality of output terminals to be read back for fault detection.

Abstract: A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried thereby, and an element control module for at least one of the phased array antenna elements. The element control module may include an amplifier coupled to the at least one phased array antenna element and having a controllable bias, and a controllable device coupled to the amplifier and having at least one of a controllable phase, delay, and attenuation. The element control module may also include a control application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for controlling the controllable phase, delay, and/or attenuation of the controllable device and the controllable bias of the amplifier.

Abstract: A phased array antenna may include a substrate and at least one phased array antenna element carried thereby, at least one element controller for controlling the at least one phased array antenna element based upon desired compensation data, and a central controller for supplying to the at least one element controller a current value of a quick control parameter and a block of current compensation data. The block of current compensation data may be based upon a current value of a slow control parameter and a range of possible values for the quick control parameter. Further, the quick control parameter may vary more quickly than the slow control parameter. Additionally, the at least one element controller may determine the desired compensation data based upon the supplied block of current compensation data and the current value of the quick control parameter.

Abstract: A phased array antenna may include a substrate, a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried by the substrate, and a central controller for providing beam steering commands and beam shaping commands. Furthermore, the phased array antenna may also include a plurality of element controllers connected to the phased array antenna elements and the central controller. Each element controller may store at least one position related value based upon physical positioning of the associated phased array antenna element on the substrate, and determine a beam shaping offset based upon the stored at least one position related value and a received beam shaping command from the central controller. Each element controller may also determine at least one phased array antenna element control value based upon a received beam steering command and the beam shaping offset.

Abstract: A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of controllable phased array antenna elements carried thereby, a central controller for generating a mode selection signal and beam control signals, and at least one multi-mode element controller connected to at least one of the controllable phased array antenna elements and the central controller. The at least one multi-mode element controller may be operable in a desired operating mode from among a plurality of operating modes based upon the mode selection signal from the central controller. Furthermore, the at least one multi-mode element controller may also generate output signals for the at least one controllable phased array antenna element based upon the beam control signals from the central controller.

Abstract: A phased array antenna system may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried thereby, and a plurality of subarray controllers for controlling respective groups of phased array antenna elements. The phased array antenna system may further include a central controller for generating priority beam control commands and non-priority beam control commands for the subarray controllers, and a communications bus connecting the subarray controllers to the central controller. The central controller may send the priority beam control commands to the subarray controllers via the communications bus on a substantially real time basis with time gaps therebetween. Further, the central controller may also send the non-priority beam control commands to the subarray controllers via the communications bus during the time gaps.

Abstract: A phased array antenna may include a substrate and at least one phased array antenna element carried thereby, at least one element controller for controlling the at least one phased array antenna element based upon desired compensation data, and a central controller for supplying to the at least one element controller a current value of a quick control parameter and a block of current compensation data. The block of current compensation data may be based upon a current value of a slow control parameter and a range of possible values for the quick control parameter. Further, the quick control parameter may vary more quickly than the slow control parameter. Additionally, the at least one element controller may determine the desired compensation data based upon the supplied block of current compensation data and the current value of the quick control parameter.

Abstract: A temperature sensor may include a capacitor, a circuit element coupled in series with the capacitor and having a resistance that varies with temperature, and a controller. The controller is for charging/discharging the capacitor through the circuit element, measuring a charging/discharging time required to charge/discharge the capacitor to a predetermined threshold, and determining a temperature based upon the charging/discharging time. More specifically, the circuit element may be a thermistor, for example. The temperature sensor may further include at least one calibration resistor coupled between the controller and the capacitor.

Abstract: A phased array antenna includes a plurality of phased array antenna modules and associated antenna elements. Further, at least one of the phased array antenna modules may also include a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the at least one phased array antenna module. More particularly, the temperature sensor may include a capacitor and a circuit element coupled in series with the capacitor having a resistance that varies with temperature. Additionally, the at least one phased array antenna module may further include a module controller for charging/discharging the capacitor through the circuit element, measuring a charging/discharging time required to charge/discharge the capacitor to a predetermined threshold, and determining the temperature of the at least one phased array antenna module based upon the charging/discharging time.

Abstract: A phased array antenna system may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried thereby, and a plurality of subarray controllers for controlling respective groups of phased array antenna elements. The phased array antenna system may further include a central controller for generating priority beam control commands and non-priority beam control commands for the subarray controllers, and a communications bus connecting the subarray controllers to the central controller. The central controller may send the priority beam control commands to the subarray controllers via the communications bus on a substantially real time basis with time gaps therebetween. Further, the central controller may also send the non-priority beam control commands to the subarray controllers via the communications bus during the time gaps.

Abstract: A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried thereby and an element control device for at least one of the phased array antenna elements. The element control device may include an IC die including output circuitry, readback circuitry, and control circuitry connected to the output and readback circuitry. The element control device may further include an IC package surrounding the IC die, a plurality of output terminals connected to the output circuitry and extending outwardly from the IC package, and a plurality of readback input terminals connected to the readback circuitry and extending outwardly from the IC package. Further, respective external readback connections may extend between the plurality of output terminals and the plurality of readback input terminals. The control circuitry may cause the output circuitry to output signals on the plurality of output terminals to be read back for fault detection.

Abstract: A phased array antenna system may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried by the substrate, a plurality of antenna element controllers connected to the phased array antenna elements, and at least one higher level controller connected to the plurality of antenna element controllers. The at least one higher level controller and/or lower level antenna element controllers in some embodiments may perform a processing operation on a first portion of a received multi-bit command message before receiving all bits of the multi-bit command message.

Abstract: A phased array antenna may include a substrate, a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried by the substrate, and a central controller for providing beam steering commands and beam shaping commands. Furthermore, the phased array antenna may also include a plurality of element controllers connected to the phased array antenna elements and the central controller. Each element controller may store at least one position related value based upon physical positioning of the associated phased array antenna element on the substrate, and determine a beam shaping offset based upon the stored at least one position related value and a received beam shaping command from the central controller. Each element controller may also determine at least one phased array antenna element control value based upon a received beam steering command and the beam shaping offset.

Abstract: A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried by the substrate, and a plurality of element controllers connected to the phased array antenna elements. Each element controller may be switchable between inactive and active data receiving states. The phased array antenna may further include a plurality of subarray controllers and a plurality of data buses. Each data bus may connect a respective subarray controller to respective columns and rows of element controllers.