Dynamic phased array tapering without phase recalibration

1. A method for phased array tapering, comprising:

setting a gain at a phase-invariant variable gain amplifier in each of a plurality of front-ends of a phased array transceiver to perform tapering of beam pattern side lobes, wherein a resistance in the phase-invariant variable gain amplifier is proportional to a base transit time of an input transistor of the phase-invariant variable gain amplifier to provide a phase shift that is independent of gain.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein setting the gain at each phase-invariant variable gain amplifier comprises setting a direct-current collector current.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising setting a pre-determined relationship between gain and phase shift by controlling the resistance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein setting the gain comprises setting a first gain at a first stage of the phase-invariant variable gain amplifier and setting a second gain at a second stage of the phase-invariant variable gain amplifier.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a dependency of a phase shift of the first stage on the gain of the first stage is equal to and opposite a dependency of a phase shift of the second stage on the gain of the second stage.

6. A system configured to control a phased array, comprising:

a plurality of front-ends of a phased array transceiver, each comprising a phase-invariant variable gain amplifier that includes an input transistor and a resistor;

a gain control module configured to set a gain at the phase-invariant variable gain amplifier in each of the plurality of front-ends to perform tapering of beam pattern side lobes, wherein a resistance of the resistor in each phase-invariant variable gain amplifier is proportional to a base transit time of the respective input transistor to provide a phase shift that is independent of gain.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the gain control module is further configured to set a direct-current collector current to control the gain.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the gain control module is further configured to control the resistance to control a relationship between gain and phase shift.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the gain control module is further configured to set a first gain at a first stage of the phase-invariant variable gain amplifier and to set a second gain at a second stage of the phase-invariant variable gain amplifier.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein a dependency of a phase shift of the first stage on the gain of the first stage is equal to and opposite a dependency of a phase shift of the second stage on the gain of the second stage.

11. A phased-array transceiver, comprising:

a plurality of front-ends, each front-end comprising:

a transmit path comprising a phase-invariant variable gain amplifier that includes an input transistor and a resistor; and

a receive path comprising a phase-invariant variable gain amplifier that includes an input transistor and a resistor;

a control system, comprising:

a gain control module configured to set a gain at the phase-invariant variable gain amplifiers in each of the plurality of front-ends to perform tapering of beam pattern side lobes, wherein a resistance of the resistor in each phase-invariant variable gain amplifier is proportional to a base transit time of the respective input transistor to provide a phase shift that is independent of gain.

12. The phased-array transceiver of claim 11 , wherein the gain control module is further configured to set a direct-current collector current to control the gains.

13. The phased-array transceiver of claim 11 , wherein the gain control module is further configured to control the resistance to control a relationship between gain and phase shift.

14. The phased-array transceiver of claim 11 , wherein the gain control module is further configured to set a first gain at a first stage of each phase-invariant variable gain amplifier and to set a second gain at a second stage of each phase-invariant variable gain amplifier.

15. The phased-array transceiver of claim 14 , wherein a dependency of a phase shift of the first stage on the gain of the first stage is equal to and opposite a dependency of a phase shift of the second stage on the gain of the second stage.

16. The phased-array transceiver of claim 11 , wherein each front-end further comprises a pair of switches configured to switch between the transmit path and the receive path.

17. The phased-array transceiver of claim 16 , wherein each front-end comprises a respective phase-shifter for each of the transmit path and the receive path.