Power control to a beam steering phased array antenna in satellite applications
Examples disclosed herein relate to a communication system including a transceiver module, a rearrangeable switch network coupled to the transceiver module, a power distribution network coupled to the rearrangeable switch network, and a plurality of Beam Steering Phase Array (“BSPA”) antennas, each coupled to the power distribution network and dynamically controllable to generate beams according to a power regulation requirement for a set of satellites.
1. A communication system for low orbit, the system comprising:
a transceiver module;
a rearrangeable switch network, configured for signal source permutation, coupled to the transceiver module;
a power distribution network coupled to the rearrangeable switch network, the power distribution network comprising:
a plurality of power amplifiers for parallel amplification and power sharing among multiple output ports;
a preamplification processing stage input network (INET) for transforming signals to prepare for amplification; and
a post amplification stage output network (ONET) for recombining signals after amplification; and
a plurality of Beam Steering Phase Array (“B SPA”) antennas, each coupled to the power distribution network and dynamically controllable to generate beams according to a power regulation requirement for a set of satellites.
2. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the preamplification processing stage power splits and phase shifts input signals.
3. The communication system of claim 2 , wherein the power distribution network is adapted to adjust the power output of each output port individually.
4. The communication system of claim 3 , wherein the preamplification processing stage input network comprises:
a plurality of level control drivers configured to control levels of the input signals;
an input switch network configured to switch the input signals; and
an input hybrid coupler network configured to couple the input signals.
5. The communication system of claim 4 , wherein the power distribution network is a multi-port amplification (“MPA”) matrix, and the postamplification processing stage output network comprises:
an output hybrid coupler network configured to couple output signals; and
a high power amplifier bank,
wherein the high power amplifier bank comprises high power amplifiers (HPAs).
6. The communication system of claim 5 , wherein the power distribution network comprises a power amplifier array further comprising:
failure control means coupled to the power distribution network adapted to turn a first set of power amplifiers off and turn on a second set of power amplifiers.
7. The communication system of claim 6 , wherein the HPAs are one of traveling wave tube amplifiers (“TWTAs”) or solid state power amplifiers (“SSPAs”).
8. The communication system of claim 5 , wherein the high power amplifier bank comprises at least one redundant power amplifier.
9. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein each BSPA antenna is integrated in a BSPA antenna module comprising:
a feed network comprising a power divider structure having a plurality of transmission lines configured to transmit a plurality of radio frequency (RF) signals;
a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) coupled to the feed network configured to receive the plurality of RF signals and generate phase shifts at multiple steering angles; and
an antenna controller configured to dynamically control the each BSPA antenna configured to radiate a plurality of transmission beams from the RF signals, each transmission beam having a beam width and a beam direction configured to achieve the power regulation requirement for the set of satellites.
10. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the set of satellites comprises one of a low earth orbit (“LEO”) satellite, a medium earth orbit (“MEO”) satellite, or a geosynchronous earth orbit (“GEO”) satellite.
11. A power distribution network for a communication system, the network comprising:
a multi-port amplification bank;
a pre-amplification processing module coupled to an input of the multi-port amplification bank;
a post-amplification processing module coupled to an output of the multi-port amplification bank;
a Beam Steering Phase Array (“B SPA”) antenna coupled to a plurality of outputs of the post-amplification processing module, the BSPA antenna comprising a plurality of subarrays; and
a control module configured to dynamically control the BSPA antenna to generate a plurality of beams according to a power regulation requirement for a set of satellites.
12. The power distribution network of claim 11 , wherein the BSPA antenna is integrated in a BSPA antenna module comprising:
a feed network comprising a power divider structure having a plurality of transmission lines configured to transmit a plurality of radio frequency (RF) signals;
a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) coupled to the feed network configured to receive the plurality of RF signals and generate phase shifts at multiple steering angles; and
an antenna controller coupled to the control module and configured to dynamically control the BSPA antenna to radiate a plurality of transmission beams from the RF signals, each transmission beam having a beam width and a beam direction configured to achieve the power regulation requirement for the set of satellites, and further configured to determine transmission output signal power distribution and control a preamplification processing stage input network (INET) accordingly.
13. A method for operating an antenna system in a satellite, comprising:
configuring the antenna system for a first transmission;
determining whether to adjust a power distribution for the first transmission according to a power regulation requirement for the satellite;
controlling a preamplification processing stage input network (INET to configure inputs for the power distribution;
configuring transmission outputs from the power distribution; and
dynamically controlling a Beam Steering Phase Array (“BSPA”) antenna to radiate a plurality of transmission beams, each transmission beam having a beam width and a beam direction to achieve the power regulation requirement for the satellite.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling an Input Multiport Network (INET) network to configure inputs to a multi-port amplification (MPA) and controlling an Output Multiport Network (ONET) network to configure transmission outputs from the MPA, the transmission outputs transmitted to the BSPA.
15. A beamsteering phased array antenna module, comprising:
an antenna module comprising a plurality of antenna arrays configured for millimeter transmissions;
an antenna controller coupled to the antenna module and adapted to dynamically control the antenna module to achieve specified operational parameters;
a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) module comprising:
a phase shift circuitry for phase shifting of signals; and
an amplifier circuitry for amplification of the signals;
a power distribution network coupled to the RFIC by a plurality of transmission lines, the power distribution network comprising:
a rearrangeable switch network configured for signal source permutation; and
a multi-port amplification module; and
transceiver providing input signals to the power distribution network.
16. The beamsteering phased array antenna module as in claim 15 , wherein the multi-port amplification module comprises a bank of power amplifiers and is adapted to perform parallel amplification of signals to outputs.
17. The beamsteering phased array antenna module as in claim 16 , wherein the rearrangeable switch network is adapted to configure a variety of permutations of the beamsteering phased array antenna module from input to output.
18. The beamsteering phased array antenna module as in claim 17 , wherein multi-port amplification module comprises a plurality of amplifiers and is a matrix network of M input ports and M output ports, wherein at least one of the plurality of amplifiers is in an off mode.