TRANSMITARRAY FOR Ku BAND

P. Padilla de la Torre*, M. Sierra Castafiert

*Ph D Student, ETSI Telecomunicacion, Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Avda. de la complutense S/N 28040 C409,
Madrid, Spain,
tProfessor, Spain, Technical University of Madrid (UPM), m. sierrae castanerWgre ssre upmre s

Keywords: Transmit-array; Lens; phase shift; Microwave

Antenna; Reconfigurable Radiation Pattern..

6]. In this paper the attention is focused in the design and

manufacture of a passive lens.
The idea with this device, despite the multibeam
Abstract
functionality, consists of placing it in front of a particular
antenna, in order to obtain two main advantages:
This paper presents in detail the design, prototyping and
- Correction of the phase error of an antenna (for instance,
measurements of a Transmitarray structure. The aim of these
the phase error in a horn antenna due to geometry).
devices is to behave like an artificial lens structure
(Figure 1 )
(reception/transmission lens). Due to this working behaviour,
the system consists of a patch array in the reception part, a
Phase Error Cortction
phase delay for each patch and another patch array in the
transmission part. The main point in using this lens-like
element is to place it in front of a particular antenna in order
to change the radiation pattern of the feeding antenna.
j I Hl
The device includes a particular planar architecture
(multilayer architecture) which implies the use of patches
with via feeding. To avoid undesired coupling between the
reception and the transmission arrays, ground planes (that
isolate the reception array, the phase delay line and the
Ihe
rDst
corre6tiorrheed6d
1r?rth
Eobr
transmission array) are placed. In this paper, two complete
cc. A0
max(r-A 4X
I Xr _
Transmitarray prototypes are analyzed, designed, simulated
IDSo- X\
and prototyped. Finally, measurements of these prototypes are
shown.
-

it gt_lt.

~~~~~

Figure 1: Phase error correction.

Introduction

The objective that is being tried to achieve with this research

work is to design and manufacture a complete array lens,
using patch arrays in the reception and transmission part.
The basics of this sort of structures are easy to be understood:
an electromagnetic wave with specific front wave properties
is received, processed in a particular way (change in the
radiation pattern, amplification...) and finally the wave is
retransmitted.
There are different transmit-array models attending to
bibliography. Quite important are the models proposed in [1,
2]. Some of these models are used in a multibeam working
scheme: depending on the position of the transmitter related
to the lens, the main beam direction is going to be different.
Attending to the circuitry used to process the signal, lenses
are classified into active lenses (if external feeding is used in
the inner circuitry) [1 3], or passive lenses on the contrary [4

Configuration of a new radiation pattern (Figure 2).

ddiati on Pattern Mod if1 ation

Radiatiohn Patern: +1Q Vertical plane

~O horizontal plane
A

~~~~~~~~~~~4~~~~~~~ZrNir,L1|hn4t

Figure 2: Radiation pattern correction.

r fqi

(1

rAIltl1kI11

The mentioned structure, in general, consists of two patch

arrays, one receiving signal and the other transmitting it, and
a transmission line for each pair of patches (one in the
reception part, the other in the transmission one). Extending
or shortening the transmission line among reception patches
and transmission ones [6], it is possible to modify the signal
phase delay; therefore it is possible to make corrections in the
radiation pattern, as it has been shown in figure 1. Notice that,
as far as the structure is a passive one, signal could be either
received or transmitted in both arrays.

If this half structure is matched to a real impedance (50 Ohms

in this case), the whole structure is going to work in a proper
way, as the impedance of one half is the complex conjugate of
the other. Figure 5 presents some simulation results related to
reflection and Smith Chart.

2 Architecture and Simulations

Even though the proposed scheme seems to be easy, its
implementation is quite hard. As conditioning elements that
have to be considered from the very beginning, it is taken into
account:
1- Necessity of a great isolation between the reception
and the transmission part.
2- Multilayer architecture.
3- Transmission lines inside ground planes (Boxed

(a)

Stripline).
Figure 3 shows the final considered model.

10001,

--l'

ol

-00,

00

7----

-'Z'Z

...,Oo

1:-7

lo..

(b)
Figure 5: Half cell structure simulations. (a) Simulation model. (b)
SI I simulation results.

low,

Figure 3: One cell transmitarray model.

Once the limitations are known in the lens design, and what
the structure is going to be, all is ready to start the simulation
stage. In this case, CST Microwave Studio 5 is used as
simulation software, as well as software for computing all the
results. The working frequency is going to be 12 GHz.
As it has been seen, the structure is symmetrical. The phase
delay is obtained by adding pieces of 50 Ohms Stripline in the
centre of the structure. For than reason, it is referable to
simulate half a structure, as it is seen in figure 4.

3 Half Cell Structure Prototype

In order to measure the prototype of the half cell structure in a
proper way, a TRL kit is designed and manufactured.
As figure 6 shows, the prototype has a quite good matching at
the desired frequency. The line length does not affect the
behaviour of the patch, as this half of the structure is properly
matched to 50 ohms.

(a)
Figure 4: One half cell simulation model.

With1*Aovcp

J-r
40

-6011.0 11.2 11.4 11.A 11.8 12.0 12.2 12.4 12.6 121 13.

fre, GHz

(b)
Figure 6: Half cell structure simulations. (a) Simulation model. (b)
SI I simulation results.

4 Transmitarray Specifications and Complete

Prototype Building Up
of the cells has been manufactured and checked,
are fabricated. The main
features for these designs are:
Once

one

two Transmitarray prototypes

-

5x5 radiating elements in each array.

New radiation pattern: 10 vertical tilt, O0 horizontal
tilt.

Phase errors are not corrected in prototype 1, while

the second prototype takes into account these effects.

(b)
Figure 7: Building up details. (a) Whole prototype. (b) Some details:
transmission lines inside ground planes..

130 mm distance from the feeding horn.

It is decided to modify the radiation tilt of the feeding antenna 5 Transmitarray Prototype Measurements
(12 GHz horn) 10 degrees in the vertical radiation pattern,
keeping the horizontal one (0 degrees). In the first prototype, Once both transmitarray prototypes (without and with phase
the phase correction due to horn proximity (different error correction) have been constructed and mechanically
propagation distance to the horn, depending on the selected calibrated, measurements are obtained in anechoic chamber
(Figure 8 shows the measuring method and an image of the
array patch) is not considered. In the second prototype, the
mounted
prototype).
consideration above is taken into account.
-

Figure 7 shows some details of these prototypes (physically

identical, as there is only a transmission line variation inside
the metallic plate).

(a)

(a)

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I

Ijt

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~~
F5I
FbIFg

.1
, a

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A
AZIMUTH

;x

1~~~~~~~~~4IgI5
X X4
(a)

(b)

Figure 10: Phase measurements. (a) Measurement Scheme. (b) Patch

numeration.

(b)
Figure 8: Measurements. (a) Mounted prototype. (b) Measuring
scheme.

Figure 9 shows the first prototype (without phase correction),

and its radiation pattern (both theoretical and measured) for
vertical plane. It is clearly noticed that the phase errors
disturb the radiation pattern distribution, as the nulls are
filled.
eicW Radiatiori PMterw 12 GHa

Patch

4725
34.11
26.1
23.6
26.1
34.1

10

31.06
20
10.5

20.3
13.1

-3.04
0.3
-3.6

11

9.97

10.77

18.
-2.94

4
5
6

7
8

ii
,6

-0.68
0.41
-1.53
-3604
-7.05

1.8

11.16

13.1

13

19.1

20.3

2.2

14

12.96

12.3

0.34

15

5.2

5.3

-1.1

16

3.06

17

5.83

5.3

18

11.5
3.81

12.3
2.29

-2.06
0.47
-1.8

5.8

2.29

0.52
1
2.51

Table 1: Phase measurement results

Finally, the second prototype is fabricated, considering phase

correction due to the horn position. Theoretical and measured
radiation patterns for vertical plane are shown in figure 11.

I-;

(b)
Figure 9: First prototype radiation patterns. (a) Vertical plane
radiation pattern. (b) 3D copolar and crosspolar patterns.

With this first prototype and with some adequate transitions

fabricated to the occasion, it is possible to analyze the phase
variation for each pair of patches and to check them with the
designed values. Figure 10 shows these transitions; table 1
presents these results.

-2.9

12

20
21

-.X5

VaniationQ)

47.86
33.58
24.06
17.56
25.3

19

(a)

Designed Phase (
47.25
43.97

J30

Measured Phase (
45.35
43.29

(a)

(b)
Figure 11: Second prototype radiation patterns. (a) Vertical plane
radiation pattern. (b) 3D copolar and crosspolar patterns.

Acknowledgements
The simulations presented in this paper have been realized
using CST Microwave Studio version 5.0 under a cooperation
agreement between Computer Simulation Technology (CST)
and Universidad Politecnica de Madrid. NY substrate used in
the prototypes was kindly given by NELTEC S.A.
This research work is been supported by a Spanish
Government grant (FPU) and Proyect "AIMS: Disefno,
prototipado y medida de Antenas Inteligentes para terminales
Multi-Sistema" TEC2005-053 10 /TCM from CICYT (Spanish
Government).

References
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Transmit/Receive Front End', IEEE Transactions on
microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 46, NO. 11,
Nov. 1998.
[2] J. Vian and Z. Popovic, 'Smart Lens Antenna Arrays',
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[3] E. Fotheringham, S. Romisch, P. C. Smith, D. Popovic,
D. Z. Anderson and Z. Popovic, 'A Lens Antenna Array
With Adaptative Optical Processing', IEEE Transactions
on. Antennas and Propagation., vol. 50, NO. 5, May.
2002.
[4] F.-C.E. Tsai, M.E. Bialkowski, 'Investigations into the
design of a spatial power combiner employing a planar
transmitarray of stacked patch antennas', Microwaves,
Radar and Wireless Communications, 2004. MIKON2004. 15th International Conference.
[5] K. Lam, S. Kwok, Y. Hwang, TK. Lo, 'Implementation
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Microwave Conference.
[6] M. Barba, E. Carrasco, J. A. Encinar, 'Suitable Planar
Transmit-arrays in X-Band ', EuCAP 2006, Nice, France.