Printed Butler Matrix Based Eight-Beam Phased Array with Modified Phasers and End-Fed Dipole-Like Radiators

Introduction. This paper presents comparative results of electrodynamic modeling and field measurements in an anechoic chamber of a prototype of a printed eight-beam phased antenna array based on the Butler matrix. A mathematical model of a modified differential phase shifter protected by a patent of the Russian Federation and characterized by the highest broadband to date is presented. The topology of an innovative dipole-type radiator with end feeding is proposed and characterized. Aim. To design an eight-beam antenna array based on a systems approach, to model its main electrodynamic characteristics, and to compare them with the results of full-scale experiments. Materials and methods. Electrodynamic models of elements and units of the diagram-forming circuit, as well as the emitter, were designed using the method of induced electromotive forces, mathematical foundations of designing microstrip-technologies, procedures for electrodynamic modeling of elements and units of microwave technology and microwave devices. The FAF-4D domestic dielectric material with a relative permittivity of 2.5 was used. Results. The characteristics of the matching and directivity of the eight-beam antenna array were obtained followed by their comparison with the results of full-wave electrodynamic modeling. As a result, in the frequency band of 2.02…2.37 GHz, an acceptable coincidence of the measured and modeled results is observed for the positions of the beams, cross-polarization intensities, reflection coefficients, and decoupling between the Butler matrix inputs of no worse than 15 dB. Conclusion. The design and final refinement of phased antenna arrays with improved electrodynamic characteristics, taking domestic design and technological standards into account, will form a basis for a qualitative increase in the tactical and technical performance of transceiver devices as a whole, allowing procedures for synthesizing such arrays and their individual units to be developed.

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