Trade Space Analysis of Antenna Array Architecture Using System Modeling Tools

摘要

This trade study has two objectives. The first provides a trade space analysis of differing array architectures and associated radio frequency components using system-modeling tools. The second objective develops system modeling tools aiding similar analysis by other users. These objectives were accomplished by evaluating a selected group of output parameters to include overall system cost, mass, and power consumption, as well as the minimum detectable input level, system spurious free dynamic range, and selected beam spoilage parameters caused by the use of discrete phase shifters. A fixed number of designs were evaluated using simulation. The evaluation process examined input parameter and design impact on the output parameters and overall best design. The best overall design, by score, performed exceptionally well for minimum detectable input level and beam spoilage parameters, very well for cost and power performance, and poor for total mass and spurious free dynamic range. The best overall design offered a 97% improvement in evaluation score over the lowest scoring design. The placement of the first stage of low noise amplifiers within the RF component chain, as well as the number of sub-arrays, were among the design parameters found to have the most profound affect on the output results. These results match commonly accepted guidelines in radar design. Selected portions of this study were verified and compared to results from commercially available software, GENESYS by Eagleware Corporation.