A 1024-Element K-band Commercial SATCOM User Terminal with a G/T of 10.2 dB/K and Two Simultaneous Beams

This paper presents a receive phased array antenna (PAA) for commercial K-band satellite communication (SAT-COM) user terminals. The active planar array is built on a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) using SiGe/CMOS beamformer modules. Each module services 2x2 dual-polarized antennas and has 8 low-noise amplifiers, 8 transmit reject fi lters an d a 16-channel beamformer chip capable of two-beam operation. The design offers reconfigurable polarization o n every b eam and synthesizes clockwise or counterclockwise circularly polarized beams. It can correct the axial ratio over scan angle as the dual-polarized elements have individually controlled amplitude and phase. It achieves >20 dB cross-polar discrimination (XPD) at all scan angles, and 10.2 dB/K antenna gain-to-noise temperature (G/T) at 19.5-20.2 GHz at broadside while scanning to ±70° in all planes without grating lobes. Application areas are for LEO SATCOM or for SATCOM-on-the-move for Ka-band ground terminals.