Explicit Calibration of mmWave Phased Arrays with Phase Dependent Errors

We consider an error model for phased array with gain errors and phase errors, with errors dependent on the phase applied and the antenna index. Under this model, we propose an algorithm for measuring the errors by selectively turning on the antennas at specific phases and measuring the transmitted power. In our algorithm, the antennas are turned on individually and then pairwise for the measurements, and rotation of the phased array is not required. We give numerical results to measure the accuracy of the algorithm as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio in the measurement setup. We also compare the performance of our algorithm with the traditional rotating electric vector (REV) method and observe the superiority of our algorithm. Simulations also demonstrate an improvement in the coverage on comparing the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) before and after calibration.

[1]  S. C. Liu,et al.  A built-in performance monitoring/fault isolation and correction (PM/FIC) system for active phased array antennas , 1993, Proceedings of IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium.

[2]  Takashi Katagi,et al.  A method for measuring amplitude and phase of each radiating element of a phased array antenna , 1982 .

[3]  Y. Konishi,et al.  Fast Measurement Technique for Phased Array Calibration , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[4]  A.B. Smolders,et al.  A fast and accurate scheme for calibration of active phased-array antennas , 1999, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium. 1999 Digest. Held in conjunction with: USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting (Cat. No.99CH37010).

[5]  N. Kojima,et al.  Measurement and evaluation techniques for an airborne active phased array antenna , 1996, Proceedings of International Symposium on Phased Array Systems and Technology.