Pulse-Coded Remote Calibration of an Active Phased Array System

Description of the offer:

The offer relates to a remote calibration scheme for an active phased array antenna by transmitting and/or receiving calibration pulses. The method comprises incoherent demodulation of the calibration pulses and use of a signal processing procedure to account for phase noise and amplitude fluctuations. No continuous reference signal is needed.

The "Pulsed Reference Scheme" is a first embodiment of the offered technology and uses bi-directional pulsed calibration and reference signals transmitted and received using the APA antenna and transmitting the information to a ground station

The second "Two Way Pulse Code Calibration (PCC) Scheme" embodiment does not even require a ground station: the satellite calibrates itself by transmitting calibration and reference pulses to the ground and by receiving the corresponding reflections.

The "No Reference Pulse Scheme" is the third embodiment: pulsed reference signals are not transmitted but simulated, and therefore the pulsed calibration signals are self-sufficient.

Innovations and advantages of the offer:

As an improved calibration technique, the offered technology provides a novel pulse code calibration

scheme for calibrating the transmit and/or receive path of an APA antenna. This scheme does not require a continuous reference signal and allows relaxing hardware requirements by making use of improved signal processing algorithms. The application of the technology involves cost saving in intial hardware development, antenna AIV and normal SAR calibration operations.

Domain of Application:

Applications and Markets

The technology may be applied in radio navigation and radar, finding radio signal direction, microwave

radiators for near-field therapeutic, transmission of digital information and multiplex and telephonic

communication.

Intellectual property status

Currently patented (France, Germany, Italy and the USA) and looking for licensing agreements.