Modeling and Simulation of Phased-Array Antennas

  • Overview
  • Course Content
  • Requirements & Materials
Overview

Modeling and Simulation of Phased-Array Antennas

Course Description

Phased array antennas are key, yet complicated sub-systems in modern radar, electronic warfare, and communications systems. Computer simulation of phased arrays is simple to a first order, using sinc functions or basic Fourier transforms. Simple models leave out important details which are the result of both electromagnetics physics and hardware component and architecture selections. This course will provide the detail needed for the modeler to understand what features are important to include and how to affect them in the simulation. Much of the course relies on Matlab model components. Software will be provided along with computers for student use during the course.

Course Content

BASIC ARRAY THEORY

  • Antenna and directivity pattern basics
  • Background theory: Huygens, Fourier, and Field regions
  • Array factor
  • Array lattice
  • Grating lobes
  • GLOBE normalization
  • Pattern control via amplitude and phase weighting
  • Array architectures

REAL COMPONENTS AND ARCHITECTURES

  • Real-world control components
  • Phase shifters
  • Time delay units
  • T/R modules
  • Architecture bandwidth limitations of passive

CEM MODELING OF ELEMENTS AND FINITE ARRAYS

  • Element pattern physics
  • Impact of Radome mutual coupling
  • Polarization
  • Introduction to computational electromagnetics (CEM) (finite elements, method of moments, finite-difference time-domain)
  • CEM periodic boundary conditions, optimization, and back channel isolation
  • Amp weightings geometrical

BEAM FORMER MODELING

  • Beam former simulation
  • Feed horn simulation
  • Installed performance simulation
  • Backlobe

ERROR SIMULATIONS AND BUDGETING

  • Amplitude and phase quantization
  • Amplitude and phase random errors and failures
  • Error budget analyses, beam pointing error, SLL

DIGITAL AND ADAPTIVE BEAM FORMING

  • Digital beam forming
  • Per-element adaptive nulling optimization algorithms
  • Subarraying and techniques for minimizing computational load
  • Up/down conversion and digital error simulation, DBF error simulation
  • Model run time optimization approaches
Requirements & Materials
Prerequisites
Materials

Required (for only sections only)

Provided

  • Course book containing compilation of slides
  • CD containing digital copies of course material
  • Computer and software will be provided during the course only. Matlab models will be provided for future use. No commercial software will be provided for students to keep.

Session Details

  • Special Discounts: Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) employees are eligible to receive a discount.  If you are a GTRI employee, please go to the Organizational Development website and look for the coupon code under GT Professional Development. Review coupon instructions for more information.

Who Should Attend

This class is designed for engineers, analysts, technicians, and project managers who have a need to perform modeling and simulation of phased array antennas, but who do not know practical approaches for modeling specific component or architecture details.

Adult professional attending defense tech course

What You Will Learn

  • The basics of Fourier transform modeling of phased array antennas
  • Real-world components and architectures and how they impact phased array performance
  • Frequency bandwidth impacts on performance
  • Real-world element patterns
  • Basics of Computational Electromagnetics techniques (FEM, MoM, and FDTD)
  • Incorporation of modeled or measured element patterns in the array model
  • Amplitude weighting alternatives and models
  • Simulation of beam forming approaches, both space-fed and corporate
Older adult professional attending a modeling and simulation course

How You Will Benefit

Learners will receive three days of practical instruction approximately equally split between lectures on the theory and background behind the different modeling issues and on practical simulation approaches. Explore what to include in different array models and how to approach modeling and simulation of different component and architecture details.

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    Taught by Experts in the Field
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The course schedule was well-structured with a mix of lectures, class discussions, and hands-on exercises led by knowledgeable and engaging instructors.

- Abe Kani
President

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