Low Cost Smart Antennas for Fixed and
In-Motion Satcom Terminals
Greg Mockett
Founder & President
Karl Warnick
Co-Founder and Chief Scientist
Associate Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Brigham Young University
Ku Band SmartLNBF/BUC Phased Array Feed
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Ku Band or Ka Band
D = 40 cm to 1.2 m
f/D = 0.4 to 0.8
G/T = 19 dB/K (Ku, 1 m reflector)
Polarization options:
Tx h-pol, Rx h/v-pol
RH/LHCP
30 dB XPD
Field of view options:
±2 degrees
Mispointing compensation
± 10 degrees by ± 2 degrees
Failover retargeting
FoV: ±2 degrees
Sept 2010
±10 degrees
CONFIDENTIAL
ASIC Development Path
 Ku band Rx/Tx chipset – samples November 2010
 Ka band Rx/Tx chipset beginning design (early 2012
availability)
 LSCX band Rx/Tx chipset designed (2011 availability)
Rx
Tx
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
Ku Band Beamformer Chipset
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Ad-A-Beam™ = Adaptive-Analog-Beamformer
Digital control but analog process
Digital beamforming preferred . . . EXCEPT for cost
100 element array (if Digital)
500Mhz=1Gbps processing
1Gbps = $500 (?)
100Gbps = $50,000
 100 element array (if Analog)
100 x $5 = $500
 Broadband/Many-Element Sweet Spot
Satcom
Radar
Broadband Wireless
 Volume driving design
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
Ku Band Beamformer Chipset
 Rx chip:
Eight RF inputs, independent 3 bit phase shifters and VGAs
One RF beam output
 Tx chip:
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One RF input, eight RF beam outputs, PA for each element
Low per-element cost makes phased arrays economical for commercial
applications
On-chip 2nd stage LNA reduces gain requirement for off-chip front end LNA
or allows direct element feeding
Broadband analog design
Low power consumption for mobile applications
Receive and transmit beamformer chipset for bidirectional arrays allows
shared or separate Tx and Rx apertures
Overvoltage protection on all RF pins
Die size 4.8 mm x 2.4 mm
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
Ku Band Rx Chip Functional Diagram
ADDRESS BIT 1
GAIN/PHASE CTRL BIT 1
ADDRESS BIT 2
GAIN/PHASE CTRL BIT 2
GAIN/PHASE CTRL
DECODER
ADDRESS BIT 3
GAIN/PHASE CTRL BIT 3
CLOCK
VGA
RF IN 1

RF IN 2

LNA
RF IN 3

RF IN 4

RF OUT A
Vcc 1
4:1
Vcc 2
GND
ADDRESS BIT 1
GAIN/PHASE CTRL BIT 1
ADDRESS BIT 2
GAIN/PHASE CTRL BIT 2
GAIN/PHASE CTRL
DECODER
ADDRESS BIT 3
GAIN/PHASE CTRL BIT 3
CLOCK
VGA
RF IN 5

RF IN 6

LNA
RF IN 7

RF IN 8

Sept 2010
RF OUT B
Vcc 1
4:1
Vcc 2
GND
CONFIDENTIAL
Ku Band Tx Chip Functional Diagram
ADDRESS BIT 1
GAIN/PHASE CTRL BIT 1
ADDRESS BIT 2
GAIN/PHASE CTRL BIT 2
GAIN/PHASE CTRL
DECODER
ADDRESS BIT 3
GAIN/PHASE CTRL BIT 3
CLOCK
RF OUT 1

RF OUT 2

PA
RF OUT 3

RF OUT 4

VGA
RF IN A
Vcc 1
1:4
Vcc 2
GND
ADDRESS BIT 1
GAIN/PHASE CTRL BIT 1
ADDRESS BIT 2
GAIN/PHASE CTRL BIT 2
GAIN/PHASE CTRL
DECODER
ADDRESS BIT 3
GAIN/PHASE CTRL BIT 3
CLOCK
RF OUT 5

RF OUT 6

PA
RF OUT 7

RF OUT 8

VGA
RF IN B
Vcc 1
1:4
Vcc 2
GND
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
Ku Band Beamformer Specifications (Rx)
RF Specifications
RF Input/Output Frequency
RF Input/Output Impedance
Gain (One RF IN To RF OUT)
At Maximum VGA Setting
VGA Gain Range
Gain Settling Time
Gain Stability Over Temperature
Gain Flatness Over Any 50 MHz
Bandwidth
Gain Stability Over Phase States
Phase Range
Phase Settling Time
Phase Stability Over Temperature
VGA Phase Stability
Maximum Phase Length Difference
Over All Eight RF Signal Paths
Group Delay Flatness Over Any 50
MHz bandwidth
RF Input VSWR
RF Output VSWR
Noise Figure
Maximum RF signal crosstalk
Intermodulation Distortion
P1dB at LNA Output
Digital Control Inputs
10 - 13 GHz
50 
13 dB
0 dB to 12 dB
1 μs
0.015 dB/°C
Address High
Address Low
Gain/Phase Control High
Gain/Phase Control Low
Control Line Bandwidth
3.3 V
0V
3.3 V
0V
10 MHz
0.2 dB
±1 dB
360°
1 μs
0.1 °/ °C
0.1°/dB
DC Specifications
Supply Voltages
Power Consumption
1.8 V, 3.3 V
600 mW
2°
50 ps
1.8:1
1.5:1
3 dB
20 dB
-60 dBc
0 dBm
Thermal Specifications:
Continuously operable without heat sinking over
ambient temperature range -30 C to 50C.
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
Ku Band Tx/Rx Layouts
Flipchip in BGA package
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
LSCX Receiver
4 bit gain control and 4 bit phase control
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
LSCX Receiver
DC Specifications
Supply Voltages
TBD
DC Supply Power At
Maximum RF Output
Power
100 mW
RF Specifications
RF Input/Output Frequency
0.8 to 12 GHz
RF Input/Output Impedance
50 Ω
Gain (RF IN to One RF OUT)
20 dB
At Maximum VGA Setting
VGA Gain Range
20 dB
Number of Gain States
16 (4 bit control)
Gain Settling Time
10 ns
Gain Stability Over Temperature
0.01 dB/°C
Gain Flatness Over Any 50 MHz
Bandwidth
0.2 dB
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
LSCX Receiver
Gain Stability Over Phase States
Phase Range
±1 dB
360°
Number of Phase States
Phase Settling Time
16 (4 bit control)
10 ns
Phase Stability Over Temperature
0.02°/ °C
VGA Phase Stability
0.1°/dB
Maximum Phase Length Difference
Over All Eight RF Signal Paths
1°
Group Delay Flatness Over Any 50
MHz bandwidth
50 ps
RF Input VSWR
1.5:1
RF Output VSWR
1.5:1
Noise Figure
1.5 dB
Maximum RF signal crosstalk
20 dB
Intermodulation Distortion
-60 dBc
Output Power for 1 dB
Compression (OP1dB)
8 dBm
Output Third Order Intercept (OIP3)
18 dBm
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
Ka Band Chip Functional Diagram (Rx)
GAIN/PHASE CTRL
DECODER
CLOCK
VGA
RF IN 1

RF IN 2

LNA
RF IN 3

RF IN 4

GAIN/PHASE CTRL SERIAL IN
RF OUT A
Vcc 1
4:1
Vcc 2
GND
GAIN/PHASE CTRL
DECODER
CLOCK
VGA
RF IN 5

RF IN 6

LNA
RF IN 7

RF IN 8

Sept 2010
GAIN/PHASE CTRL SERIAL IN
RF OUT B
Vcc 1
4:1
Vcc 2
GND
CONFIDENTIAL
Ka Band Preliminary Specifications (Rx)
RF Specifications
RF Input/Output Frequency
RF Input/Output Impedance
Gain (One RF IN to RF OUT)
At Maximum VGA Setting
VGA Gain Range
Number of Gain States
Gain Settling Time
Gain Stability Over Temperature
Gain Flatness Over Any 100 MHz
Bandwidth
Gain Stability Over Phase States
Phase Range
Number of Phase States
Phase Settling Time
Phase Stability Over Temperature
VGA Phase Stability
Maximum Phase Length Difference
Over All Eight RF Signal Paths
Group Delay Flatness Over Any 100
MHz bandwidth
RF Input VSWR
RF Output VSWR
Noise Figure
Maximum RF Signal Crosstalk
Intermodulation Distortion
Output Power for 1 dB Compression
(OP1dB)
Output Third Order Intercept (OIP3)
17 to 23 GHz
50 
Thermal Specifications:
Continuously operable without heat sinking over
ambient temperature range -30 C to 85C.
16 dB
20 dB
16 (4 bit control)
10 ns
0.015 dB/°C
0.2 dB
±1 dB
360°
16 (4 bit control)
10 ns
0.04°/ °C
0.1°/dB
1°
50 ps
1.5:1
1.5:1
3 dB
20 dB
-60 dBc
8 dBm
18 dBm
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
Phased Array Tile Modules
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Integrated module built
around 1-4+ beamformer
chips
Tile size:
4 x 2 (dual polarization)
8 x 2 – two chips
16 x 2 – four chips
Interconnects:
Beamformer control
(digital)
RF (equiphase)
Power
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
Linear Signal Development Teams
 Washington State University
Analog, RF, and Mixed signal Application Group (ARMAG)
Center for Design of Analog-Digital Integrated Circuits (CDADIC)
Prof. Deuk Heo
RFIC design and layout
 Brigham Young University
Center for Smart Antenna Systems (CSAS)
Prof. Karl Warnick
Phased array antenna design and systems engineering
 Other Partners/Collaborators
Antenna stabilization platform
RF ASIC design consultants
Maxtex, FlipChip Inc. (chip packaging)
Phased array tile IP (patent pending)
Sept 2010
CSAS
CONFIDENTIAL
Linear Signal Development Teams
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
CSAS Phased Array Research
 10 years of continuous National Science Foundation funding for signal
processing and phased array antenna research for radio astronomy
 First demonstration of astronomical image formation using an L-band
phased array on the Green Bank 20-Meter Telescope
 First demonstration of adaptive interference cancellation using a
phased array feed
 Lowest system temperature and highest sensitivity ever measured for
a microwave phased array
 Current projects:
Focal L-band Array Feed for Green Bank Telescope (FLAG)
Phased Array Feed feasibility study for Arecibo Radio Telescope
Cryogenic phased array feeds
Real time broadband multichannel digital signal processing
Phased array antennas and phased array feeds for Satcom
Phased arrays for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL
Contact Info
Linear Signal, LLC
86 N University Ave, Suite #400
Provo, Utah 84601
Phone:
Fax:
801-337-9100
815-301-3687
http://www.linearsignal.com
info@linearsignal.com
Sept 2010
CONFIDENTIAL