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Phased Array Design

This page lists new capabilities in the AWR Design Environment for phased array designers.

License Requirements: VSS Time Domain and the 5G or Radar Library (VSS_250+, W5G_100 or RDR_100)

V15

Efficiently Design, Configure and Simulate Phased Array Systems

Use Buses to Simplify Implementation of Various Phased Array Architectures

Examples include Digital or Hybrid Beamformers

Hybrid Beamforming Example

The project shows a partially-connected hybrid beamforming architecture, illustrated in the figure on the right.

  • In this example, a 32-element rectangular phased array (16x2) is implemented using buses.
  • The array uses 8 RF links, each of them driving 4 antenna elements.
  • The bus implementation allows for hierarchical designs, building RF links as a bus with 8 components, and then using a bus with 4 components where each of them refers to the RF links.
  • The bus-handling blocks in VSS support conversion of buses to serialized components and vice versa, allowing you to build complex architectures.
  • The combined 32 elements are then fed into a PHARRAY_F block, which applies the proper phase shifts depending on the element position and steering angles.

Hybrid Beamformer Design

  • The signal source, a tone in this case, is first converted into a 32-element bus, passed to a digital phase shifter to apply the desired steering angle, then reconfigured into 4 8-element buses that implement the RF links.
  • The outputs are finally passed into the phased array block that applies the correct phase to each element based on the specific coordinates and direction of transmission.

Phased Array Response

The array response is measured over a range of angles and shown in the graph on the right. This project uses the VSS Time Domain simulator for this measurement.

The measurement results are stored in the project and displayed in the "Phased Array Response" graph.

Note that running the simulation takes several minutes to generate the full array response.

V14

This page contains improvements to the AWR Design Environment for phased-array designers.

License Requirements: VSS-250 or greater and either the 5G library (W5G-100) or the Radar Library (RDR-100)

Efficiently design, configure and simulate phased array systems

Perform trade-offs between various phased array design options:

  • Explore options for the array geometry (rectangular or triangular lattice, circular with multiple concentric circles, custom)

  • Define antenna elements - the same or unique radiation patterns for each array element/groups of elements

  • Characterize RF links connected to each element

  • Investigate effects of element failures on array performance

  • Steer array to desired Theta and Phi direction

Generate full system-level designs of the phased array systems that can be used for further analysis, can be incorporated into larger systems to create more complex architectures.

Generate schematic and EM layouts of the phased array for further analysis with circuit and/or EM simulators in AWRDE.

Phased Array Generator

The project contains a pre-configured phased array design to simplify the configuration process. Start by clicking the Open Project button below, which will open the example project. Under the Wizards node in the Project tab, locate the Phased Array Generator Wizard and double-click on the 4x4 Phased Array instance. This will open the Phased Array Generator wizard with the pre-configured phased array.

Array Design Trade-offs

Use this wizard to define the array configuration of your choice. From the menu bar, click Analysis/New Floating Antenna Pattern View to see a 3D response of the phased array and immediately observe the effect of various configuration choices. Select the available tabs in the wizard and explore / play with the following characteristics of the array:

  • Geometry: User can specify the array geometry by using either the standard Lattice or Circular architectures, or their own custom design.
  • Feed Network: Array can be designed to operate in the traditional phased array mode or in a MIMO configuration. In phased array mode, users can define the characteristics of their splitter/combiner networks; such characteristics can be frequency-dependent.
  • Element Groups: Array elements may be arranged into groups, such as inner, edge and corner elements. The wizard can perform such grouping automatically, and user can modify such assignment. Color is used to visually show the elements in each group.
  • Element Antennas: Specific characteristics may be defined for the element antennas, either for all elements in the array, for elements on each group or for individual elements. Such characteristics may be either behavioral (gain, directivity/efficiency, effective area) or radiation patterns measured through EM simulations or measurements.
  • Element RF Links: Specific link characteristics may be defined for the array operating in TX or RX mode. Furthermore, different RF links may be defined and assigned to different groups or elements in the array.
  • Tapers: Standard or custom tapers may be used in the array.
  • Failures: Effect of failures in the array performance can be observed by selecting either a failure rate or specific elements in the array.

When finished with configuration of the phased array, close the wizard and save or discard changes.

Generate System Diagrams and Testbench

Once content with the array configuration, click Generate > Generate System Diagrams... An implementation of the phased array as a series of subcircuits will be generated. All subcircuits are automatically configured with the correct phase shifts and taper values. A testbench and a response graph are also created. This array implementation may be used for further analysis in VSS or as part of a larger system.

To view a pre-generated testbench, system diagrams and array response click the button below.

Generate PHARRAY_F Data File and Testbench

A PHARRAY_F block may be used to model the designed phased array in VSS. To generate the configuration file for PHARRAY_F, click on Generate > Generate PHARRAY_F Data File... A testbench containing the properly configured PHAARRAY_F, the configuration file and a response graph are created. The configuration file may be appended with additional configuration options, such as mutual coupling, etc. Similarly, this array implementation may be used for more detailed analysis in VSS or as part of a larger system.

To view a pre-generated testbench, configuration file and array response click the button below.

Generate Schematic and EM Layout

The wizard may also create a schematic of the phased array system and an EM layout of the phased array, which can be used for a wide range of purposes. If a patch is already designed and included in the project, the wizard can use it during the generation process. One of the usages of the created schematic may be to measure the active impedances at each of the antenna element ports as a function of the scan angle. The EM layout may be also used to perform in-situ analysis and calculate the response of the phased array using EM simulations.

To view pre-generated schematics, 3D layouts and radiation patterns click the button below.

V13

This page contains improvements to the AWR Design Environment for phased-array designers.

License Requirements: VSS-250 or greater and the 5G library (W5G-100) or the Radar Library (RDR-100)

Efficiently simulate extremely large phased arrays.

Design 5G MIMO systems, including RF and beamforming architectures.

Discover the impact of phased arrays on overall system performance.

Utilize yield analysis or optimization tools to evaluate and improve designs.

Phased Array Enhancements

Opens the Phased Array (PHARRAY_F) example, tiles out the main graphs and simulates. All of the phased array enhancements are shown in this view, but they can be displayed individually using the demo buttons below.

Response

This demo illustrates using the PHARRAY_F model to evaluate the response of a phased array while taking into account radiation patterns and RF links of each element.

  1. This demo uses Phased Array Response System Diagram.
  2. Note how array patterns for various power levels differ, showing how they are affected when RF links of array elements are pushed closer to compression. Since a non-uniform gain taper is used, some links are pushed into compression earlier than others, resulting in a distorted array response.

Modulated Signals

This demo illustrates passing modulated signals through the PHARRAY_F model.

  1. Note that spectral measurements are made on the Phased Array with Modulated Signals System Diagram.
  2. The simulation is a wideband signal contructed according to the Verizon 5G Tech Forum specifications, and measured for various power levels. These results show how the signal is compressed when passed through the phased array.

Yield

This demo illustrates the impact of gain and phase variation on the array antenna pattern.

  1. The yield analysis is done with the Phased Array Yield Analysis System Diagram.
  2. Random fluctuations are introduced on the gain and phase offsets of the phased array, and the corresponding array response is plotted. Results show how the side lobes of the response are affected by these fluctuations. The response without gain/phase imperfections is also plotted for reference.