Building the Future SATCOM Phased-Arrays
Affordable phased-arrays, built using low-cost silicon, have become an essential technology for high data-rate terrestrial (5G) and satellite (SATCOM) systems to their high gain, electronically steerable patterns, narrow beamwidths, high tolerance to interference and adaptive nulling capabilities. They have also become the backbone of all LEO and MEO satellites both at the payload level and at the user-terminal. High EIRP, high-performance systems at X-band to W-band with analog and digital beamforming capabilities and with multiple beams, are now available at low-cost. These advances are reshaping our communication and sensor systems, as we work to change our world from the Marconi-Era driven by low-gain antenna systems to the Directive Communications era where every antenna, every beam, every sensor is electronically steered. This talk summarizes our work in this area, present some amazing/unbelievable systems, and conclude with future 5G-Advanced and 6G where every device will be connected at Gbps speeds.