Arralis announced the launch of their new Ka-Band phased array beam steering antenna at Space Tech Expo Europe.
Our low profile, active phased array beam steering antenna has many vital applications for providing satellite communications on the move for aviation and ground communications in remote areas.
Key benefits of Arralis Ka-Band beam steering antenna
The antenna has the functionality of -60 to 60-degree steering in both azimuth and elevation direction, while also meeting ITU regulations regarding beamwidth and sidelobes which is achieved through amplitude tapering.
Arralis engineers have designed the beam steering antenna to have a very low profile while still offering a high gain with 64 elements. The antenna is electronically steered by using analogue phase shifters and amplitude manipulation to steer the beam and shape the radiation pattern, features which will suit many market applications.
The antenna’s low profile and wide steering range makes the Arralis beam steering antenna ideal for satellite communication on the move as it can easily be fitted to vehicles without affecting their performance and provides a wide coverage.
Why has Arralis developed a Ka-Band phased array electronic beam steering antenna?
Arralis’ engineers identified issues with existing technology within the market and due to this have engineered a solution that requires no moving parts, offers high performance and is simple to install.
Two-thirds of existing flat panel antennas are still mechanically steered. This has limitations in terms of size, weight and reliability. In addition, performance is compromised by the tracking speed required for low earth orbit, high data rate satellite tracking.
A flat panel beam steering antenna can acquire and track multiple satellites with one antenna array; the benefits are simple operation, low-cost installation and long-term reliability.
Key challenges in designing a beam steering antenna
To create our beam steering antenna, Arralis’ engineers had to overcome several difficult challenges to create our product.
First, the antenna element spacing for this design is small due to the frequency of operation. This makes the total spacing tight which affects the fitting of all components including the beamforming IC’s, power distribution network, digital routing etc. while keeping a low-profile design. Furthermore, it is a complex and highly integrated design consisting of a multilayer PCB and incorporating all components within a reasonably sized board. Sequential rotation of the radiating elements is employed to achieve a wider circular polarization bandwidth. The design also offers different and flexible polarizations according to customers’ requirements.
What else do you need for full function Ka-Band satellite communications on the move?
Our beam steering antenna comes with a specifically designed graphical user interface, which demonstrates the capability of the antenna and facilitates the measurement process. The antenna can also be integrated into users’ existing systems.
The antenna is complemented by Arralis’ range of Ka-Band transceivers and micro-controller. Its design is such that it operates with all common software-defined radios and modems.