A GA-based strategy for the calibration of satellite communication phased array antennas

An innovative strategy based on a Genetic Algorithm (GA) is proposed for the calibration of a satellite-communication phased arrays. The procedure is aimed at providing the optimized control voltages to be applied to the digital beamforming network so that the array synthesizes a well-controlled pattern whatever the operating conditions (working frequency, steering direction, required sidelobe profile). Towards this end, the calibration problem is suitably reformulated an optimization one, which is then solved by an evolutionary strategy. The procedure is numerically validated on an arrangement comprising 36 digital phase shifters, and suitable experimental measurements are also added to assess the features and potentialities of the proposed technique.