Experimental Design of Mobile Satellite Antenna System for Commercial Use

This paper describes the receiver design of active phased array antenna (APAA) for mobile broadcasting and communications service via satellite. This system was optimally designed with RX-channels on the consideration of minimum size and cost besides electric performances. A dual-band and dual-polarized microstrip 8 × 4 array antenna was designed as a radiator. This antenna had high directivity and wide impedance bandwidth with dual-feeding structures such as the microstrip direct feeding for Band1 and the aperture coupled strip-line feeding structure for Band2. For system minimization, active channel blocks (ACBs) playing the role for signal amplification and phase control were directly combined behind the radiators with band pass filters (BPF). A beam-forming module was designed by 10:4 channel combining structure. Thus, the satellite signal power received from 10 radiators was combined into 4 channels for satellite auto tracking and signal demodulation on vehicles. Finally, to confirm the normal operations of the system, the outdoor communications test in a satellite communication environment was accomplished by the main terminal that provided satellite Internet service.