High-Gain Planar Antenna Arrays for Mobile Satellite Communications [Antenna Applications Corner]

Two large and low-profile panel antenna arrays, used as receiving and transmitting antennas for mobile satellite communications, are described. The receiving and transmitting arrays have overall dimensions of 120 cm × 20.7 cm × 1.3cm and 107.5 cm × 20.4 cm × 1.7 cm, respectively. They exhibit high gains and adequate efficiencies, due to integrated array designs. For the receiving panel array, a method using a number of high-efficiency subarrays, combined with a novel active integrated global feed network, is proposed. For the transmitting panel array, a number of high-efficiency subarrays, together with a novel compact waveguide feed network, is employed. Based on the above techniques, two large panel antenna arrays were successfully developed. We present the detailed designs of the subarrays, the passive and active feed networks, and the vertical transitions. Simulated and experimental results showed that the designed receiving and transmitting panel arrays achieved measured gains and efficiencies of 34.1 dBi and 48.2%, and 33.5 dBi and 36.3%, respectively, in each band. This indicated that the proposed antenna panels are good candidates for future satellite communications applications.