LP-RLSA Design for Low-Cost Transportable BASYLIS Radar [Antenna Applications Corner]

The increase in small, distributed facilities expected in the near future has raised the necessity of having low-cost, transportable radar systems. In turn, this requires the design of high-gain, low-cost, planar, robust, and easy-to-assemble antennas. In this scenario, the possibility of using a laser-cutting technology in manufacturing a linearly polarized radial-line slot array (RLSA) has been investigated. An ad hoc optimization algorithm, which takes into account the physical mechanism beyond the radial-line slot array antenna, has been developed to obtain low antenna sidelobe levels, as required by the specific BASYLIS radar application. The optimization technique allows using near-resonance radiating slots and canceling slots that are all closely spaced on the upper plate of the radial-line slot array. The measurements carried out on the antenna prototype showed very good performance, despite the use of low-cost materials and manufacturing technology.