The influence of electromagnetic environment on operation of active array antennas: analysis and simulation techniques

This paper presents an overview of active array antennas, system-level nonlinear effects in such antennas, and their modeling and simulation techniques. Advantages of active array antennas, in comparison with passive array antennas, are discussed. The influence of nonlinear distortions and interference in active antennas on the overall system performance is considered. Modeling and simulation techniques that can be applied to active array antennas are substantially different from those used for circuits and systems. Analytical and numerical techniques are used for the analysis of active antennas, with the prevailing use of numerical techniques at the present time. Electromagnetic-level and circuit-level simulation techniques are discussed. System-level simulation techniques are considered in detail, with special emphasis on their application to active array antennas. The "instantaneous" quadrature technique is proposed as an effective tool for numerical simulation of active arrays over wide frequency and dynamic ranges in a computationally-effective way.