Variable periphery amplifier with built-in phase shifting capability for ultra compact transceiver module

The objective of this paper is to provide an novel solution to construct an ultra compact transceiver module to achieve cost saving and weight reduction goals required for a large aperture phased array. The idea is to utilize variable periphery amplifiers to modulate the magnitude of the in-phase and quadrature component of the input signal. The phase of the combined signal then can be varied in a similar fashion to an IQ modulator. The advantage of the approach is the realization of an amplifier with built-in phase shifting capability. The typical performance degradation associated with the phase shifter in the conventional design can then be avoided.