Multi-port Slot Array Antenna for Millimeter-wave Direction Finding and Beam-forming Applications

A simple multi-port antenna structure is proposed which can be used for direction finding (DF) and beam-forming applications in the receive and transmit modes, respectively. The proposed antenna offers unique functionalities in both receive and transmit modes. For DF applications in the receive mode, the beam-scanning laws of each antenna array is engineered to cover a given sector of space and the back-end of the system will feature a power sensing mechanism to monitor the power received at all ports. In the transmit mode, the proposed antenna can be used for beam-forming applications by engineering the individual port excitation and the antenna sub-arrays. The proposed antenna structure characteristics are demonstrated using full-wave simulations at 58-61 GHz based on circularly polarized slot arrays using substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology. Initial results show the antenna features high angle of arrival (AoA) resolution and a wide sector coverage, making it a good candidate for 5G wireless systems.