0000000000639417
AUTHOR
Andrea Giacomini
Modular, customisable, accomodation-friendly antenna system for satellite avionics: Development, prototyping and validation
In the frame of ESA program AO/1- 6737/11/NL/MH, an innovative X-band antenna system for satellite avionics has been studied, demonstrated and validated at Proof of Concept Model level. The innovative contribution of such an antenna system relies on modularity, customizability and accommodation friendliness. The antenna concept is based on a Plug and Play architecture, where the basic module is a 2.7 cm-cube with a mass of 53 gr, which can be clustered in array configuration. A catalogue of predefined and ready-to-use clusters could be developed with the possibility of adapting the antenna systems to various platform types by tuning just a few control parameters. Different levels of customi…
Tunable antenna system for plug&play satellite avionics: Prototyping and test
In the framework of an ESA program, a new architecture for plug&play compact antenna systems in the X band has been investigated and experimentally verified by many prototypes. The proposed antenna system takes inspiration from the LEGO building toys: the basic component of the new architecture is a 2.7cm-cube complex module that integrates a three-dimensional local network and a programmable mechanism based on the bonding-wire technology to select one among three polarization options. Elemental blocks can be augmented by accessories to shape the beam and may be used in array configuration over boards provided with cluster-level beamforming networks. Measurements have been performed for bot…