A four‐port 12‐beam phased array antenna system

Abstract

In this work, we propose a novel solution for a switched beamformer called the adjustable phased array system (APAS). By programming electronic switches, the implemented four‐antenna APAS circuit generates 12 phase‐shift angles that are multiples of ±π/8. Compared to the legacy N×N Butler matrix, the proposed APAS only needs one input port and four output ports and can provide more beam patterns with lower cost. Therefore, the APAS structure is a practical solution to satisfy the modern multiuser MIMO applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:1375–1378, 2014