Nested in the centre of an electronic circuit board lies a miniature black chip. Tiny but mighty, this microchip can steer radio beams – a capability essential for the development of phased array antennas.
While traditional antennas rely on mechanical tilting to maintain contact with their target, phased array antennas enable satellites and ground terminals to communicate without any moving parts.
Instead of mechanically rotating the antenna dish, specialised microchips at the heart of phased array antennas steer radio beams electronically by precisely controlling the signal’s phase and amplitude through a process called beamforming.
With the advent of modern silicon semiconductor technologies, these microchips – known as beamforming integrated circuits – became smaller, which in turn made phased array antennas more compact, reliable and affordable enough for widespread use in applications ranging from satellite communications and navigation to Earth observation and space missions.
“For decades, ESA has been at the forefront of beamforming technology, exploring innovative ways to electronically steer radio beams for space and terrestrial applications,” says Václav Valenta, ESA’s engineer and phased array expert.
“Today, the focus is increasingly shifting towards highly integrated analogue and digital beamforming chips both designed and manufactured in Europe. These developments combine cutting-edge performance with the strategic advantage of a secure European supply chain.”
In a recent technology demonstration at ESA’s RF Active Technology Laboratory at ESTEC, the French company Asygn presented their new generation of beamforming integrated circuits.
To highlight the level of control Asygn’s microchip has over beamforming, the company engineers have presented a visually striking addition to their showcase: the blue-and-white ESA logo composed of hundreds of dots, each individually positioned through a specific amplitude and phase setting of the beamformer.
“By designing single-chip solutions dedicated to specific frequency bands – notably X and Ka – we achieve the very high levels of performance required for mission-critical satellite communication applications,” adds Clement Jany, Radio Frequency business unit co-director at Asygn. “Our objective is to simplify system integration for phased array antenna manufacturers by delivering high-precision phase and amplitude control and an ultra-low noise figure on a single chip.”
[Image description: A close-up photograph of a square electronic test board connected to multiple black and yellow cables through gold-coloured connectors. Fine gold lines spread from a microchip in the centre across the dark surface of the board. In the background, laboratory test equipment is visible, with a blurred monitor displaying the blue-and-white ESA logo.]