Front-end technology for phased-arrays with digital beamforming

Phased-arrays are widely used in the military and space domain. They are pervading the civil domain in base stations and the like and distribution of systems over a single or multiple platforms is on the way. With increased connectivity and communication between partial systems, it is less problematic to have only partial systems onboard of an individual platform, as the sensor or communication systems will be formed by the co-operating system parts. In this environment, the importance of phased-arrays will increase further, due to the following reasons: (i) arrays offer great advantages in terms of performance; (ii) arrays offer great advantages in mode of degradation; (iii) arrays offer great advantages in flexibility.