Initial demonstration of an X-band digital beamforming (DBF) receive array

This paper presents the architecture and initial measured performance of an X-band digital beamforming (DBF) plug-and-play receive array. This processor was designed to steer four independent simultaneous beams over the entire X-band with 32 independent channels, an instantaneous bandwidth of 15 MHz, and a spur-free dynamic range of at least 65 dB. Designed using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components, we achieved a vast decrease in size of the DBF processor. When compared to previous DBF systems, the system´s ease in mobility and measurement accuracy greatly increases DBF´s applicability towards smaller airborne platforms. Using AFRL-SNHA´s in house facilities, we have begun to measure and test the plug-and-play processor´s current capabilities. These measured capabilities include not only the ability to form multi-beam, uniformly illuminated broadside and scanned array patterns, but also its ability to reduce the array sidelobes, using tapered illuminations. Measurements to date have been taken using only 8 to 12 channels, but work is currently underway to utilize the processor´s mil capacity. However, these initial measurements and results demonstrate that this DBF processor exhibits exceptional array processing capabilities, while possessing an overall small system footprint