RF performance of lightweight multi horn switched beam antennas made of injection molded plastics for unmanned systems

The high data rates and sophisticated networking waveforms used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) often require a high-gain agile beam antenna subsystem to meet throughput requirements. An antenna subsystem with the required capabilities that is compatible with the size, weight, power and cost constraints of a UAV thus becomes an enabling technology for these future systems. Two approaches are available for agile electronically steered antennas: phased arrays and switched multibeam antennas (SB As). The high cost of phased arrays is difficult to reconcile with lightweight UAVs. The overall cost of a phased array or an SBA depends on the number of elements used and the relative cost of the elements. In general, SBAs tend to cost less than phased arrays because a switch is less expensive than a phase shifter or T/R module. Furthermore, emerging technologies such as injection molded plastics are available for additional SBA weight and cost reductions. This paper discusses the path to a lightweight, low cost SBA capable of implementation on very small UAVs. This is a continuation of the work previously presented at the 2007 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium [1]. In 2007, the study of lightweight SBAs utilizing injection molded plastics was at an early stage; the only available results were simulations of subcomponents of the SBA. In the subsequent years, EMS has completed the design, manufacture, and RF performance tests of an integrated SBA assembly utilizing injection molded plastics for cost and mass savings.