Study of Radiation Pattern Response on Phase-Controlled Ku-Band 8×4 Array Antenna

This paper presents the design, simulation, and parametric study of a phase-controlled Ku-Band $8 \times 4$ array antenna for satellite communication. The single element is a rectangular patch antenna fed directly by a $50-0 \mathrm{hm}$ coaxial feed optimized for operation at 12.5 GHz. In the array configuration, 32 elements are arranged linearly along the x and y axes to achieve a gain of 24 dBi. The proposed study focused on the effect of phase control along the x-axis and y-axis to steer the radiation pattern in azimuth and elevation, respectively. Simulations reveal that increasing the phase difference applied to the elements results in a more significant shift of the main beam direction but also increases the sidelobe level (SLL) and decreases the antenna gain. The study further demonstrates that the main beam direction does not increase linearly beyond a specific phase difference, and grating lobes become apparent when the phase difference exceeds 90 degrees. The number of array elements can be increased to achieve a broader range of main beam steering, and higher bit phase shifters can provide finer phase resolution. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for optimizing phase-controlled beam steering in array antennas, balancing performance trade-offs, and enhancing the flexibility and effectiveness of the beam steering mechanism.