Scalable Beam-Forming Model Enables Rapid and Robust Design Methodology for Phased Array Systems

A design methodology is presented to aid in the virtual prototyping and development of scalable phased array systems using the ADAR3003 Ka Band Beam-Forming IC (BFIC) from Analog Devices and EDA solutions from Keysight Technologies. SystemVue provided a software environment to allow virtualization of a dual polarized 256 -element planar array. The approach allows integration of early design models for the critical building blocks, which later evolve into circuit model content from extracted simulations in Advanced Design System (ADS), and finally replaced with hardware measurements for accurate transmit performance predictions. The methodology is presented and measured beam performance is compared against calibrated simulation results.