Dual-Beam Steerable TMAs Combining AM and PM Switched Time-Modulation

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Antenna Theory
• Wireless Communications

Background:

• Wireless sensor networks (WSN) demand directional antennas for enhanced capacity, security, and range.
• Smart antenna capabilities like adaptive beamforming are crucial for advanced WSN applications.
• Conventional phased arrays using variable phase shifters (VPSs) are costly and have limited resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and combine time-modulated array (TMA) switched feeding networks with amplitude and phase modulation.
• To propose an innovative dual-beam TMA architecture.
• To evaluate the advantages of the proposed TMA over existing antenna systems.

Main Methods:

• Integration of time-modulated arrays (TMA) with discretized amplitude modulation (AM) and phase modulation (PM) waveforms.
• Analysis of switched feeding networks for dual-beam radiation patterns.
• Comparison of the proposed TMA with standard phased array architectures.

Main Results:

• The proposed dual-beam TMA demonstrates superior power efficiency and beamsteering (BS) phase sensitivity.
• The TMA architecture offers significant hardware simplicity.
• The innovative TMA achieves a notable cost advantage compared to competing designs.

Conclusions:

• The developed dual-beam TMA presents a cost-effective and efficient solution for WSN applications.
• TMAs with combined AM and PM modulation offer multifunctional capabilities.
• The proposed architecture advances directional antenna technology for wireless sensor networks.