ACTiFE - Advanced Antenna Concepts for Aircraft in Flight Entertainment Connected Array Antenna Demonstrator

  • Status
    Ongoing
  • Status date
    2014-08-19
Objectives

The objective is the definition and development of a fully electronic transmit-receive steerable antenna system in Ku-band for aircraft in flight entertainment via satellite. Phase 1 of the project includes several system related subjects such as regulatory aspects, design constraints and trade-off between different architectures as well as a preliminary design for a demonstrator antenna. Phase 2 of the project consist of the design, build and test of the Demonstrator connected array antenna. 

Realized demonstrator connected array antenna with 512 channel beam-polarization forming electronics (photo: TNO).

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Realized demonstrator connected array antenna with 512 channel beam-polarization forming electronics (photo: TNO).

Challenges

N/A

Benefits

With a full electronically steerable antenna, large hemispheric coverage can be obtained without any mechanical moving parts. Transmit and receive frequency bands can be supported in full-duplex, even with independent polarization setting.

Features

The connected array antenna principle has the advantage of having a very wide frequency bandwidth in combination with wide electronic scanning capabilities and high polarization purity.

Plan
Phase 1: system study, design constraints and trade-off

Phase 2: design, build and test of demonstrator antenna

Current status

Project has been completed.