Time Modulated Array (TMA)

Description:

Led by Gebrehiwet G. Lema, the experimental Validation of Time Modulated Array (TMA) and beamforming capabilities was carried out as a collaboration between SIGCOM research group and SPARC research group.  The demo is shown in the pictures below and includes:

• At the transmitter, a USRP with a reference antenna generates a test signal at 3.7 GHz with controlled power, governed by a computer running MATLAB. 

• The receiver RF architecture consists of an N-element antenna array, RF switches, a control unit (Arduino), a power combiner, a USRP, and a computer for baseband processing,

Testing:

• Characterization of the beamforming performance, including radiation patterns, beam steering, and received power levels for both TMA and conventional Phased Array.

• Analysis of the harmonic(s) power as a function of the direction of arrival (DoA). 

• Comparison of the experimental measurements with the full-wave simulations, highlighting the gap between theoretical and practical performance. 

Related works:

• G.G. Lema, E. Lagunas et al., "Experimental Validation of TMA for Low-Cost Beamforming in LEO Satellite User Terminals" submitted to IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation & Measurement 

Related projects: IPBG Instruct