CN109980367B - Array antenna with fast self-healing capability and self-repairing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses an array antenna with fast self-repairing capability and a self-repairing method thereof, and relates to the technical field of array antennas. The array antenna includes an array element array, a T/R cell array, a power distribution/addition network and a beam control system, and the T/R cell array includes an input switching control module, k T/R cells, a detection module and an output Switch control module. On the basis of fast self-detection, the array antenna can realize fast self-repair of the array antenna through the fast switching of T/R cells. The coupling does not change, which improves the self-healing effect.

Description

Array antenna with fast self-healing capability and self-repairing method thereof

technical field

The invention relates to the technical field of array antennas, in particular to an array antenna with fast self-repairing capability and a self-repairing method thereof.

Background technique

Array antennas are widely used in modern radar equipment due to their high power, high gain, and fast beam scanning. The array antenna is usually composed of a large number of array elements. Through the amplitude and phase changes of the excitation signal of each array element, high-power, high-gain, and different-direction beams are synthesized in the air. A large number of array elements are the basis of the array antenna, and the increase in the number of array elements also increases the probability of the array having failed array elements.

The structure of the array antenna is complex, and the failure of the array element is not easy to replace and repair. Especially in aerospace, battlefield and other application environments, it cannot be repaired in time. Therefore, it is particularly important to analyze the influence of array element failure on the performance of the array antenna, and to carry out the self-repair of the array under the premise of ensuring the performance of the array antenna.

In the current research on the self-healing of array antennas, most of them are based on the configurability of the excitation of each array element in the array. By reconfiguring the excitation of normal array elements in the array, the performance of the array antenna can be restored to the greatest extent and self-healing can be realized. The calculation of array element reconfiguration excitation is mainly carried out through swarm intelligence algorithm, iterative FFT and model analysis. During the reconfiguration process, the amplitude and phase of the excitation signal of each array element change. Although the change of the excitation signal makes the theoretical value of the array antenna pattern close to the expected value, the mutual coupling between the array elements also changes, which seriously affects the Repair effect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is how to provide an array antenna with fast repair speed and good repair effect.

In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: an array antenna with fast self-repairing capability, which is characterized in that it includes an array element array, a T/R cell array, a power distribution/addition network and beam steering system, the T/R cell array includes an input switching control module, k T/R cells, a detection module and an output switching control module, and the power distribution/addition network is bidirectionally connected to the input switching control module, so The k terminals of the input switching control module are respectively connected to one terminal of the k T/R cells, and the other terminal of the k T/R cells is connected to the output switching control module, and the The n terminals of the output switching control module are connected to the n array elements in the array element array; the input switching control module is used to perform the n ports and k ports of the power distribution/addition network according to the result detected by the detection module Connection switching between T/R cell inputs to connect the working T/R cells to the power distribution/addition network; the output switching control module is used to perform k T/R cell outputs and n T/R cell outputs according to the results detected by the detection module The connection switch between the array elements, according to the fault information, disconnect the connection between the faulty T/R cell and the array element, and maintain the connection between the working T/R cell and the array element; the data output terminals of the k T/R cells is connected with the signal input end of the detection module, the control signal output end of the detection module is connected with the control end of the input switching control module, the control end of the output switching control module and the control end of k T/R cells, The detection module detects the states of k T/R cells in real time, and sends a fault signal according to the detection results to control the actions of the T/R cells, the input switching control module and the output switching control module; the control output end of the beam control system is connected to the The coding control input terminals of the k T/R cells are connected to generate the control code of each T/R cell according to the parameters such as the array antenna and the beam pointing requirements, and control the signal phase and amplitude of each transceiver channel, wherein k≥n, both k and n are natural numbers greater than 1.

A further technical solution is as follows: the T/R cell includes a controllable phase shifter, a controllable attenuator, a first switch, a receive path limiter, a receive path low noise amplifier, a transmit path low noise amplifier, a second switch, Address generator and gene bank, the array element is connected to the main terminal of the second switch, one branch terminal of the second switch is connected to the output terminal of the low noise amplifier of the transmission path, and the other branch terminal of the second switch is connected to the The receive pass limiter is connected to the input end of the receive pass low noise amplifier, the output end of the receive pass low noise amplifier is connected to a terminal of the first switch, and the transmit pass low noise amplifier input end is connected to the the other terminal of the first switch is connected, the common terminal of the first switch is connected to the phase shifter via the attenuator, the phase shifter is connected to the power distribution/summation network, The input end of the address generator inputs the input address A _i and the fault signal F, one output end of the address generator outputs the address, and the other output end is connected to the input end of the gene bank, and the gene bank includes a phase-shift code library and attenuation code library, the output end of the attenuation code library is connected to the control end of the attenuator, the output end of the phase-shift code library is connected to one input end of the adder, and the other end of the adder is connected to the control end of the attenuator. An output end receives the phase scanning code sent by the beam control system, and the output end of the adder is connected with the control end of the phase shifter;

The adder receives the phase scan code sent by the beam control system, and adds it to the phase shift code to generate the phase shifter control code to realize the spatial scanning of the beam;

The gene library stores n configuration genes of the entire array antenna, and each gene includes two parts, an attenuation code and a phase-shift code, which respectively control the attenuation of the attenuator and the phase-shift of the phase shifter in the radio frequency transceiver module; Each T/R cell in the entire T/R cell array executes different genes, so that the amplitude and phase of the received and received signals of different array elements are regularly distributed, so as to achieve the desired beam;

The address generator generates the cell address signal A _o according to the input address A _i and the fault signal F, and selects and expresses the corresponding gene in the gene bank according to the address. The relationship between A _i , F and A _o is shown in formula (1)

That is, when the cell is normal, its fault signal F=0, and the cell address is the input address plus 1; when the cell is faulty, its fault signal F=1, and the cell input address is equal to the output address;

The output addresses and input addresses of adjacent T/R cells are connected to each other to form a cell string, and the addresses of each T/R cell increase sequentially according to its position in the cell string, and the genes in the gene pool expressed by it also increase sequentially; When a faulty T/R cell occurs, the output address of the faulty cell is equal to its input address, and the calculated address of the cell behind the faulty T/R cell is the same as that of the original faulty T/R cell, and will replace the faulty T/R cell. The phase and amplitude of the RF signal are adjusted to complete the self-repair of the array antenna.

A further technical solution is: the detection module includes a standard T/R cell, a detection control module, a comparison module, an input switch module and a position switch module, and the input end of the input switch is connected to the T/R cell. The signal output terminal is connected, the output terminal of the input switch is connected to one input terminal of the comparison module, the output terminal of the standard T/R cell is connected to the other input terminal of the comparison module, and the output terminal of the comparison module is connected to the other input terminal of the comparison module. The output end is connected with the input end of the set switch module, the output end of the set switch module is the output end of the detection module, the control end of the input switch module and the set switch module and the detection control module The control output terminal of the module is connected;

The standard T/R cells perform the functions of T/R cells in different positions according to the control signal of the detection control module, and send the cell output to the comparison module to provide a comparison standard for the detection of each T/R cell in the array;

The input switch module selects the detection object, and under the control of the detection control module, the output of the detected T/R cells is sent to the comparison module for detection;

The comparison module compares the output of the T/R cell to be detected sent through the input switch module with the output of the standard T/R cell, and judges whether the T/R cell to be detected is normal through the comparison result;

The setting switch module sets the corresponding fault flag bits f ₀ , f ₁ , . . . , f _{k-1 of} the detected T/R cells to corresponding values according to the detection result of the comparison module; , f _i =0 indicates that the i-th T/R cell is normal, and f _i =1 indicates that the i-th T/R cell is faulty;

The detection control module controls the entire T/R cell array detection process, and controls the input switch, the T/R cells and the set switch to perform corresponding functions in sequence according to the detection process.

A further technical solution is: the output switching control module includes a switch control module and n multiplex switches, the input terminal of the multiplex switch is connected to the output terminal of the T/R cell, and the output terminal of the multiplex switch is connected to the output terminal of the T/R cell. are respectively connected with the array elements, and the control output end of the switch control module is connected with the control end of the multi-way switch;

Each multiplexer performs switching control of the input T/R cell of one array element. The input T/R cell range of the i-th (0≤i≤n-1) array element is i～i+kn. Under the control of C _i , select the corresponding T/R cell to connect to the i-th array element; C _i is a multi-bit parallel binary control signal, under the control of C _i , the serial number of the T/R cell connected to the i-th array element is i +dec(C _i ), where dec(C _i ) is the decimal value of C _i ;

The width of the switch control signal C _i is determined by the number of elements n in the array antenna, the number of T/R cells k, the structure of the T/R cell array and the self-repair method. For the cell string self-repair method in this paper, the width of C _i is

为向上取整函数；where width(C _i ) represents the width of the signal,

is the round-up function;

The switch control module takes the T/R cell array fault signal F as input, and generates n multiplex switch control signals C ₀ , C ₁ , ..., C _n-1 according to the T/R cell fault condition in the array;

F(0:n-1) is the n-bit binary array fault signal, F(i)∈{0,1} is the normal/faulty state signal of the ith (0≤i≤n-1) T/R cell, F(i)=0 means the ith T/R cell is normal, F(i)=1 means the ith cell is faulty, and for the initial normal T/R cell array, F(0:n-1) is all 0 .

The invention also discloses a self-repairing method of the array antenna, which is characterized by comprising the following steps:

In the initial state, the first n T/R cells in the T/R cell array are connected to the power distribution/addition network and the array element array, and the corresponding genes are expressed according to their positions. In this way, the amplitude and phase of the radiated signals of the array elements at different positions of the array antenna are changed regularly, so as to synthesize the beams that meet the requirements in space;

During the operation of the array antenna, the detection module in the T/R cell array detects the status of each T/R cell in real time. When a T/R cell fails, the detection module marks the status flag bit corresponding to the cell as 1, which is fault state;

Driven by the status flag bit, the functions of the faulty T/R cell and its subsequent cells are moved backward in turn until a backup cell is used, so that the number of working cells is maintained at n; at the same time, the input switching control module and the output switching control module are based on the status flag bit. change, disconnect the faulty T/R cell from the power distribution/addition network and the array element, maintain the connection state of the working cell, and complete the self-repair of the array antenna.

The beneficial effects of the above technical solutions are: on the basis of rapid self-detection, the array antenna can achieve rapid self-repair of the array antenna through the rapid switching of T/R cells, and in the process of self-repair, the various The original state of the radiation array element signal, the mutual coupling between the array elements does not change, and the self-healing effect is improved.

Description of drawings

The present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

1 is a basic structural diagram of an active array antenna in the prior art in an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is the basic structure diagram of the embryo electronic system of the prior art in the embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a schematic block diagram of an array antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a schematic block diagram of T/R cells in the array antenna according to the embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a schematic block diagram of a detection module in an array antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a schematic block diagram of an output switching control module in the array antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a schematic block diagram of a normal array antenna in the method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of the repaired array antenna in the method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Many specific details are set forth in the following description to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention, but the present invention can also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can do so without departing from the connotation of the present invention. Similar promotion, therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

The basic structure of the array antenna:

A typical active array antenna structure is shown in Figure 1. It consists of an array of elements, a T/R component, a beam steering system, and a power distribution/addition network. The array is composed of multiple radiating elements arranged in a certain form. According to the form of the network between the array elements, it can be divided into rectangular arrays, circular arrays and triangular arrays. If the array elements are arranged at the same spacing, it is called a uniformly spaced array, otherwise it is called a non-uniformly spaced array. In a non-uniformly spaced array, if the element spacing is different or an integer multiple of the minimum spacing, it is called a sparse array.

The T/R component includes a power amplifier, a low-noise amplifier, a receive/transmit switch, a controllable phase shifter and an attenuator, and the phase shifter and attenuator are used to realize the transmission and reception of radio frequency signals and the adjustment of the phase and amplitude. Each T/R component and a radiation array element constitute a transceiver channel.

The beam control system generates the control codes of the phase shifter and attenuator in each T/R component according to the parameters such as the beam width of the phased array antenna, the ratio of main and side lobe levels and the beam pointing requirements, and controls the signal phase of each transceiver channel. , amplitude, so as to realize the control of the radiation beam in the air.

Array antenna self-healing:

The existing array antenna self-healing research is based on the reconfiguration of the array element excitation. By modifying the control codes of the phase shifters and attenuators in the normal T/R components in the array, the pattern is corrected to reduce the influence of the fault on the beam. The performance of the array antenna can be restored to a certain extent, and the self-repair of the array antenna can be realized.

Scholars take the normal beam as the target and take the fault location as the condition, and calculate the phase shifter and attenuator control codes of the normal T/R components through swarm intelligence algorithm, iterative FFT, matrix beam method, etc. The T/R components are reconfigured using the calculated control codes to achieve self-healing of the array antenna.

The self-healing method changes the excitation signal of each array element in the array, and at the same time sets the excitation of the array element in the path where the fault is located to zero, resulting in the change of the mutual coupling relationship between different array elements. Although the calculation process aims at the key parameters of the beam, the calculation The results are affected by mutual coupling, and it is difficult to achieve the theoretical calculation results and cannot meet the actual repair requirements.

Embryo Electronic System:

The embryonic electronic system is a new type of bionic hardware structure with self-detection and self-repair capabilities. It is composed of electronic cells with the same structure. The structure is shown in Figure 2.

An electronic cell is a logic unit with certain data processing capabilities, consisting of a gene bank, an address generator, an I/O unit, a logic unit and a self-test unit (Build-In Test, BIT): the gene bank stores all the genes of the entire circuit, Different genes represent different cell functions and connection methods; the address generator calculates the location of the cell, generates a cell identifier, and expresses the corresponding gene through the identifier to perform gene functions; the I/O unit controls the connection between cells and surrounding cells, The signal interaction between cells and other cells is controlled under the configuration of expressed genes; the logic unit performs the logic functions of cells, and performs different logic functions under different configurations of expressed genes; BIT detects the cell state in real time during the operation of the cell.

Electronic cells express specific genes in the gene bank according to their own positions, determine the connection mode of I/O units and the logical functions performed by logic blocks, and all cells of the system complete the target circuit function together. During operation, the BIT module detects the cell status in real time. When a cell failure is detected, it sends out a cell failure signal to trigger the repair mechanism, removes the failed cell, and eliminates the impact of the failure on the target circuit. The remaining cells recalculate their positions and update their expressed genes, performing new cellular functions and connections. Through the removal of faulty cells and the replacement of normal cells, the function of the target circuit is maintained, completing the self-repair of the target circuit on the embryonic electronic system.

In the existing self-healing method, when a transceiver channel fails, the T/R components and array elements of the transceiver channel are no longer used, and only the fault-free transceiver channel is used, resulting in the change of the array element coupling in the array, which affects the self-healing. Effect. In the array antenna, the reliability of the T/R component is low, while the reliability of the array element is high. During the self-repair process, the array elements with high reliability can be retained, and only the T/R components can be repaired. The array elements ensure that the positions between the array elements remain unchanged, and their coupling conditions remain uniform.

The array antenna with fast self-healing capability is shown in Figure 3, which includes an array element array, a T/R cell array, a power distribution/addition network and a beam control system. The T/R cell array includes an input switching control module, k T/R cells, a detection module and an output switching control module, the power distribution/addition network is bidirectionally connected to the input switching control module, and the k terminals of the input switching control module are respectively connected to the k terminals One terminal of each T/R cell is connected to the other terminal of the k T/R cells is connected to the output switching control module, and n terminals of the output switching control module are connected to the array element array n array elements are connected; the data output end of the k T/R cells is connected with the signal input end of the detection module, and the control signal output end of the detection module is connected with the control end of the input switching control module , the control terminal of the output switching control module and the control terminal of the k T/R cells are connected.

T/R cells are used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals and to adjust the phase and amplitude of the signals. K T/R cells form a cell string, where k ≥ n, and k-n is the number of backup T/R cells, that is, the number of repair failures. Under normal conditions, the first n cells are working cells, which transmit and adjust the signal of the array elements, and the last k-n cells are backup cells. When the working T/R cell fails, the function of the faulty cell and its subsequent cells are shifted in sequence, and the latter cell realizes the function of the former cell until a backup cell is used.

The detection module detects the states of the k T/R cells in real time, and sends out fault signals according to the detection results to control the T/R cells, the input switching module and the output switching module.

The input switching module performs connection switching between the n ports of the power distribution/addition network and the k T/R cell inputs according to the result of the detection module, so as to connect the working T/R cells to the power distribution/addition network.

The output switching module is similar in function to the input switching module. It performs connection switching between the output of k T/R cells and n array elements. According to the fault information, the connection between the faulty T/R cells and the array elements is disconnected, and the working T/R cell is maintained. Connections between R cells and array elements.

T/R cell structure:

Each T/R cell in the T/R cell array has the same structure, and stores the phase shifter and attenuator configuration information of each array element of the entire array antenna. All T/R cells are connected in sequence to form a cell string.

T/R cells can be divided into three states: working, faulty and idle: working cells refer to normal cells that perform attenuation and phase shifting. The T/R cell array includes n working cells equal to the number of array elements, which are related to the power distribution. /Adding network and array elements are connected one by one; faulty cells refer to cells that are faulty and cannot complete the functions of attenuation and phase shifting, and are no longer connected to the power distribution/adding network and array elements; idle cells refer to normal cells in the backup state When the working cell fails, the idle cell can replace the faulty cell to complete its function, ensure that the number of working cells is n, and maintain the function of the array antenna.

Each T/R cell performs the corresponding phase shifter and attenuator configuration according to its state and location, and is connected to the power distribution/addition network and the corresponding radiation array element through the input switching control module and the output switching control module. / Send radio frequency signals for different phase and amplitude conditioning.

The overall T/R cell structure is shown in Figure 4, including RF transceiver module, gene bank and address generator; RF transceiver module includes controllable attenuator, controllable phase shifter, transmit channel amplifier, receive channel limiter and Low noise amplifier (Low Noise Amplifier, LNA), transceiver switch and adder, etc.

Specifically, the T/R cell includes a controllable phase shifter, a controllable attenuator, a first switch, a receive path limiter, a receive path low noise amplifier, a transmit path low noise amplifier, a second switch, an address generator, and a gene library, the array element is connected to the main terminal of the second switch, one branch terminal of the second switch is connected to the output terminal of the low noise amplifier of the transmitting channel, and the other branch terminal of the second switch is limited by the receiving channel The receiver is connected to the input end of the low noise amplifier of the receiving channel, the output end of the low noise amplifier of the receiving channel is connected to a terminal of the first switch, and the input end of the low noise amplifier of the transmitting channel is connected to the first switch The other terminal of the first switch is connected, the common terminal of the first switch is connected to the phase shifter via the attenuator, the phase shifter is connected to the power distribution/summation network, the address generator The input end inputs the input address A _i and the fault signal F, one output end of the address generator outputs the address, and the other output end is connected with the input end of the gene bank, and the gene bank includes a phase-shift code bank and an attenuation code bank , the output end of the attenuation code library is connected to the control end of the attenuator, the output end of the phase-shift code library is connected to one input end of the adder, and the other output end of the adder receives the beam For the phase scan code sent by the control system, the output end of the adder is connected to the control end of the phase shifter.

The RF transceiver module includes a controllable attenuator, a controllable phase shifter, a transmit path amplifier, a receive path limiter, a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), a transceiver switch, an adder, etc. One end of which is connected to the power distribution/phase Add the network, connect the array element at one end, and perform amplitude, phase adjustment and power amplification of the transmitting and receiving RF signals. Under different phase-shifting code and attenuation code configurations, the receiving/transmitting signals are adjusted in different phases and amplitudes. , in order to realize the specific transceiver signal of the array element. The adder receives the phase scan code sent by the beam control system, and adds it to the phase shift code to generate the phase shifter control code to realize the spatial scanning of the beam;

The gene bank stores n configuration genes of the entire array antenna, each gene consists of an attenuation code and a phase shift code, which respectively control the attenuation of the attenuator and the phase shift of the phase shifter in the RF transceiver module. By selecting different genes, the RF transceiver module can be configured to achieve different attenuation and functions. In the entire T/R cell array, each cell executes a different gene, so that the amplitude and phase of the received and received signals of different array elements are distributed according to a certain law, so as to realize the expected beam;

The address generator generates the cell address signal A _o according to the input address A _i and the fault signal F, and selects and expresses the corresponding gene in the gene bank according to the address. The relationship between A _i , F and A _o is shown in formula (1)

That is, when the cell is normal, its fault signal F=0, and the cell address is the input address plus 1; when the cell is faulty, its fault signal F=1, and the cell input address is equal to the output address.

The output addresses and input addresses of adjacent T/R cells are connected to each other to form a cell string. The address of each T/R cell increases sequentially according to its position in the cell string, and the genes in the gene pool expressed by it also increase sequentially. When a faulty T/R cell occurs, the output address of the faulty cell is equal to its input address, and the calculated address of the cell behind the faulty T/R cell is the same as that of the original faulty T/R cell, and will replace the faulty T/R cell. The phase and amplitude of the RF signal are adjusted to complete the self-repair of the array antenna.

Detection module structure:

The detection module performs the function inspection of the k cells in the T/R cell array, detects the location of the faulty cell in time, sends out the fault signal, and triggers the self-repair process of the array antenna.

The detection module uses a cyclic comparison method to detect each T/R cell, and its structure is shown in Figure 5, including the detection of standard T/R cells, a detection control module, a comparison module, an input switch module and a set switch module. The input end of the input switch is connected to the signal output end of the T/R cell, the output end of the input switch is connected to an input end of the comparison module, and the output end of the standard T/R cell is connected to the signal output end of the T/R cell. is connected to another input end of the comparison module, the output end of the comparison module is connected to the input end of the setting switch module, the output end of the setting switch module is the output end of the detection module, the input end The switch module and the control end of the position switch module are connected to the control output end of the detection control module;

The standard T/R cells perform T/R cell functions at different positions under the control signal of the detection control module, and the cell output is sent to the comparison module to provide a comparison standard for the detection of each T/R cell in the array.

The input switch selects the detection object, and under the control of the detection control module, the output of the detected T/R cells is sent to the comparison module for detection.

The comparison module compares the output of the T/R cell to be detected sent through the input switch with the output of the standard T/R cell, and judges whether the T/R cell to be detected is normal through the comparison result.

The setting switch sets the corresponding fault flag bits f ₀ , f ₁ , . . . , f _k-1 of the detected T/R cells to corresponding values according to the detection result of the comparison module. The flag bit f _i ∈ {0,1}, f _i =0 indicates that the i-th T/R cell is normal, and f _i =1 indicates that the i-th T/R cell is faulty.

The detection control module is the core of the detection module, which controls the detection process of the entire T/R cell array, and controls the input switch, T/R cells and setting switches to perform corresponding functions in sequence according to the detection process.

Input/output switching control module structure:

The array elements and power distribution/summation network ports in the array antenna are all n, and the number of cells in the T/R cell array is k, of which n are working cells, and the position of the working cells changes continuously with the change of the cell state.

The input/output switching control module maintains the connection of n working cells with the power distribution/addition network and array elements. When the working cell fails, it will disconnect the faulty cell in time, and according to the position change of the working cell during the self-repair process, Adjust and switch in time to ensure the connection between the working cell and the power distribution/addition network and array elements, and complete the self-repair of the array antenna.

Taking the output switching control module as an example, it performs switching control between k T/R cells and n array elements, and controls the connection mode according to the fault signal of the T/R cell array, so that the n working cells in the array are always connected to the corresponding ones. n array elements are connected. The structure of the output switching control module is shown in Figure 6, including a switch control module and n multiplex switches, the input terminal of the multiplex switch is connected to the output terminal of the T/R cell, and the output terminal of the multiplex switch is connected to the output terminal of the T/R cell. The array elements are respectively connected, and the control output end of the switch control module is connected to the control end of the multi-way switch.

(1) Multiplexer

Each multiplexer performs switching control of the input T/R cell of one array element. The input T/R cell range of the i-th (0≤i≤n-1) array element is i～i+kn. Under the control of C _i , select the corresponding T/R cells to connect with the i-th array element. C _i is a multi-bit parallel binary control signal. Under the control of C _i , the serial number of the T/R cell connected to the i-th array element is i+dec(C _i ), where dec(C _i ) is the decimal value of C _i .

The width of the switch control signal C _i is determined by the number of elements n in the array antenna, the number of T/R cells k, the structure of the T/R cell array and the self-repair method. For the cell string self-repair method in this paper, the width of C _i is

为向上取整函数。where width(C _i ) represents the width of the signal,

is the round-up function.

(2) Switch control module

The switch control module takes the T/R cell array fault signal F as input, and generates n multiplex switch control signals C ₀ , C ₁ , . . . , C _n-1 according to the T/R cell fault condition in the array.

F(0:n-1) is the n-bit binary array fault signal, F(i)∈{0,1} is the normal/faulty state signal of the ith (0≤i≤n-1) T/R cell, F(i)=0 indicates that the ith T/R cell is normal, and F(i)=1 indicates that the ith cell is malfunctioning. For the initial normal T/R cell array, F(0:n-1) is all zeros.

The invention also discloses a self-repairing method for the array antenna, comprising the following steps:

In the initial state, the first n T/R cells in the T/R cell array are connected to the power distribution/addition network and the radiation array element, and the corresponding genes are expressed according to their positions. The amplitude and phase of the radiated signals of the array elements at different positions of the array antenna are changed according to a certain law, so that the beams that meet the requirements are synthesized in space.

During the operation of the array antenna, the detection module in the T/R cell array detects the state of each T/R cell in real time. When a T/R cell fails, the detection module marks the state flag bit corresponding to the cell as 1, which is a failure state.

Driven by the status flag bit, the functions of the faulty T/R cell and its subsequent cells are moved backward in turn until a backup cell is used, so that the number of working cells is maintained at n; at the same time, the input switching control module and the output switching control module are based on the status flag bit. Changes, timely disconnect the faulty T/R cell and the power distribution/addition network, the connection of the array element, maintain the connection state of the working cell, and complete the self-repair of the array antenna.

Taking the array antenna with n=3 and k=5 as an example, in the initial state, the first three cells (Cell0 to Cell2) execute cell genes (gene0 to gene2) and connect the radiation array elements. As shown in Figure 7, Cell3 and Cell4 are Backup cells.

When Cell1 fails, the output of its address generator is the same as that of Cell0, then Cell2 expresses gene1 and performs the function of Cell1; the backup cell Cell3 expresses gene2 and performs the function of Cell2; at the same time, the input/output switching control module disconnects Cell1 and power distribution /Adding network and array element connection, and instead of Cell1 and Cell2, Cell2 and Cell3 are connected to the power distribution/adding network and array element to ensure the function of the array antenna and complete self-repair, as shown in Figure 8.

The array antenna takes T/R cells as the basic unit to form a T/R cell array, and the signal amplitude and phase of each radiating array element in the array antenna can be adjusted. The T/R cell array structure, T/R cell structure, detection module structure, and input/output switching control module structure are designed, which provides a new technical approach for the self-repair of the array antenna. On the basis of fast self-detection, the array antenna can realize fast self-repair of the array antenna through the fast switching of T/R cells. The coupling does not change, which improves the self-healing effect.

Claims (5)

1. An array antenna with fast self-repairing capability, characterized in that: it comprises an array element array, a T/R cell array, a power distribution/summation network and a beam control system, and the T/R cell array includes an input switching control system. module, k T/R cells, a detection module and an output switching control module, the power distribution/addition network is bidirectionally connected to the input switching control module, and the k terminals of the input switching control module are respectively connected to the input switching control module. One terminal of the k T/R cells is connected, the other terminal of the k T/R cells is connected to the output switching control module, and n terminals of the output switching control module are connected to the array element The n array elements in the array are connected; the input switching control module is used to switch the connection between the n ports of the power distribution/addition network and the k T/R cell inputs according to the result detected by the detection module, so as to switch the working T The /R cell is connected to the power distribution/addition network; the output switching control module is used to switch the connection between the k T/R cell outputs and the n array elements according to the detection result of the detection module, and disconnect the fault according to the fault information. The connection between the T/R cells and the array elements keeps the connection between the working T/R cells and the array elements; the data output terminals of the k T/R cells are connected to the signal input terminals of the detection module, and the detection The control signal output end of the module is connected with the control end of the input switching control module, the control end of the output switching control module and the control end of the k T/R cells, and the detection module detects the state of the k T/R cells in real time, and send out a fault signal according to the detection result to control the actions of the T/R cell, the input switching control module and the output switching control module; the control output end of the beam control system is connected with the coding control input end of the k T/R cells, It is used to generate the control code of each T/R cell according to the parameters such as the array antenna and the beam pointing requirements, and control the signal phase and amplitude of each transceiver channel, where k≥n, and both k and n are natural numbers greater than 1. 2. The array antenna with fast self-healing capability according to claim 1, wherein the T/R cell comprises a controllable phase shifter, a controllable attenuator, a first switch, a receive path limiter, A receiving channel low noise amplifier, a transmitting channel low noise amplifier, a second switch, an address generator and a gene bank, the array element is connected to the main terminal of the second switch, and a branch terminal of the second switch is connected to the transmitting channel low noise The output end of the amplifier is connected, and the other branch terminal of the second switch is connected to the input end of the low noise amplifier of the receiving channel through the receiving channel limiter, and the output end of the low noise amplifier of the receiving channel is connected to the output end of the first switch. one terminal is connected, the input terminal of the low noise amplifier of the transmission path is connected with the other terminal of the first switch, the common terminal of the first switch is connected with the phase shifter through the attenuator, The phase shifter is connected to the power distribution/addition network, the input end of the address generator inputs the input address A _i and the fault signal F, one output end of the address generator outputs the address, and the other output end Connect with the input end of the gene bank, the gene bank includes a phase-shift code bank and an attenuation code bank, the output end of the attenuator code bank is connected with the control end of the attenuator, and the output end of the phase-shift code bank is connected to the control end of the attenuator. One input end of the adder is connected, the other output end of the adder receives the phase scanning code sent by the beam control system, and the output end of the adder is connected with the control end of the phase shifter; The adder receives the phase scan code sent by the beam control system, and adds it to the phase shift code to generate the phase shifter control code to realize the spatial scanning of the beam; The gene library stores n configuration genes of the entire array antenna, and each gene includes two parts, an attenuation code and a phase-shift code, which respectively control the attenuation of the attenuator and the phase-shift of the phase shifter in the radio frequency transceiver module; Each T/R cell in the entire T/R cell array executes different genes, so that the amplitude and phase of the received and received signals of different array elements are regularly distributed, so as to achieve the desired beam; The address generator generates the cell address signal A _o according to the input address A _i and the fault signal F, and selects and expresses the corresponding gene in the gene bank according to the address; the relationship between A _i , F and A _o is as formula (1)

That is, when the cell is normal, its fault signal F=0, and the cell address is the input address plus 1; when the cell is faulty, its fault signal F=1, and the cell input address is equal to the output address; The output addresses and input addresses of adjacent T/R cells are connected to each other to form a cell string. The address of each T/R cell increases sequentially according to its position in the cell string, and the genes in the gene pool expressed by it also increase sequentially; When a faulty T/R cell occurs, the output address of the faulty cell is equal to its input address, and the calculated address of the cell behind the faulty T/R cell is the same as that of the original faulty T/R cell, and will replace the faulty T/R cell. The phase and amplitude of the RF signal are adjusted to complete the self-repair of the array antenna. 3. The array antenna with fast self-healing capability according to claim 1, wherein the detection module comprises a standard T/R cell, a detection control module, a comparison module, an input switch module and a set switch module, and the The input end of the input switch is connected to the signal output end of the T/R cell, the output end of the input switch is connected to an input end of the comparison module, and the output end of the standard T/R cell is connected to the The other input end of the comparison module is connected, the output end of the comparison module is connected with the input end of the set switch module, the output end of the set switch module is the output end of the detection module, the input switch The module and the control end of the setting switch module are connected with the control output end of the detection control module; The standard T/R cells perform the functions of T/R cells in different positions according to the control signal of the detection control module, and send the cell output to the comparison module to provide a comparison standard for the detection of each T/R cell in the array; The input switch module selects the detection object, and under the control of the detection control module, the output of the detected T/R cells is sent to the comparison module for detection; The comparison module compares the output of the T/R cell to be detected sent through the input switch module with the output of the standard T/R cell, and judges whether the T/R cell to be detected is normal through the comparison result; The setting switch module sets the corresponding fault flag bits f ₀ , f ₁ , . . . , f _{k-1 of} the detected T/R cells to corresponding values according to the detection result of the comparison module; , f _i =0 indicates that the i-th T/R cell is normal, and f _i =1 indicates that the i-th T/R cell is faulty; The detection control module controls the detection process of the entire T/R cell array, and controls the input switch, standard T/R cells and set switches to perform corresponding functions in sequence according to the detection process. 4 . The array antenna with fast self-repairing capability according to claim 1 , wherein the output switching control module comprises a switch control module and n multiplex switches, the input terminals of the multiplex switches are connected to the The output end of the T/R cell, the output end of the multiplex switch is respectively connected with the array element, and the control output end of the switch control module is connected with the control end of the multiplex switch; Each multiplexer performs switching control of the input T/R cell of one array element. The input T/R cell range of the i-th (0≤i≤n-1) array element is i～i+kn. Under the control of C _i , select the corresponding T/R cell to connect to the i-th array element; C _i is a multi-bit parallel binary control signal, under the control of C _i , the serial number of the T/R cell connected to the i-th array element is i +dec(C _i ), where dec(C _i ) is the decimal value of C _i ; The width of the switch control signal C _i is determined by the number of elements n in the array antenna, the number of T/R cells k, the structure of the T/R cell array and the self-repair method. For the cell string self-repair method in this paper, the width of C _i is

where width(C _i ) represents the width of the signal,

is the round-up function; The switch control module takes the T/R cell array fault signal F as input, and generates n multiplex switch control signals C ₀ , C ₁ , ..., C _n-1 according to the T/R cell fault condition in the array; F(0:n-1) is the n-bit binary array fault signal, F(i)∈{0,1} is the normal/faulty state signal of the ith (0≤i≤n-1) T/R cell, F(i)=0 means the ith T/R cell is normal, F(i)=1 means the ith cell is faulty, and for the initial normal T/R cell array, F(0:n-1) is all 0 . 5. The self-repairing method of the array antenna with fast self-repairing capability according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: In the initial state, the first n T/R cells in the T/R cell array are connected to the power distribution/addition network and the array element array, and the corresponding genes are expressed according to their positions. In this way, the amplitude and phase of the radiated signals of the array elements at different positions of the array antenna are changed regularly, so as to synthesize the beams that meet the requirements in space; During the operation of the array antenna, the detection module in the T/R cell array detects the status of each T/R cell in real time. When a T/R cell fails, the detection module marks the status flag bit corresponding to the cell as 1, which is fault state; Driven by the status flag bit, the functions of the faulty T/R cell and its subsequent cells are moved backward in turn until a backup cell is used, so that the number of working cells is maintained at n; at the same time, the input switching control module and the output switching control module are based on the status flag bit. change, disconnect the faulty T/R cell from the power distribution/addition network and the array element, maintain the connection state of the working cell, and complete the self-repair of the array antenna.

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