Active antenna arrays modelling for SATCOM and RADAR applications

The presentation addresses modelling and design challenges for Active Electronically Scanned Arrays (AESAs), with a focus on early-stage performance prediction. Distributed amplification in such architectures, as well as recent development on Silicone chips presents a valuable opportunity to address G/T or EIRP constraints for several missions. However, the manufacturing and optimization of AESAs remain a complex process. This presentation will especially describe methods for characterizing radiating panels and their interfaces with active RF channels, including the impact of load-pull effects due to varying active impedances and co-simulation strategies for large numbers of channels. Some examples of recent designs will be presented.

Biography: Cyrille Menudier received the PhD in Telecommunications from the XLIM Research Laboratory, University of Limoges, in 2007. He then got a post-doctoral position in CNES (French Space Agency) until 2009, where he worked on reconfigurable reflectarrays. He is currently Professor in the RF Systems axis of XLIM. Its research interests are based on the modeling and optimization of multielement antennas, their associated couplings and their integration with RF front-ends.