Low-noise amplifier design considerations for use in antenna arrays

From National Research Council Canada

DOIResolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TAP.2015.2419668
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Name affiliation
  1. National Research Council Canada. Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics
FormatText
TypeArticle
Journal titleIEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation
ISSN0018-926X
1558-2221
Volume63
Issue6
Pages2508–2520
Subjectcoefficient; antenna arrays; noise coupling; low noise amplifier (LNA); active reflection
Abstract
This work analyzes the implications of noise coupling in arrays of antennas on the design of low-noise amplifiers (LNAs). To select LNA design parameters in a manner familiar to LNA designers, the effective noise temperatures Teff of LNAs are presented. The effect of beamformer coefficients and antenna coupling on Teff is analyzed in a manner similar to a stand-alone LNA analysis. This leads to the proposed LNA design strategy of selecting LNA Γopt near the reflection coefficient of antenna ports and selecting the largest practical |S11| with a proper phase. This strategy is based on the assumption that the antenna array may be used for various beamforming and nonbeamforming applications, unknown at the time of the design. Numerical simulations of a 38- and 41-element antenna arrays show that a global search of LNA S11 and Γopt, which result in the minimum average beam-equivalent receiver noise temperature Trec, finds nearly identical results to the proposed LNA design strategy. For a 41-element array with high antenna coupling at low frequencies, the proposed method shows as much as 80% improvement in the Trec over conventional LNA design strategies that do not account for the intended use of the amplifier in an array.
Publication date
PublisherIEEE
LanguageEnglish
Peer reviewedYes
NPARC number23001552
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