Distributed Satellite Communications (SATCOM) On-t

We will demonstrate the feasibility of a multi-band distributed SOTM (D-SOTM) antenna system based on the Team’s pixel-addressable reconfigurable conformal antenna (PARCA) Software-Defined Antenna™ technology. PARCA is a phased array technology that operates under software control to be pointing-agile, frequency-agile, polarization-agile, low profile, and affordable in production. PARCA tiles, notionally 4-in squares approximately 3/4-in thick in this concept, are distributed onto available vehicle surfaces such that many tiles have a field of view in all azimuths and elevations. While antenna gain is frequency dependent, gains of +34 dBic at 20 GHz up to +40 dBic at 44 GHz are practical for PARCA apertures with a projected area of approximately 144-in^2 (that is, nine 4-in square tiles) in the direction of the satellite. In one concept, all analog signal processing (e.g., up/down frequency conversion, I/Q modulation/demodulation, amplification) is contained in each tile; the signal connection to/from each tile from the central processing unit is digital, probably using optical fiber to mitigate EMI/EMC issues and reduce weight.