Novel Phased Array Terminal Antenna for M2M Satellite Networks

This paper presents a novel phased array terminal antenna for machine to machine or internet of things type satellite networks in C-band. The proposed planar array consists of 25 circular polarized elements that are arranged in two concentric rings. Hemispherical beam scanning coverage with a high directive pencil beam is achieved with only a very limited set of phase shifts per antenna element.The phase shifts can be realized as switchable delay lines, instead of using expensive off-the-shelf phase shifter ICs. A fully functional array prototype consisting of a spacer PTFE plate, a top antenna circuit board and a bottom multi-layer feeding network circuit board was designed and manufactured.Measurements confirm the hemispherical beam forming capability.