Miniaturised DBF Communication Modules for Broadband Mobile Satellite Access at Ka-Band

This paper describes the implementation of and measurements on highly integrated transmitter and receiver modules featuring digital beamforming (DBF) at Ka-band frequencies. These modules can be used as building blocks for large receiver or transmitter terminal antennas. After a review of the essential parts of the receiver and transmitter modules like antenna elements, Ka-band frontends, miniaturised interfaces and IF / baseband circuitry, measurement results of one receiver and one transmitter module are presented and discussed.