Miniaturized GPS Antenna Array Technology

Alison Brown, Dale Reynolds, Huan-Wan Tseng, John Norgard

Abstract:	NAVSYS have developed a miniaturized GPS antenna array technology that reduced the size of the antenna elements and the array dimensions. This technology enables GPS controlled radiation pattern antenna arrays (CPRAs) with anti-jamming capability to be installed on vehicles where their size has previously prohibited their use. This includes small munitions, such as Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), and aircraft where size and weight constraints resulted in fixed pattern radiation antenna (FRPA) installations. The miniaturized GPS antenna array uses high dielectric material to reduce the size of the antenna elements and reduce the separation between the elements. This design approach allows the size of the antenna array to be significantly reduced. NAVSYS have built and tested a four element miniaturized array that can fit in a six-inch footprint. In this paper, the miniaturized antenna array technology is described and test results are included showing the antenna array characteristics. This includes input impedance, voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), reflection coefficient, and mutual coupling data, antenna pattern and standard antenna element comparison data from anechoic chamber measurement, and also antenna array gain and array element phase relationship taken with the miniaturized antenna integrated with GPS digital beamforming electronics.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 55th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1999) June 27 - 30, 1999 Royal Sonesta Hotel Cambridge, MA
Pages:	243 - 251
Cite this article:	Brown, Alison, Reynolds, Dale, Tseng, Huan-Wan, Norgard, John, "Miniaturized GPS Antenna Array Technology," Proceedings of the 55th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1999), Cambridge, MA, June 1999, pp. 243-251.
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