Two-step beam-forming using space-frequency trans-formation in a time-multiplexed phased array receiver

This thesis is about the system analysis and design as well as circuit analysis and design of the time multiplexed phased-array receiver. This thesis provides system approaches to both single and multi-path receivers. With single-path receiver, a design flow for trade-off between RF front-end and ADC block performance by translating ADC parameters into RF domain is introduced. This approach indicates two variables for achieving optimum dynamic range in a receiver chain. Associating these variables to the power consumption enables the trade-off between RF and ADC block for minimum overall power consumption. After that, multi-path receivers, namely, phased-array receivers are presented. It started with analyzing the difference between phased-array and single-chain receivers from noise and linearity perspectives, and then provided a general analysis that takes advantages of both analog and digital beam-forming. Two-step beam-forming using space-frequency transformation in a time-multiplexed phased-array receiver has been introduced. This architecture can achieve spatial domain to frequency domain mapping, and two steps of spatial filtering, namely coarse and final spatial filtering. These properties enable the possibility of phased-array analog and digital co-design, and generalized phased-array system design. Specifically, we have discussed the multiplexing architecture from a mathematical point of view. We used various models to understand the properties of the system. A new concept was introduced: spatial to frequency transformation. This architecture is suitable for applications with limited viewing angle. With a band-pass filter at IF in front of the ADC in the analog domain, the suppressed interference in both frequency and spatial domain can relax the ADC design complexity. Meanwhile, the preserved phase information is processed in digital domain for final array patterning and multiple source selection (if applicable). In order to verify the theory, the demonstrators were implemented in block and system level with SiGe technology. The measurement results prove the new concepts that have been reported in this thesis.