This master thesis aimed to gain knowledge about the field of "adaptive array antenna systems for mobile satellite communication" and develop algorithms to control hardware equipment. We were able to set up and configure a beamformer to receive radio frequency (RF) signals using an array antenna. To do this we tested several development environments before settling on Python script programming using the Thonny editor. We created several plots of antenna patterns using both rectangular and polar coordinate systems, and developed Python code to generate animations and vector figures of the results. We also used different algorithms to control the pointing direction of the array antenna and examine the RF signal strength under various conditions. The results of our work can be used in future research to increase the robustness and flexibility of satellite communication and help provide redundancy against communication disruptions. To apply the findings of this master thesis more closely to a real-life application, we suggest using an field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to calculate and control beamforming, as the Raspberry Pi 4 computer used in this project is too slow for real-time processing. We also recommend using 2D-arrays instead of the 1D-array used in this project, which would allow for control of the beam lobe in both azimuth and elevation. Another suggestion is to build smaller blocks of 2D-array antennas connected with synchronized clocks into larger antenna arrays, which would result in improved performance. This was a challenging and rewarding project that provided valuable insights into a topic with many potential future applications within e.g. satellite communications, radar technology and mobile telephony.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-532299 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Holm, Tobias |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Kärnfysik |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | UPTEC F, 1401-5757 ; 24018 |
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