Reduction of Phase Shifters in Planar Phased Arrays Using Novel Random Subarray Techniques

Reducing the number of phase shifters by grouping antenna elements into subarrays has been extensively studied for decades. The number of phase shifters directly affects the cost, complexity, and power consumption of the system. A novel method for the design of phased planar antenna arrays is presented in this work in order to perform a reduction of up to $70\%$ in the number of phase shifters used by the array, while maintaining the desired radiation characteristics. This method consists of creating fusions of subarrays to generate random sequences that form the best feeding network configuration for planar phased arrays. The obtained solution allows scanning the mainlobe at $\theta =-{40}^{\circ }$ elevation with a range of scanning of $[-{75}^{\circ }<\varphi <{75}^{\circ }]$ in the azimuth plane, while maintaining a side lobe level below $-10$ dB and achieving a reduction of $62\%$ in the number of phase shifters. It is shown that each solution is created based on search criteria, which influence the morphology of the array in terms of subarray size and orientation. The proposed methodology shows great flexibility for creating new phased antenna array designs that meet the requirements of specific applications in a short period of time.