A 16-Element Array Fed With A Switchable Power Divider

A pattern reconfigurable design realized by a planar array integrated with a switchable feed network is presented. The array has 16 radiating elements, and each element is a printed dipole backed with a metallic box. These elements are divided into four groups, and the excitation state of each group can be controlled with the feed network. By varying the number of the active groups, the radiation pattern of the array is reconfigured. Simulated results demonstrate that the proposed array can generate broadside beams with a front-to-back ratio of higher than 25 dB, and the half-power beamwidths of these main beams in E-plane or H-plane can be switched among 20 degrees, 26 degrees, and 46 degrees; besides, the array can produce three different side lobe levels, including -1, -12, and - 25 dB, in the two principal planes. For the proposed pattern reconfigurable array, a prototype is constructed, and its experimental results are also exhibited to validate the simulated data.