A Novel Agile Phase-Controlled Beamforming Network Intended for 360° Angular Scanning in MIMO Applications

Abstract

This work presents a novel reconfigurable beamforming network for conformal multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna topologies. In particular, the proposed $\mathbf{1} \times \mathbf{4}$ feed network is thought for a four-element antenna cube, and, by selectively feeding either single antennas or couples of adjacent elements, is able to generate eight equally-spaced steerable beams over 360° on the azimuthal plane. A prototype in microstrip technology, designed to operate in the recently released C band (3.4-3.8 GHz) for 5G applications, has been tested, confirming the adequate behavior of the network.