A direction-finding antenna system using an integrated six-port circuit

A new method to measure the complex ratio of signals at adjacent elements of an array is presented. The circuit used for the measurement is an integrated six-port junction operated as an homodyne vectorial analyzer. A procedure that uses three known and many unknown incident or radiated fields conditions to calibrate the junction embedded in the antenna feed network is implemented. Experimental results are shown for a basic two-element array used as a receiving antenna. The direction of arrival of an incoming plane wave computed from the six-port measurements can be determined with a good accuracy. The monitoring system presented may find applications in direction-of arrival estimation.