The landscape of satellite communications is undergoing a dramatic transformation,
driven by the rise of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)
constellations like Starlink, OneWeb, mPower and Kuiper. These constellations and
their evolutions demand unprecedented flexibility and capacity, moving away from
traditional, fixed-beam architectures towards dynamic, software-defined solutions. At
the heart of this revolution lies advanced beamforming, encompassing analog,
digital, and hybrid techniques, enabling the creation and manipulation of hundreds,
even thousands, of simultaneous beams.
This lecture will delve into the cutting-edge advancements in analog and digital
beamforming for multibeam antennas (MBAs), focusing on its critical role in enabling
the agility and high throughput required by modern satellite systems. We'll explore
how advanced analog and digital beamforming architectures overcomes the
limitations of traditional approaches.
Key topics covered will include:
 The shift from analog to digital beamforming: Understanding the advantages
of digital processing in generating and controlling large numbers of beams.
 Architectures for high-density beamforming: Exploring analog, digital and
hybrid solutions, and their hardware and software implementations enabling
the creation of 100-200+ beams on satellite payloads.
 Advanced signal processing techniques: Discussing algorithms for beam
steering, interference mitigation, and dynamic resource allocation in digital
beamforming systems.
 Integration of digital beamforming with active phased arrays: Examining the
interplay between antenna elements, digital processing units, and
beamforming algorithms.
 Applications in LEO/MEO constellations: Highlighting the specific challenges
and solutions related to digital beamforming in these dynamic environments,
including examples from current and future satellite systems.
 Future trends and research directions: Discussing emerging technologies and
potential advancements in digital beamforming for satellite communications.
This lecture will provide a comprehensive overview of the theoretical foundations and
practical implementations of advanced analog and digital beamforming for multibeam
applications, catering to both antenna and microwave engineers, as well as those
involved in communication systems and signal processing
The material draws upon the speaker’s extensive experience and is informed by the
highly successful course co-instructed with Dr. Giovanni Toso on “Multibeam
Antennas and Beamforming Networks,” delivered to over a thousand participants at
leading IEEE conferences (AP-S, MTT-S, EuCAP, EuMW, etc.) over the past
decade.