ArrayLink: Distributed Phased Array Architecture

• ArrayLink is a distributed phased array architecture that coherently combines multiple small panels to achieve high-gain beamforming and spatial multiplexing.
• It employs precise digital synchronization and phase control across a kilometer-scale, non-uniform aperture to focus energy in both angle and range.
• The design mitigates LEO backhaul bottlenecks by enabling multi-stream communication with performance close to that of traditional parabolic dish antennas.

Searching arXiv for the specified paper and closely related near-field MIMO context. ArrayLink is a distributed phased array architecture for satellite ground stations that coherently combines multiple small commercially available panels to achieve high-gain beamforming and line-of-sight MIMO spatial multiplexing on feeder links to low Earth orbit satellites. In the formulation presented in "Satellites are closer than you think: A near field MIMO approach for Ground stations" (Vennam et al., 12 Aug 2025), the central idea is to replace either mechanically steered parabolic dishes or monolithic large phased arrays with many spatially separated panels connected by precise digital synchronization and phase control. By spacing 16 $32\times 32$ panels across a kilometer-scale aperture, ArrayLink enters the radiative near-field, focuses energy in both angle and range, and supports up to four simultaneous spatial streams on a single feeder link, while remaining within 1–2 dB of the gain of a 1.47 m reflector (Vennam et al., 12 Aug 2025).

1. Concept and problem setting

ArrayLink is motivated by a stated bottleneck in satellite-to-ground backhaul capacity: the rapid growth of low Earth orbit constellations has not been matched by corresponding expansion of ground station infrastructure (Vennam et al., 12 Aug 2025). The paper contrasts two established ground-station design points. Traditional parabolic dish antennas are described as effective for geostationary satellites but ill-suited for dense, fast-moving LEO networks because of mechanical steering delays and the inability to track multiple satellites simultaneously. Phased array antennas provide electronically steerable beams and multi-satellite support, but their use in ground stations is limited by cost, hardware issues, and the complexity of achieving sufficient antenna gain (Vennam et al., 12 Aug 2025).

Within that framing, ArrayLink is defined not simply as a larger array, but as a distributed aperture assembled from many smaller panels. The architecture relies on coherent combination rather than on a single physically contiguous aperture. This makes the design simultaneously a beamforming system and a spatial-multiplexing system. A plausible implication is that the proposal targets a regime where capital expenditure, aperture scale, and feeder-link capacity must all be traded jointly rather than optimized in isolation.

2. Distributed phased-array architecture

The physical layout described for ArrayLink uses $N$ small phased array panels; the representative configuration in the summary is 16 panels, each with $32\times 32$ elements and approximately 36 dBi gain per panel (Vennam et al., 12 Aug 2025). These panels are dispersed over a large aperture, potentially exceeding 1 km, and are tied together through precise digital synchronization and phase control. The paper emphasizes that this is not merely a set of independent beams: each panel performs standard electronic beamforming, while a higher-level digital system applies calibrated delay and phase corrections so that the received waves add constructively at the desired angle and range (Vennam et al., 12 Aug 2025).

The implementation logic depends on non-uniform or randomized placement rather than regular spacing. The stated reason is to avoid grating lobes and to suppress sidelobes. In the paper’s terminology, the distributed array synthesizes a “super beam” through array-level digital beamforming, while panel-level beamforming continues to operate locally (Vennam et al., 12 Aug 2025). Synchronization is discussed in terms of shared clocks, reference signals, and over-the-air calibration.

The architectural decomposition can be summarized as follows.

Component	Role
Small phased array panels	Provide local electronic beamforming
Digital synchronization and phase control	Coherently combine panels across the aperture
Non-uniform panel placement