Patent ID: 7545323

Claim:
An antenna system comprising; a digital beamformer adapted to receive a plurality of input signals and selectively replicate and weight the input signals to provide a plurality of digital subarray signals; a plurality of digital to analog (D/A) converters adapted to convert the digital subarray signals to a plurality of composite analog subarray signals; and a subarray comprising: a plurality of transmit elements, a thermal cold plate, a distribution board stacked on the thermal cold plate and adapted to distribute a plurality of analog signals, a port in communication with the distribution board and adapted to pass to the distribution board one of the composite analog subarray signals comprising the analog signals, a plurality of waveguides extending through the distribution board and the thermal cold plate, and a plurality of modules in communication with the transmit elements through the waveguides and adapted to receive the analog signals through the distribution board and perform analog beamsteering on the analog signals to provide output signals to the transmit elements through the waveguides, wherein the modules are interconnected with each other through the distribution board and removably inserted into the distribution board, wherein the modules are adapted to be removed from the distribution board without disassembly of the distribution board and without disassembly of the transmit elements.