Waveguide - printed wiring board (PWB) interconnection

• US 20060145778A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Radar Systems, Inc. (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Radar Systems, Inc. (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Pleva, Joseph S., Leblanc, Stephen P., Donovan, Richard P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/027 Constructional details of housings, e.g. form, type, material or ruggedness
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/03 Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/107 Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0237 High frequency adaptations H05K1/0216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00

Abstract

An RF interconnection between RF Printed Wiring Boards (PWBs) includes a waveguide transmission line coupled between the RF PWBs. The waveguide feeds are provided as integral parts of each PWB. In one embodiment, the waveguide interconnecting the PWBs is provided as an integral part of a support structure which supports the PWBs. By providing the interconnecting waveguide and the feeds at each end of the waveguide as integral pieces of other already existing structures, a reliable, low cost RF interconnection between RF PWBs having relatively few separate pieces is provided.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) assembly for providing an RF signal path between first and second RF printed wiring boards (PWBs), the RF assembly comprising:

a waveguide transmission line having a first waveguide port at a first end of said waveguide and having a second waveguide port at a second end of said waveguide;

a first waveguide feed provided as an integral part of at least a portion of the first PWB, said first waveguide feed coupled to a first one of the first and second waveguide ports; and

a second waveguide feed provided as an integral part of at least a portion of the second PWB, said second waveguide feed coupled to a second one of the first and second waveguide ports.

2. The RF assembly of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said waveguide is provided as an integral portion of a PWB frame.

3. The RF assembly of claim 1 wherein said first waveguide feed comprises a radiating element provided as a printed circuit.

4. The RF assembly of claim 3 wherein said radiating element corresponds to a patch antenna radiating element.

5. The RF assembly of claim 1 wherein the first port of said waveguide is provided having a size which is not the same as the size of the second port of said waveguide.

6. The RF assembly of claim 1 wherein the first end of said waveguide is provided having a shape which is not the same as the shape in the second end of said waveguide.

7. A radio frequency (RF) assembly comprising a printed wiring board (PWB) frame having a waveguide portion included as an integral part of the PWB frame, said waveguide portion having a first waveguide aperture exposed on a first side of the PWB frame at a first end of said waveguide and having a second waveguide port aperture exposed on the first side of the PWB frame at a second end of said waveguide.

8. The RF assembly of claim 7 wherein each of said waveguide ports are adapted for coupling to a feed circuit provided on one or more a PWBs disposed on the PWB frame

9. The RF assembly of claim 7 further comprising a first plurality of PWB alignment structures projecting from a surface on the first side of the PWB frame.

10. The RF assembly of claim 7 further comprising a first region on the first side of the PWB frame adapted to accept a first PWB and a second region on the first side of the PWB frame adapted to support a second PWB.

11. A radio frequency (RF) assembly comprising:

a printed wiring board (PWB) frame having a waveguide portion included as an integral part of the PWB frame, said waveguide portion having a first waveguide port exposed on a first side of the PWB frame at a first end of said waveguide and having a second waveguide port exposed on the first side of the PWB frame at a second end of said waveguide.

12. The RF assembly of claim 11 further comprising:

a first PWB disposed on a first region on the first side of the PWB frame;

a second PWB disposed on a second region on the first side of the PWB frame;

a first waveguide feed provided as an integral part of at least a portion of said first PWB, said first waveguide feed coupled to a first one of the first and second waveguide ports; and

a second waveguide feed provided as an integral part of at least a portion of said second PWB, said second waveguide feed coupled to a second one of the first and second waveguide ports.

13. The RF assembly of claim 12 further comprising:

a third PWB having a conductive portion, said third PWB disposed on a first region of a second side of said PWB frame and aligned on said PWB frame such that a conductive portion of said third PWB covers an opening in the waveguide portion of said PWB frame.

14. The RF assembly of claim 12 wherein said waveguide feed comprises at least one of:

a printed circuit provided as part of said first PWB;

an edge launch waveguide coupled to a PWB;

a launch pin projecting from a first surface of said first PWB; and

a coaxial line PWB transmission line.

15. The RF assembly of claim 11 wherein said waveguide portion of said PWB frame includes two sidewalls, two end walls and a bottom wall.

16. The RF assembly of claim 15 wherein said waveguide portion of said PWB frame is split along an E-plan wall of said waveguide.

17. The RF assembly of claim 14 wherein the bottom wall of said waveguide portion of said PWB frame corresponds to an E-plan wall.

18. The RF assembly of claim 12 wherein the bottom wall of said waveguide portion of said PWB frame corresponds to an E-plan wall and the assembly further comprises a cover disposed over an open side of said waveguide portion wherein said cover corresponds to a top wall of said waveguide portion of said PWB frame.

19. The RF assembly of claim 18 wherein said cover is provided as a conductive portion of a third PWB, said third PWB disposed over a second side of said PWB frame.

21. The printed wiring board (PWB) of claim 14 wherein said PWB transmission line corresponds to a coaxial line PWB transmission line.

20. A radio frequency (RF) assembly for providing an RF signal path between first and second RF printed wiring boards (PWBs), the RF assembly comprising:

a PWB transmission line having first and second opposing ends;

a first feed provided as an integral part of at least a portion of the first PWB, said first feed coupled to a first one of the first and second ends of said PWB transmission line; and

a second feed provided as an integral part of at least a portion of said second PWB, said second feed coupled to a second one of the first and second ends of said PWB transmission line.