COMMUNICATION MODULES

• US 20090311969A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Wayman, Michael J., Nelson, Michael J., Zavadsky, Dean
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/03 Constructional details, e.g. casings, housings

Abstract

A communication module is provided. The module includes at least one transceiver, a filter, a power amplifier, an enclosure, an internal interface and an external interface. The power amplifier is in communication with the at least one transceiver and filter. Moreover, the at least one transceiver, filter and power amplifier are tuned and calibrated to work with each other. The enclosure is configured to physically retain the at least one transceiver, filter and power amplifier. The internal interface is configured to interface connections between the at least one transceiver and the power amplifier and the external interface configured to provided external connections to the module. In addition, the external interface is coupled to the internal interface.

Claims

1. A communication module, the module comprising:

at least one transceiver;

a filter;

a power amplifier in communication with the at least one transceiver and filter, wherein the at least one transceiver, filter and power amplifier are tuned and calibrated to work with each other;

an enclosure configured to physically retain the at least one transceiver, filter and power amplifier;

an internal interface configured to interface connections between the at least one transceiver and the power amplifier; and

an external interface configured to provided external connections to the module, the external interface being coupled to the internal interface.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the at least one transceiver is a radio transceiver and the filter is a radio frequency (RF) filter.

3. The module of claim 2, further comprising:

external connections to provide RF signals from the RF filter.

4. The module of claim 2, wherein the external connections to the external interface further comprise:

a power connection to power the module.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is further configured to space the power amplifier a select distance from the at least one transceiver and the filter.

6. A module comprising:

at least one radio transceiver;

an RF filter;

a power amplifier in communication with the at least one transceiver and filter, the power amplifier, the at least one radio transceiver and the RF filter being tuned and calibrated to work with each other;

a filter suspension frame configured to engage the RF filter; and

an enclosure configured to hold the at least one radio transceiver, the RF filter and the power amplifier, the enclosure further comprising a pair of sidewalls and a bottom plate, the filter suspension frame coupled to the sidewalls such that space is created between the RF filter and a first surface of the bottom plate of the enclosure, further wherein the power amplifier is coupled to a second surface of the bottom plate of the enclosure.

7. The module of claim 6, wherein the filter suspension frame further comprises:

a plurality of supports configured to hold the filter suspension frame around the RF filter.

8. The module of claim 7, wherein the supports are made from thermally insulating material.

9. The module of claim 6, further comprising:

a transceiver bracket coupled to the at least one radio transceiver, the transceiver bracket further configured to be coupled to the filter suspension frame.

10. The module of claim 6, further comprising:

an internal interface configured to provide an interface between the at least one radio transceiver and the power amplifier; and

and an external interface configured to provide an external interface to the module, the external in communications with the internal interface.

11. The module of claim 10, wherein the internal interface is coupled to a transceiver bracket that is configured to be coupled to the filter suspension frame.

12. The module of claim 10, wherein the enclosure further comprises a front plate that is configured to be coupled to the sidewalls, the external interface being coupled to the front plate.

13. The module of claim 12, wherein the front plate has at least two apertures that allow RF connections of the RF filter to pass there through.

14. The module of claim 10, wherein the enclosure further comprises a back plate that is configured to be coupled to the sidewalls.

15. The module of claim 14, wherein the back plate includes at least one cut out section that allows components on the internal interface to pass there through.

16. The module of claim 6, wherein the at least one radio transceiver, RF filter and power amplifier are single frequency band components.

17. A communication module mounting system, the module mounting system comprising:

a transceiver bracket configured to hold at least one transceiver;

a filter suspension frame configured to retain a filter, the filter suspension frame further configured to be coupled to the transceiver bracket; and

an enclosure, the enclosure including,

a pair of sidewalls, the sidewalls configured to couple the filter suspension frame there between,

a bottom plate coupled between the pair of sidewalls,

a front plate also coupled between the pair of sidewalls, and

a back plate further coupled between the pair of side walls at an opposite end of the sidewalls than where the front plate is coupled thereto.

18. The module mounting system of claim 17, wherein the filter suspension frame has a first portion and a second portion coupled to hold the filter via plurality of thermally insulting supports.

19. The module mounting system of claim 17, wherein the transceiver bracket is further configured to be coupled to an internal interface circuit board that provides internal connections to components mounted to the module mounting system.

20. The module mounting system of claim 17, further comprising an external interface circuit board coupled to the front plate of the enclosure, the external interface circuit board configured to provide external connections to components mounted to the module mounting system.

21. The module mounting system of claim 17, wherein a space is formed between a filter in the filter suspension frame and a first side of the bottom plate, a second side of the bottom plate configured to abut a power amplifier.

22. The module mounting system of claim 21, further comprising;

at least one retaining element coupled to the enclosure configured to retain a heat sink against the power amplifier.

23. A method of forming a communication module, the method comprising:

assembling at least one transceiver, a filter and a power amplifier in an enclosure to form a module; and

calibrating the at least one transceiver with the filter in the module.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein calibrating the at least one transceiver with the filter is performed by an automated calibration process.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein calibrating the at least one transceiver with the filter is performed by one of mechanical tuning and digital calibration.