INTEGRATED ORTHOMODE TRANSDUCER

• US 20100285758A1
• Filed: 11/11/2008
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Laidig, Dave, Wachter, Friedhelm, Buer, Kenneth V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/90.3
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/161 sustaining two independent orthogonal modes, e.g. orthomode transducer combining or separating polarisations and frequencies H01P1/2131
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/247 with frequency mixer, e.g. for direct satellite reception or Doppler radar
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A method and system for an integrated transceiver is presented. The integrated transceiver includes a transceiver housing, where a waveguide is formed inside the transceiver housing using a housing base and a sub-floor component. Neither the housing base nor the sub-floor component alone is configured to operate as a waveguide. In an exemplary embodiment, a portion of the waveguide is cast into the housing base and is part of the transceiver housing. Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment, an antenna system includes a feed horn, a polarizer, the integrated transceiver, and a transceiver circuit that communicates with the waveguide to transmit and receive radio frequency signals. The integrated transceiver, in the exemplary embodiment, includes a transceiver housing base that forms a portion of an integrated waveguide assembly, and another portion of the integrated waveguide assembly aligns with the transceiver housing base to form the integrated waveguide assembly.

Claims

1. An integrated transceiver, said integrated transceiver comprising:

a transceiver housing comprising a housing base; and

a sub-floor component comprising a first side and a second side, wherein said first side of said sub-floor component connects to an inner surface of said housing base to form an integrated orthomode transducer (OMT).

2. The integrated transceiver of claim 1, further comprising a circuit configured to at least one of transmit and receive radio frequency signals, wherein said circuit is configured to attach to said second side of said sub-floor component.

3. The integrated transceiver of claim 1, wherein neither said housing base nor said sub-floor component alone comprises an OMT.

4. The integrated transceiver of claim 1, wherein said inner surface of said housing base comprises a cast of a first portion of said integrated OMT;

and

wherein said first side of said sub-floor component comprises a cast of a second portion of said integrated OMT, and wherein said first portion of said integrated OMT aligns with said second portion of said integrated OMT to form said integrated OMT.

5. The integrated transceiver of claim 4, wherein said first portion of said integrated OMT of said housing base comprises a flat surface, and wherein said second portion of said integrated OMT of said sub-floor component comprises a cast of substantially all the features of said OMT.

6. The integrated transceiver of claim 4, wherein said second portion of said integrated OMT of said sub-floor component comprises a flat surface, and wherein said first portion of said integrated OMT of said housing base comprises a cast of substantially all the features of said OMT.

7. The integrated transceiver of claim 1, further comprising fins on the outer surface of the transceiver housing, wherein said fins are configured to facilitate thermal dissipation.

8. The integrated transceiver of claim 1, wherein said housing base and said sub-floor component are both made of a thermally and electrically conductive material.

9. The integrated transceiver of claim 8, wherein said thermally and electrically conductive material is at least one of aluminum and zinc.

10. The integrated transceiver of claim 1, further comprising:

an upper chassis configured to connect to said housing base to form said transceiver housing; and

multiple tabs attached to at least one of said upper chassis and bottom chassis, wherein said multiple tabs are configured to secure said upper chassis to said bottom chassis.

11. The integrated transceiver of claim 1, wherein said sub-floor component further comprises at least two apertures comprising a receive port and a transmit port of said OMT.

12. An antenna system comprising:

a feed horn;

a polarizer configured to attach to said feed horn to a first end of said polarizer;

an integrated transceiver configured to attach to a second end of said polarizer;

wherein said integrated transceiver comprises a transceiver housing forming a first portion of an integrated waveguide assembly, and wherein said first portion does not individually form said integrated waveguide assembly.

13. The antenna system of claim 12, further comprising a transceiver circuit, wherein said transceiver circuit is configured to communicate with said integrated waveguide assembly.

14. The antenna system of claim 12, further comprising a second portion of said integrated waveguide assembly configured to align with said first portion of said integrated waveguide assembly to form said integrated waveguide assembly.

15. The antenna system of claim 14, wherein the waveguide assembly is a split-block orthomode transducer (OMT) that is integrated into the structure of said transceiver housing.

16. The antenna system of claim 12, wherein an external antenna feed of said antenna system does not comprise an orthomode transducer (OMT).

17. The antenna system of claim 12, wherein said external antenna feed comprises only a feed horn.

18. The antenna system of claim 14, wherein a waveguide of said integrated waveguide assembly is located relative to significant heat sources of said integrated transceiver such that said waveguide does not impede the flow of dissipated heat between the heat sources and the transceiver'"'"'s external heat dissipating surfaces.

19. The antenna of claim 18, wherein said waveguide is configured to minimize the thermal resistance between said heat sources and the dissipating surfaces of said integrated waveguide assembly.

20. The antenna of claim 18, wherein said waveguide is not located perpendicular to said significant heat sources.

21. The antenna of claim 14, wherein said second portion of said integrated waveguide assembly is configured to form at least a portion of a waveguide and said second portion is configured to act as at least one of a heatsink, an RF ground, a circuit board support structure, and an enclosure.

22. The antenna system of claim 14, wherein said first portion comprises a cast of at least a portion of a waveguide of said integrated waveguide assembly, and wherein said second portion comprises a cast of at least a portion of said waveguide of said integrated waveguide assembly.

23. The antenna system of claim 12, wherein said second end of said polarizer is attached directly to said transceiver housing.

24. A method for integrating an orthomode transducer (OMT) within a transceiver housing, wherein said transceiver housing includes a housing base and a sub-floor component, said method comprising:

casting a relief of a first OMT portion in an inner surface of said housing base;

casting a relief of a second OMT portion in said sub-floor component, wherein said second OMT portion is complementary to said first OMT portion;

assembling said sub-floor component and said housing base so that said first OMT portion and said second OMT portion are aligned and form said OMT; and

attaching a transceiver circuit to said sub-floor component opposite said second OMT portion.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising designing the layout of said relief of said first and second OMT portions and designing the layout of significant heat sources on said transceiver circuit to avoid blocking heat transfer from said transceiver circuit through said OMT to an exterior portion of said housing base.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said assembling includes using an O-ring to hermetically seal a joint between said sub-floor component and said housing base.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising connecting a cover chassis to said housing base to form said transceiver housing.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising using multiple tabs attached to at least one of said cover chassis and the housing base, wherein said multiple tabs are configured to secure said cover chassis to said housing base.