BROADBAND DISTRIBUTED AMPLIFIER BASED ACTIVE DUPLEXER

• US 20170141909A1
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: YU, Mark K., FREITAG, Ronald G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,780,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/525 with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/54 using the same frequency for two directions of communication H04B1/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1461 Suppression of signals in the return path, i.e. bidirectional control circuits

Abstract

A system includes a transmitter to drive a transmission signal via a first and second transmission line. One half of the transmission signal is applied to the first transmission line and the other half of the transmission signal is applied to the second transmission line. An antenna radiates the transmission signal from the transmitter and receives a reception signal. The reception signal is driven in the opposite direction of the transmission signal on the first and second transmission lines. A plurality of differential amplifiers receive the reception signal from different sections of the first and second transmission lines and generate amplified output signals to a receiver output path having a first and second receiver transmission line. The differential amplifiers reject the one half of the transmission signal applied to the first transmission line and the other half of the transmission signal applied to the second transmission line.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a transmitter to drive a transmission signal via a first and second transmission line, wherein one half of the transmission signal is applied to the first transmission line and the other half of the transmission signal is applied to the second transmission line;

an antenna that radiates the transmission signal from the transmitter and receives a reception signal, the reception signal is driven in the opposite direction of the transmission signal on the first and second transmission lines; and

a plurality of differential amplifiers that receive the reception signal from different sections of the first and second transmission lines and generate amplified output signals to a receiver output path having a first and second receiver transmission line, the differential amplifiers reject the one half of the transmission signal applied to the first transmission line and the other half of the transmission signal applied to the second transmission line as a common mode signal to mitigate transmission signal interference with the reception signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission signal and the reception signal are generated out of phase with respect to each other by about one hundred and eighty degrees.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of differential amplifiers includes a phase adjustment capacitor at its output to adjust the phase of the reception signal.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switch to apply a load impedance to the first and second receiver transmission line or to apply a local oscillator signal to the first and second receiver transmission lines.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the local oscillator signal is mixed with the amplified output signals on the first and second receiver transmission lines to provide a down conversion signal that comprises the fundamental frequency of the reception signal minus the frequency of the local oscillator signal.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the local oscillator signal is mixed with the amplified output signals on the first and second receiver transmission lines to provide an up conversion signal that comprises the fundamental frequency of the reception signal plus the frequency of the local oscillator signal.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a receiver to process the amplified output signals from the first and second transmission lines of the receiver output path.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the amplified output signals are provided to at least one other amplifier stage comprising a plurality of differential amplifiers that drive another antenna.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a phase adjustment capacitor to adjust the phase of the amplified output signals at the input to the at least one other amplifier stage.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising at least one other local oscillator signal to mix with the output of the at least one other amplifier stage.

11. A circuit, comprising:

a transmitter to drive a transmission signal via a first and second transmission line, wherein one half of the transmission signal is applied to the first transmission line and the other half of the transmission signal is applied to the second transmission line;

an antenna that radiates the transmission signal from the transmitter and receives a reception signal, the reception signal is driven in the opposite direction of the transmission signal on the first and second transmission lines, wherein the transmission signal and the reception signal are generated out of phase with respect to each other by about one hundred and eighty degrees;

a plurality of differential amplifiers that receive the reception signal from different sections of the first and second transmission lines and generate amplified output signals to a receiver output path having a first and second receiver transmission line, the differential amplifiers reject the one half of the transmission signal applied to the first transmission line and the other half of the transmission signal applied to the second transmission line as a common mode signal to mitigate transmission signal interference with the reception signal; and

a receiver to process the amplified output signals from the first and second transmission lines of the receiver output path.

12. The circuit of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of differential amplifiers includes a phase adjustment capacitor at its output to adjust the phase of the reception signal.

13. The circuit of claim 11, further comprising a switch to apply a load impedance to the first and second receiver transmission line or to apply a local oscillator signal to the first and second receiver transmission lines.

14. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the local oscillator signal is mixed with the amplified output signals on the first and second receiver transmission lines to provide a down conversion signal that comprises the fundamental frequency of the reception signal minus the frequency of the local oscillator signal.

15. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the local oscillator signal is mixed with the amplified output signals on the first and second receiver transmission lines to provide an up conversion signal that comprises the fundamental frequency of the reception signal plus the frequency of the local oscillator signal.

16. A method, comprising:

applying a transmission signal via a first and second transmission line, wherein one half of the transmission signal is applied to the first transmission line and the other half of the transmission signal is applied to the second transmission line;

receiving a reception signal that is driven in the opposite direction of the transmission signal on the first and second transmission lines;

amplifying the reception signal from different sections of the first and second transmission lines to generate amplified output signals to a receiver output path having a first and second receiver transmission line; and

rejecting the one half of the transmission signal applied to the first transmission line and the other half of the transmission signal applied to the second transmission line as a common mode signal to mitigate transmission signal interference with the reception signal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting the phase of the reception signal from at least one section of the different sections of the first and second transmission lines.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising switching a load impedance to the first and second receiver transmission lines or applying a local oscillator signal to the first and second receiver transmission lines.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising mixing the local oscillator signal with the amplified output signals on the first and second receiver transmission lines to provide a down conversion signal that comprises the fundamental frequency of the reception signal minus the frequency of the local oscillator signal.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising mixing the local oscillator signal with the amplified output signals on the first and second receiver transmission lines to provide an up conversion signal that comprises the fundamental frequency of the reception signal plus the frequency of the local oscillator signal.