Multi-port amplifiers with switchless redundancy

• US 5,610,556 A
• Filed: 10/31/1995
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Space Systems/Loral Incorporated (Loral Space and Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Space Systems/Loral Incorporated (Loral Space and Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rubin, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullins, James B.
• Application Number:
  US08/550,575
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 330/124 R, 330/124 D, 330/295, 333/109, 333/116, 333/117
• US Class Current: 330/124.00D
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/198 A hybrid coupler being used as coupling circuit between stages of an amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/602 Combinations of several amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/68 Combinations of amplifiers, e.g. multi-channel amplifiers for stereophonics power amplifiers using a combination of several semiconductor amplifiers H03F3/211; combinations of amplifiers using coupling networks with distributed constants H03F3/602

Abstract

A multi-port amplifier system for multi-beam communication antennas in which redundancy is achieved without using RF switches. The multi-port amplifiers are divided into sets of stages arranged in tree fashion and the amplifier stages can be turned off without degrading port-to-port isolation. In one embodiment there are thirty-two input ports 1 through 32 and thirty-two corresponding output ports 1 through 32 wherein input port 1 is functionally connected to output port 1 and so on. An input signal to each of the input ports 1 through 32 is connected to a separate one of a first group of sixteen, four stage multi-port hybrid circuits. The outputs of the first group of multi-port hybrid circuits are connected through solid-state power amplifiers to a second group of sixteen, four stage multi-port hybrid circuits which are also labeled according to the input port numbers to which they are functionally connected.

Claims

1. A multi-port amplifier system including a redundancy feature comprising:

a plurality of N input ports where N is an even integer,

a plurality of N amplifier devices each including a power supply for providing a power signal for energizing said device;

a first multi-port hybrid coupler tree connected between said N input ports and the inputs of said N amplifier devices, said first multi-port hybrid coupler tree including N/2 groups of multi-port hybrid coupler stages each having N/8 hybrid coupler circuits connected in series between said N input ports and said inputs of said N amplifier devices;

a plurality of N output ports, a second multi-port hybrid coupler tree connected between the outputs of said N amplifier devices and said N output ports, said second multi-port hybrid coupler tree including N/2 groups of multi-port hybrid coupler stages each having N/8 hybrid coupler circuits connected in series between said outputs of said N amplifier devices and said N output ports wherein each input port is connected to a corresponding output port by a separate path through one of said N/8 stages of series connected hybrid circuits of said first tree, a separate one of said N amplifiers devices, and a separate one of said stages of said N/8 hybrid coupler circuits of said second tree wherein said input ports are connected to input signals, and wherein said input signals are connected from said input ports through separate paths of said hybrid coupler circuits of said first tree, separate amplifier devices and said separate paths of hybrid coupler circuits of said second tree to separate output ports,

and wherein the said power signal for an amplifier device within each of said multi-port hybrid coupler trees is unconnected and said amplifier device is off to provide a redundant stand-by replacement amplifier device for power failures.

2. A multi-port amplifier system according to claim 1 wherein and all the N input ports are connected to an input signal.

3. A multi-port amplifier system according to claim 1 wherein less than N of said N input ports are connected to an input signal.

4. A multi-port amplifier system according to claim 3 wherein power supply signals to ones of said N amplifier devices are unconnected and therefore said ones of said N amplifier devices are off.