Bi-directional amplifier module for insertion between microwave transmission channels

• US 6,686,875 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Phase IV Systems, Inc. (Technology Service Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Phase IV Systems, Inc. (Technology Service Corporation)
• Inventors: Wolfson, Brandon J., Lowe, Larry T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B.
• Application Number:
  US10/264,371
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 342/175, 342/373, 437/00.MS, 437/01, 437/78, 437/86, 330/53, 330/124.R, 330/137, 330/286, 330/295, 331/57, 333/21.A, 333/248, 370/498
• US Class Current: 342/175
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/1007 Microstrip transitions to Slotline or finline
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/62 Two-way amplifiers
• 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: H04B 2001/0408 with power amplifiers

Abstract

A waveguide bi-directional amplifier module is illuminated by a downstream illumination source and an upstream illumination source. The illumination sources are coupled to an array having waveguide to microstrip converters that provide for upstream and downstream electrical signals. Switchable amplifiers provide for amplification in both directions for the electrical signals and the converters coherently combine the output of the amplifiers to provide increased power to the electromagnetic wave entering the waveguide.

Claims

1. A bi-directional amplifier module comprising:

a downstream illumination source in a first microwave channel;

an upstream illumination source in a second microwave channel;

an array of converters for receiving illuminations and for illuminating said microwave channels; and

an array of bi-directional amplifiers coupled between said converters and configured to amplify downstream signals and to amplify upstream signals in response to control signals from a logic control unit.

2. The bi-directional amplifier module of claim 1, wherein the microwave channels are waveguides.

3. The bi-directional amplifier module of claim 2, wherein one of the waveguides is coupled to a radar transceiver and another of the waveguides is coupled to a radar antenna.

4. The bi-directional amplifier module of claim 2, wherein the waveguides are coupled to communication transceivers.

5. The bi-directional amplifier module of claim 1, wherein the bi-directional amplifiers have adaptable power gains and output power.

6. The bi-directional amplifier module of claim 2, wherein the waveguides are rectangular.

7. The bi-directional amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the microwave channels are coaxial cables.

8. The bi-directional amplifier module of claim 1, wherein the converters are antipodal finline converters.

9. A method for providing bi-directional amplification comprising the steps of:

illuminating an array of upstream converters and downstream converters;

converting, via the upstream and downstream converters, illuminations to downstream electrical signals and upstream electrical signals;

receiving the downstream electrical signals at downstream amplifiers;

combining downstream amplified signals at the upstream converters for downstream amplified illumination;

receiving the upstream electrical signals at upstream amplifiers; and

combining upstream amplified signals at the downstream converters for upstream amplified illumination.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the downstream amplified illumination to a radar antenna and the upstream amplified illumination to a radar receiver.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the downstream amplified illumination to a communication antenna and the upstream amplified illumination to a communication receiver.

12. A system for providing bi-direction amplification:

an array of switchable downstream and upstream amplifiers;

illumination sources for a downstream direction and a upstream direction; and

an array of converters for coupling the illumination sources to and from said amplifiers.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein, the converters are antipodal finline converters.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the converters are slotline converters.

15. An apparatus for providing bi-directional amplification comprising:

a first electromagnetic signal;

a second electromagnetic signal; and

a module having a first and second port, wherein the first port receives said first electromagnetic signal and the second port receives the second electromagnetic signal, the module configured to convert said electromagnetic signals into first electrical signals for amplification by first amplifiers and into second electrical signals for amplification by second amplifiers wherein the first amplified signals illuminate said second port and the second amplified signals illuminate said first port.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said electromagnetic signals are contained in waveguides and said first port is coupled to one of the waveguides and said second port is coupled to another of the waveguides.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said electromagnetic signals occur in mutually exclusive time bands.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said amplifiers are coupled to said electrical signals by logic controlled switches.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein each of said amplifiers have approximately the same gain and output power.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said amplifiers have adaptable gains and output power.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first electromagnetic signal and said second electromagnetic signal have approximately the same frequency spectrum.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first electromagnetic signal and said second electromagnetic signal have different frequency spectra.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first electromagnetic signal is a radar transmit signal and said second electromagnetic signal is an echo return of the radar transmit signal.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first electromagnetic signal is a downstream communication signal and said second electromagnetic signal is an upstream communication signal.

25. A microwave communication system, comprising:

a first waveguide;

a second waveguide; and

a bi-directional amplifier module coupled to the first and second waveguides, the bi-directional amplifier module configured to receive a downstream electromagnetic signal from the first waveguide, to amplify the downstream electromagnetic signal, and to transmit the amplified downstream signal to the second waveguide, the bi-directional amplifier module further configured to receive an upstream electromagnetic signal from the second waveguide, to amplify the upstream electromagnetic signal, and to transmit the amplified upstream signal to the first waveguide.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said bi-directional amplifier module further comprises control logic configured to enable the bi-directional amplifier module to selectively amplify said electromagnetic signals.

27. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a radar transceiver coupled to the first waveguide; and

an antenna coupled to the second waveguide, wherein the upstream electromagnetic signal is an echo of the downstream electromagnetic signal.

28. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a communication transceiver coupled to the first waveguide; and

an antenna coupled to the second waveguide, wherein the upstream electromagnetic signal is a communication signal from a remote site.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the bi-directional amplifier module comprises:

a downstream amplifier;

an upstream amplifier;

a first switch coupled to an input of the downstream amplifier and to an output of the upstream amplifier;

a second switch coupled to an input of the upstream amplifier and to an output of the downstream amplifier; and

control logic configured to the first and second switches such that the downstream amplifier receives and amplifies the downstream electromagnetic signal and such that the upstream amplifier receives and amplifies the upstream electromagnetic signal.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the control logic is configured to control the first and second switches such that the downstream amplifier is electrically isolated from the first and second waveguides when the upstream amplifier is amplifying the upstream electromagnetic signal and such that the upstream amplifier is electrically isolated from the second waveguides when the downstream amplifier is amplifying the downstream electromagnetic signal.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the bi-directional amplifier module comprises:

a first array of converters, each of the first array of converters configured to receive a portion of the downstream electromagnetic signals;

a second array of converters, each of the second array of converters configured to receive a portion of the downstream electromagnetic signals; and

a plurality of bi-directional amplifiers, each of the bi-directional amplifiers associated with a different one of the first array of converters and a different one of the second array of converters, each of the bi-directional amplifiers configured to receive and amplify a portion of the downstream electromagnetic signal from the associated first array converter to provide the amplified downstream portion to the associated second array converter, each of the bi-directional amplifiers further configured to receive and amplify a portion of the upstream electromagnetic signal from the associated second array converter and to provide the amplified upstream portion to the associated first array converter.

32. A bi-directional processing module comprising:

a downstream illumination source in a first microwave channel;

an upstream illumination source in a second microwave channel;

an array of converters for receiving illuminations and for illuminating said microwave channels; and

an array of processing elements coupled between said converters and adapted to process downstream and upstream signals.