Configuration of transmit/receive switching in a transceiver

• US 6,757,523 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ZEUS Wireless (Proxim Wireless Corporation)
• Inventors: Fry, Terry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US09/739,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20030190931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/78, 455/79, 455/80, 455/82, 455/83, 455/84, 333/104, 333/103, 333/100, 333/101, 330/134
• US Class Current: 455/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/48 in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter H04B1/46 takes precedence

Abstract

An economical, compact wireless data telemetry transceiver is adapted to establish and maintain communication links at 2.4 GHZ. The wireless transceiver includes RF and computer control components in a compact package approximately the size of a deck of cards and is adapted to be built into original equipment manufacturer (OEM) products to support a wide range of wireless data telemetry applications. Each transceiver includes a shielded RF board or module with a frequency hopping transmitter and receiver, an antenna, and a digital control board or module. The transceiver functions as a half duplex, bi-directional communication device; transmit and receive functions are time interleaved in a non-overlapping fashion. The RF Board consists of a transmitter, receiver, frequency synthesizer and T/R Switch, each controlled by an external microprocessor to either transmit serial data or receive serial data.

Claims

1. An economical, compact, wireless data telemetry transceiver, comprising:

a transmitter having an output port;

a receiver having an input port;

an antenna selectively electrically connectable to one of said transmitter output port and said receiver input port through a transmit/receive switch;

said transmit/receive switch being connected to said transmitter output port at a transmitter connection node, being connected to said receiver input port at a receiver connection node and being connected to said antenna at an antenna connection node;

said transmit/receive switch comprising a first transmission line segment connected between said transmitter connection node and said antenna connection node and having a first selected electrical length;

said transmit/receive switch further comprising a second transmission line segment connected between said receiver connection node and said antenna connection node and having a second selected length;

said transmit/receive switch further comprising a first semiconductor circuit element having a conducting state and a substantially non-conducting state;

said transmit/receive switch further comprising a third transmission line segment connected between said transmitter connection node and a first semiconductor circuit element connection node;

said first semiconductor circuit element being selectively operable to effectively ground said third transmission line segment at said first semiconductor circuit element connection node when in said conducting state.

2. The wireless data telemetry transceiver of claim 1, wherein said first semiconductor circuit element comprises a PIN diode.

3. The wireless data telemetry transceiver of claim 1:

said transmit/receive switch further comprising a second semiconductor circuit element having a conducting state and a substantially non-conducting state and being connected between said receiver connection node and a grounded node;

said transmit/receive switch further comprising a fourth transmission line segment connected between said receiver connection node and a grounded terminal node;

said second semiconductor circuit element being selectively operable to effectively ground said receiver connection node;

said second transmission line segment second selected length being sized to translate the selectively grounded receiver connection node to an open circuit at said antenna connection node, thereby forcing substantially all transmitter energy input to the transmitter connection node to pass to said antenna connection node.

4. The wireless data telemetry transceiver of claim 3, wherein said second semiconductor circuit element comprises a PIN diode.

5. The wireless data telemetry transceiver of claim 3, further comprising:

a fifth transmission line segment connected between said first semiconductor circuit element connection node and a second grounded terminal node.

6. The wireless data telemetry transceiver of claim 5, said fifth transmission line segment connected between said first semiconductor circuit element connection node and said second grounded terminal node having an electrical length sized to present an open circuit at said receiver connection node when said second semiconductor circuit element is in said substantially non-conducting state.

7. The wireless data telemetry transceiver of claim 5, said first transmission line segment connected between said transmitter connection node and said antenna connection node having an electrical length of approximately one quarter wavelength.

8. The wireless data telemetry transceiver of claim 5, said third transmission line segment connected between said first semiconductor circuit element connection node and said transmitter connection node having an electrical length of approximately one quarter wavelength.

9. The wireless data telemetry transceiver of claim 5, said second transmission line segment connected between said receiver connection node and said antenna connection node having an electrical length of approximately one quarter wavelength.

10. The wireless data telemetry transceiver of claim 5, said fourth transmission line segment connected between said receiver connection node and said second grounded terminal node having an electrical length sized to present an open circuit at said first semiconductor circuit element connection node when said first semiconductor circuit element is in said substantially non-conducting state.

11. A transmit/receive switch adapted to selectively switch an antenna connection at an antenna port to either a transmitter port or a receiver port, comprising:

a first RF switch;

said first RF switch having a conducting state and a non-conducting state;

a first conductive RF switch connection node connected to said first RF switch;

a conductive transmitter connection node connected to the transmitter port;

a conductive receiver connection node connected to the receiver port;

a conductive antenna connection node connected to the antenna port;

a first transmission line segment connected between said transmitter connection node and said antenna connection node and having a first selected length approximately equal to an odd number of quarter wavelengths,

a second transmission line segment connected between said receiver connection node and said antenna connection node and having a second selected length approximately equal to an odd number of quarter wavelengths,

a third transmission line segment connected between said transmitter connection node and said first RF switch connection node and having a third selected length approximately equal to an odd number of quarter wavelengths;

said first RF switch, when in said conducting state, effectively grounding said first RF switch connection node, thereby providing an open circuit impedance at said transmitter connection node through said third transmission line segment.

12. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, said first RF switch comprising a PIN diode.

13. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, said third transmission line segment third selected length being substantially equal to one quarter wavelength.

14. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, further comprising a second RF switch;

said second RF switch having a conducting state and a non-conducting state;

a second conductive RF switch connection node connected to said second RF switch;

said second conductive RF switch connection node being connected to said antenna connection node;

a first conductive earth connection node connected to ground;

a fourth transmission line segment connected between said receiver connection node and said first conductive earth connection node and having a selected length approximately equal to an odd number of quarter wavelengths; and

said second RF switch, when in said conducting state, effectively grounding said second RF switch connection node, thereby providing an open circuit impedance at said antenna connection node through said second transmission line segment.

15. The transmit/receive switch of claim 14, said first RF switch and said second RF switch being simultaneously controllable such that when said first RF switch is in said conducting state, said second RF switch is also in said conducting state.

16. The transmit/receive switch of claim 15, said second RF switch comprising a PIN diode.

17. The transmit/receive switch of claim 14, said fourth transmission line segment third selected length being slightly less than one quarter wavelength.

18. The transmit/receive switch of claim 14, further comprising a second conductive earth connection node connected to ground and a fifth transmission line segment connected between said first RF switch connection node and said second conductive earth connection node, said fifth transmission line segment having a fifth selected length being approximately equal to an odd number of quarter wavelengths.

19. The transmit/receive switch of claim 18, said fifth transmission line segment fifth selected length being slightly less than one quarter wavelength.

20. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, said first, second and third transmission line segments being configured as strip line segments.

21. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, said first, second and third transmission line segments being configured as micro-strip segments.

22. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, said first, second and third transmission line segments being configured as coaxial transmission line segments.

23. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, said first, second and third transmission line segments being configured as wave guide segments.

24. An economical, compact, transmit/receive “

RF in”

switching component, comprising;

a transmitter output connection node and an antenna connection node;

a first transmission line segment connected between said transmitter connection node and said antenna connection node and having a first selected electrical length of approximately one quarter wavelength;

a first semiconductor circuit element having control input node and a conducting state and a substantially non-conducting state and having a first semiconductor circuit element connection node;

a second transmission line segment connected between said transmitter connection node and a first semiconductor circuit element connection node;

said transmit/receive switch further comprising a third transmission line segment connected between said first semiconductor circuit element connection node and a grounded node and having a selected electrical length less than one quarter wavelength; and

said first semiconductor circuit element being selectively operable to effectively ground said third transmission line segment at said first semiconductor circuit element connection node when in said conducting state, in response to receiving a control signal on said control input node.

25. The economical, compact, transmit/receive “

RF in”

switching component of claim 24, wherein said first semiconductor circuit element comprises a PIN diode.

26. An economical, compact, transmit/receive “

RF out”

switching component, comprising;

a receiver input connection node and an antenna connection node;

a first transmission line segment connected between said receiver input connection node and said antenna connection node and having a first selected electrical length of approximately one quarter wavelength;

a first semiconductor circuit element having control input node and a conducting state and a substantially non-conducting state and having a first semiconductor circuit element connection node;

said first semiconductor circuit element connection node being connected to said receiver input connection node;

a second transmission line segment connected between said receiver input connection node and a grounded node and having a selected electrical length less than one quarter wavelength; and

said first semiconductor circuit element being selectively operable to effectively ground said second transmission line segment at said first semiconductor circuit element connection node when in said conducting state, in response to receiving a control signal on said control input node.

27. The economical, compact, transmit/receive “

RF out”

switching component of claim 26, wherein said first semiconductor circuit element comprises a PIN diode.