Dual band quadpack transmit/receive module

• US 7,728,771 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Michael J., McMonagle, Brian T., Miller, Eric V., Myers, Benjamin R., Krafcsik, Dave M., Guy, Harry V. III, Zirofsky, Eric D., Duncan, Kerron R., Karasack, Vincent G., Walsh, Thomas M., Vitamvas, John P., Digennaro, Gene A., Faulkner, Joseph A., Gupta, Tapan K., Salib, Mike L., Gipprich, John W., Middleton, Robert B., Freitag, Ronald G., Berry, Cynthia W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): GALT, CASSI J
• Application Number:
  US11/773,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20090009390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 342/81, 342368-377, 342 29- 40, 342 63- 65, 343/700.MS, 343850-865, 455269-294
• US Class Current: 342/368
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/085 Slot-line radiating ends
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037

Abstract

A multi-channel, dual-band, radio frequency (RF) transmit/receive (T/R) module, for an active electronically scanned array, is provided. The module includes a compact, RF manifold connector and at least four T/R channels. Each of the T/R channels includes a notch radiator, a diplexer coupled to the notch radiator, a power amplifier, including at least one dual-band gain stage, coupled to the notch radiator, a low noise amplifier, including at least one lower-band gain stage and at least one upper-band gain stage, coupled to the diplexer, and a T/R cell, including a phase shifter, a signal attenuator and at least one dual-band gain stage, coupled to the power amplifier, the low noise amplifier and the manifold connector.

Claims

1. A multi-channel, dual-band, radio frequency (RF) transmit/receive (T/R) module, comprising:

a compact, RF manifold connector; and

at least four T/R channels, each including;

a notch radiator,

a diplexer with an input port coupled to the notch radiator, an upper-band port and a lower-band port,

a power amplifier, including at least one dual-band gain stage, coupled to the notch radiator,

a low noise amplifier, including n lower-band gain stages arranged in series and coupled to the lower-band port of the diplexer and m upper-band gain stages arranged in series and coupled to the upper-band port of the diplexer, where m is greater than n, and

a T/R cell, including a phase shifter, a signal attenuator and at least one dual-band gain stage, coupled to the power amplifier, the low noise amplifier and the manifold connector.

2. The T/R module of claim 1, wherein the lower-band is Ku-band and the upper-band is Ka-band.

3. The T/R module of claim 2, wherein the diplexer is approximately 0.28 inches in length, 0.16 inches in width and 0.03 inches in height.

4. The T/R module of claim 2, wherein the diplexer includes:

an input port coupled to the notch radiator;

a Ku-band output port coupled to the lower-band gain stage of the low noise amplifier; and

a Ka-band output port coupled to the upper-band gain stage of the low noise amplifier.

5. The T/R module of claim 4, wherein the diplexer includes a low-pass filter coupled to the input port and the Ku-band output port, and a high-pass filter coupled to the input port and the Ka-band output port.

6. The T/R module of claim 5, wherein the low-pass filter is a rectangular waveguide and the high-pass filter is a stripline waveguide.

7. The T/R module of claim 5, wherein the low-pass filter and the high-pass filter are separated by grounding walls that include ground plane vias.

8. The T/R module of claim 5, wherein the low-pass filter has a cutoff frequency of approximately 20 GHz, and the high-pass filter has a cutoff frequency of approximately 28 GHz.

9. The T/R module of claim 2, wherein the power amplifier dual-band gain stage includes at least one lower-band gain stage and at least one upper-band gain stage.

10. The T/R module of claim 9, wherein the T/R cell dual-band gain stage includes at least one lower-band gain stage and at least one upper-band gain stage.

11. The T/R module of claim 1, wherein the power amplifier includes high electron mobility transistors or pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistors.

12. The T/R module of claim 11, wherein the low noise amplifier includes high electron mobility transistors or pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistors.

13. The T/R module of claim 2, wherein the T/R channels are configured to transmit Ka and Ku band signals simultaneously.

19. The T/R module of claim 1, wherein there are two lower-band gain stages and three upper-band gain stages.

20. The T/R module of claim 1, wherein the compact, RF manifold connector is no higher than the height of the T/R module.

14. An active electronically scanned array, comprising:

a beam steering computer;

a manifold coupled to the beam steering computer; and

a plurality of multi-channel, dual-band, radio frequency (RF) transmit/receive (T/R) modules, coupled to the manifold and arranged in a two-dimensional array, each module including;

a compact, RF manifold connector; and

at least four T/R channels, each channel including;

a notch radiator,

a diplexer, including an input port coupled to the notch radiator, a Ku-band output port coupled to a lower-band gain stage of a low noise amplifier with n gain stages arranged in series, a Ka-band output port coupled to a upper-band gain stage of the low noise amplifier with m gain stages arranged in series, where m is greater than n, a low-pass filter coupled to the input port and the Ku-band output port, and a high-pass filter coupled to the input port and the Ka-band output port,

a power amplifier, coupled to the notch radiator, including at least one Ku/Ka band gain stage,

a low noise amplifier, including at least one Ku-band gain stage and at least one Ka-band gain stage, coupled to the diplexer, and

a T/R cell, including a phase shifter, a signal attenuator and at least one Ku/Ka-band gain stage, coupled to the power amplifier, the low noise amplifier and the manifold connector.

15. The array of claim 14, wherein the low-pass filter is a rectangular waveguide, the high-pass filter is a stripline waveguide and the low-pass and high-pass filters are separated by grounding walls that include ground plane vias.

16. The array of claim 14, wherein the low-pass filter has a cutoff frequency of approximately 20 GHz, and the high-pass filter has a cutoff frequency of approximately 28 GHz.

17. The array of claim 14, wherein the power and low noise amplifiers include high electron mobility transistors or pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistors.

18. The array of claim 14, wherein the T/R channels are configured to transmit Ka and Ku band signals simultaneously.

21. The active electronically scanned array of claim 14, wherein there are two lower-band gain stages and three upper-band gain stages.

22. The active electronically scanned array of claim 14, wherein the compact, RF manifold connector is no higher than the height of the T/R module.