Matrix ferrite driver circuit

• US 9,998,114 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Forney, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ortiz, Elim
• Application Number:
  US14/068,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20150115737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 307112-116, 307325, 307535
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/002 Switching arrangements with several input- or output terminals code converters H03M5/00, H03M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/51 characterised by the components used H03K17/04 - H03K17/30, H03K17/94 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/80 using non-linear magnetic devices; using non-linear dielectric devices H03K17/95, H03K17/97 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0036 Means reducing energy consumption

Abstract

A ferrite module matrix driver circuit comprises a controller, a charging circuit, a plurality of ferrite modules arranged in the form of a matrix, a plurality of first switches driven by the controller, a plurality of second switches driven by the controller, and one or more comparators coupled to the charging circuit and the controller. Each switch in the first plurality of switches connects a respective column of said plurality of ferrite modules to the charging circuit. Each switch in the second plurality of switches connects a respective row of said plurality of ferrite modules to ground. And, after a specific voltage has been reached by the charging circuit, one of the comparators signals to the controller, which in turn selects a specific ferrite module to be polarized by driving one of the plurality of first switches and one of the plurality of second switches.

Claims

1. A ferrite module matrix driver circuit comprising:

a controller;

a charging circuit;

a plurality of ferrite modules arranged in the form of a matrix;

a plurality of first switches driven by the controller, wherein each switch in the plurality of first switches connects a respective column of said plurality of ferrite modules to the charging circuit;

a plurality of second switches driven by the controller, wherein each switch in the plurality of second switches connects a respective row of said plurality of ferrite modules to ground; and

one or more comparators coupled to the charging circuit and the controller, wherein after a specific voltage has been reached by the charging circuit, one of the one or more comparators is configured to provide a signal to the controller indicating that the specific voltage has been reached by the charging circuit;

wherein upon receiving the signal from one of the one or more comparators indicating that the specific voltage has been reached by the charging circuit, the controller is configured to select a specific ferrite module to be polarized by driving one of the plurality of first switches and one of the plurality of second switches.

2. The matrix driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ferrite modules are ferrite circulators.

3. The matrix driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first switches are P-channel field-effect transistors (FETs).

4. The matrix driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second switches are N-channel field-effect transistors (FETs).

5. The matrix driver circuit of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of diodes coupled between each of the plurality of ferrite modules and the switch of the plurality of second switches that connects the respective row of said plurality of ferrite modules to ground.

6. A method for driving a plurality of ferrite modules wherein the ferrite modules are arranged in the form of a matrix, the method comprising:

coupling a selected row of the ferrite module matrix to ground using a controller, wherein, for each ferrite module polarity, each row of ferrite modules is coupled to ground using a single respective first switch of a plurality of first switches;

charging a charging circuit to a specified charging voltage; and

upon receiving a signal from a comparator indicating that the specific charging voltage has been reached by the charging circuit, coupling a selected column of the ferrite module matrix to the charging circuit using the controller, wherein coupling discharges the specified charging voltage and polarizes a selected ferrite module identified by the selected row and the selected column, wherein, for each ferrite module polarity, each column of ferrite modules is coupled to the charging circuit using a single respective second switch of a plurality of second switches.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein charging a charging circuit includes:

turning on the charging circuit;

determining when the specified charging voltage has been reached by the charging circuit via an assigned comparator; and

turning off the charging circuit when the specified charging voltage is reached.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein coupling the selected column of the ferrite module matrix to the charging circuit includes waiting a predetermined amount of time after coupling the selected column of the ferrite module matrix before decoupling the selected column.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising driving each of the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches coupled to the ferrite module matrix open after coupling the selected column of the ferrite module matrix to the charging circuit.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising verifying that the capacitor has been discharged after coupling the selected column of the ferrite module matrix to the charging circuit.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of ferrite modules is a ferrite circulator.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein each respective first switch is a P-channel field-effect transistors (FETs).

13. The method of claim 6, wherein each respective second switch is an N-channel field-effect transistors (FETs).

14. A ferrite module matrix driver system comprising:

a controller;

a charging circuit;

one or more first radio frequency (RF) components;

one or more second radio frequency (RF) components;

a plurality of ferrite modules arranged in the form of a matrix configured to connect the one or more first radio frequency (RF) components to the one or more second radio frequency (RF) components;

a plurality of first switches driven by the controller, wherein each switch in the plurality of first switches connects a respective column of said plurality of ferrite modules to the charging circuit;

a plurality of second switches driven by the controller, wherein each switch in the plurality of second switches connects a respective row of said plurality of ferrites modules to ground; and

one or more comparators coupled to the charging circuit and the controller, wherein after a specific voltage has been reached by the charging circuit, one of the one or more comparators is configured to provide a signal to the controller indicating that the specific voltage has been reached by the charging circuit;

wherein upon receiving the signal from one of the one or more comparators indicating that the specific voltage has been reached by the charging circuit, the controller is configured to select a specific ferrite module to be polarized by driving one of the plurality of first switches and one of the plurality of second switches corresponding to the selected ferrite module.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein either the one or more first radio frequency (RF) components or the one or more second radio frequency (RF) components are low-noise amplifiers (LNA).

16. The system of claim 14, wherein either the one or more first radio frequency (RF) components or the one or more second radio frequency (RF) components are antennas.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of ferrite modules are ferrite toroids.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of second switches driving the rows of the ferrite module matrix are P-channel field-effect transistors (FETs).

19. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of first switches driving the columns of the ferrite module matrix are N-channel field-effect transistors (FETs).

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of diodes coupled between each of the plurality of ferrite modules and the switch of the plurality of second switches that connects the respective row of said plurality of ferrite modules to ground.