Waveguide—printed wiring board (PWB) interconnection

• US 7,680,464 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Radar Systems, Inc. (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Radar Systems, Inc. (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Donovan, Richard P., Pleva, Joseph S., Leblanc, Stephen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc M
• Application Number:
  US11/027,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20060145778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• Field of Search: 455/81, 455/328, 455/282, 333/108, 333/208, 333/248, 333/254, 385/129, 385/132
• US Class Current: 455/81
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/027 Constructional details of housings, e.g. form, type, material or ruggedness
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/03 Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/107 Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0237 High frequency adaptations H05K1/0216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00

Abstract

An RF interconnection between RF Printed Wiring Boards (PWBs) includes a waveguide transmission line coupled between the RF PWBs. The waveguide feeds are provided as integral parts of each PWB. In one embodiment, the waveguide interconnecting the PWBs is provided as an integral part of a support structure which supports the PWBs. By providing the interconnecting waveguide and the feeds at each end of the waveguide as integral pieces of other already existing structures, a reliable, low cost RF interconnection between RF PWBs having relatively few separate pieces is provided.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) assembly for providing an RE signal path between first and second RF printed wiring boards (PWBs), the RF assembly comprising:

a PWB frame having first and second opposing surfaces and having a portion of a waveguide formed therein, said waveguide portion having a first waveguide port at a first end thereof and having a second waveguide port at a second end thereof, said PWB frame configured to hold the first and second PWBs on the first surface thereof and to hold a third PWB on the second surface thereof such that when the third PWB is disposed on said PWB frame, the waveguide portion becomes a functional waveguide transmission line;

a first waveguide feed disposed on the first PWB, such that when said first PWB is disposed on the first side of said PWB frame, said first waveguide feed is coupled to a first one of the first and second waveguide ports; and

a second waveguide feed disposed on the second PWB such that when said second PWB is disposed on the first side of said PWB frame, said second waveguide feed coupled to a second one of the first and second waveguide ports.

2. The RE assembly of claim 1 wherein said first waveguide feed comprises a radiating element provided as a printed circuit.

3. The RE assembly of claim 2 wherein said radiating element corresponds to a patch antenna radiating element.

4. The RF assembly of claim 1 wherein the first port of said waveguide is provided having a size which is not the same as the size of the second port of said waveguide.

5. The RF assembly of claim 1 wherein the first end of said waveguide is provided having a shape which is not the same as the shape in the second end of said waveguide.

6. An RE assembly comprising a printed wiring board (PWB) frame having first and second opposing surfaces and having a wall projecting from the second surface of said PWB frame which forms a waveguide portion, said waveguide portion having a first waveguide port aperture exposed on the first surface of the PWB frame at a first end of said waveguide and having a second waveguide port aperture exposed on the first surface of the PWB frame at a second end of said waveguide wherein each of said waveguide ports are adapted for coupling to a feed circuit provided on one or more PWBs disposed on the first surface of said PWB frame and wherein said PWB frame is configured such that the waveguide portion becomes a functional waveguide transmission line when a PWB is disposed on the second surface of said PWB frame.

7. The RF assembly of claim 6 further comprising a first plurality of PWB alignment structures projecting from the first surface of the PWB frame.

8. The RE assembly of claim 6 further comprising a first region on the first surface of the PWB frame adapted to accept a first PWB and a second region on the first surface of the PWB frame adapted to support a second PWB.

9. A radio frequency (RE) assembly comprising:

a printed wiring board (PWB) frame having first and second opposing surfaces and a waveguide portion, said waveguide portion having a first waveguide port exposed on the first surface of the PWB frame at a first end of said waveguide portion and having a second waveguide port exposed on the first surface of the PWB frame at a second end of said waveguide portion wherein each of said waveguide ports are adapted for coupling to a feed circuit provided on a surface of one or more PWBs to be disposed on the first surface of said PWB frame and wherein said PWB frame is configured such that the waveguide portion is provided having an opening in a wall thereof, with the opening being exposed on the second surface of said PWB frame.

10. The RF assembly of claim 9 further comprising:

a first PWB disposed on a first region on the first surface of the PWB frame;

a second PWB disposed on a second region on the first surface of the PWB frame;

a first waveguide feed provided as an integral part of at least a portion of said first PWB, said first waveguide feed coupled to a first one of the first and second waveguide ports; and

a second waveguide feed provided as an integral part of at least a portion of said second PWB, said second waveguide feed coupled to a second one of the first and second waveguide ports.

11. The RF assembly of claim 10 further comprising:

a third PWB having a conductive portion, said third PWB disposed on a first region of the second surface of said PWB frame and aligned on said PWB frame such that a conductive portion of said third PWB covers the opening in the waveguide portion of said PWB frame.

12. The RF assembly of claim 10 wherein said waveguide feed comprises at least one of:

a printed circuit provided as part of said first PWB;

an edge launch waveguide coupled to a PWB

a launch pin projecting from a first surface of said first PWB; and

a coaxial line PWB transmission line.

13. The RF assembly of claim 9 wherein said waveguide portion of said PWB frame includes two sidewalls, two end walls and a bottom wall.

14. The RF assembly of claim 13 wherein said waveguide portion of said PWB frame is split along an E-plan wall of said waveguide.

15. The RF assembly of claim 13 wherein the bottom wall of said waveguide portion of said PWB frame corresponds to an E-plan wall.

16. The RF assembly of claim 13 wherein the bottom wall of said waveguide portion of said PWB frame corresponds to an E-plan wall and the assembly further comprises a cover disposed over the open side of said waveguide portion wherein said cover corresponds to a top wall of said waveguide portion of said PWB frame.

17. The RF assembly of claim 16 wherein said cover is provided as a conductive portion of a third PWB, said third PWB disposed over a second side of said PWB frame.