Solid state transmitter circuit

Details Solid state transmitter circuit Solid state transmitter circuit

2002-01-31

2004-01-13

Tarcza, Thomas H. (Department: 3662)

Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g.,

Directive

Including a steerable array

C342S375000, C333S109000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06677897

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
This invention relates to active transmitter circuits for radar systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Radar or communications systems including an active transmitter module coupled to a passive array antenna or sub-array could benefit with an efficient feed network that enables solid state combining. Generic solid state devices have been shown to be more functional, reliable, compact, easily upgraded and lower cost compared to the maintenance of tube based systems.
However, considerations including ohmic feed losses, size and costs have discouraged replacing vacuum tube systems with high power solid state systems at microwave frequencies. In particular, high power solid state microwave systems built with poor efficiency increases solid state device counts which resulted in increased size and cost. The new technique for combining solid state devices as disclosed herein achieves cost and size competitiveness and offers improved performance compared to vacuum tube systems.
Low loss waveguide corporate combining has advantages, assuming volume is available. The drawback of the corporate waveguide feed is that for 2
N
modules typically there need to be N levels of combining. The design for a radial combiner can be difficult in terms of impedance match, and also the orientation may not lend itself adaptable for cooling modules. A series resonant combiner, although very efficient and compact, works best only when all modules are functional and over very narrow bandwidths. A drawback for prior attempts using traveling wave feeds has been that a larger number of ports (e.g., up to 50) usually have been necessary for better efficiency. Combining solid state devices is more manageable if done in smaller subarray groups. Design, manufacturing and maintenance of solid state subarray power blocks is sometimes difficult to achieve using state of the art combining techniques.
There is accordingly a need a reliable, compact and efficient solid state amplifier microwave combiner.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
A solid state transmitter circuit is described that includes a divider series feed signal line, a collector series feed signal line, a plurality of parallel solid state amplifier coupler circuits connected between the divider series feed line and the collector series feed line, and phase shifting circuitry distributed along the divider series feed line for compensating phase tracking error between the divider series feed line and the collector series feed line. A further aspect is a signal injection circuit connected between an input of the divider series feed line and an input of the collector series feed line.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4764771 (1988-08-01), Sterns
patent: 5731784 (1998-03-01), Barron et al.
patent: 6097267 (2000-08-01), Hampel
patent: 6232920 (2001-05-01), Brookner et al.
patent: 6396349 (2002-05-01), Takei et al.
RF Directional Couplers, Michael G. Ellis, Ph.D., Electronic Systems Products (8 pages).

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Solid state transmitter circuit does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Solid state transmitter circuit, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Solid state transmitter circuit will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3219595