High frequency phase shifter using limited ground plane transition and switching arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10075159-B1
Application number	US-201715651811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 17, 2017
Priority date	Jul 17, 2017
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

Designing phase shifters having small insertion loss and footprint for mm-wave applications is challenging. The disclosed methods and devices provide solutions to overcome such challenge. Devices based on limited ground coplanar waveguide structure are also disclosed wherein the 180° phase shift is created using through and changeover mm-wave switches.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switching arrangement comprising:
a first inner signal conductor, a first outer conductor and a second outer conductor;
a second inner signal conductor, a third outer conductor and a fourth outer conductor;
a switching matrix;
a signal input; and
a signal output;
wherein:
(a) the switching arrangement is configured to receive a differential input signal from the signal input, and
(b) the switching arrangement is configured to exhibit:
(i) a through state, wherein the switching matrix is configured to connect the first inner signal conductor to the second inner signal conductor, the first outer conductor to the third outer conductor and the second outer conductor to the fourth outer conductor, thereby configuring the switching arrangement to pass the differential input signal through; and
(ii) a changeover state, wherein the switching matrix is configured to connect the first inner signal conductor to both the third outer conductor and the fourth outer conductor, and to connect the second inner signal conductor to both the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor, thereby configuring the switching arrangement to output a differential output signal to the signal output, the differential output signal being the differential input signal with a phase shift.

2. The switching arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the phase shift is a 180° phase shift.

3. The switching arrangement of claim 1 , wherein signals on the first and the second outer signal conductors are substantially the same and signals on the third and the fourth outer signal conductors are substantially the same.

4. The switching arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the signal input and the signal output are 50 Ω matched.

5. The switching arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the switching matrix comprises a through switch and two changeover switches.

6. The switching arrangement of claim 5 , wherein in the through state, the through switch is closed and the changeover switches are open and wherein in the changeover state, the through switch is open and the changeover switches are closed.

7. The switching arrangement of claim 5 wherein the first changeover switch, the second changeover switch and the through switch comprise MOSFET devices.

8. The switching arrangement of claim 7 implemented on silicon on insulator (SOI).

9. The switching arrangement of claim 1 , wherein:
the first inner signal conductor is a signal trace of a first limited ground coplanar waveguide (LGCPW);
the first outer conductor is a first limited ground plane of the first LGCPW;
the second outer conductor is a second limited ground plane of the first LGCPW;
the second inner signal conductor is a signal trace of a second LGCPW;
the third outer conductor is a first limited ground plane of the second LGCPW; and
the fourth outer conductor a second limited ground plane of the second LGCPW.

10. An electronic arrangement comprising:
the switching arrangement of claim 9 ;
a first coplanar waveguide (CPW) and a second CPW;
a first transitioning block connecting the first CPW with the first LGCPW; and
a second transitioning block connecting the second LGCPW with the second CPW;
wherein:
the first CPW is configured to receive a first single ended signal;
a combination of the first transitioning block and the first LGCPW is configured to convert the first single ended signal to a substantially balanced signal at an input of the switching matrix; and
a combination of the second LGCPW and the second transitioning block is configured to convert a switching matrix output signal into a second single ended signal flowing through the second CPW section.

11. The electronic arrangement of claim 10 , wherein a characteristic impedance of one or more of a) the first CPW, b) the first LGCPW, c) the second LGCPW and d) the second CPW is 50 Ω.

12. An electronic arrangement comprising:
(a1) an input section comprising a signal input, a first input ground plane and a second input ground plane;
(a2) a first middle section and a second middle section;
(a3) a switching matrix;
(a4) an output section comprising a signal output, a first output ground plane and a second output ground plane;
(a5) a first signal trace extending from the input section to the first middle section and connecting the signal input with the switching matrix; and
(a6) a second signal trace extending from the second middle section to the output section and connecting the switching matrix to the signal output;
wherein:
(b1) the first middle section comprises a first limited ground plane and a second limited ground plane, the first limited ground plane and the second limited ground plane extending on opposite sides of the first signal trace and connecting the first input ground plane and the second input ground plane to the switching matrix respectively;
(b2) the second middle section comprises a third limited ground plane and a fourth limited ground plane, the third limited ground plane and the fourth limited ground plane extending on opposite sides of the second signal trace and connecting the first output ground plane and the second output ground plane to the switching matrix respectively;
(b3) proceeding from the input section to the first middle section, the first input ground plane is tapered down into the first limited ground plane and the second input ground plane is tapered down into the second limited ground plane;
(b4) proceeding from the output section to the second middle section, the first output ground plane is tapered down into the third limited ground plane and the second output ground place is tapered down into the fourth limited ground plane;
(b5) the electronic arrangement is configured to receive an input signal, and
(b6) the electronic arrangement is configured to exhibit:
(i) a through state, wherein the switching matrix is configured to connect the first signal trace to the second signal trace, the first limited ground plane to the third limited ground plane and the second limited ground plane to the fourth limited ground plane, thereby configuring the electronic arrangement to pass the input signal through; and
(ii) a changeover state; wherein the switching matrix is configured to connect the first signal trace to both the third limited ground plane and the fourth limited ground plane, and to connect the second signal trace to both the first limited ground plane and the second limited ground plane, thereby configuring the electronic arrangement to create a 180° phase shift to the input signal.

13. The electronic arrangement of claim 12 , wherein a characteristic of one or more of a) the input section, b) the first middle section, c) the second middle section, and d) the output section is 50 Ω.

14. The electronic arrangement of claim 12 , wherein signals on the first and the second limited ground planes are substantially the same and signals on the third and the fourth limited ground planes are substantially the same.

15. The electronic arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the switching matrix comprises a through switch and two changeover switches.

16. The electronic arrangement of claim 15 , wherein in the through state the through switch is closed and the changeover switches are open and wherein in the changeover state the through switch is open and the changeover switches are closed.

17. The electronic arrangement of claim 15 wherein the first changeover switch, the second changeover switch and the through switch comprise MOSFETs.

18. The electronic arrangement of claim 15 implemente

Assignees

• Psemi Corp

Inventors

• Birkbeck John

Classifications

• H03K2005/00286

  Phase shifter, i.e. the delay between the output and input pulse is dependent on the frequency, and such that a phase difference is obtained independent of the frequency · CPC title

• H01P1/10

  for switching or interrupting {(in systems using reflection or reradiation of radio, acoustic or other waves G01S7/034)} · CPC title

• H03K17/693 Primary

  Switching arrangements with several input- or output-terminals, e.g. multiplexers, distributors (logic circuits H03K19/00; code converters H03M5/00, H03M7/00) · CPC title

• H01P1/184

  Strip line phase-shifters (H01P1/181, H01P1/185, H01P1/19 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01P3/026

  Coplanar striplines [CPS] · CPC title