Microwave branching switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10522888-B2
Application number	US-201515749390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2015
Priority date	Aug 3, 2015
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A microwave branching switch for selectively interconnecting terminals of a plurality of microwave transmission lines, involving microwave transmission lines with a terminal; a housing in which the terminals are arranged; a switching portion with a junction portion for selectively interconnecting terminals of the microwave transmission lines through selective interconnection. The switching portion is switchable between a first position and a second position; wherein the switching portion with the junction portion is dimensioned and positioned inside the housing in dependence of an arrangement of the microwave transmission lines such that the junction portion interconnects a first group of terminals when the switching portion is in the first position and interconnects a second group of terminals when the switching portion is in the second position. The first and second groups of terminals differ in at least one terminal and the first group of terminals involves at least three terminals.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microwave branching switch, comprising:
a plurality of microwave transmission lines and a plurality of terminals, each of the plurality of microwave transmission lines having a respective terminal from the plurality of terminals, the plurality of microwave transmission lines including at least a first microwave transmission line with a first terminal, a second microwave transmission line with a second terminal, a third microwave transmission line with a third terminal and a fourth microwave transmission line with a fourth terminal;
a housing in which the plurality of terminals of the plurality of microwave transmission lines are arranged;
a switching portion being switchable between at least a first position and a second position, the switching portion comprising at least a first junction portion for selectively interconnecting terminals of the plurality of microwave transmission lines by selectively interconnecting the respective microwave transmission lines;
wherein:
the switching portion with at least the first junction portion is dimensioned and positioned inside the housing in dependence of an arrangement of the plurality of microwave transmission lines such that
the first junction interconnects a first group of terminals of the plurality of microwave transmission lines when the switching portion is in the first position and interconnects a second group of terminals of the plurality of microwave transmission lines when the switching portion is in the second position, wherein
the first group of terminals and the second group of terminals differ in at least one terminal of the plurality of microwave transmission lines and
at least one of the first group of terminals or the second group of terminals comprises the first terminal, the third terminal and the fourth terminal;
wherein at least another terminal of the plurality of terminals is disconnected from the plurality of microwave transmission lines, the at least another terminal comprising a portion that is positioned inside the switching portion and is terminated by an impedance, a load, or a short circuit.

2. The microwave branching switch according to claim 1 , wherein
the second terminal is disconnected from the first junction portion when the switching portion is in the first position; and
either the first terminal or the third terminal or the fourth terminal is disconnected from the first junction portion when the switching portion is in the second position.

3. The microwave branching switch according to claim 1 , wherein
the first junction portion is T-shaped or Y-shaped.

4. The microwave branching switch according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of microwave transmission lines is a plurality of hollow waveguides or a plurality of coaxial lines.

5. The microwave branching switch according to claim 1 , wherein
the switching portion is a rotor;
the terminals of the plurality of microwave transmission lines are arranged evenly spaced in the housing; and
the rotor is switched between the first position and the second position by rotating the rotor by a predetermined angle.

6. The microwave branching switch according to claim 5 , wherein
the rotor is switchable between the second position and a third position and between the third position and a fourth position, wherein the rotor is switched from the first position over the second position and the third position to the fourth position by rotating the rotor in a clockwise direction in steps of 90 degrees.

7. The microwave branching switch according to claim 1 , wherein
the switching portion comprises a second junction portion, wherein
the switching portion with the first junction portion and the second junction portion is dimensioned and positioned inside the housing in dependence of the arrangement of the plurality of microwave transmission lines such that
the first junction portion interconnects the first group of terminals of the plurality of microwave transmission lines and the second junction portion interconnects a third group of terminals of the plurality of microwave transmission lines when the switching portion is in the first position, and
the first group of terminals and the third group of terminals are disjoint groups of terminals.

8. The microwave branching switch according to claim 7 , wherein
comprises four terminals of the plurality of microwave transmission lines and the third group of terminals comprises four terminals of the plurality of microwave transmission lines, and
the first junction portion interconnects the four terminals of the first group of terminals when the switching portion is in the first position, and
the second junction portion interconnects the four terminals of the third group of terminals when the switching portion is in the first position, and
the switching portion is switched between two positions of a total of eight positions by rotating the switching portion in a clockwise direction in steps of 45 degrees.

9. A multiplexer, comprising
a plurality of signal ports for inputting electromagnetic signals into the multiplexer or outputting electromagnetic signals from the multiplexer;
a plurality of signal filters for filtering electromagnetic signals;
one or more branching junctions for combining electromagnetic signals or for distributing an electromagnetic signal;
wherein each signal filter is connectable to a signal port of the plurality of signal ports and to a branching junction of the one or more branching junctions or connectable to two branching junctions of the plurality of branching junctions;
the plurality of signal ports comprising a first common signal port that is connectable to a branching junction of the one or more branching junctions;
the one or more branching junctions comprising a microwave branching switch according to claim 1 for selectively interconnecting signal filters of the plurality of signal filters and the first common signal port.

10. The multiplexer according to claim 9 , wherein
the plurality of signal ports comprises a second common signal port that is connectable to a branching junction of the one or more branching junctions;
the microwave branching switch interconnects a first group of signal filters of the plurality of signal filters and the first common signal port when the switching portion of the microwave branching switch is in the first position and
the microwave branching switch interconnects a second group of signal filters of the plurality of signal filters and the second common port when the switching portion of the microwave branching switch is in the second position.

11. The multiplexer according to claim 9 , further comprising
a compensation circuit that is connectable to a terminal of the plurality of microwave transmission lines of the microwave branching switch for providing a predetermined impedance at the terminal.

12. The multiplexer according to claim 11 , wherein
each junction portion in the multiplexer is directly connected to one signal filter of the plurality of signal filters for interconnecting the one signal filter and either the first common signal port or the second common signal port.

13. The multiplexer according to claim 11 , wherein
at least one junction portion in the multiplexer is directly connected to at least two signal filters of the plurality of signal filters for simultaneously interconnecting the at least two signal filters and either the first common signal port or the second common signal port.

14. A switchable power divider for a beam forming network, comprising
at least three antenna beams;
a common port; and
a microwave

Assignees

• ESA

Inventors

• Ernst Christoph
• Iglesias Petronilo Martin
• Rosenberg Uwe

Classifications

• H01P1/122 Primary

  Waveguide switches · CPC title

• H01P1/213

  combining or separating two or more different frequencies (H01P1/215 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01P1/125

  Coaxial switches · CPC title

• H01P5/19

  of the junction type · CPC title

• H01P5/16

  Conjugate devices, i.e. devices having at least one port decoupled from one other port · CPC title