High-density embedded broadside-coupled attenuators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11973256-B2
Application number	US-202217656678-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2022
Priority date	Mar 28, 2022
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

Systems and techniques that facilitate high-density embedded broadside-coupled attenuators are provided. In various embodiments, an attenuator can comprise an output line. In various aspects, the attenuator can further comprise a reflectively-terminated input line that is broadside coupled to the output line. In various instances, a downstream end of the reflectively-terminated input line can be shorted to ground. In other instances, a downstream end of the reflectively-terminated input line can be open from ground. In various cases, the output line can exhibit a non-looped-back-layout.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable, comprising:
an output line within the cable, wherein an end of the output line nearest to a first end of the cable is terminated to ground by at least one resistive load; and
a reflectively-terminated input line within the cable that is broadside-coupled to the output line, wherein an end of the reflectively-terminated input line nearest to a second end of the cable is shorted to ground, and wherein the second end is different from the first end.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the output line exhibits a non-looped-back layout.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cable is a flexible cable.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reflectively-terminated input line is in a layer of a stack of layers of the cable.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein another end of the output line nearest to the second end of the cable is coupled to a device.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the output line is in another layer of the stack of layers that is adjacent to the layer comprising the reflectively-terminated input line.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the layer and the other layer are between two ground plane layers of the stack of layers.

8. An attenuator, comprising:
an output stripline transmission wire, wherein an end of the output stripline transmission wire nearest to a first end of the attenuator is terminated to ground by at least one resistive load; and
a reflectively-terminated input stripline transmission wire that is broadside-coupled to the output stripline transmission wire, wherein an end of the reflectively-terminated input stripline transmission wire nearest to a second end of the attenuator is shorted to ground, and wherein the second end is opposite from the first end.

9. The attenuator of claim 8 , wherein the output stripline transmission wire exhibits a non-looped-back layout.

10. The attenuator of claim 8 , wherein the reflectively-terminated input stripline transmission wire is in a layer of a stack of layers of the attenuator.

11. The attenuator of claim 10 , wherein the output stripline transmission wire is in another layer of the stack of layers that is adjacent to the layer comprising the reflectively-terminated input stripline transmission wire.

12. The attenuator of claim 11 , wherein the layer and the other layer are between two ground plane layers of the stack of layers.

13. A method of forming a cable, comprising:
providing an output line within the cable, wherein an end of the output line nearest to a first end of the cable is terminated to ground by at least one resistive load; and
broadside-coupling the output line to a reflectively-terminated input line within the cable, wherein an end of the reflectively-terminated input line nearest to a second end of the cable is shorted to ground, and wherein the second end is different from the first end.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the output line exhibits a non-looped-back layout.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cable is a flexible cable.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reflectively-terminated input line is in a layer of a stack of layers of the cable.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein another end of the output line nearest to the second end of the cable is coupled to a device.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the output line is in another layer of the stack of layers that is adjacent to the layer comprising the reflectively-terminated input line.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the layer and the other layer are between two ground plane layers of the stack of layers.

20. A method of forming an attenuator, comprising:
forming a stack of layers of the attenuator, comprising:
an output stripline transmission wire, wherein an end of the output line nearest to a first end of the attenuator is terminated to ground by at least one resistive load; and
a reflectively-terminated input stripline transmission wire that is broadside-coupled to the output stripline transmission wire, wherein an end of the reflectively-terminated input stripline transmission wire nearest to a second end of the attenuator is shorted to ground, and wherein the second end is opposite from the first end.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the output stripline transmission wire exhibits a non-looped-back layout.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the attenuator is in a flexible cable.

23. The attenuator of claim 20 , wherein forming the stack of layers further comprises:
forming a first layer comprising a first ground layer;
forming a second layer adjacent to the first layer, wherein the second layer comprises the output stripline transmission wire;
forming a third layer adjacent to the second layer, wherein the third layer comprises the reflectively-terminated input stripline transmission wire; and
forming a fourth layer adjacent to the third layer, wherein the fourth layer comprises a second ground plane.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the reflectively-terminated input stripline transmission wire is in a layer of a stack of layers of the attenuator.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the output stripline transmission wire is in another layer of the stack of layers that is different from the layer comprising the reflectively-terminated input stripline transmission wire.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Masluk Nicholas A

Classifications

• H01P1/227 Primary

  Strip line attenuators (H01P1/23 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01P1/268

  Strip line terminations (H01P1/262 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01P1/30

  for compensation of, or protection against, temperature or moisture effects {; for improving power handling capability (H01P1/04, H01P1/08 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01P3/081

  Microstriplines · CPC title

• H01P5/187

  Broadside coupled lines · CPC title