Compact amplitude and phase trimmer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9257734-B2
Application number	US-201314139392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2013
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

In some examples, a device includes a waveguide transition section comprising a first mode suppressor, an attenuation section coupled to the first waveguide transition section via a first adjustable rotation joint, wherein the attenuation section is operable to attenuate the electromagnetic signal, and a first quarter-wave plate section coupled to the attenuation section, wherein the first quarter-wave plate section is operable to introduce a first differential phase shift between a first mode of the electromagnetic signal and a second mode of the electromagnetic signal. The device also includes a second quarter-wave plate section coupled to the first quarter-wave plate section via a second adjustable rotation joint, wherein the second quarter-wave plate section is operable to introduce a second differential phase shift between the second mode of the electromagnetic signal and the first mode of the electromagnetic signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
means for transitioning an electromagnetic signal from an input rectangular waveguide to a circular waveguide;
means for attenuating the electromagnetic signal, the means for attenuating being coupled to the means for transitioning via a first adjustable rotation joint;
a first polarization-conversion means for converting a polarization of the electromagnetic signal by introducing a first differential phase shift between a first mode of the electromagnetic signal, the first mode having a first orientation, and a second mode of the electromagnetic signal, the second mode having a second orientation that is orthogonal to the first orientation, wherein the first polarization-conversion means is coupled to the means for attenuating such that the first polarization-conversion means and the means for attenuating form a continuous section that rotates together as a pair; and
a second polarization-conversion means for converting the polarization of the electromagnetic signal by introducing a second differential phase shift between the second mode of the electromagnetic signal and the first mode of the electromagnetic signal, the second polarization-conversion means being coupled to the first polarization-conversion means via a second adjustable rotation joint.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the means for attenuating and the first polarization-conversion means are rotatable, at the first adjustable rotation joint and with respect to the means for transitioning, to a first rotation angle, the first rotation angle determining an attenuation of the electromagnetic signal.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second polarization-conversion means is rotatable, at the second adjustable rotation joint and with respect to the first polarization-conversion means, to a second rotation angle, the second rotation angle determining a change in phase of the electromagnetic signal.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the change in phase of the electromagnetic signal is equal to the second rotation angle.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the attenuation of the electromagnetic signal, in decibels, is equal to ten times a log of a cosine squared of the first rotation angle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the means for transitioning includes means for suppressing one or more reflected transverse modes of the electromagnetic signal while maintaining modes of the electromagnetic signal other than the transverse modes of the electromagnetic signal.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the means for transitioning comprises a first means for transitioning, the system further comprising:
a second means for transitioning the electromagnetic signal from the circular waveguide to an output rectangular waveguide, the second means for transitioning being coupled to the second polarization-conversion means; and
a third means for transitioning the electromagnetic signal to a coaxial cable, the third means for transitioning being coupled to the second means for transitioning.

8. A device comprising:
a waveguide transition section comprising a first mode suppressor, operable to receive an electromagnetic signal;
an attenuation section comprising a resistive vane attenuator, the attenuation section being coupled to the waveguide transition section via a first adjustable rotation joint, wherein the attenuation section is operable to attenuate the electromagnetic signal;
a first quarter-wave plate section comprising a first quarter-wave plate, the first quarter-wave plate section being coupled to the attenuation section such that the first quarter-wave plate section and the attenuation section form a continuous section that rotates together as a pair, wherein the first quarter-wave plate section is operable to introduce a first differential phase shift between a first component of the electromagnetic signal and a second component of the electromagnetic signal; and
a second quarter-wave plate section comprising a second quarter-wave plate, the second quarter-wave plate section being coupled to the first quarter-wave plate section via a second adjustable rotation joint, wherein the second quarter-wave plate section is operable to introduce a second differential phase shift between the second component of the electromagnetic signal and the first component of the electromagnetic signal.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the attenuation section and the first quarter-wave plate section are rotatable, at the first adjustable rotation joint and with respect to the waveguide transition section, to a first rotation angle, the first rotation angle determining an attenuation of the electromagnetic signal, wherein the attenuation of the electromagnetic signal, in decibels, is equal to ten times a log of a cosine squared of the first rotation angle.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the second quarter-wave plate section is rotatable, at the second adjustable rotation joint and with respect to the first quarter-wave plate section, to a second rotation angle, the second rotation angle determining a change in phase of the electromagnetic signal, wherein the change in phase of the electromagnetic signal is equal to the second rotation angle.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the waveguide transition section comprises a first waveguide transition section, the device further comprising:
a second waveguide transition section comprising a second mode suppressor, the second waveguide transition section being coupled to the second quarter-wave plate section, wherein the second waveguide transition section is operable to transition the electromagnetic signal from a circular waveguide to a rectangular waveguide; and
an output waveguide, the output waveguide being a rectangular waveguide coupled to the second waveguide transition section.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the waveguide transition section comprises a first waveguide transition section, the device further comprising:
a second waveguide transition section comprising a second mode suppressor, the second waveguide transition section being coupled to the second quarter-wave plate section, wherein the second waveguide transition section is operable to transition the electromagnetic signal from a circular waveguide to a rectangular waveguide; and
a rectangular waveguide to coaxial adapter, the rectangular waveguide to coaxial adapter being coupled to the second waveguide transition section.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the attenuation section and the first quarter-wave plate section comprise a first dual mode circular waveguide and wherein the second quarter-wave plate section comprises a second dual mode circular waveguide.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein each of the first quarter-wave plate and the second quarter-wave plate is made of cross-linked polystyrene.

15. The device of claim 8 , wherein the first quarter-wave plate and second quarter-wave plate each comprises a magnetic quarter-wave plate.

16. A method comprising:
receiving, at a first end of an amplitude and phase trimmer device, a first electromagnetic signal, the first end of the amplitude and phase trimmer device comprising an input section;
attenuating, by an attenuation section of the amplitude and phase trimmer device, the first electromagnetic signal by an attenuation value to produce a second electromagnetic signal, wherein the attenuation section is connected to the input section by a first adjustable rotation joint, and wherein the attenuation value is dependent upon a rotation angle of the first adjustable rotation joint;
modifying, by a first phase-shifting se

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Hoover John C

Classifications

• H01P1/165

  for rotating the plane of polarisation · CPC title

• H01P1/066

  with an unlimited angle of rotation · CPC title

• H01P1/162

  absorbing spurious or unwanted modes of propagation · CPC title

• H01P1/222

  Waveguide attenuators (H01P1/23 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01P1/173

  using a conductive element · CPC title