Patent ID: 8463204
Filing Date: 2013-06-11
Classification: H03F

Abstract:
1. A method of adjusting the gain and/or phase characteristics of a multiport amplifier of a communications satellite to improve the isolation of signals within the multiport amplifier, the multiport amplifier comprising a plurality of microwave power amplifier units, a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports, the input ports being connected to said amplifier units by an input signal dividing network, and the output ports being connected to said amplifier units by an output signal dividing network, so that an input signal at any input port is amplified by all amplifier units, and then recombined into an output signal at an output port, the method comprising: providing at least one of said amplifier units with gain adjuster and phase adjuster, providing input signals to at least some of said input ports, and detecting resultant output signals at least some of said output ports, providing detected versions of said output signals to a multiport amplifier emulator, said emulator comprising a model of the multiport amplifier, the model having modifiable characteristics to determine what characteristics of the multiport amplifier would produce the detected versions of the output signals from the input signals so as to enable cross-talk components within said detected versions to be assessed, and, in response thereto, issuing as required adjusting commands to said gain adjuster and/or phase adjuster.