High power UHF single-pole multi-throw switch

A single pole multiple-throw switch for switching an RF signal to one of a plurality of outputs includes coupling the signal to a throw junction, said junction having connected thereto a plurality of switch legs, each leg includes a high voltage shunt diode spaced one quarter-wavelength from the throw junction; each diode mounted at its cathode end to a capacitor and adapted to receive a bias; wherein a controller applies a first DC bias to a selected one of the diodes to cause the selected diode to operate in reverse bias mode, such that the selected diode mounted on the corresponding capacitor provides a low insertion loss to pass the RF signal from the transmission line through the selected leg and to one of the outputs; and applies a second DC bias to the other diodes to cause the other diodes to operate in forward bias mode such that the other diodes mounted onto the corresponding capacitor provides a high insertion loss for blocking the RF signal to the remaining outputs.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to electrical high frequency high power electronically controlled switches that pass high current at a low impedance.

BACKGROUND

Airborne radar systems have an ongoing requirement to switch high radio frequency (“RF”) signals. The prior art provides switches that are often contained in large packages and do not allow design flexibility insofar as electronic switch control. In fact, presently there exists a lack of commercially available high peak, high average power single pole, single or multi-throw switches capable of handling 10-25 kilowatt (“kW”) for use in electronic applications generally and more particularly airborne radar/electronic warfare applications. Furthermore, the prior art does not offer an Ultra High Frequency (“UHF”) switch in the same package as its digitally controlled circuits. Finally, the prior art offers no acceptable product that takes into account the multiple requirements of low insertion loss, high off-arm isolation, and low-risk switch bias/control injection to support operation exceeding 10 kW operation.

Therefore, a switch is needed that is small, low cost, highly reliable, and has high current capacity providing high power handling capability and low impedance to interconnect RF subsystems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relies in part on recognition of the aforementioned problems, and in providing a solution for a high power RF switch that that passes high current and high power handling capability from an RF input source through low impedance to an output.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a single pole multiple-throw microwave switch for selectively switching an RF signal to one of a plurality of output ports comprising: a transmission line for coupling the signal to a single or multi-throw junction, the throw junction having connected thereto a plurality of switch legs, each said leg including a high voltage shunt diode spaced about one quarter-wavelength from the throw junction; each said diode mounted at its cathode end to a corresponding Direct Current (“DC”) blocking capacitor and adapted to receive a bias voltage; wherein a controller applies a first DC bias voltage to a selected one of the shunt diodes to cause the selected shunt diode to operate in a reverse bias mode such that the selected shunt diode mounted on the corresponding capacitor provides a low insertion loss to pass the signal from the transmission line through a selected leg and to a selected output port, and the controller applies a second DC bias voltage to the other shunt diodes to cause the other shunt diodes to operate in a forward bias mode, wherein the other shunt diodes provide a high insertion loss for blocking the signal from the transmission line to the remaining plurality of output ports.

According to another aspect of the present invention a single-pole multi-throw microwave assembly for switching an RF signal from an input port to a selected one of a plurality of output ports comprising: a conductive housing wherein an RF circuit mounts in electrical isolation on one side of said housing and a controller circuit in electrical isolation mounts on an opposite side of said housing; said RF circuit includes a throw junction attached thereto a plurality of switch legs, each of said switch legs attached to an associated single shunt silicon PIN diode having an anode connected to and spaced about ¼-wavelength from the throw junction, wherein said PIN diode also includes a cathode that connects to the controller for applying a DC bias and further mounts in electrical contact to an upper plate of a capacitor; and wherein said capacitor includes a lower plate in electrical contact to the housing; and wherein each of said switch legs further attach to the output for providing a low impedance connection between the input port and the selected one of the plurality of output ports dependent upon the controller for applying a DC bias.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding, while eliminating, for the purpose of clarity, many other elements found in switch technology and methods of making and using each of the same. Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that other elements and/or steps may be desirable in implementing the present invention. However, because such elements and steps are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of such elements and steps is not provided herein.

FIG. 1ais an electrical schematic of the switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. The RF high power single-pole multi-throw switch10provides for low insertion loss, high off-arm isolation, and low-risk switch bias/control injection to support RF operation in excess of 10 kW. As further described below, the switch topology utilizes single shunt silicon PIN diodes27a-nfor each switch leg21a-n,spaced about ¼-wavelength from the throw junction17. There is one shunt PIN diode per each of the switch legs. A low risk bias injection Va-n is achieved by coupling (e.g. soldering) each PIN diode27a-n(cathode-side of package) onto a large chip capacitor28a-n. In one embodiment the capacitor28a-nis soldered to a carrier assembly, which is attached to the metal floor housing which serves as circuit ground. The bias Va-n is injected via RF chokes23a-nto the top of the chip capacitor28a-n. By way of illustration, throw of the switch leg21ais set to a low insertion loss state by reverse biasing PIN diode27aby applying a positive DC voltage Va, while the remaining switch legs21b-ncontinue in a high insertion loss (isolation) state by an applied negative voltage Vb-n to the remaining PIN diodes27b-n,effectively blocking the signal from the transmission line to the remaining plurality of output ports29b-n. The switch10input connects the RF signal to output29awhich in turn connects to by way of example, a microstrip circuit. As will be further described below, a controller600(FIG. 6) controls the switch legs21a-nby applying either a positive or negative bias Va-n to each diode27a-nof the switch10.

With further reference toFIG. 1a, switch10includes a transmission line19connected to throw junction17, which is connected to switch legs21a-n. Each diode27a-nis configured to be biased with the DC bias voltage Va-n. Each cathode of the diodes27a-nis connected to the respective DC blocking capacitor28a-n. Each mounted diode onto its respective capacitor provides a series resonance with the diode inductance. In part the capacitance provided for blocking capacitor28a-nis a result of tuning, through the addition of capacitors in parallel. In one embodiment a total capacitance of 46 picofarads (“pf”) is achieved by as many as three parallel capacitors having values of 23 pf, 11 pf and 12 pf. The switch10includes shunt lines11a-bthat connect to the transmission line19to provide a DC path for current flowing through the nonselected diodes. As indicated inFIG. 1a, the shunt lines includes a series inductors12,18and corresponding transmission lines14,16that in turn connect to transmission line20, which has the equivalent resistance of transmission line19. The PIN diodes27a-nconnect to corresponding nodes25a-nthat join to respective input inductors24a-nand respective output inductors26a-n. As further illustrated transmission lines22a-njoin the input inductors24a-nto the throw junction17.

The schematic circuit for diode27shown inFIG. 1brepresents the equivalent circuit for each of the diodes27a-n(FIG. 1a). The equivalent circuit serves in part as a basis for choosing the materials having physical properties, dimension, form and typology, such that the PIN diodes in association with the respective large chip capacitor28a-nprovides the series resonance inductance necessary for establishing a low insertion loss (FIG. 7a,710) during a selected throw of one switch leg. In one embodiment the equivalent circuit having typical component values as shown for illustration purposes only includes inductor5in series with the forward and reverse biased diode junction8. In the reversed bias mode the junction is in series with an equivalent resistor2in parallel with a capacitor3. In the forward biased mode a resistor4is in series with the diode junction. A capacitor6represents the package parasitic capacitance that connects the diode anode or input to the diode cathode or output.

FIG. 7aillustrates a representative range of frequencies against corresponding performance of the switch, wherein a selected throw of one switch leg establishes a low insertion loss705between the RF source and the selected output. The on condition of the forward biased diodes establishes high off-arm isolation710. As noted inFIG. 7b,720, the switch return loss is minimal in the region in which the switch functions to pass the RF frequency of interest to the output.

The switch10is electrically configured as inFIG. 1ahowever its physical assembly is mechanically configured as inFIG. 2, where the electrical elements of resistance, inductance and capacitance shown inFIG. 1are distributed elements in several instances. The element22ais a transmission line. The respective input inductors24a-nand respective output inductor26a-nare distributed inductors. Regarding the distributed elements, the connection lines are chosen in virtue of the physical material properties necessary to achieve required electrical properties. This generally includes materials having specific physical properties configured with physical dimensions, form and typology. The techniques for constructing distributed inductances and resistances are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art of designing RF electronic circuits.

With reference toFIG. 2one embodiment of the present invention is a microwave assembly30for selectively switching an RF signal from an input port32ato one of a plurality of output ports32b-dthat includes a conductive housing31wherein an RF circuit mounts in electrical isolation on one side31a(FIG. 5) of said housing31and a controller in electrical isolation mounts on an opposite side31b(FIG. 5) of said housing31. As indicated above, the distributed elements and the connection lines are chosen in virtue of the physical material properties necessary to achieve required electrical properties.

Referring toFIGS. 2,3and5, certain physical embodiments of the RF circuits include a physical transmission line37(having the equivalent resistanceFIG. 1a,20) that attaches to the physical throw junction39attached a plurality of physical switch legs36a-d. Each of the physical switch legs36a-dattach to an associated single shunt silicon PIN diode package51, whose anode is spaced about ¼-wavelength from the physical throw junction39. The PIN diode package51and the chip capacitor package50mount on a sub assembly referred to generally as40within the housing31. Note that each subassembly40a-d,FIG. 2is representative of subassembly40,FIG. 3. Physical connections34a-brepresentFIG. 1ainductors12,18and transmission (shunt) lines14,16, respectively. Each of the connections34a-bare mounted for external electrical connections to blocks38a-b, respectively. Physical connections42a-drepresent the inductors and the capacitors inFIG. 1areference23a-n,25a-n.Each of the connections42a-dare mounted for external electrical connections to blocks38c-f, respectively. The controller digital control circuits (FIG. 6) supplying the DC bias for switching the PIN diodes is fed via block38c-f.

With further reference toFIGS. 3,4, and5, in one embodiment of the present invention, the large chip capacitor package50includes therein upper plate50aupper portion60. The capacitor package50lower plate50battaches to a lower portion62of the capacitor package50. The upper and the lower portions are electrically isolated from each other. The PIN diode package51mounts to the capacitor package50upper plate50aupper portion60and each mount into sub assembly40, which represents sub assemblies40a-d,FIG. 2, that in turn mount into housing31. The capacitor package50lower plate50battaches to the capacitor package50that mounts to an electrical ground established via a tungsten-copper carrier52. The electrical association of the each PIN diode package51cathode51cto the large chip capacitor package50serves to tune out the diode's parasitic frequencies and resonate out the diode package inductance (See,FIG. 1b). The DC bias is injected to PIN diode cathode51cvia an RF physical chokeFIG. 2,42a-c(equivalent to inductors23a-n,FIG. 1a) electrically attached to the upper plate50aof the large chip capacitor package50. As indicated the capacitance provided for blocking capacitor28a-nis a result of tuning, through the addition of capacitors in parallel. As further shown inFIG. 4, in one embodiment a total capacitance for each of the capacitors28a-n(FIG. 1a) is achieved through the installation of capacitors105a,105b, which attach to each capacitor28a-nupper plate50aand lower plate50bforming a parallel network.

The high power operation of the assembly30requires proper heat management as provided by heat sink71, which in the preferred embodiment doubles as the separating wall between compartments31aand31b.As shown further inFIG. 5, the controller digital electronics driver assembly52mounts to the heat sink71.

With reference toFIG. 6, the selected throw is provided by a controller600having a controller logic610embodied as one or more microprocessors and memory coupled and responsive to the data on the various I/O ports to perform the control features and state indicators for the assembly. A digital control interface605is operatively coupled to controller logic module610to control the state of an associated switch driver606that applies either a positive or negative DC bias, Va-n, to each diode27a-n(FIG. 1) dependent upon the state of controller logic610. It is understood that the processing and associated processors used in providing switching logic and signals can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof. It is also to be appreciated that, where the functionality selection is implemented in either software, firmware, or both, the processing instructions can be stored and transported on any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. Generally the software processes may exist in a variety of forms having elements that are more or less active or passive. For example, they may exist as software program(s) comprised of program instructions in source code or object code, executable code or other formats. Any of the above may be embodied on a computer readable medium, which include storage devices and signals, in compressed or uncompressed form. Exemplary computer readable storage devices include conventional computer system RAM (random access memory), ROM (read only memory), EPROM (erasable, programmable ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasable, programmable ROM), flash memory, and magnetic or optical disks or tapes. Exemplary computer readable signals are signals that a computer system hosting or running the computer program may be configured to access, including signals downloaded through the Internet or other networks. Examples of the foregoing include distribution of the program(s) on a CD ROM or via Internet download.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art on reference to this description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments as fall within the true scope of the invention.