Patent GB-1129177-A (GB)
Title: Radio apparatus
Inventor: BLACKBAND WILLIAM THOMAS
IPC: H01Q3/34
Filed: 1966-07-06
Abstract: 1,129,177. Aerials; automatic phase control systems; phase modulation; radio signalling. MINISTER OF TECHNOLOGY. 6 July, 1967 [6 July, 1966], No. 30290/66. Headings H3A, H3R, H4A and H4L. Radio apparatus for interconnecting two aerials 1, 2, Fig. 1, having sensitivities which vary differently with direction, comprises electrically controlled phase-modulators 3, 4 interposed in respective paths between the said aerials and a hybrid ring 5, for causing a relative phase shift between the input signals to the said hybrid ring. A perturbation means, such as an oscillator 11, applies signals to one input of a phase-sensitive detector 10 and modulating signals to the phase modulators 3, 4. The "sum" output from the hybrid ring 5 is applied to a receiver 6 and output signals at the frequency of the perturbation oscillator are extracted by a filter, and are applied to the other input of the phase-sensitive detector 10. Output from the said detector is applied, either directly or through a threshold circuit (Fig. 6, not shown), together with the modulating signals from the perturbation oscillator 11, to the phase modulators 3, 4, so as to tend to bring the signals incoming to the hybrid ring 5 into phase coincidence. As described, a phase splitter 12 produces equal but anti-phased perturbation voltages at the two-phase modulators 3, 4, and the phase-sensitive detector, which uses a conventional Foster-Seeley circuit (Fig. 2, not shown), gives balanced outputs. Information signals are extracted from the receiver output by a filter 7. The apparatus is stated to be applicable for installation on aircraft in order to obtain the effect of an omnidirectional aerial using two aerials, neither of which is omnidirectional itself. An answering signal may be applied to the "sum" connection of the hybrid ring 5 and, if the settings of the phase modulators 3, 4 are held constant, it will be radiated in the direction of the received signal. A phase modulator is described which is equivalent to a bridged-T section with reactance arms comprising capacitive varactor diodes, whose values are varied in unison by the modulating voltage. An input terminal 31, Fig. 5, is connected to an output terminal 32 through equivalent inductors constituted by varactor diodes VD5, VD6 at the ends of shielded twowire quarter-wavelength lines. The said inductors are bridged by varactor diodes VD1, VD2 in series and are connected to earth at their centre point by varactor diodes VD3, VD4 in parallel. The quarter-wavelength lines from the varactor diodes VD5, VD6 each comprise two two-wire lines 35, 36 and 39, 40 in parallel, for practical convenience, and they are extended by further quarter-wavelength lines to large capacitors 38, 42. The low impedances represented by the capacitors 38, 42 are transformed to high impedances at the varactor diodes VD5, VD6 but the arrangement operates to prevent shunting at the terminals of the equivalent inductors by the unwanted transmission lines constituted by the individual conductors of the two-wire lines with the screening. The modulating voltage is applied to a terminal 43 which is connected through a linearity correction network and a screened cable 44 to the junction of two feed resistors R9, R10. R.F. chokes 45, 46 provide direct current paths to earth for the varactor diodes VD1, VD2, VD5, VD6. In another embodiment, Fig. 7, in which a transceiver 6 is connected to the sum port of a hybrid ring 5, a phase modulator 3<SP>1</SP> associated with an aerial 1 consists of a set of paralleled coaxial delay lines of successively increasing lengths, each including in series a back-to-back pair of switching P-I-N diodes, and a phase modulator 4<SP>1</SP> associated with an aerial 2 consists of a pair of similar delay lines, which differ in length by an amount approximately equivalent in length to six degrees at the carrier frequency. A perturbation oscillator 11<SP>1</SP> in the form of a free-running multivibrator generates square waves, and a phase-sensitive detector comprises gates 10a, 10b and is associated with a phase splitter 54, a time base unit 55 comprising a pair of time base circuits (Fig. 8, not shown), and a ring counter 56. When receiving, the coaxial lines of the phase modulator 4<SP>1</SP> are alternately switched into circuit by the multivibrator 11<SP>1</SP>, producing a square wave amplitude modulation of the received signals, corresponding to an angular oscillation of the polar diagram of the apparatus. A corresponding signal is extracted by a filter 8 and is converted by the phase splitter 54 into two anti-phased signals which are applied respectively to first inputs of the gates 10a, 10b. An output from the multivibrator 11<SP>1</SP> is applied to second inputs of the gates 10a, 10b, and one of the said gates is operated and feeds current to one of the time base circuits in the unit 55 until it produces a flyback pulse. This pulse initiates a count in the ring counter 56, said count being forwards when the gate 10a is operated and backwards when the gate 10b is operated, whereby a coaxial delay line of shorter or longer length is switched in circuit in the phase modulator 3<SP>1</SP>. This changes the relative phase-shift applied to the signals from the two aerials 1 and 2 and in effect rotates the polar diagram of the apparatus to improve reception. A threshold adjustment in each of the time base circuits in the unit 55 is adjusted to prevent operation with signals of small amplitude, such as might occur when the direction of incidence of a received signal differs from a direction of maximum sensitivity of the apparatus by less than half an increment of rotation of the polar diagram, or owing to noise.