Control method of phase shift attenuator and phase shift attenuator

Abstract

The invention discloses a phase-shift attenuator control method and a phase-shift attenuator, and relates to the field of signal processing, and the method comprises the steps: traversing all code blocks, and obtaining amplitude change information and phase change information outputted by a group of phase-shift attenuators corresponding to each code block; selecting a reference point, and constructing a plurality of ideal target points based on the reference point and the attenuation step and the phase shift step of the phase shift attenuator; taking the code block corresponding to the nearest group of change information as the code block corresponding to the ideal target point; and controlling the switch array based on the reference point corresponding to the phase shift attenuation request or the code block corresponding to the ideal target point according to the received phase shift attenuation request. And all code blocks are traversed, so that the phase-shifting attenuator can meet various phase-shifting attenuation requests. Phase shifting and attenuation are used as the same device, and phase shifting and attenuation are carried out at the same time and do not influence each other. When a phase shift attenuation request is received, a proper and accurate code block can be selected from all code blocks to perform phase shift and attenuation on a signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of signal processing, and in particular, to a control method for a phase shifter attenuator and a phase shifter attenuator. Background Art

[0002] Both the phase shifter and the attenuator are core components for amplitude-phase control in a phased array system. Their phase shift accuracy and attenuation accuracy determine the phased array beam scanning accuracy and beam sidelobe suppression ability. Studying high-precision phase shifters and high-precision attenuators has important significance and application value. In a traditional phased array system, there are usually independent phase shifters and attenuators, and the amplitude-phase adjustment of the system is achieved through the cascade and independent control of the phase shifter and the attenuator. The general process is as follows: During phase shift control, the attenuator is kept in the base state, and the full state of the phase shifter is scanned to obtain the optimal phase shift code group as the phase shift control word; during attenuation control, the phase shifter is kept in the reference state, and the full state of the attenuator is scanned to obtain the optimal attenuation code group as the attenuation code word. This way of screening codes cannot take into account the mutual influence between the two modules when performing phase shift or attenuation state screening. When the phased array system performs amplitude-phase simultaneous control, it will cause amplitude-phase errors between the output signal and the target signal, reducing the phase shift and attenuation accuracy of the system. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a control method for a phase shifter attenuator and a phase shifter attenuator, which can meet the phase shifter attenuation requests with various requirements. Regarding the phase shift and attenuation as the same device, the phase shift and attenuation are performed simultaneously without mutual influence. When receiving a phase shifter attenuation request, an appropriate one can be selected from all the code groups to accurately perform phase shift and attenuation on the signal.

[0004] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a control method for a phase shifter attenuator. The phase shifter attenuator includes a switch array composed of a plurality of controllable switches. By changing the code group formed by the control signals of the controllable switches, the signal input to the phase shifter attenuator is simultaneously subjected to phase and amplitude conversion;

[0005] The control method for the phase shifter attenuator includes:

[0006] Traverse all the code groups to obtain a set of amplitude change information and phase change information corresponding to each code group output by the phase shifter attenuator;

[0007] Select a set of amplitude change information and phase change information as a reference point, and construct a plurality of ideal target points based on the reference point, the attenuation step and the phase shift step of the phase shifter attenuator;

[0008] Project the reference point and the ideal target point into the polar coordinates, and determine whether there is at least one set of amplitude change information and phase change information in an arc region formed by any adjacent four points in the polar coordinates. The phase change information is used as the polar radius, and the amplitude change information is used as the polar angle;

[0009] If both are included, use the code group corresponding to the set of amplitude change information and phase change information closest to the ideal target point as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point;

[0010] According to the received phase shift and attenuation request, determine the reference point or ideal target point corresponding to the phase shift and attenuation request, and control the switch array based on the code group corresponding to the reference point or ideal target point corresponding to the phase shift and attenuation request.

[0011] On the other hand, selecting a set of amplitude change information and phase change information as the reference point includes:

[0012] Select the set with the largest amplitude change information as the reference point;

[0013] Based on the phase change information of the reference point, normalize the phase change information in the remaining other sets of amplitude change information and phase change information;

[0014] Using the code group corresponding to each set of amplitude change information and phase change information closest to the ideal target point as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point includes:

[0015] Use the code group corresponding to each set of amplitude change information and the normalized phase change information closest to the ideal target point as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point.

[0016] On the other hand, constructing multiple ideal target points based on the reference point, the attenuation step and phase shift step of the phase shifter and attenuator includes:

[0017] Determine the attenuation step ATT_step, attenuation amount ATT_Total, attenuation times ATT_N = ATT_Total / ATT_step, phase shift step Phase_step, phase shift amount Phase_total, and phase shift times Phase_N = Phase_total / Phase_step of the phase shifter and attenuator;

[0018] Keep the amplitude change information of the reference point unchanged, change the phase change information in steps of half of the phase shift step Phase_step / 2, divide 360° into 2 × Phase_N interval segments, and use the points whose phase from the reference point is an integer multiple of the phase shift step Phase_step as the ideal target points;

[0019] Keep the phase change information of the ideal target point unchanged, and change the amplitude change information in steps of half of the attenuation step ATT_step / 2 to obtain 2×ATT_N + 1 rings. Also, consider the points at integer multiples of the attenuation step ATT_step away from the ideal target point as ideal target points.

[0020] On the other hand, after determining whether each of the arc regions formed by any four adjacent points in the polar coordinates includes at least one set of amplitude change information and phase change information, it further includes:

[0021] If there is an arc region that does not include such information, then the set of amplitude change information with the largest value fails as the reference point;

[0022] Select the next set of amplitude change information and phase change information as the reference point in the order from high to low of the amplitude change information, and return to the step of constructing multiple ideal target points based on the attenuation step and phase shift step of the phase shifter attenuator.

[0023] On the other hand, taking the code group corresponding to the set of amplitude change information and phase change information closest to the ideal target point as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point includes:

[0024] Determine all the arc regions formed by the ideal target point;

[0025] Determine the distance between each set of amplitude change information and phase change information in all the arc regions and the ideal target point;

[0026] Determine the code group corresponding to the set of amplitude change information and phase change information with the smallest distance as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point.

[0027] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention also provides a phase shifter attenuator, including:

[0028] An orthogonal signal generator, whose input terminal is connected to a voltage signal, and is used to convert the voltage signal into an orthogonal signal;

[0029] A switch array, whose input terminal is connected to the output terminal of the orthogonal signal generator, and is used to phase shift and attenuate the orthogonal signal by turning on or off the controllable switches inside itself;

[0030] A digital-to-analog control circuit, whose output terminal is connected to the control terminals of the controllable switches in the switch array, and is used to output control signals to each of the controllable switches to control the on or off of each controllable switch.

[0031] On the other hand, it further includes an input balun;

[0032] The input terminal of the input balun is connected to a voltage signal, and the output terminal of the input balun is connected to the input terminal of the quadrature signal generator;

[0033] The input balun is used to perform input matching on the voltage signal and convert the voltage signal into a differential signal;

[0034] The quadrature signal generator is specifically used to convert the differential signal into a quadrature signal.

[0035] On the other hand, it further includes an output balun;

[0036] The input terminal of the output balun is connected to the output terminal of the switch array;

[0037] The output balun is used to convert the quadrature signal after phase shift and attenuation output by the switch array into a voltage signal for output.

[0038] On the other hand, the switch array includes a plurality of switch groups;

[0039] The first end of each switch group is respectively connected to a quadrature signal output by one of the quadrature signal generators, and the second end of each switch group is connected to the input terminal of the output balun;

[0040] Each switch group is used to change the number of controllable switches conducting inside itself based on the control signal output by the digital-to-analog control circuit, so as to adjust the attenuation and phase shift of the accessed quadrature signal.

[0041] On the other hand, each switch group includes N first controllable switches and N second controllable switches, and the first controllable switches and the second controllable switches correspond one by one;

[0042] The control terminals of the first controllable switches and the second controllable switches are both connected to the output terminal of the digital-to-analog control circuit. The first ends of the first controllable switches are all connected to the negative input terminal of the output balun. The second ends of the first controllable switches are connected to the first ends of the corresponding second controllable switches, and the common connection end is connected to a quadrature signal output by one of the quadrature signal generators. The second ends of the second controllable switches are connected to the positive input terminal of the output balun;

[0043] The first controllable switches and the second controllable switches are used to conduct or turn off based on the control signal output by the digital-to-analog control circuit.

[0044] The present application provides a control method and a phase shifter attenuator for a phase shifter attenuator, relating to the field of signal processing, including traversing all code groups to obtain a set of amplitude change information and phase change information output by each phase shifter attenuator; selecting a reference point, and constructing a plurality of ideal target points based on the reference point, the attenuation step and the phase shift step of the phase shifter attenuator; taking the code group corresponding to the set of amplitude change information and phase change information with the closest distance as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point; and controlling the switch array based on the reference point corresponding to the phase shift attenuation request or the code group corresponding to the ideal target point. By traversing all code groups, the phase shifter attenuator can meet phase shift attenuation requests with various requirements. The phase shift and attenuation are integrated into the same device, and the phase shift and attenuation are carried out simultaneously without mutual influence. When a phase shift attenuation request is received, an appropriate one can be selected from all code groups to accurately phase shift and attenuate the signal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the prior art and the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and those of ordinary skill in the art can also obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0046] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of a control method for a phase shifter attenuator provided by the present invention;

[0047] Figure 2 It is a constellation diagram of phase shift provided by the prior art;

[0048] Figure 3 It is a constellation diagram of a phase shifter attenuator provided by the present invention;

[0049] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of an ideal target point provided by the present invention;

[0050] Figure 5 It is another schematic diagram of an ideal target point provided by the present invention;

[0051] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a phase shifter attenuator provided by the present invention;

[0052] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of a switch array provided by the present invention;

[0053] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of orthogonal signal vector synthesis provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0054] The core of the present invention is to provide a control method for a phase shifter attenuator and a phase shifter attenuator, which can meet the phase shift attenuation requests of various requirements. Taking phase shift and attenuation as the same device, phase shift and attenuation are carried out simultaneously without affecting each other. When a phase shift attenuation request is received, an appropriate one can be selected from all the code groups to accurately phase shift and attenuate the signal.

[0055] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Apparently, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of a control method for a phase shifter attenuator provided by the present invention. For the control method of the phase shifter attenuator, the phase shifter attenuator includes a switch array composed of a plurality of controllable switches. By changing the code group formed by the control signals of the controllable switches, the signal input to the phase shifter attenuator is simultaneously converted in terms of phase and amplitude.

[0057] The control method of the phase shifter attenuator includes:

[0058] S11: Traverse all the code groups to obtain a set of amplitude change information and phase change information corresponding to the output of each code group of the phase shifter attenuator;

[0059] When controlling the switch array, each controllable switch of the switch array can be in a conducting state or an off state. There are two control signals for each controllable switch, and the control signals are combined to form a code group. When the code group is input to the switch array, the phase shifter attenuator can phase shift and attenuate the input signal.

[0060] Before using the phase shifter attenuator, it is necessary to determine how much the phase shift and attenuation corresponding to each code group are. Therefore, first traverse all the code groups, and each code group corresponds to a set of amplitude change information and phase change information.

[0061] S12: Select a set of amplitude change information and phase change information as a reference point, and construct a plurality of ideal target points based on the reference point, the attenuation step and the phase shift step of the phase shifter attenuator;

[0062] S13: Project the reference point and the ideal target points in the polar coordinates, and determine whether at least one set of amplitude change information and phase change information is included in an arc-shaped area formed by any adjacent four points in the polar coordinates, with the phase change information as the polar radius and the amplitude change information as the polar angle; if so, go to step S14;

[0063] The purpose of constructing the reference point and the ideal target point is to enable each set of amplitude change information and phase change information to have a corresponding phase shift attenuation request, that is, the phase shift attenuator can meet all requirements based on the attenuation step and the phase shift step. If each arc region includes a set of amplitude change information and phase change information, it indicates that the selection of the reference point at this time is correct.

[0064] S14: Use the code group corresponding to the set of amplitude change information and phase change information closest to the ideal target point as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point;

[0065] The ideal target point is a virtual point constructed based on the actual reference point, so it is necessary to correspond the virtual point to the actual point. Therefore, the actual point closest to the ideal target point, that is, the amplitude change information and phase change information, is corresponded to it. When the user needs to adjust the phase shift and attenuation corresponding to the ideal target point, controlling the code group corresponding to the amplitude change information and phase change information of the actual point can be achieved.

[0066] S15: According to the received phase shift attenuation request, determine the reference point or ideal target point corresponding to the phase shift attenuation request, and control the switch array based on the code group corresponding to the reference point or ideal target point corresponding to the phase shift attenuation request.

[0067] After establishing the correspondence between the phase shift attenuation and the code group, when receiving the phase shift attenuation request sent by the user, determine the corresponding ideal target point or reference point. If the corresponding one is the reference point, control the switch array based on the code group corresponding to the reference point. If the corresponding one is the ideal target point, based on a set of amplitude change information and phase change information of the actual point corresponding to the ideal target point, and then find the corresponding code group to complete the control.

[0068] The phase shift and attenuation in the background are two modules. When performing phase shift, the attenuation codeword remains unchanged. When performing attenuation, the phase shift codeword remains unchanged. In fact, there will be mutual influences between cascaded modules. Phase shift will modulate the amplitude, and attenuation will modulate the phase, thus reducing the overall phase shift and attenuation accuracy of the link. The solution idea of the present invention is to implement the phase shift and attenuation in the same module. When performing codeword screening, consider both the amplitude and phase of the output signal at the same time. In this way, when performing phase shift or attenuation, it will not be interfered with each other, and the overall phase shift and attenuation accuracy of the circuit is improved.

[0069] Figure 2 A star chart of phase shift provided by the prior art, Figure 3 A star chart of a phase shift attenuator provided by the present invention;

[0070] It is certain that in the prior art, the arrangement in the outer circle is relatively dense, but relatively sparse near the center of the circle. Then, the phase accuracy in the middle position is relatively low. Based on the signal cancellation technology, the present application can still obtain good phase shift accuracy at high attenuation, that is, it can meet the requirements of various phase shifts and attenuations.

[0071] The present application provides a control method for a phase shifter attenuator, which relates to the field of signal processing, including traversing all code groups to obtain a set of amplitude change information and phase change information output by each code group corresponding to the phase shifter attenuator; selecting a reference point, and constructing multiple ideal target points based on the reference point, the attenuation step and the phase shift step of the phase shifter attenuator; taking the code group corresponding to the set of amplitude change information and phase change information with the closest distance as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point; and controlling the switch array based on the reference point corresponding to the received phase shift attenuation request or the code group corresponding to the ideal target point. By traversing all code groups, the phase shifter attenuator can meet the phase shift attenuation requests with various requirements. Regarding the phase shift and attenuation as the same device, the phase shift and attenuation are carried out simultaneously without affecting each other. When receiving a phase shift attenuation request, an appropriate one can be selected from all code groups to accurately perform phase shift and attenuation on the signal.

[0072] Based on the above embodiments:

[0073] In some embodiments, selecting a set of amplitude change information and phase change information as the reference point includes:

[0074] Selecting the set with the largest amplitude change information as the reference point;

[0075] Based on the phase change information of the reference point, normalizing the phase change information in the remaining other sets of amplitude change information and phase change information;

[0076] Taking the code group corresponding to each set of amplitude change information and phase change information with the closest distance to the ideal target point as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point includes:

[0077] Taking the code group corresponding to each set of amplitude change information and the normalized phase change information with the closest distance to the ideal target point as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point.

[0078] Viewed in polar coordinates, each point is a point on the star chart. Selecting a point with the largest amplitude change information, that is, a point with the largest polar radius, starting from this point as the reference point can improve the efficiency of selecting the reference point. Of course, it is also possible to select a point with the smallest polar radius and gradually screen towards the larger one. The present application does not make too many limitations here. First, control the amplitude to remain unchanged, adjust the phase based on the reference point, and normalize the phase of each other point with the reference point as the target.

[0079] For example, the reference point is 30 degrees, and the remaining three points are 0 degrees, 45 degrees, and 90 degrees respectively. After normalizing the remaining three points, they will become 330 degrees, 15 degrees, and 60 degrees.

[0080] In some embodiments, a plurality of ideal target points are constructed based on the reference point, the attenuation step, and the phase shift step of the phase shifter attenuator, including:

[0081] Determine the attenuation step ATT_step, the total attenuation ATT_Total, the number of attenuation times ATT_N = ATT_Total / ATT_step, the phase shift step Phase_step, the total phase shift amount Phase_total, and the number of phase shift times Phase_N = Phase_total / Phase_step of the phase shifter attenuator;

[0082] Keep the amplitude change information of the reference point unchanged, and change the phase change information in steps of half of the phase shift step Phase_step / 2. Divide 360° into 2 × Phase_N interval segments, and use the points whose phase from the reference point is an integer multiple of the phase shift step Phase_step as ideal target points;

[0083] Keep the phase change information of the ideal target point unchanged, and change the amplitude change information in steps of half of the attenuation step ATT_step / 2 to obtain 2 × ATT_N + 1 rings. Use the points whose distance from the ideal target point is an integer multiple of the attenuation step ATT_step as ideal target points.

[0084] Specifically, when the attenuation step ATT_step = 0.5 dB and the total attenuation is ATT_Total = 2 dB, the number of attenuation times ATT_N = (ATT_Total / ATT_step) = 4. When the phase shift step Phase_step = 5.625° and the total phase shift amount is Phase_total = 360°, the number of phase shift times Phase_N = (Phase_total / Phase_step) = 64;

[0085] In order to improve the accuracy of the phase shifter attenuator, when constructing the ideal target points, it is changed in steps of Phase_step / 2. Specifically, in order to improve the accuracy, it can be changed in steps smaller than Phase_step / 2 according to actual requirements, but if the adjustment is too small, there may be no actual points in the formed arc area.

[0086] With the selected reference point as the reference, extend the ideal target point. The amplitude of the target point remains unchanged, and the phase increases sequentially by (Phase_step / 2) to cover 360°, obtaining (2×Phase_N) ideal points. Two adjacent points form an interval, and 360° is divided into (2×Phase_N) interval segments; expand the ideal ring inward by (ATT_step / 2) steps to form (2×ATT_N + 1) rings;

[0087] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an ideal target point provided by the present invention;

[0088] Figure 5 Another schematic diagram of an ideal target point provided by the present invention;

[0089] In some embodiments, after determining whether at least one set of amplitude change information and phase change information is included in any arc region formed by four adjacent points in the polar coordinates, it further includes:

[0090] If there is an arc region that does not include it, the set with the largest amplitude change information fails as the reference point;

[0091] Select the next set of amplitude change information and phase change information as the reference point in order from high to low amplitude change information, and return to the step of constructing multiple ideal target points based on the attenuation step and phase shift step of the phase shifter attenuator.

[0092] On the polar coordinate graph, four adjacent points form an arc region: If there is no actual point in a certain arc region, taking the selected reference point as the reference, the ring cannot be formed, and the reference is moved to the next codeword (the radius decreases sequentially); If there is at least one point in each judgment region, it indicates that the star map can form a ring with this point as the reference. Record the code group and amplitude of the point at this time; Record the code groups of the actual points in each arc region.

[0093] Please refer to Figure 4 , among A, B, C, and D, there is no actual point, so the construction with point A as the reference fails. Please refer to Figure 5 , if each arc region includes at least one actual point, the construction with point A as the reference is successful. The actual point corresponding to point A needs to be selected as the nearest one from the three points.

[0094] In some embodiments, taking the code group corresponding to the set of amplitude change information and phase change information closest to the ideal target point as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point includes:

[0095] Determine all arc regions in which the ideal target point participates in forming;

[0096] Determine the distances between each set of amplitude change information and phase change information in all arc regions and the ideal target point;

[0097] Determine the code group corresponding to the set of amplitude change information and phase change information with the smallest distance as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point.

[0098] Find all the arc regions formed by the ideal target point, calculate the distances from the actual points in these arc regions to the ideal target point in polar coordinates, find the minimum distance, and record the code groups of the actual points as the selected points. Find all the selected points to complete the screening of the phase shift attenuation code groups.

[0099] Figure 6 FIG. Figure 7 FIG.

[0100] The phase shift attenuator includes:

[0101] Orthogonal signal generator I / Q, the input end of the orthogonal signal generator I / Q is connected to a voltage signal, and is used to convert the voltage signal into an orthogonal signal;

[0102] Switch array X-Type, the input end of the switch array X-Type is connected to the output end of the orthogonal signal generator I / Q, and is used to phase shift and attenuate the orthogonal signal by the conduction or cutoff of the controllable switches inside itself;

[0103] Digital-to-analog control circuit Digital, the output end of the digital-to-analog control circuit Digital is connected to the control ends of the respective controllable switches in the switch array X-Type, and is used to output control signals to the respective controllable switches to control the conduction or cutoff of the respective controllable switches.

[0104] By inputting different code groups to the phase shift attenuator through the digital-to-analog control circuit Digital, the phase shift and attenuation control of the input signal can be realized. After the input signal passes through the orthogonal signal generator I / Q, four pairs of orthogonal I+ / I- / Q+ / Q- signals are obtained. By controlling the conduction combination of the switch array X-Type, the phase change of the output composite signal can be realized.

[0105] Define P_control<1:0>=0 / 1 / 2 / 3 as I+ / Q+ synthesis, I+ / Q- synthesis, I- / Q+ synthesis, and I- / Q- synthesis respectively.

[0106] The specific control method of the phase shift attenuator is as follows: 1) Maximum circle: Taking P_control<1:0>=0 (I+ and Q+ synthesis, I- and Q- synthesis) as an example, R_control<1:0>=0, VI1=~VI2, VQ1=~VQ2, and VI1 <x>+VQ1 <x>= 1, i.e., VI1 <x>=~VQ1 <x>( Figure 7 where x = 0 to 6). In this basic control mode, all the switch states of the scanning array are scanned, and a ring will be formed on the star chart. Since two groups of signals with opposite polarities will not be synthesized at the output point, the radius of the ring is the largest in polar coordinates at this time. VI1 is M0 - M6, VI2 is M9 - M15, and VQ1 is M36 - M42. 2) Secondary ring: Generally, the basic logic remains unchanged, VI1 = ~VI2, VQ1 = ~VQ2, and VI1 <x>+VQ1 <x>=1, VI1 <x>=~VQ1 <x>(x = 0 to 6), but at this time R_control<1:0> = 1, so that Figure 7 taking Figure 7 as an example, M26 and M62 are forced to conduct. The I- signal will be combined with the I+ signal at OUTN through M26. Similarly, the Q- signal will be combined with the Q+ signal at OUTP through M62. Since the polarities of I+ / I- and Q+ / Q- are opposite to each other, after signal combination, the polarities will cancel each other out. The actual equivalent I+ / Q+ signals participating in vector synthesis will be smaller than the I+ or Q+ signals in 1). That is, the amplitude of the synthesized basis vector is attenuated. Similarly, scanning all the switch states in the array in this mode will result in a smaller radius circle on the star chart; 3) Repeat to make R_control<1:0> = 1 to force M25 and M61 to conduct; R_control<1:0> = 2 to force M25, M26, M61, and M62 to conduct, obtaining a smaller radius circle.

[0107] Control of attenuation step: Taking a 7-bit X-type switch array as an example, the normalized equivalent resistances are 64 / 32 / 16 / 8 / 4 / 2 / 1. When the designed attenuation is 0.125 dB, the normalized signal cancellation resistances should be 215 / 107 / 71 / 53 / 42 / 35 / 30 / 26 / 23 / 21 / 19 / 18 / 16 / 15 / 14 / 13, that is, a 0.125 dB step can be achieved, and the signal amplitude control with an attenuation range of 2 dB can be realized. Among them, for 215 / 107 / 71, two additional resistors need to be connected in parallel for signal cancellation, and the resistors of 53 and below can be realized based on the combination of the existing switch array (the specific parameters can be obtained by using the principle of vector superposition combined with the method of microwave network, see the description); if a larger attenuation step is required, it can be achieved by reducing the signal cancellation resistance.

[0108] In some embodiments, it further includes an input balun T1;

[0109] The input end of the input balun T1 is connected to a voltage signal, and the output end of the input balun T1 is connected to the input end of the quadrature signal generator I / Q;

[0110] The input balun T1 is used to perform input matching on the voltage signal and convert the voltage signal into a differential signal;

[0111] The quadrature signal generator I / Q is specifically used to convert the differential signal into a quadrature signal.

[0112] The input balun T1 is used to perform input matching on the incoming voltage signal and convert the voltage signal into a differential signal. After differential, two signals P and N are obtained, and then input into the X-Type switch array to be converted into I+ / I- / Q+ / Q- signals.

[0113] In some embodiments, it further includes an output balun T2;

[0114] The input end of the output balun T2 is connected to the output end of the switch array X-Type;

[0115] The output balun T2 is used to convert the quadrature signal that has been phase-shifted and attenuated by the switch array X-Type into a voltage signal for output.

[0116] After receiving the OUTN and OUTP signals, the output balun T2 converts them into a voltage signal and then outputs it, that is, the voltage signal is phase-shifted and attenuated after being input to the phase-shifting attenuator and still outputs a voltage signal.

[0117] In some embodiments, the switch array X-Type includes a plurality of switch groups;

[0118] The first end of each switch group is respectively connected to the quadrature signal output by an I / Q output of a quadrature signal generator, and the second end of each switch group is connected to the input end of the output balun T2;

[0119] Each switch group is used to change the number of controllable switches that are internally turned on based on the control signal output by the digital-to-analog control circuit Digital, so as to adjust the attenuation and phase shift of the input quadrature signal.

[0120] In some embodiments, each switch group includes N first controllable switches and N second controllable switches, and the first controllable switches and the second controllable switches correspond one by one;

[0121] The control ends of the first controllable switches and the second controllable switches are both connected to the output end of the digital-to-analog control circuit Digital. The first end of each first controllable switch is connected to the negative input end of the output balun T2. The second end of the first controllable switch is connected to the first end of the corresponding second controllable switch, and the common connection end is connected to the quadrature signal output by a quadrature signal generator. The second end of the second controllable switch is connected to the positive input end of the output balun T2;

[0122] The first controllable switches and the second controllable switches are used to conduct or turn off based on the control signal output by the digital-to-analog control circuit Digital.

[0123] Taking N = 9 in this application as an example, M0 - M8 are all first controllable switches, and so on.

[0124] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of quadrature signal vector synthesis provided by the present invention;

[0125] Define the equivalent resistance on the signal path from I+ to the output terminal as RI. Similarly, the equivalent resistance on the signal path from I- to the output terminal is RI', the equivalent resistance on the signal path from Q+ to the output terminal is RQ, and the equivalent resistance on the signal path from Q- to the output terminal is RQ'. Then, the signal component of I+ at the output terminal is:

[0126] (1);

[0127] The ABCD matrix is used to characterize the transfer function from I+ to the output terminal;

[0128] Solving the equation gives:

[0129] (2);

[0130] Normalize the characteristic impedance Z0 of the phase shifter attenuator. Let Z0 = 1 to simplify Equation (2).

[0131] Similarly, the S21 of I- / Q+ / Q- are expressed as Equation (3), Equation (4), and Equation (5) respectively.

[0132] (3);

[0133] (4);

[0134] (5);

[0135] Taking the synthesis of I+ / Q+ as an example, based on the superposition principle, the synthesized signal V out The expression is:

[0136] (7);

[0137] Among them, I + / I - / Q + / Q - are all orthogonal signals. The expression of the orthogonal signal is:

[0138] (8); where i is the imaginary unit.

[0139] Since the amplitudes of the orthogonal signals are all normalized to 1, combining Equation (7) and Equation (8) and simplifying, the amplitude and phase angle of the synthesized signal can be obtained as Equation (6);

[0140] The amplitude and phase angle of the synthesized signal are given by Equation (6):

[0141] (6).

[0142] In the formula, M I+ 、M I- , M Q+ and M Q- are all intermediate calculation quantities, and the purpose is to facilitate the substitution of the signal loss. Since the amplitudes of the quadrature signals (I+ / I- / Q+ / Q-) are all 1, then is the signal component of the I+ signal after passing through the switch array, is the signal component of the I- signal after passing through the switch array, is the signal component of the Q+ signal after passing through the switch array, is the signal component of the Q- signal after passing through the switch array, r is the amplitude, and θ is the phase angle.

[0143] It should also be noted that in this specification, relational terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprising", "including" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the statement "comprising an..." does not exclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or device comprising the element.

[0144] Those skilled in the art can further realize that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of the two. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the composition and steps of each example have been generally described according to functions in the above description. Whether these functions are executed in a hardware or software manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present invention.

[0145] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.< / x> < / x> < / x> < / x> < / x> < / x> < / x> < / x>

Claims

1. A control method for a phase shifter attenuator, characterized in that, The phase shifter attenuator includes a switch array composed of a plurality of controllable switches. By changing the code group formed by the control signals of the controllable switches, the signal input to the phase shifter attenuator is simultaneously converted in terms of phase and amplitude; A control method for a phase shifter attenuator, comprising: Traversing all the code groups to obtain a set of amplitude change information and phase change information output by each of the phase shifter attenuators corresponding to each code group; Selecting a set of amplitude change information and phase change information as a reference point, and constructing a plurality of ideal target points based on the reference point, the attenuation step and the phase shift step of the phase shifter attenuator; Projecting the reference point and the ideal target points onto a polar coordinate, and determining whether at least one set of amplitude change information and phase change information is included in an arc region formed by any adjacent four points in the polar coordinate, where the phase change information is used as the polar radius and the amplitude change information is used as the polar angle; If all are included, taking the code group corresponding to the set of amplitude change information and phase change information closest to the ideal target point as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point; According to the received phase shift attenuation request, determining the reference point or the ideal target point corresponding to the phase shift attenuation request, and controlling the switch array based on the code group corresponding to the reference point or the ideal target point corresponding to the phase shift attenuation request.

2. The control method of the phase shifter attenuator according to claim 1, characterized in that Selecting a set of amplitude change information and phase change information as a reference point includes: Selecting the set with the largest amplitude change information as the reference point; Based on the phase change information of the reference point, normalizing the phase change information in the remaining other sets of amplitude change information and phase change information; Taking the code group corresponding to each set of amplitude change information and phase change information closest to the ideal target point as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point includes: Taking the code group corresponding to each set of amplitude change information and the normalized phase change information closest to the ideal target point as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point.

3. The control method of the phase shifter attenuator according to claim 2, characterized in that, Constructing a plurality of ideal target points based on the reference point, the attenuation step and the phase shift step of the phase shifter attenuator includes: Determining the attenuation step ATT_step, the attenuation amount ATT_Total, the attenuation number ATT_N = ATT_Total / ATT_step, the phase shift step Phase_step, the phase shift amount Phase_total, and the phase shift number Phase_N = Phase_total / Phase_step of the phase shifter attenuator; Keeping the amplitude change information of the reference point unchanged, changing the phase change information in steps of half of the phase shift step Phase_step / 2, dividing 360° into 2 × Phase_N interval segments, and taking the points whose phase from the reference point is an integer multiple of the phase shift step Phase_step as the ideal target points; Keep the phase change information of the ideal target point unchanged, and change the amplitude change information in steps of half of the attenuation step ATT_step / 2 to obtain 2×ATT_N + 1 rings. Also, consider the points at integer multiples of the attenuation step ATT_step away from the ideal target point as ideal target points.

4. The control method of the phase-shifting attenuator according to claim 2, characterized in that, After determining whether at least one set of amplitude change information and phase change information is included in any arbitrarily adjacent four-point arc region in polar coordinates, it further includes: If there is an arc region that does not include such information, the set with the largest amplitude change information fails as the reference point; Select the next set of amplitude change information and phase change information as the reference point in order of decreasing amplitude change information, and return to the step of constructing multiple ideal target points based on the attenuation step and phase shift step of the phase shifter attenuator.

5. The control method of the phase shifter attenuator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Regarding the code group corresponding to the set of amplitude change information and phase change information closest to the ideal target point as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point, it includes: Determine all the arc regions formed by the ideal target point; Determine the distance between each set of amplitude change information and phase change information in all the arc regions and the ideal target point; Determine the code group corresponding to the set of amplitude change information and phase change information with the smallest distance as the code group corresponding to the ideal target point.

6. A phase shifter attenuator, characterized in that, It includes: An orthogonal signal generator, whose input terminal is connected to a voltage signal, and is used to convert the voltage signal into an orthogonal signal; A switch array, whose input terminal is connected to the output terminal of the orthogonal signal generator, and is used to phase-shift and attenuate the orthogonal signal by turning on or off the controllable switches inside itself; A digital-to-analog control circuit, whose output terminal is connected to the control terminals of the controllable switches in the switch array, and is used to output control signals to each controllable switch to control the on or off of each controllable switch.

7. The phase shifter attenuator according to claim 6, wherein It further includes an input balun; The input terminal of the input balun is connected to a voltage signal, and the output terminal of the input balun is connected to the input terminal of the orthogonal signal generator; The input balun is used to perform input matching on the voltage signal and convert the voltage signal into a differential signal; The orthogonal signal generator is specifically used to convert the differential signal into an orthogonal signal.

8. The phase shifter attenuator according to claim 6, characterized in that, It further includes an output balun; The input terminal of the output balun is connected to the output terminal of the switch array; The output balun is used to convert the phase-shifted and attenuated orthogonal signal output by the switch array into a voltage signal for output.

9. The phase shifter attenuator according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that The switch array includes multiple switch groups; The first end of each switch group is respectively connected to an orthogonal signal output by one orthogonal signal generator, and the second end of each switch group is connected to the input terminal of the output balun; Each switch group is used to change the number of controllable switches turned on inside itself based on the control signal output by the digital-to-analog control circuit to adjust the attenuation and phase shift of the input orthogonal signal.

10. The phase shifter attenuator according to claim 9, characterized in that, Each switch group includes N first controllable switches and N second controllable switches, and the first controllable switches and the second controllable switches are in one-to-one correspondence; The control terminals of the first controllable switch and the second controllable switch are both connected to the output terminal of the digital-to-analog control circuit. The first terminal of the first controllable switch is connected to the negative input terminal of the output balun. The second terminal of the first controllable switch is connected to the first terminal of the corresponding second controllable switch, and the common connection terminal is connected to a quadrature signal output by the quadrature signal generator. The second terminal of the second controllable switch is connected to the positive input terminal of the output balun; The first controllable switch and the second controllable switch are used to conduct or cut off based on the control signal output by the digital-to-analog control circuit.

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