High-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier

Abstract

The invention particularly relates to a high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier which is characterized in that a control and pulse modulator is used for generating pulse signals with different widths, amplitudes and frequencies according to external control signals and outputting the pulse signals to a microwave power amplification link; and the microwave power amplification link is used for switching accessed links according to the external control signal and the pulse signal, and amplifying the input microwave small signal so as to output microwave signals with different duty ratios, peak powers and pulse widths. The device can be used for a phased array microwave weapon integrating detection, guidance and striking functions, and has the capability of outputting pulse waveforms meeting different functional requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of microwave technology, and in particular to a high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier. Background Art

[0002] In related technologies, effects test results indicate that the damage threshold of target "backdoor" coupling is most closely related to the peak power of the electromagnetic pulse reaching the target. Furthermore, due to limitations in heat dissipation and energy supply, high-power microwave weapons typically operate in high-peak-power, extremely short-pulse-width, and extremely low-duty-ratio modes. When utilizing high-power microwave weapons for long-range detection and illumination guidance, this operating mode presents significant challenges in transmitting and receiving channel isolation, transmit waveform design, pulse code modulation, near-field clutter suppression, and system resource management and scheduling. Therefore, in order to implement detection and tracking, illumination guidance, and microwave damage in a solid-state phased array system, a solid-state high-power microwave amplifier with different output operating modes is required.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present invention, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to ordinary technicians in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier, which can overcome the defects in the prior art to a certain extent.

[0005] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part by practice of the present invention.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier comprising: a control and pulse modulator for generating pulse signals of different widths, amplitudes, and frequencies according to an external control signal, and outputting the pulse signals to a microwave power amplification link;

[0007] The microwave power amplifier link is used to switch the access link according to the external control signal and pulse signal, amplify the input microwave small signal, and output microwave signals with different duty cycles, peak powers, and pulse widths.

[0008] In some exemplary embodiments, a microwave power amplification link includes: a primary amplification chip A2, a secondary amplification chip A1, and a final amplification chip A0 connected in sequence;

[0009] The primary amplifier chip A2 is used to amplify the input microwave small signal with high gain;

[0010] The secondary amplifier chip A1 is used to further amplify the small microwave signal and output microwave pulses with high duty cycle, low peak power and wide pulse width;

[0011] The final amplifier chip A0 is used to output microwave pulses with low duty cycle, high peak power and narrow pulse width.

[0012] In some exemplary embodiments, the input terminals of the primary amplifier chip A2, the secondary amplifier chip A1, and the final amplifier chip A0 are respectively connected to the output terminals of the control and pulse modulator;

[0013] The input end of the primary amplifier chip A2 is connected to the RF signal source;

[0014] The input end of the final amplifier chip A0 is connected to the output end of the control and pulse modulator through the control switch K1.

[0015] In some exemplary embodiments, the output end of the final amplifier chip A0 is connected to a high-power transmitting antenna;

[0016] The output end of the secondary amplifier chip A1 is connected to the radar transceiver antenna.

[0017] In some exemplary embodiments, the output terminal of the secondary amplifier chip A1 and the input terminal of the final amplifier chip A0 are connected to the input terminal of the circulator; the first output terminal of the circulator is connected to the radar transceiver antenna;

[0018] The second output end of the circulator is connected to a low-noise amplifier, which is connected to a signal sampling circuit. The low-noise amplifier is used to amplify the echo signal received by the radar transceiver antenna and send it to the signal sampling circuit.

[0019] In some exemplary embodiments, the external control signal includes: a detection / guidance mode for controlling the disconnection of the control switch K1 between the final-stage amplifier chip A0 and the control and pulse modulator, so that the control and pulse modulator generates narrow pulse signals of different amplitudes and low duty cycles;

[0020] The external control signals include: attack mode, which is used to control the closing of the control switch K1 between the final amplifier chip A0 and the control and pulse modulator, and a wide pulse signal with a high duty cycle.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a solid-state phased array microwave device, comprising: a main control unit, and the high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier as described in the first aspect above; wherein,

[0022] A main control unit, used to generate external control signals according to the working mode;

[0023] The high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier is used to respond to the external control signal and output microwave signals with different duty cycles, peak powers and pulse widths.

[0024] The high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier provided in an embodiment of the present invention, by providing a control and pulse modulator, can generate pulse signals of different widths, amplitudes, and frequencies according to external control signals and output them to a microwave power amplification link. This enables the microwave power amplification link to access different links, enabling switching of the microwave power amplification link, amplifying small microwave signals, and outputting microwave signals with different duty cycles, peak powers, and pulse widths in different modes. While maintaining power consumption and heat dissipation, the dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier can output both high-power, low-duty microwave pulse signals and low-power, high-duty microwave pulse signals, thereby enhancing the versatility of the amplifier. By controlling the switching of the microwave power amplification link, the requirements for the isolation of the transmit and receive channels are reduced, thereby making the amplifier compact and highly reliable.

[0025] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and it is clear that those skilled in the art can derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram schematically illustrates a high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram schematically illustrates the waveforms of the modulated pulse voltages in each chip of a microwave amplification chain under different operating modes according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Reference numerals:

[0030] 1. Control and pulse modulator; 2. Control switch K1; 3. Primary amplifier chip A2; 4. Secondary amplifier chip A; 5. Final amplifier chip A0; 6. Circulator CIR; 7. Low noise amplifier LNA; 8. High-power transmitting antenna; 9. Transceiver antenna. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the specific embodiments of the present invention are further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, not to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for the convenience of description, the accompanying drawings only show the part related to the present invention, not all of the content. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "connected", "connected", and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral whole; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances. In addition, the accompanying drawings are schematic illustrations of the present invention.

[0032] In response to the shortcomings and deficiencies of the existing technology, this example embodiment provides a high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier. Under small-signal microwave excitation, the switching of the internal modulation circuit and the microwave amplification link of the component is completed through external control, so that the same microwave component can output signals in two modes: low duty cycle, high peak power, short pulse width and high duty cycle, low peak power, long pulse width in a time-sharing manner.

[0033] Exemplary, reference Figure 1 As shown, the high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier includes: a control and pulse modulator PM, a microwave power amplification link, a control switch K1, a circulator CIR, and a low-noise amplifier LNA; wherein, the microwave power amplification link includes: a primary amplifier chip A2, a secondary amplifier chip A1, and a final amplifier chip A0 connected in sequence.

[0034] Specifically, the control and pulse modulator generates pulse signals of varying widths, amplitudes, and frequencies based on external control signals, and outputs them to the microwave power amplifier link. The microwave power amplifier link switches the input microwave signal based on external control and pulse signals, amplifying the incoming microwave signal to output microwave signals with varying duty cycles, peak powers, and pulse widths. The primary amplifier chip A2 performs high-gain amplification on the incoming microwave signal. The secondary amplifier chip A1 further amplifies the microwave signal, outputting microwave pulses with high duty cycle, low peak power, and wide pulse width. The final amplifier chip A0 outputs microwave pulses with low duty cycle, high peak power, and narrow pulse width.

[0035] The output of secondary amplifier chip A1 and the input of final amplifier chip A0 are connected to the input of the circulator. The first output of the circulator is connected to the radar transceiver antenna. The second output of the circulator is connected to a low-noise amplifier, which is connected to a signal sampling circuit. The low-noise amplifier is used to amplify the echo signal received by the radar transceiver antenna and transmit it to the signal sampling circuit. The output of final amplifier chip A0 is connected to the high-power transmitting antenna; the output of secondary amplifier chip A1 is connected to the radar transceiver antenna.

[0036] Exemplarily, external control signals include: a detection / guidance mode, which controls the disconnection of the control switch K1 between the final-stage amplifier chip A0 and the control and pulse modulator, allowing the control and pulse modulator to generate narrow pulse signals with varying amplitudes and low duty cycles. External control signals also include an attack mode, which controls the disconnection of the control switch K1 between the final-stage amplifier chip A0 and the control and pulse modulator, generating wide pulse signals with high duty cycles.

[0037] For example, the control and pulse modulator generates different pulse widths, pulse amplitudes, and repetition frequencies under the control of an external signal (CTR), powering the A0, A1, and A2 power chips in the microwave amplification chain. K1 switches the power supply to the final-stage power amplifier chip A0 on and off. The microwave power amplification chain consists of the primary amplifier chip A2, the secondary amplifier chip A1, and the final amplifier chip A0. A2 achieves high-gain amplification of the input microwave small signal. A1 further amplifies the microwave signal and outputs high-power microwave pulses. A0 outputs narrow pulses with an ultra-low duty cycle, high-power microwave pulses.

[0038] For example, refer to Figure 2 As shown, when the solid-state phased array microwave weapon operates in strike mode, under the control of an external signal, the control and modulation circuit generates narrow pulses (usually between tens of ns and us) with different amplitudes and low duty cycles (specifically, less than 0.5%), and the K1 switch is closed; the entire microwave power amplification link is in operation, and the dual-mode microwave amplifier outputs high-power microwave pulses from RF OUT1 to excite the high-power transmitting antenna.

[0039] When the solid-state phased array microwave weapon operates in the detection / guidance mode, under the control of an external signal, the control and modulation circuit generates wide pulses of different amplitudes and high duty cycles; the K1 switch is disconnected, A1 and A2 in the entire microwave power amplification chain work, and A0 does not work; the dual-mode microwave amplifier excites the transceiver antenna by outputting microwave pulses from RF OUT1, and the transceiver antenna receives the target's echo signal and sends it to the signal sampling circuit through the circulator CIR and low-noise amplifier.

[0040] The solution provided by this invention, while maintaining constant power consumption and heat dissipation, incorporates a modulation circuit and a switch capable of outputting different pulse widths and amplitudes within a single microwave power amplifier. By controlling the modulation pulse waveform and switching the microwave amplification link through external signals, wide / narrow pulses and large / small duty cycle microwave pulses can be output in a time-sharing manner. Because the peak power of the output pulses is relatively low when the microwave amplifier operates at a high duty cycle, the requirements for transmit / receive isolation are reduced.

[0041] After adopting the dual-mode microwave power amplifier, the phased array microwave weapon detector can radiate short pulses with high peak power when in the strike working mode; in the detection and guidance mode, it can output microwave pulses with the same pulse width and duty cycle as traditional radar, thereby realizing the comprehensive integration of detection, guidance and strike functions.

[0042] The present invention adopts the above technical solution, which has the following technical effects compared with the prior art:

[0043] 1) While maintaining power consumption and heat dissipation unchanged, the dual-mode microwave power amplifier can output both high-power, low-duty cycle and medium-power, high-duty cycle microwave pulses, demonstrating excellent versatility.

[0044] 2) The pulse modulation circuit adopts a half-bridge push-pull circuit, which can output different voltage amplitudes. The pulse width is continuously adjustable between tens of ns and us, with high conversion efficiency and strong adaptability.

[0045] 3) Through microwave power amplification link switching, the requirements for the isolation of the transmitting and receiving channels are reduced, and it has the characteristics of small size and high reliability.

[0046] Exemplarily, the present invention also provides a solid-state phased array microwave device, a main control unit, and a high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier connected to the main control unit. The main control unit is configured to generate an external control signal based on the operating mode; the external control signal may include a detection / guidance mode or an attack mode defined based on the current operating mode, as well as corresponding control parameters. The high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier is configured to respond to the external control signal and output microwave signals with varying duty cycles, peak powers, and pulse widths.

[0047] Other embodiments of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the claims.

[0048] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exact construction described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof, which is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier, characterized in that: include: A control and pulse modulator is used to generate pulse signals of different widths, amplitudes and frequencies according to an external control signal and output them to a microwave power amplifier link; The microwave power amplifier link is used to switch the access link according to the external control signal and pulse signal, amplify the input microwave small signal, and output microwave signals with different duty cycles, peak powers, and pulse widths.

2. The high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microwave power amplification link includes: a primary amplification chip A2, a secondary amplification chip A1 and a final amplification chip A0 connected in sequence; The primary amplifier chip A2 is used to amplify the input microwave small signal with high gain; The secondary amplifier chip A1 is used to further amplify the small microwave signal and output microwave pulses with high duty cycle, low peak power and wide pulse width; The final amplifier chip A0 is used to output microwave pulses with low duty cycle, high peak power and narrow pulse width.

3. The high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The input terminals of the primary amplifier chip A2, the secondary amplifier chip A1, and the final amplifier chip A0 are respectively connected to the output terminals of the control and pulse modulator; The input end of the primary amplifier chip A2 is connected to the RF signal source; The input end of the final amplifier chip A0 is connected to the output end of the control and pulse modulator through the control switch K1.

4. The high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier according to claim 3, characterized in that: The output end of the final amplifier chip A0 is connected to the high-power transmitting antenna; The output end of the secondary amplifier chip A1 is connected to the radar transceiver antenna.

5. The high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier according to claim 4, characterized in that: The output end of the secondary amplifier chip A1 and the input end of the final amplifier chip A0 are connected to the input end of the circulator; the first output end of the circulator is connected to the radar transceiver antenna; The second output end of the circulator is connected to a low-noise amplifier, which is connected to a signal sampling circuit. The low-noise amplifier is used to amplify the echo signal received by the radar transceiver antenna and send it to the signal sampling circuit.

6. The high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The external control signals include: detection / guidance mode, which is used to control the disconnection of the control switch K1 between the final amplifier chip A0 and the control and pulse modulator, so that the control and pulse modulator generates narrow pulse signals with different amplitudes and low duty cycles; The external control signals include: attack mode, which is used to control the closing of the control switch K1 between the final amplifier chip A0 and the control and pulse modulator, and a wide pulse signal with a high duty cycle.

7. A solid-state phased array microwave device, characterized in that: include: A main control unit, and a high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier according to any one of claims 1 to 6; wherein, A main control unit, used to generate external control signals according to the working mode; The high-power dual-mode solid-state microwave amplifier is used to respond to the external control signal and output microwave signals with different duty cycles, peak powers and pulse widths.

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