Microwave ultra-wideband coupling power detection device
By designing a microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device, and utilizing the elastically connected central conductor and microwave substrate assembly, accurate detection and non-destructive measurement of each node of the microwave PCB circuit were achieved, solving the problems of inaccurate measurement and circuit damage in the existing technology.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510992594.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-18
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-31
AI Technical Summary
Existing microwave frequency probe devices suffer from positional deviations during measurement, leading to inaccurate measurements and easily damaging circuit boards, making it impossible to achieve accurate detection and non-destructive measurement of microwave PCB circuits.
A microwave ultrawideband coupled power detection device was designed, including a housing unit, a coupling unit, and a probe unit. Utilizing a centrally connected microwave substrate assembly with elastic connection, the probe makes elastic contact with the PCB under test and can freely extend and retract along the axial direction to ensure reliable connection and protect the circuit.
It enables online and accurate measurement of the power of each node in a microwave PCB circuit, avoiding damage to the circuit structure and ensuring the accuracy and non-destructive nature of the test.
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Figure CN120870812A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication detection technology, and in particular to a microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device. Background Technology
[0002] With the rapid development of modern mobile communications, users demand increasingly faster wireless access speeds. Therefore, new high-speed mobile communications (5G, 6G, etc.) are moving towards the microwave frequency band. Compared to radio frequency bands below 6GHz, the microwave band has not yet been widely used due to technical difficulties and development costs. The high-frequency microwave band naturally possesses the characteristic of large bandwidth, effectively solving many problems faced by high-speed, broadband wireless access. Microwave circuits, due to their high frequency, have many advantages such as large bandwidth and small size. Microwave circuits designed using packaged chips and microwave PCB boards have advantages such as low cost, high integration, and high production efficiency, and are being increasingly promoted and applied. Because of the high frequency of microwave PCB circuits, their debugging difficulty is much greater compared to radio frequency PCB circuits below 6GHz. During debugging, if performance fails to meet standards, it is necessary to identify the abnormal chip or sub-circuit. This requires testing the output power of each chip or sub-circuit to pinpoint the abnormal chip or sub-circuit. During output power testing, it is generally not advisable to disconnect each chip or sub-circuit from other related circuits for individual testing, because disconnection will cause the overall function of the microwave circuit to malfunction. In the prior art, for radio frequency circuits below 6 GHz, a simple coaxial probe (which is formed by cutting a coaxial line so that the inner conductor is slightly longer than the outer conductor) is usually used to place the inner conductor point on the microstrip line of the radio frequency circuit to roughly measure the power of the node.
[0003] However, the shortcomings of existing probe devices are that there is a certain positional deviation between the probe and the point to be measured, which leads to uncertainty in the measurement results and makes it impossible to obtain accurate measurement data. In the microwave frequency band, the power measurement error obtained by using existing devices and methods will be even greater. In addition, existing probe devices are prone to scratching the microstrip lines on the circuit board during the detection process, which will damage the circuit board and affect its reliability. Summary of the Invention
[0004] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device. Without affecting the original circuit structure and overall function, it can accurately detect the power of each node in the debugging of microwave PCB circuit, thereby realizing online accurate measurement of the power of each node in microwave PCB circuit, and also ensuring the integrity of the object under test and avoiding damage to the circuit under test.
[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device for power detection of a PCB under test, comprising: The housing unit includes a sleeve and a connector assembly arranged coaxially, the sleeve being connected to the connector assembly to form a receiving cavity, and the end of the sleeve having a first through hole; A coupling unit includes a central conductor housed in the accommodating cavity and a microwave substrate assembly; the central conductor is coaxially disposed on the connector assembly; the microwave substrate assembly includes a first substrate assembly and a second substrate assembly; one end of the first substrate assembly is elastically connected to the central conductor, and the other end of the first substrate assembly is elastically connected to the second substrate assembly. The probe unit includes a probe, one end of which is connected to the second substrate assembly, and the other end of which passes through the first through-hole and makes elastic contact with the microstrip line of the PCB under test to detect the power of a specified node on the PCB under test.
[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first substrate assembly includes a first microstrip sheet and a first connecting shaft, one end of the first microstrip sheet is elastically connected to the central conductor, and the other end of the first microstrip sheet is connected to the first connecting shaft.
[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first connecting shaft has a first end and a second end. The first end is provided with a first mounting groove, and the first microstrip piece is snapped into the first mounting groove. The end face of the second end is recessed inward along the axial direction to form a second mounting groove, and the second substrate assembly is mounted in the second mounting groove. The edge of the second mounting groove is provided with a plurality of grooves along the circumferential direction.
[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the coupling unit further includes a first elastic connector, the ends of which are respectively connected to the first microstrip sheet and the center conductor.
[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the second substrate assembly includes a second microstrip sheet and a second connecting shaft, one end of the second connecting shaft being elastically connected to the first substrate assembly, and the other end of the second connecting shaft being connected to the second microstrip sheet.
[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the second substrate assembly further includes a second elastic connector, the ends of which are respectively connected to the second connecting shaft and the first substrate assembly.
[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the coupling unit further includes an inner housing, which is a cavity structure with openings at both ends. The inner housing is coaxially connected to the connector assembly and is housed within the accommodating cavity. A portion of the first substrate assembly and a portion of the second substrate assembly are housed within the inner housing.
[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the central conductor is fitted to an opening at one end of the inner housing; the central conductor includes a dielectric capacitor.
[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the second substrate assembly further includes a dielectric support, which is fitted to the other end opening of the inner housing. The dielectric support has a mounting hole, and the second substrate assembly is fitted to the dielectric support through the mounting hole.
[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the connector assembly includes a first connecting sleeve, a bushing, and a third elastic element. The first connecting sleeve is sleeved on one end of the bushing, the other end of the bushing is screwed to the sleeve, and the third elastic element is disposed between the bushing and the first connecting sleeve.
[0015] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art: This invention discloses a microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device, comprising a housing unit, a coupling unit, and a probe unit. The housing unit includes a coaxially connected sleeve and connector assembly. The coupling unit includes a centrally connected elastically connected microwave substrate assembly. The microwave substrate assembly includes a first substrate assembly and a second substrate assembly, both elastically connected. The probe unit includes a probe that makes contact with the PCB under test. The probe is connected to the end of the second substrate assembly. This allows the probe to freely extend and retract along the axial direction of the coupled power detection device, providing a certain degree of adjustment for reliable connection with the PCB under test. Furthermore, the elastic contact between the probe and the PCB provides protection for the circuitry and components of the PCB. Therefore, compared to commonly used simple coaxial probes, this invention can accurately detect the power of each node during microwave PCB circuit debugging without affecting the original circuit structure and overall function. This enables online precise measurement of the power at each node of the microwave PCB circuit, while ensuring the integrity of the tested object and preventing damage to the circuitry of the PCB. Attached Figure Description
[0016] To make the content of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.
[0017] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The main view.
[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure.
[0020] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Exploded view.
[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the coupling unit and probe unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second connecting shaft, the second substrate assembly, and the probe according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the coupling degree of HFSS simulation in a specific embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the insertion loss in an HFSS simulation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the return loss in HFSS simulation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the accompanying drawings: 10. PCB under test; 1. Sleeve; 11. First through hole; 12. Support block; 2. Connector assembly; 20. First connecting sleeve; 21. Bushing; 22. Third elastic element; 3. Center conductor; 4. First substrate assembly; 40. First microstrip sheet; 41. First connecting shaft; 410. First mounting groove; 412. Groove; 42. First elastic connector; 5. Second substrate assembly; 50. Second microstrip sheet; 51. Second connecting shaft; 52. Second elastic connector; 53. Dielectric support; 6. Probe; 7. Inner housing. Detailed Implementation
[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0028] Reference Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the present invention discloses a microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device for power detection of PCB10 under test.
[0029] The coupling power detection device includes a housing unit, which includes a sleeve 1 and a connector assembly 2 arranged coaxially. The sleeve 1 and the connector assembly 2 are connected to form a receiving cavity, and the end of the sleeve 1 is provided with a first through hole 11.
[0030] The coupling power detection device further includes a coupling unit, which comprises a central conductor 3 and a microwave substrate assembly, wherein the central conductor 3 and the microwave substrate assembly are housed in the accommodating cavity. The central conductor 3 is coaxially connected to the connector assembly 2.
[0031] The microwave substrate assembly includes a first substrate assembly 4 and a second substrate assembly 5 that are elastically connected. Specifically, one end of the first substrate assembly 4 is elastically connected to the central conductor 3, and the other end of the first substrate assembly 4 is elastically connected to the second substrate assembly 5. The coupled power detection device further includes a probe unit, which includes a probe 6. One end of the probe 6 is connected to the second substrate assembly 5, and the other end of the probe 6 passes through the first through hole and makes elastic contact with the microstrip line of the PCB 10 under test to detect the power of a specified node on the PCB 10 under test. Thus, the probe 6 can freely extend and retract along the axial direction of the coupled power detection device and has a certain amount of extension and retraction adjustment to achieve a reliable connection with the PCB 10 under test.
[0032] During power detection, the power value can be read by connecting the connector assembly 2 to the spectrum analyzer via a cable. Combined with the coupling degree data of the microwave ultra-wideband coupling power detection device, the actual power of the node under test can be calculated.
[0033] Therefore, the microwave ultra-wideband coupling power detection device protected by this invention comprises a housing unit, a coupling unit, and a probe unit. The housing unit includes a coaxially connected sleeve and connector assembly. The coupling unit includes a centrally connected elastically connected microwave substrate assembly. The microwave substrate assembly includes a first substrate assembly and a second substrate assembly, both elastically connected. The probe unit includes a probe that makes contact with the PCB under test. The probe is connected to the end of the second substrate assembly. Thus, the probe can freely extend and retract along the axial direction of the coupling power detection device, providing a certain degree of adjustment to achieve a reliable connection with the PCB under test. Furthermore, because the probe and the PCB under test are in elastic contact, it provides a certain degree of protection for the circuitry and components of the PCB. Therefore, compared to the commonly used simple coaxial probes, this invention can accurately detect the power of each node during microwave PCB circuit debugging without affecting the original circuit structure and overall function. This enables online and accurate measurement of the power of each node in the microwave PCB circuit, while ensuring the integrity of the tested object and avoiding damage to the circuitry of the PCB.
[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the sleeve 1 has two axially protruding support blocks 12 at its end. These support blocks 12 are positioned opposite each other on both sides of the first through hole 11. During the detection process, the support blocks 12 can press the metal surfaces on both sides of the microstrip line of the PCB 10 under test. After pressing, the elastic structure ensures stable contact between the probe 6 and the PCB under test, guaranteeing the accuracy of the detection results. It should be noted that the support blocks 12 are made of metal.
[0035] Furthermore, the first substrate assembly 4 includes a first microstrip sheet 40 and a first connecting shaft 41. One end of the first microstrip sheet 40 is elastically connected to the central conductor 3, and the other end of the first microstrip sheet 40 is connected to the first connecting shaft 41. The first microstrip sheet 40 includes, but is not limited to, a microwave ceramic substrate, on which a broadband equalizer is provided.
[0036] The first connecting shaft 41 is made of metal, preferably a metal rod made of beryllium bronze.
[0037] In detail, the first connecting shaft 41 has a first end and a second end along its length. The first end has a first mounting groove 410, and the first microstrip piece 40 is snapped into the first mounting groove 410 to stably connect with the first connecting shaft 41. The end face of the second end is concave inward along the axial direction to form a second mounting groove, and the second substrate assembly 5 is mounted in the second mounting groove. The edge of the second mounting groove has a plurality of grooves 412 along the circumferential direction. With this configuration, the second end can have a certain deformation space, so that the connection between the second substrate assembly 5 and the first connecting shaft 41 has a certain deformation redundancy to a certain extent, absorbing the small deviations of the first substrate assembly 4 and the second substrate assembly 5 in the axial, radial and angular directions, playing a certain buffering role, and thus also preventing the probe 6 from applying too much force to the PCB 10 under test.
[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the coupling unit further includes a first elastic connector 42, the ends of which are respectively connected to the first microstrip sheet 40 and the central conductor 3. The first elastic connector 42 includes, but is not limited to, a spring, and is made of metal.
[0039] Furthermore, the second substrate assembly 5 includes a second microstrip sheet 50 and a second connecting shaft 51. One end of the second connecting shaft 51 is elastically connected to the first substrate assembly 4, and the other end of the second connecting shaft 51 is connected to the second microstrip sheet 50. The second microstrip sheet 50 is a ceramic substrate, on which a thin-film resistor is disposed.
[0040] Specifically, the second connecting shaft 51 is engaged with the second mounting slot.
[0041] In a preferred embodiment, the second substrate assembly 5 further includes a second elastic connector 52, the ends of which are respectively connected to the second connecting shaft 51 and the first substrate assembly 4. Specifically, the second elastic connector 52 is disposed within the second mounting groove, one end of which abuts against the second mounting groove, and the other end of which is connected to the second connecting shaft 51.
[0042] The second elastic connector 52 includes, but is not limited to, a spring, and the second elastic connector 52 is made of metal.
[0043] Specifically, the coupling unit is further provided with an inner housing 7, which is a cavity structure with openings at both ends. The inner housing 7 is coaxially connected to the connector assembly 2, and the inner housing 7 is housed within the accommodating cavity.
[0044] A portion of the first substrate assembly 4 and a portion of the second substrate assembly 4 are housed within the inner housing 7. The material of the inner housing 7 includes, but is not limited to, gold-plated bronze.
[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the center conductor 3 is fitted into an opening at one end of the inner housing 7; the center conductor 3 includes a dielectric capacitor.
[0046] Preferably, the dielectric capacitor includes, but is not limited to, a feedthrough capacitor; a feedthrough capacitor is a three-terminal capacitor, but compared with ordinary three-terminal capacitors, because it is directly mounted on a metal panel, its grounding inductance is smaller and there is almost no influence from lead inductance. In addition, its input and output terminals are isolated by a metal plate, eliminating high-frequency coupling. Therefore, the feedthrough capacitor has a filtering effect close to that of an ideal capacitor.
[0047] In addition, the second substrate assembly 5 also includes a dielectric support 53, which is fitted to the opening at the other end of the inner housing 7. A mounting hole is provided in the middle of the dielectric support 53, and the second substrate assembly 5 is fitted to the dielectric support 53 through the mounting hole. Specifically, the second connecting shaft 51 passes through the mounting hole.
[0048] The dielectric support 53 is made of an insulating material. Preferably, the dielectric support is made of PEI (polyetherimide), an amorphous engineering thermoplastic with good high-temperature resistance, high mechanical strength, and good electrical insulation and chemical stability.
[0049] In a preferred embodiment, the connector assembly 2 includes a first connecting sleeve 20, a bushing 21, and a third elastic element 22. The first connecting sleeve 20 is sleeved on one end of the bushing 21, and the other end of the bushing 21 is screwed to the sleeve 1, thereby pressing the structure located in the accommodating cavity.
[0050] Specifically, the third elastic element 22 is disposed between the bushing 21 and the first connecting sleeve 20. Preferably, the third elastic element 22 is a retaining spring, which is engaged with the outer wall of the bushing 21 and fits against the inner wall of the first connecting sleeve 20.
[0051] The following analysis, using specific examples, provides a test data analysis of a DC-26.5GHz microwave ultra-wideband coupled power probe: Figure 7 The coupling degree of the microwave ultrawideband coupled power probe in HFSS simulation; Figure 8 Insertion loss for microwave ultrawideband coupled power probe HFSS simulation; Figure 9Return loss for HFSS simulation of microwave ultrawideband coupled power probe; The DC-26.5GHz microwave ultrawideband coupled power probe uses a 3.5mm coaxial connector assembly 2; the broadband equalizer of the first microstrip 40 has an attenuation of -8dB to -13dB from low frequency to high frequency in the DC-26.5GHz range; the thin film resistor on the second microstrip 50 is 250 ohms and is used to couple energy from the microstrip line under test.
[0052] The object under test is a top-layer 50-ohm microstrip line on a microwave PCB (the substrate is a Rogers RO4350B with a thickness of 0.254mm). In practical applications, the microstrip line on the PCB under test (10) has metal ground planes on both sides to reduce electromagnetic radiation and prevent interference. The probe 6 of the microwave ultra-wideband coupled power probe is positioned directly above the microstrip line under test, and the metal support blocks 12 on both sides of the probe 6 are pressed against the metal ground planes on both sides of the microstrip line under test. After pressing, the internal elastic structure ensures that the center probe contact of the probe 6 is reliably connected to the microstrip line on the PCB under test (10).
[0053] HFSS simulation results in the DC-26.5GHz band show that the coupling is better than -22.5±0.5dB and the insertion loss is better than -1.3dB, with little impact on the measured signal. The return loss at both ports of the microstrip line is better than -17.5dB, and the return loss of the probe is better than -16dB.
[0054] In practical applications, the microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device of the present invention is used in conjunction with the microstrip line of the measured node of the microwave PCB circuit in the above manner. The power value can be read by connecting the 3.5mm connector assembly 2 of the probe to the spectrum analyzer through a coaxial cable. Then, combined with the coupling degree of the probe, the actual power of the measured node can be calculated.
[0055] The microwave ultrawideband coupled power detection device of the present invention has great advantages in terms of power testing accuracy, coverage bandwidth and convenience, and provides an excellent testing tool for debugging complex microwave circuits.
[0056] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0057] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.
[0058] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.
Claims
1. A microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device, characterized in that: Used for power probing of the PCB under test, including... The housing unit includes a sleeve and a connector assembly arranged coaxially, the sleeve being connected to the connector assembly to form a receiving cavity, and the end of the sleeve having a first through hole; A coupling unit includes a central conductor housed in the accommodating cavity and a microwave substrate assembly; the central conductor is coaxially disposed on the connector assembly; the microwave substrate assembly includes a first substrate assembly and a second substrate assembly; one end of the first substrate assembly is elastically connected to the central conductor, and the other end of the first substrate assembly is elastically connected to the second substrate assembly. The probe unit includes a probe, one end of which is connected to the second substrate assembly, and the other end of which passes through the first through-hole and makes elastic contact with the microstrip line of the PCB under test to detect the power of a specified node on the PCB under test.
2. The microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first substrate assembly includes a first microstrip sheet and a first connecting shaft. One end of the first microstrip sheet is elastically connected to the central conductor, and the other end of the first microstrip sheet is connected to the first connecting shaft.
3. The microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first connecting shaft has a first end and a second end. The first end is provided with a first mounting groove, and the first microstrip piece is snapped into the first mounting groove. The end face of the second end is recessed inward along the axial direction to form a second mounting groove, and the second substrate assembly is mounted in the second mounting groove. The edge of the second mounting groove is provided with a plurality of grooves along the circumferential direction.
4. The microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The coupling unit further includes a first elastic connector, the ends of which are respectively connected to the first microstrip sheet and the center conductor.
5. The microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second substrate assembly includes a second microstrip sheet and a second connecting shaft. One end of the second connecting shaft is elastically connected to the first substrate assembly, and the other end of the second connecting shaft is connected to the second microstrip sheet.
6. The microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second substrate assembly further includes a second elastic connector, the ends of which are respectively connected to the second connecting shaft and the first substrate assembly.
7. The microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coupling unit also includes an inner housing, which is a cavity structure with openings at both ends. The inner housing is coaxially connected to the connector assembly and is housed within the accommodating cavity. A portion of the first substrate assembly and a portion of the second substrate assembly are housed within the inner housing.
8. A microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The central conductor is fitted to one end opening of the inner housing; the central conductor includes a dielectric capacitor.
9. A microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second substrate assembly further includes a dielectric support, which is fitted to the opening at the other end of the inner housing. The dielectric support has a mounting hole, through which the second substrate assembly is fitted to the dielectric support.
10. A microwave ultra-wideband coupled power detection device according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that: The connector assembly includes a first connecting sleeve, a bushing, and a third elastic element. The first connecting sleeve is sleeved on one end of the bushing, and the other end of the bushing is screwed to the sleeve. The third elastic element is disposed between the bushing and the first connecting sleeve.
Citation Information
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