Phase shifter based on waveguide transmission line

Abstract

The utility model provides a phase shifter based on a waveguide transmission line, comprising a waveguide transmission line, a dielectric substrate and a metal structure, and a waveguide cavity is arranged in the waveguide transmission line; the dielectric substrate is arranged in the waveguide cavity, and the dielectric substrate is perpendicular to the signal transmission direction of the waveguide transmission line; the metal structure is attached to the dielectric substrate to form an LC resonance circuit, and an electric adjusting element is arranged on the metal structure and used for adjusting the electric conduction shape of the metal structure so as to control the electromagnetic wave phase in the waveguide transmission line. According to the phase shifter of the scheme, the dielectric substrate is arranged in the waveguide transmission line, extra space is not needed, and the conductive metal shape of the metal structure is controlled by controlling the electrically tunable element, so that the phase change of electromagnetic waves after passing through the waveguide transmission line is controlled. According to the scheme, the dielectric substrate does not need to occupy extra space, the metal structure and the electric adjusting element are small in size, phase adjustment of electromagnetic waves can be achieved in an electric adjusting mode, and the method can be applied to scenes such as a high-power radar phased array.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of wireless communication antennas, and particularly relates to a phase shifter based on a waveguide transmission line. Background Art

[0002] After the 1960s, with the large-scale application of phased array radars in the aerospace and military fields, the phase shifter, as a key component of phased array radars, has been widely used. With the development of mobile communication, now the fifth-generation mobile communication has been fully put into use, and the sixth-generation mobile communication technology is about to come out. The construction of base stations is increasing day by day. Most of the base stations use electrically tunable antennas. By using a phase shifter to change its phase, the beam tilt angle can be controlled to achieve higher coverage. In Beidou navigation satellites, the realization of beamforming technology is inseparable from the contribution of the phase shifter. Compared with the traditional phase shifter designed on a dielectric substrate, the waveguide phase shifter can withstand higher input power and is solid and durable. In existing research, most waveguide phase shifters are mechanically adjustable, and the phase control structure occupies a non-negligible volume. Based on this market prospect and research status, researching and designing a waveguide phase shifter with a small occupied volume and electrically tunable and thus digitally tunable has very high academic research value and engineering application value. Summary of the Utility Model

[0003] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a phase shifter based on a waveguide transmission line that is electrically tunable and has a small occupied volume.

[0004] The utility model provides a phase shifter based on a waveguide transmission line, which includes a waveguide transmission line, a dielectric substrate, and a metal structure. A waveguide cavity is provided in the waveguide transmission line; the dielectric substrate is arranged in the waveguide cavity and is perpendicular to the signal transmission direction of the waveguide transmission line; the metal structure is attached to the dielectric substrate to form an LC resonance circuit, and an electrically tunable element is provided on the metal structure for adjusting the electrically conductive shape of the metal structure to control the phase of the electromagnetic wave in the waveguide transmission line.

[0005] Optionally, the phase shifter is a transmission type phase shifter. The waveguide transmission line includes a signal input end and a signal output end. The dielectric substrate is located between the signal input end and the signal output end. The metal split ring structure is used to receive the electromagnetic wave signal from the signal input end, adjust the phase, and then output it to the signal output end.

[0006] Optionally, the metal structure includes a plurality of metal sheets. The plurality of metal sheets are arranged at intervals so that gaps are formed between the metal sheets. A plurality of electrically tunable elements are respectively arranged in the corresponding gaps and are connected to two adjacent metal sheets.

[0007] Optionally, the electrical tuning element is used to conduct or disconnect the electrical connection between adjacent metal sheets, so that some of the metal sheets among the plurality of metal sheets are electrically connected to form an irregular split ring shape.

[0008] Optionally, the metal structure includes an annular metal patch and a circular metal patch. The circular metal patch is disposed on the dielectric substrate, and the circular metal patch is disposed inside the annular metal patch. Two ends of a plurality of the electrical tuning elements are respectively connected to the outer side of the annular metal patch and the inner side of the circular metal patch. The electrical tuning element is used to conduct or disconnect the electrical connection between the annular metal patch and the circular metal patch, so that the annular metal patch and the circular metal patch enclose an irregular split ring shape.

[0009] Optionally, the metal structure further includes a grounding metal sheet. One end of the grounding metal sheet is connected to the outer side of the annular metal patch, and the other end of the grounding metal sheet is connected to the inner side of the waveguide cavity.

[0010] Optionally, the electrical tuning element is a diode and a bias circuit. A plurality of the bias circuits are respectively connected to a plurality of the diodes for controlling conduction or disconnection of the plurality of diodes.

[0011] Optionally, the electrical tuning element is a radio frequency switch that can be adjusted to conduct or disconnect.

[0012] Optionally, the dielectric substrate includes a plurality of pieces. The metal structure is disposed on each dielectric substrate, and the plurality of dielectric substrates are sequentially disposed in the waveguide cavity along the electromagnetic wave transmission direction.

[0013] Optionally, the dielectric substrate is disc-shaped. The dielectric substrate is rotatably connected in the waveguide cavity, and at least one end of the dielectric substrate extends out of the outer surface of the waveguide transmission line for adjusting the phase of the electromagnetic wave by rotating the dielectric substrate.

[0014] Advantages of this solution:

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the phase shifter of this solution does not require additional space by disposing the dielectric substrate in the waveguide transmission line. The metal structure is attached to the dielectric substrate to form an LC resonance circuit. The physical electrical conduction shape of the metal structure is controlled by the electrical tuning element, so as to adjust the capacitance and inductance of the LC resonance circuit, and control the phase change of the electromagnetic wave after passing through the waveguide transmission line. The dielectric substrate in this solution does not require additional space, the metal structure and the electrical tuning element are small in volume, and the phase control of the electromagnetic wave can be realized by an electrical tuning method, which can be applied to scenarios such as high-power radar phased arrays. Description of the Drawings

[0016] Figure 1It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the adjustable phase shifter in the first embodiment;

[0017] Figure 2 It is a side view schematic diagram of the adjustable phase shifter in the first embodiment;

[0018] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram for explaining the circuit principle of the phase regulation structure in the first embodiment;

[0019] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the control principle of the phase regulation structure in the first embodiment;

[0020] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the specific implementation circuit of the bias circuit loaded on the phase regulation structure in the first embodiment;

[0021] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the specific implementation circuit of the RF switch loaded on the phase regulation structure in the first embodiment;

[0022] Figure 7 It is the simulated S-parameter diagram when the first to the k-th (k = 1, 2... N) diodes are simultaneously turned off in the first embodiment;

[0023] Figure 8 It is the simulated phase change diagram when the first to the k-th (k = 1, 2... N) diodes are simultaneously turned off in the first embodiment;

[0024] Figure 9 It is the simulated S-parameter diagram when any continuous k (k = 1, 2... N) diodes are simultaneously turned off in the first embodiment;

[0025] Figure 10 It is the simulated phase change diagram when any continuous k (k = 1, 2... N) diodes are simultaneously turned off in the first embodiment;

[0026] Figure 11 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the adjustable phase shifter in the second embodiment;

[0027] Figure 12 It is the simulated S-parameter diagram in the second embodiment;

[0028] Figure 13 It is the simulated phase change diagram in the second embodiment;

[0029] Figure 14 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the adjustable phase shifter in the third embodiment;

[0030] Figure 15 It is a side view schematic diagram of the adjustable phase shifter in the third embodiment;

[0031] Figure 16 It is a schematic diagram of the control principle of the phase regulation structure in the third embodiment;

[0032] Figure 17 It is a schematic diagram of the specific implementation circuit of the phase regulation structure loading bias circuit in Embodiment 3;

[0033] Figure 18 It is a schematic diagram of the specific implementation circuit of the phase regulation structure loading RF switch in Embodiment 3;

[0034] Figure 19 It is the simulated S-parameter diagram when the k-th (k = 1, 2... N) diode is turned on and the rest of the diodes are turned off in Embodiment 3;

[0035] Figure 20 It is the simulated phase change diagram when the k-th (k = 1, 2... N) diode is turned on and the rest of the diodes are turned off in Embodiment 3;

[0036] Figure 21 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the adjustable phase shifter in Embodiment 4;

[0037] Figure 22 It is the simulated S-parameter diagram of Embodiment 4;

[0038] Figure 23 It is the simulated phase change diagram of Embodiment 4;

[0039] Figure 24 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the adjustable phase shifter in Embodiment 5;

[0040] Figure 25 It is a side view schematic diagram of the adjustable phase shifter in Embodiment 5;

[0041] Figure 26 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the mechanically adjustable phase shifter in Embodiment 6;

[0042] Figure 27 It is a side view schematic diagram of the mechanically adjustable phase shifter in Embodiment 6. Specific implementation manner

[0043] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present utility model and are not used to limit the present utility model.

[0044] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present utility model; the terms "first", "second", "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance; in addition, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "installation", "connection", "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meaning of the terms in the present utility model can be understood according to specific situations.

[0045] Please refer to Figures 1 to 27 , the present utility model provides a tunable phase shifter based on a waveguide transmission line, which is a transmission type phase shifter. The phase shifter includes a waveguide transmission line, a dielectric substrate, and a metal structure. Among them, the waveguide transmission line is provided with a hollow circular or rectangular waveguide cavity, the dielectric substrate adopts a circuit board, and the metal structure, that is, the phase regulation structure, is attached to the circuit board to form an LC resonance circuit. An electrically tunable element is provided on the metal structure, so as to change the electrically conductive shape of the metal structure by an electrical tuning method, thereby changing the capacitance value and inductance value of the LC resonance circuit, and performing phase regulation during the transmission process of electromagnetic waves in the waveguide transmission line.

[0046] Generally, in engineering applications, the |S21| of the phase shifter is generally required to be infinitely close to 0 dB, which is also the theoretical standard. That is to say, the filter in the present utility model can work normally within the passband frequency band under the condition of meeting the requirements, and has a small insertion loss, while realizing the phase tunable performance.

[0047] It should be noted that the specific shape design of the metal structure can be adjusted according to requirements, and can be designed as a split-ring circular or annular shape, an irregular rectangle, and other irregular shapes, as long as it can satisfy the physical structure that the metal structure can form an equivalent LC resonance circuit. This solution will be illustrated by the following Examples 1 to 5.

[0048] Example 1:

[0049] In this example, a tunable phase shifter based on a waveguide transmission line is designed, as Figures 1 to 4As shown in the figure, the phase shifter includes a section of waveguide transmission line 11, a dielectric substrate 12 disposed inside the waveguide, and a phase regulation structure 13. The phase regulation structure includes an annular metal patch 131 disposed on the surface of the dielectric substrate and N diodes disposed on the annular metal patch 131.

[0050] Figure 3 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the phase regulation principle. Figure 1 The underlying principle of the shown tunable phase shifter to change the phase by adjusting the rotation angle theta (θ) and the split ring opening angle aerfa (α) respectively is to change the values of the tunable inductor L and the tunable capacitor C respectively to achieve the phase change.

[0051] As Figure 4 shown, in actual implementation, the phase can be adjusted by combining the diodes with the annular metal patch. That is, the N diodes divide the annular metal patch into N segments. The finer the division, the smaller the minimum change value of the adjustable phase. If the 1st to the kth (k = 1, 2... N) diodes are all non-conductive, then the available length of the annular metal patch needs to subtract the length divided by the 1st to the kth diodes, and the current path will also decrease. Different numbers k of non-conductive diodes result in different phase changes of the plane wave. In Figure 2 order to facilitate simulation verification, the size of the opening angle of the annular metal patch is used to equivalently represent the number of non-conductive diodes. Figure 5 The figure shows Figure 4 the specific implementation after loading the bias circuit. Each diode can be independently controlled to be conductive or non-conductive. Figure 6 The figure shows Figure 4 the specific implementation after loading the RF switch. Each RF switch can be independently controlled to be on or off.

[0052] As Figures 7 to 10 shown, the above structure exhibits good transmission characteristics within the working frequency band of 10 - 11 GHz, and has a certain phase shift function. It also has a certain phase regulation ability when changing the opening angle of the annular metal patch, which demonstrates the feasibility of the waveguide transmission line-based tunable phase shifter.

[0053] Embodiment 2:

[0054] In this embodiment, a waveguide transmission line-based tunable phase shifter is provided. As Figure 11 shown, this embodiment is an improved structure of Embodiment 1, increasing the phase regulation to four and improving the phase regulation range in a cascaded manner.

[0055] As Figures 12 to 13 shown, the above structure exhibits good transmission characteristics within the working frequency band of 10 - 11 GHz, and has a better phase shift function compared to Embodiment 1, which demonstrates the feasibility of the waveguide transmission line-based tunable phase shifter.

[0056] Embodiment 3:

[0057] In this embodiment, an adjustable phase shifter based on a waveguide transmission line is designed. As Figures 14 to 15 shown, the phase shifter includes a section of waveguide transmission line 21, a dielectric substrate 22 disposed inside the waveguide, and a phase control structure 23. The phase control structure includes an annular metal patch 231 and a circular metal patch 232 disposed on the surface of the dielectric substrate 22, and N diodes disposed between the annular metal patch 231 and the circular metal patch 232.

[0058] As Figure 16 shown, in actual implementation, the diode can be combined with the metal patch. The more diodes are set, the smaller the minimum change value of the adjustable phase is. By controlling the i-th diode to conduct while the other diodes do not conduct, the circular metal patch and the annular metal patch are connected in the direction of the i-th diode, which is equivalent to the phase control structure rotating a certain angle theta around the electromagnetic wave propagation direction (along the z-axis direction) as the central axis. Figure 17 Shown is Figure 16 the specific implementation after loading the bias circuit, and each diode can be independently controlled to conduct or not. Figure 18 Shown is Figure 16 the specific implementation after loading the RF switch, and each RF switch can be independently controlled.

[0059] As Figures 19 to 20 shown, the above structure exhibits good transmission characteristics within the working frequency band of 10 - 11 GHz and has a certain phase shift function.

[0060] Embodiment 4:

[0061] In this embodiment, an adjustable phase shifter based on a waveguide transmission line is designed. As Figure 21 shown, this embodiment is an improved structure of Embodiment 3, increasing the phase control to four, and improving the phase control range in a cascaded manner.

[0062] As Figures 22 to 23 shown, the above structure exhibits good transmission characteristics within the working frequency band of 10 - 11 GHz and has a better phase shift function compared to Embodiment 3, which demonstrates the feasibility of the adjustable phase shifter based on the waveguide transmission line.

[0063] Embodiment 5:

[0064] In this embodiment, an adjustable phase shifter based on a waveguide transmission line is designed. As Figures 24 to 25As shown, this embodiment is an improved structure of Embodiment 3. The phase regulation structure is disposed on the dielectric substrate 32. The phase regulation structure 33 is short-circuited with the inner wall of the waveguide transmission line 31 through the grounding metal sheet 34. Specifically, one end of the grounding metal sheet 34 is connected to the outside of the annular metal patch, and the other end of the grounding metal sheet 34 is connected to the inside of the waveguide transmission line 31. The advantage of short-circuiting the phase regulation structure 33 with the waveguide transmission line 31 is to facilitate the design of the bias circuit during subsequent processing.

[0065] Embodiment 6:

[0066] This embodiment provides a tunable phase shifter based on a waveguide transmission line, as Figures 26 to 27 shown. This embodiment is an improved structure of Embodiment 1. The dielectric substrate 42 in the phase regulation is designed to be disc-shaped. The dielectric substrate 42 is rotatably disposed in the waveguide cavity of the waveguide transmission line 41, so as to realize the rotation angle of the phase regulation structure adjusted by the dial, and realize mechanical tunability.

[0067] The above embodiments only represent several implementation manners of the present invention. The description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the patent of the present invention. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several deformations and improvements can still be made, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A phase shifter based on a waveguide transmission line, characterized in that: include: A waveguide transmission line, wherein a waveguide cavity is provided in the waveguide transmission line; A dielectric substrate, wherein the dielectric substrate is disposed in the waveguide cavity and is perpendicular to a signal transmission direction of the waveguide transmission line; A metal structure is attached to the dielectric substrate to form an LC resonant circuit. The metal structure is provided with an electrical adjustment element for adjusting the electrical conduction shape of the metal structure to control the phase of the electromagnetic wave in the waveguide transmission line.

2. The phase shifter based on waveguide transmission line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The phase shifter is a transmission type phase shifter.

3. The phase shifter based on waveguide transmission line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal structure includes a plurality of metal sheets, the plurality of metal sheets are arranged at intervals to form gaps between the metal sheets, and the plurality of electrical adjustment elements are respectively arranged in corresponding gaps and connect two adjacent metal sheets.

4. The phase shifter based on waveguide transmission line according to claim 3, characterized in that: The electrical adjustment element is used to conduct or disconnect the electrical connection between adjacent metal sheets, so that some of the metal sheets are electrically connected to form a split ring shape.

5. The phase shifter based on waveguide transmission line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal structure includes an annular metal patch and a circular metal patch, wherein the circular metal patch is arranged on the dielectric substrate, and the circular metal patch is arranged inside the annular metal patch. Two ends of a plurality of electrical adjustment elements are respectively connected to the outer side of the annular metal patch and the inner side of the circular metal patch, and the electrical adjustment element is used to conduct or disconnect the electrical connection between the annular metal patch and the circular metal patch, so that the annular metal patch and the circular metal patch are surrounded to form a split ring shape.

6. The phase shifter based on waveguide transmission line according to claim 5, characterized in that: The metal structure further comprises a grounding metal sheet, one end of which is connected to the outer side of the annular metal patch, and the other end of which is connected to the inner side of the waveguide cavity.

7. The phase shifter based on waveguide transmission line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical adjustment element is a diode and a bias circuit, and a plurality of the bias circuits are respectively connected to a plurality of the diodes to control the conduction or disconnection of the plurality of the diodes.

8. The phase shifter based on waveguide transmission line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical adjustment element is a radio frequency switch that can be adjusted to be turned on or off.

9. The phase shifter based on waveguide transmission line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dielectric substrate comprises a plurality of pieces, each of which is provided with the metal structure, and the plurality of dielectric substrates are sequentially arranged in the waveguide cavity along the electromagnetic wave transmission direction.

10. The phase shifter based on waveguide transmission line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dielectric substrate is disc-shaped and can be rotatably connected in the waveguide cavity. At least one end of the dielectric substrate extends out of the outer surface of the waveguide transmission line, and is used to adjust the phase of the electromagnetic wave by rotating the dielectric substrate.

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