Active antenna assembly, active antenna unit, radio frequency front-end identification method and device

Abstract

The present invention provides an active antenna assembly, an active antenna unit, and a radio frequency front-end identification method and device. The active antenna assembly includes: a shared module, the shared module includes a baseband module, a digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion module, a frequency conversion module, and a power module; an adjustment module, the adjustment module includes a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier; an inter-board interface, the inter-board interface supports access to N types of radio frequency front-end modules, where N is an integer greater than 1. Through the active antenna assembly provided by the present invention, a variety of AAU solutions can be implemented, which can not only improve the design efficiency of the AAU as a whole, but also reduce costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an active antenna assembly, an active antenna unit, and a radio frequency front-end identification method and device. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, radio frequency units, especially radio frequency front-end solutions, have shown a trend of diversified development, such as ordinary antenna arrays, Massive MIMO (Massive Multi Input Multi Output) multi-antenna arrays, phased array antennas, lens antennas, metamaterial surface antennas, etc. Different radio frequency front-end solutions are often suitable for different deployment scenarios. For example, the millimeter wave phased array solution is suitable for high-capacity scenarios.

[0003] At present, corresponding AAUs (Active Antenna Units) are designed for different RF front-end solutions, such as RRU (Remote Radio Unit), Massive MIMO AAU, millimeter wave phased array AAU, lens AAU and electromagnetic metamaterial AAU. In addition, in the prior art, the entire AAU is usually designed for various RF front-end solutions, and different whole machine solutions require complete link budget, chip selection, hardware board design and other links, which is not only inefficient but also costly. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present invention provide an active antenna assembly, an active antenna unit, a radio frequency front-end identification method and a device to solve the problems of low efficiency and high cost of AAU overall design in the prior art.

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention is achieved as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an active antenna assembly, the active antenna assembly comprising:

[0007] A shared module, the shared module comprising a baseband module, a digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion module, a frequency conversion module and a power supply module;

[0008] An adjustment module, the adjustment module comprising a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier;

[0009] The inter-board interface supports access to N types of RF front-end modules, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0010] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an active antenna unit, which includes the above-mentioned active antenna component and N types of RF front-end modules, and the inter-board interface of the active antenna component supports access to each of the N types of RF front-end modules, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0011] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a radio frequency front-end identification method, which is performed by the above-mentioned active antenna assembly, and the method includes:

[0012] Initiate access to a first radio frequency front-end module through a control bus of an inter-board interface of the active antenna assembly, where the first radio frequency front-end module is a radio frequency front-end module connected to the inter-board interface;

[0013] The type of the first RF front-end module is identified according to the access result.

[0014] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a radio frequency front-end identification device, which is applied to the above-mentioned active antenna assembly, and the device includes:

[0015] An access module, used to initiate access to a first RF front-end module through a control bus of an inter-board interface of the active antenna assembly, wherein the first RF front-end module is a RF front-end module connected to the inter-board interface;

[0016] The first identification module is used to identify the type of the first RF front-end module according to the access result.

[0017] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an electronic device, comprising: a processor, a memory, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the program is executed by the processor, the steps of the radio frequency front-end identification method as described in the third aspect above are implemented.

[0018] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a readable storage medium for storing a program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the radio frequency front-end identification method as described in the third aspect above.

[0019] The active antenna assembly of the embodiment of the present invention includes a shared module, the shared module includes a baseband module, a digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion module, a frequency conversion module and a power module; an adjustment module, the adjustment module includes a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier; an inter-board interface, the inter-board interface supports access to N types of RF front-end modules, N is an integer greater than 1. Since the inter-board interface of the above-mentioned active antenna assembly supports access to multiple RF front-end modules, multiple AAU solutions can be implemented through the active antenna assembly, which can not only improve the design efficiency of the AAU as a whole, but also reduce costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying creative labor.

[0021] Figure 1 It is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the active antenna assembly provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a phased array AAU provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a lens AAU provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an electromagnetic surface AAU provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a sharing module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is the second structural schematic diagram of the active antenna assembly provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 It is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the active antenna unit provided in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a second structural schematic diagram of the active antenna unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Fig. 9 It is one of the flow charts of the radio frequency front-end identification method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Fig.10 This is the second flowchart of the radio frequency front-end identification method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency front-end identification device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided by the implementation of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] The terms "first", "second" etc. in the embodiments of the present invention are used to distinguish similar objects, and need not be used to describe a specific order or sequential order. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variation thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, the process, method, system, product or equipment comprising a series of steps or units need not be limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or equipment. In addition, "and / or" is used in the present application to represent at least one of the connected objects, such as A and / or B and / or C, which represents 7 situations including single A, single B, single C, and A and B all exist, B and C all exist, A and C all exist, and A, B and C all exist.

[0035] The active antenna assembly provided by the embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below through specific embodiments and application scenarios in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0036] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 FIG. 1 is one of the schematic diagrams of the active antenna assembly provided by the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the active antenna assembly 10 includes:

[0037] A shared module 11, which may include a baseband module, a digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion module, a frequency conversion module and a power supply module;

[0038] An adjustment module 12, wherein the adjustment module 12 may include a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier;

[0039] The inter-board interface 13 supports access to N types of RF front-end modules, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0040] In this embodiment, the above-mentioned shared modules may include modules that implement the same functions in multiple AAUs, that is, the same functional modules. For example, for AAUs such as phased array AAUs, lens AAUs, and electromagnetic surface AAUs, baseband modules (also called digital intermediate frequency modules), digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion modules (i.e., AD / DA modules), frequency conversion modules, and power supply modules, etc. may be designed to be the same. Therefore, the above-mentioned baseband modules, digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion modules, frequency conversion modules, and power supply modules, etc. may be divided into shared modules. Among them, an optional structural diagram of a phased array AAU provided in an embodiment of the present invention may be as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the structure diagram of an optional lens AAU provided by an embodiment of the present invention can be as follows Figure 3 As shown, the structure diagram of an optional electromagnetic surface AAU provided by an embodiment of the present invention can be as follows Figure 4 shown.

[0041] In this embodiment, the baseband module can be used to parse the optical fiber signal into a clock reference signal and a control signal, the digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion modules can be used to sample the intermediate frequency (IF) signal output by the frequency conversion module, the frequency conversion module can be used to convert the IF signal to a radio frequency (RF) signal, and the power module can be used to receive an external power supply and convert it into the power required by each module in the sharing module except the power module. For example, the connection relationship between the baseband module, AD / DA module and frequency conversion module of an optional sharing module 11 can be as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the baseband module 111 is connected to the frequency conversion module 113 via the AD / DA module 112. Figure 6 As shown, the frequency conversion module 113 may include but is not limited to a balun, a mixer, a cavity filter, a clock phase-locked loop, and the like.

[0042] It should be noted that the number of channels of the above-mentioned shared module may be related to the number of streams. Optionally, the number of channels of the above-mentioned shared module may be an integer multiple of 2.

[0043] The above adjustment module may include functional modules that are the same as some of the AAUs in the multiple AAUs. For example, for AAUs such as phased array AAU, lens AAU, and electromagnetic surface AAU, the power amplifier (PA) and low noise amplifier (LNA) of the lens AAU and the electromagnetic surface AAU may be designed to be the same, so the power amplifier and the low noise amplifier may be divided into the adjustment module. For example, Figure 6As shown, the adjustment module 12 may include a PA and an LNA, etc. In addition, it should be noted that the sharing module and the adjustment module may also include one or more switching switches, such as a single-pole multi-throw switch, etc., according to actual conditions, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0044] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned shared module and adjustment module can be designed as separate modules; or the logical functions of the above-mentioned shared module and adjustment module can be designed as a unified module. Optionally, when the above-mentioned shared module and adjustment module are designed as separate modules, the above-mentioned adjustment module can be disconnected when the AAU does not need to include the above-mentioned adjustment module; when the above-mentioned shared module and adjustment module are designed as a unified module, the signal can be transparently transmitted through a switch when the AAU does not need to include the above-mentioned adjustment module.

[0045] The inter-board interface is used to electrically connect to the RF front-end module. The inter-board interface supports access to a variety of RF front-end modules, that is, the inter-board interface is compatible with electrical connections to a variety of RF front-end modules, so that different RF front-end modules can access the inter-board interface to achieve different AAU functions. It should be noted that the inter-board interface may include multiple ports corresponding to the N types of RF front-end modules, and different RF front-end modules can achieve signal transmission based on their corresponding ports.

[0046] It should be noted that Figure 1 The structure of the active antenna unit shown is only an optional structure of the active antenna unit and does not constitute a limitation on the active antenna unit provided in this embodiment.

[0047] The active antenna assembly provided in the embodiment of the present invention includes a shared module, the shared module includes a baseband module, a digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion module, a frequency conversion module and a power module; an adjustment module, the adjustment module includes a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier; an inter-board interface, the inter-board interface supports access to N types of RF front-end modules, N is an integer greater than 1. Since the inter-board interface of the above-mentioned active antenna assembly supports access to multiple RF front-end modules, multiple AAU solutions can be implemented through the active antenna assembly, which can not only improve the efficiency of AAU overall design, but also reduce costs.

[0048] Optionally, the N types of RF front-end modules include a lens front-end module, a phased array front-end module and an electromagnetic surface front-end module.

[0049] In this embodiment, the lens front-end module may include a lens antenna. The phased array front-end module may include a power divider, a transceiver component (TR component) and a phased array antenna, wherein the power divider may be integrated into the TR component or may be separately designed from the TR component. The electromagnetic surface front-end module may include an electromagnetic surface antenna.

[0050] In this embodiment, the lens front-end module, the phased array front-end module and the electromagnetic surface front-end module can be designed as discrete modules. In this way, by splicing the lens front-end module, the phased array front-end module and the electromagnetic surface front-end module with the above-mentioned active antenna components respectively, the lens AAU, the phased array AAU and the electromagnetic surface AAU can be obtained respectively.

[0051] Optionally, the number of the power amplifiers and the low noise amplifiers is the same as the number of digital channels.

[0052] In this embodiment, the number of power amplifiers and low-noise amplifiers of the lens front-end module and the electromagnetic surface front-end module is the same as the number of digital channels. Therefore, the number of power amplifiers and low-noise amplifiers in the adjustment module can be designed to be the same as the number of digital channels, so that the adjustment module can be applied to the lens AAU and the electromagnetic surface AAU.

[0053] Optionally, the inter-board interface includes a first inter-board interface and a second inter-board interface, the first inter-board interface is located on the circuit board where the adjustment module is located, the second inter-board interface is located on the circuit board where the shared module is located, and the circuit board where the shared module is located also includes a third inter-board interface for electrically connecting to the adjustment module.

[0054] In this embodiment, the sharing module and the adjustment module can be designed as discrete modules to facilitate plug-in and plug-in to implement different AAU solutions. For example, when implementing a lens AAU or an electromagnetic surface AAU, the adjustment module can be connected to the third inter-board interface of the circuit board where the above-mentioned sharing module is located, and the lens front-end module or the electromagnetic surface front-end module can be connected through the second inter-board interface of the circuit board where the adjustment module is located; when implementing a phased array AAU, the phased array front-end module can be directly connected to the first inter-board interface of the circuit board where the sharing module is located, and the above-mentioned adjustment module is not installed.

[0055] See also Figure 7 , Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an active antenna unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7As shown, the active antenna unit 1 includes the above-mentioned active antenna component 10 and N types of RF front-end modules (i.e., a first type of RF front-end module 20, a second type of RF front-end module 21, up to the Nth type of RF front-end module 2N), and the inter-board interface of the active antenna component 10 supports access to each of the N types of RF front-end modules, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0056] In this embodiment, the relevant contents of the active antenna unit can refer to the above discussion, and will not be described here to avoid repetition.

[0057] Specifically, the active antenna unit and the N types of RF front-end modules can be designed as discrete modules, so that one of the N types of RF front-end modules can be selected based on actual needs to be spliced ​​with the active antenna unit to obtain the corresponding AAU. For example, for high-capacity scenarios, the phased array front-end module can be spliced ​​with the active antenna unit, that is, the phased array front-end module can be connected to the inter-board interface of the active antenna unit to obtain the phased array AAU.

[0058] In this embodiment, the active antenna components and various RF front-end modules in the active antenna unit are designed as discrete modules, which makes it easy to splice and implement different AAU solutions and reduces the difficulty of AAU design.

[0059] Optionally, the N types of RF front-end modules include a lens front-end module, a phased array front-end module and an electromagnetic surface front-end module.

[0060] In this embodiment, the lens front-end module may include a lens antenna. The phased array front-end module may include a power divider, a transceiver component (TR component) and a phased array antenna, wherein the power divider may be integrated into the TR component or may be separately designed from the TR component. The electromagnetic surface front-end module may include an electromagnetic surface antenna.

[0061] In this embodiment, the lens front-end module, the phased array front-end module and the electromagnetic surface front-end module are designed as discrete modules, so that the lens front-end module, the phased array front-end module and the electromagnetic surface front-end module are spliced ​​with the above-mentioned active antenna assembly to obtain the lens AAU, the phased array AAU and the electromagnetic surface AAU. For example, Figure 8 As shown, the first RF front-end module 20 is a lens front-end module, the second RF front-end module 21 is a phased array front-end module, and the third RF front-end module 22 is an electromagnetic surface front-end module. In this way, the lens front-end module and the active antenna assembly can be spliced ​​to obtain a lens AAU, the phased array front-end module and the active antenna assembly can be spliced ​​to obtain a phased array AAU, and the electromagnetic surface front-end module and the active antenna assembly can be spliced ​​to obtain an electromagnetic surface AAU.

[0062] See also Fig. 9, Fig. 9 This is one of the flow charts of the radio frequency front-end identification method provided by the embodiment of the present invention. The radio frequency front-end identification method can be executed by the above-mentioned active antenna assembly.

[0063] like Fig. 9 As shown, the radio frequency front-end identification method provided by the embodiment of the present invention may include the following steps:

[0064] Step 901: Initiate access to a first RF front-end module through a control bus of an inter-board interface of an active antenna assembly, where the first RF front-end module is a RF front-end module connected to the inter-board interface.

[0065] In this embodiment, the first RF front-end module may be any RF front-end module connected to the inter-board interface of the active antenna assembly, for example, the first RF front-end module may be any one of the lens front-end module, the phased array front-end module and the electromagnetic surface front-end module. The active antenna assembly may access and communicate with the RF front-end module connected to the inter-board interface through the control bus of the inter-board interface.

[0066] For the above step 901, the sharing module or the adjustment module of the active antenna assembly may initiate access to the first RF front-end module through the control bus of the inter-board interface.

[0067] Step 902: Identify the type of the first RF front-end module according to the access result.

[0068] For example, if normal communication and handshake can be established, it can be identified that the connected RF front-end module (i.e., the first RF front-end module) is an active RF front-end module with a CPU; otherwise, it is determined that the connected RF front-end module does not belong to an active RF front-end module with a CPU.

[0069] It should be noted that, after determining the type of the first RF front-end module, the embodiment of the present invention can call a preset configuration corresponding to its type, wherein the preset configuration may include but is not limited to a switch, a digitally controlled attenuator, a bus control signal, etc.

[0070] An embodiment of the present invention initiates access to a first RF front-end module through a control bus of an inter-board interface of an active antenna assembly, and identifies the type of the first RF front-end module according to the access result. This can automatically identify the type of the RF front-end module accessed to the inter-board interface, and further can realize automatic calibration and configuration of access to different RF front-end modules.

[0071] Optionally, the identifying the type of the first RF front-end module according to the access result includes:

[0072] In the case where the access to the first RF front-end module is successful, identifying the first RF front-end module as an active RF front-end module with a CPU;

[0073] In the case of failure to access the first RF front-end module, reading control bits corresponding to the N types of RF front-end modules through the N digital ports of the inter-board interface, the control bits including pull-up control bits or pull-down control bits;

[0074] The type of the first RF front-end module is identified according to the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports.

[0075] In this embodiment, when access to the first RF front-end module is successful, for example, when a handshake is successfully established, the first RF front-end module can be identified as an active RF front-end module with a CPU, and when access to the first RF front-end module fails, for example, when a handshake is established, the first RF front-end module is identified as not an active RF front-end module with a CPU, and the control bits corresponding to the N types of RF front-end modules supported by the inter-board interface can be further read through the N digital ports of the inter-board interface to identify the type of the first RF front-end module.

[0076] This embodiment determines whether the first RF front-end module is an active RF front-end module with a CPU based on whether the first RF front-end module is successfully accessed, which is relatively simple to implement and has a high accuracy of the judgment result. In addition, when it is identified that the first RF front-end module is not an active RF front-end module with a CPU, the control bits corresponding to the N types of RF front-end modules supported by the inter-board interface are further read based on the N digital ports of the inter-board interface to identify the type of the first RF front-end module, which can improve the integrity of the RF front-end module type identification and facilitate subsequent automatic configuration.

[0077] Optionally, the identifying the type of the first RF front-end module according to the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports includes:

[0078] In the case where at least one of the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports is a first value, identifying the first RF front-end module as a target RF front-end module, wherein the target RF front-end module includes an active RF front-end module without a CPU or a passive RF front-end module fed with power through a front stage;

[0079] When the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports are all the second values, it is identified that the first RF front-end module is a passive RF front-end module without a front-stage feed-in power supply.

[0080] In this embodiment, the N digital ports correspond to N types of RF front-end modules respectively, and the control bits corresponding to different RF front-end modules are fed back based on their corresponding digital ports.

[0081] For example, for each digital port with an external pull-down resistor, when the RF front-end module connected to it is an active RF front-end module without CPU or a passive RF front-end module with power fed into the front stage, the value fed back by the digital port can be 1; when the RF front-end module connected to it is not an active RF front-end module and there is no front-end power fed into the front stage, the value fed back by the digital port can be 0; or for each digital port with an external pull-up resistor, when the RF front-end module connected to it is an active RF front-end module without CPU or a passive RF front-end module with power fed into the front stage, the value fed back by the digital port can be 0; when the RF front-end module connected to it is not an active RF front-end module and there is no front-end power fed into the front stage, the value fed back by the digital port can be 1.

[0082] The embodiment of the present invention determines whether the first RF front-end module is an active RF front-end module without CPU or a passive RF front-end module fed with power by the front stage through the value of the control bit fed back by the digital port of the inter-board interface. The implementation is relatively simple and the judgment result is relatively accurate.

[0083] Optionally, in a case where the inter-board interface supports access to multiple passive RF front-end modules without a front-stage feed-in power supply, after identifying the first RF front-end module as a passive RF front-end module without a front-stage feed-in power supply, the method further includes:

[0084] By performing standing wave reflection detection on the radio frequency signal fed into the first radio frequency front-end module;

[0085] According to the codes formed by the status values ​​of multiple RF interfaces corresponding to the multiple passive RF front-end modules without front-stage feed power, the type of passive RF front-end module without front-stage feed power to which the first RF front-end module belongs is identified, wherein different types of passive RF front-end modules without front-stage feed power correspond to different codes.

[0086] In this embodiment, when the inter-board interface supports access to a variety of passive RF front-end modules without front-end feed power supply, the specific type of passive RF front-end module can be further identified based on standing wave reflection detection.

[0087] In practical applications, different types of passive RF front-end modules without front-end power supply can be pre-configured to correspond to different codes. For example, the first type of passive RF front-end module without front-end power supply corresponds to code 01, and the second type of passive RF front-end module without front-end power supply corresponds to code 10. The above code can be a code formed by the state value of the RF interface. For example, the state value of RF port A is 1 (i.e., the on state), and the state value of RF port B is 0 (i.e., the off state), then the code formed is 10, or the state value of RF port A is 0, and the state value of RF port B is 1, then the code formed is 01. In this way, the type of the passive RF front-end module without a front-stage feed power supply to which the first RF front-end module belongs can be identified based on the code formed by the status values ​​of multiple RF interfaces corresponding to multiple passive RF front-end modules without a front-stage feed power supply. For example, if the code formed by the status values ​​of multiple RF interfaces is 01, it is determined to be the first type of passive RF front-end module without a front-stage feed power supply; if the code formed by the status values ​​of multiple RF interfaces is 10, it is determined to be the second type of passive RF front-end module without a front-stage feed power supply.

[0088] In this embodiment, when the inter-board interface supports access to multiple passive RF front-end modules without front-end power supply, the type of the passive RF front-end module without front-end power supply to which the first RF front-end module belongs is identified based on standing wave reflection detection, and the identification result is relatively accurate.

[0089] Optionally, in a case where the inter-board interface supports access to multiple target RF front-end modules, after identifying the first RF front-end module as a target RF front-end module, the method further includes:

[0090] According to the codes formed by the values ​​fed back by the multiple digital ports, the type of the target RF front-end module to which the first RF front-end module belongs is identified, wherein different types of target RF front-end modules correspond to different codes.

[0091] In this embodiment, the target RF front-end module may include an active CPU-less RF front-end module or a passive RF front-end module fed with power through a front-end. In the case where the inter-board interface supports access to a variety of target RF front-end modules, the type of the target RF front-end module to which the first RF front-end module belongs may be determined based on the code formed by the values ​​fed back by the digital ports corresponding to the multiple target RF front-end modules.

[0092] In actual applications, the codes corresponding to different target RF front-end modules can be pre-configured. For example, the first type of active RF front-end module without CPU corresponds to code 100, the second type of active RF front-end module without CPU corresponds to code 010, and the third type of active RF front-end module without CPU corresponds to code 001. In this way, if the code formed by the values ​​fed back by multiple digital ports is 100, the first RF front-end module is determined to be the first type of active RF front-end module without CPU; if the code formed by the values ​​fed back by multiple digital ports is 010, the first RF front-end module is determined to be the second type of active RF front-end module without CPU; if the code formed by the values ​​fed back by multiple digital ports is 001, the first RF front-end module is determined to be the third type of active RF front-end module without CPU.

[0093] In this embodiment, when the inter-board interface supports access to multiple target RF front-end modules, the type of the target RF front-end module to which the first RF front-end module belongs is identified based on the code formed by the values ​​fed back by the multiple digital ports. The implementation is relatively simple and the judgment result is relatively accurate.

[0094] Optionally, when the inter-board interface supports access to multiple active RF front-end modules with CPUs, after identifying the first RF front-end module as an active RF front-end module with CPU, the method further includes:

[0095] Obtaining a first code of the first RF front-end module; wherein different types of active RF front-end modules with CPUs correspond to different codes;

[0096] The type of active RF front-end module with CPU to which the first RF front-end module belongs is identified according to the first code.

[0097] In this embodiment, when the first RF front-end module is an active RF front-end module with a CPU, the information of the first RF front-end module can be directly read. In this way, when the inter-board interface supports access to multiple active RF front-end modules with CPUs, the code of the first RF front-end module (i.e., the first code) can be read, and the type of the active RF front-end module with a CPU to which the first RF front-end module belongs can be identified according to the first code.

[0098] In actual applications, the codes corresponding to different active RF front-end modules with CPUs can be pre-configured. For example, the first type of active RF front-end module with CPU corresponds to code 000, and the second type of active RF front-end module with CPU corresponds to code 001. In this way, if the code of the first RF front-end module read is 000, it is determined that the first RF front-end module is the first type of active RF front-end module with CPU. If the code of the first RF front-end module read is 001, it is determined that the first RF front-end module is the second type of active RF front-end module with CPU.

[0099] In the embodiment of the present invention, when the inter-board interface supports access to multiple active RF front-end modules with CPUs, the type of the active RF front-end module with CPU to which the first RF front-end module belongs is determined by reading the code of the first RF front-end module, which is relatively simple to implement and the judgment result is relatively accurate.

[0100] See also Fig.10 , Fig.10 This is the second flowchart of the radio frequency front-end identification method provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0101] like Fig.10 As shown, the radio frequency front-end identification method provided by the embodiment of the present invention may include the following steps:

[0102] Step 1001: A sharing module or an adjustment module initiates a bus access to a connected RF front-end module.

[0103] In this step, the sharing module or the adjustment module can access and communicate with the RF front-end module through the control bus of the inter-board interface.

[0104] Step 1002: Whether to establish a handshake.

[0105] In this step, if normal communication and handshake can be established, it can be identified that the connected RF front-end module is an active RF front-end module with a CPU, and the information of the RF front-end module can be directly read; otherwise, execute step 1005.

[0106] Step 1003: Identify the module as an active RF front-end module with a CPU.

[0107] Step 1004: When there are multiple active RF front-end modules with CPUs, they are distinguished by pre-agreed codes.

[0108] In this step, if there are multiple active RF front-end modules with CPU, they can be distinguished by pre-agreed codes. For example, if both the phased array front-end module and the electromagnetic surface front-end module can be identified by bus, the phased array front-end module and the electromagnetic surface front-end module can be distinguished by pre-agreed codes. For example, code 001 corresponds to the phased array front-end module, and code 000 corresponds to the electromagnetic surface front-end module. In this way, if the code read is 000, it is determined to be the electromagnetic surface front-end module, and if the code read is 001, it is determined to be the phased array front-end module.

[0109] Step 1005: Access the pull-up and pull-down control bits of the RF front-end module through the digital port of the inter-board interface.

[0110] In this step, the pull-up control bit or pull-down control bit of the RF front-end module can be accessed through the digital port of the inter-board interface for identification. For example, for the interface with an external pull-up resistor or a pull-down resistor, when the connected RF front-end module is of active type, the feedback logic code is 1; when the connected discrete module is not of active type, the feedback logic code is 0. Therefore, whether the connected RF front-end module is of active type can be identified by reading the code.

[0111] Step 1006: Check whether the values ​​fed back by the digital ports are all 0.

[0112] In this step, when the feedback values ​​are not all 0, it is identified as an active RF front-end module without CPU or a passive RF front-end module fed with power through the front stage; when the feedback values ​​are all 0, execute step 1009.

[0113] Step 1007: Identify as an active RF front-end module without a CPU or a passive RF front-end module fed with power through a front-end.

[0114] Step 1008: When there are multiple active RF front-end modules without CPU or passive RF front-end modules fed with power by a front stage, they are distinguished by pre-agreed codes.

[0115] In this step, when there are multiple possible active CPU-less RF front-end modules, multiple digital ports can be used to feedback multiple-bit codes for differentiation. For example, when there are two possible active CPU-less RF front-end modules, two digital ports can be used to feedback two-bit codes, and the codes 10 and 01 are agreed to represent the two active CPU-less RF front-end modules respectively, and the type of the corresponding active CPU-less RF front-end module can be identified according to the feedback codes.

[0116] When active RF front-end modules without CPU and passive RF front-end modules exist at the same time, the pull-down state can be set for all passive RF front-end modules, for example, set to 00, first distinguish the passive RF front-end modules from the active RF front-end modules without CPU, and then identify multiple active RF front-end modules without CPU.

[0117] Step 1009: Identify the RF front-end module as passive and without front-stage power supply.

[0118] When the connected RF front-end module does not comply with the control bus protocol and the values ​​fed back by the digital ports are all 0, it can be determined that it is a passive RF front-end module without front-end power supply, such as a lens front-end module.

[0119] Step 1010: In the case where there are multiple passive RF front-end modules without front-end power supply, the RF signals fed into the RF front-end modules are distinguished by performing standing wave reflection detection and pre-agreed coding.

[0120] When a passive RF front-end module cannot be fed with power, the RF signal fed into the RF front-end module can be tested for standing wave reflection, and the on / off status of multiple RF interfaces can be used to form a code, thereby identifying multiple passive RF front-end modules without front-end power supply. That is, if the standing wave detection is within the normal connection range, the RF port code is 1, and if the RF interface is designed to be unloaded and the standing wave detection is open circuit, the code is 0.

[0121] Step 1011: Call a preset configuration according to the type of the connected RF front-end module.

[0122] The above configuration may include but is not limited to switches, digitally controlled attenuators, bus control signals, etc.

[0123] In this step, the configuration corresponding to the type of the connected RF front-end module can be called to achieve automatic configuration of the connected RF front-end module.

[0124] In summary, the embodiments of the present invention can achieve a one-time design and flexible splicing through universal modular design to complete a variety of different AAU solutions, and can achieve automatic calibration and configuration after splicing different modules through automatic module identification and link gain adjustment processes. In addition, the interface between modules can be standardized to achieve specialized design of different modules by different manufacturers, lowering the design threshold and reducing overall costs.

[0125] The various optional implementation modes introduced in the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in combination with each other or may be implemented separately if they do not conflict with each other, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0126] See also Fig.11 , Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency front-end identification device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, and the radio frequency front-end identification device is applied to the active antenna assembly described in any of the above embodiments. Fig.11 As shown, the radio frequency front-end identification device 1100 includes:

[0127] An access module 1101 is used to initiate access to a first RF front-end module through a control bus of an inter-board interface of an active antenna assembly, where the first RF front-end module is a RF front-end module connected to the inter-board interface;

[0128] The first identification module 1102 is configured to identify a type of the first RF front-end module according to the access result.

[0129] Optionally, the first identification module includes:

[0130] A first identification unit is used to identify the first RF front-end module as an active RF front-end module with a CPU when the access to the first RF front-end module is successful;

[0131] A first reading unit, configured to read control bits corresponding to the N types of RF front-end modules through the N digital ports of the inter-board interface when access to the first RF front-end module fails, wherein the control bits include pull-up control bits or pull-down control bits;

[0132] The second identification unit is used to identify the type of the first RF front-end module according to the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports.

[0133] Optionally, the second identification unit includes:

[0134] A first identification subunit is used to identify the first RF front-end module as a target RF front-end module when at least one of the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports is a first value, wherein the target RF front-end module includes an active RF front-end module without a CPU or a passive RF front-end module fed with power through a front stage;

[0135] The second identification subunit is used to identify that the first RF front-end module is a passive RF front-end module without a front-stage feed-in power supply when the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports are all second values.

[0136] Optionally, the device further comprises:

[0137] A detection module, used for performing standing wave reflection detection on the radio frequency signal fed into the first radio frequency front-end module when the inter-board interface supports access to multiple passive radio frequency front-end modules without a front-stage feeding power supply;

[0138] The second identification module is used to identify the type of the passive RF front-end module without a front-stage feed power supply to which the first RF front-end module belongs according to the code formed by the status values ​​of multiple RF interfaces corresponding to the multiple passive RF front-end modules without a front-stage feed power supply, wherein different types of passive RF front-end modules without a front-stage feed power supply correspond to different codes.

[0139] Optionally, the device further comprises:

[0140] A third identification module is used for identifying the type of the target RF front-end module to which the first RF front-end module belongs according to the code formed by the values ​​fed back by the multiple digital ports after identifying the first RF front-end module as the target RF front-end module, when the inter-board interface supports access to multiple target RF front-end modules, wherein different types of target RF front-end modules correspond to different codes.

[0141] Optionally, the device further comprises:

[0142] An acquisition module, configured to acquire a first code of the first RF front-end module after identifying the first RF front-end module as an active RF front-end module with a CPU, when the inter-board interface supports access to multiple active RF front-end modules with a CPU; wherein different types of active RF front-end modules with a CPU correspond to different codes;

[0143] The fourth identification module is used to identify the type of the active RF front-end module with CPU to which the first RF front-end module belongs according to the first code.

[0144] The RF front-end identification device 1100 can realize the embodiment of the present invention Fig. 9 and Fig.10 Each process of the method embodiment can achieve the same beneficial effect, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0145] See also Fig.12 , Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present invention, such as Fig.12 As shown, the electronic device 1200 includes a processor 1201, a memory 1202, and a program or instruction stored in the memory 1202 and executable on the processor 1201. When the program or instruction is executed by the processor 1201, each process of the above-mentioned radio frequency front-end identification method embodiment is implemented, and the same technical effect can be achieved. To avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0146] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the steps of implementing the above-mentioned embodiment method can be completed by hardware associated with program instructions, and the program can be stored in a readable medium.

[0147] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, any step in the above-mentioned RF front-end identification method embodiment can be implemented, and the same technical effect can be achieved. To avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0148] The storage medium may be a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0149] The above is a preferred implementation of the embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An active antenna assembly, characterized in that: include: A shared module, the shared module comprising a baseband module, a digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion module, a frequency conversion module and a power supply module; The baseband module is connected to the frequency conversion module via the digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion modules; the power module is used to receive external power and convert it into power required by each module in the shared module except the power module; An adjustment module, the adjustment module comprising a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier; An inter-board interface, wherein the inter-board interface supports access to N types of RF front-end modules, where N is an integer greater than 1; The N types of radio frequency front-end modules include a lens front-end module, a phased array front-end module and an electromagnetic surface front-end module; The inter-board interface includes a first inter-board interface and a second inter-board interface, the first inter-board interface is located on the circuit board where the adjustment module is located, the second inter-board interface is located on the circuit board where the shared module is located, and the circuit board where the shared module is located also includes a third inter-board interface for electrically connecting to the adjustment module.

2. The active antenna assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the power amplifiers and the low noise amplifiers is the same as the number of digital channels.

3. An active antenna unit, characterized in that: It comprises the active antenna assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 2 and N types of radio frequency front-end modules, wherein the inter-board interface of the active antenna assembly supports access to each of the N types of radio frequency front-end modules, and N is an integer greater than 1.

4. The active antenna unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The N types of radio frequency front-end modules include a lens front-end module, a phased array front-end module and an electromagnetic surface front-end module.

5. A radio frequency front end identification method, characterized in that: The method is performed by the active antenna assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 2, and comprises: Initiate access to a first RF front-end module through the control bus of the inter-board interface, where the first RF front-end module is a RF front-end module connected to the inter-board interface; identifying the type of the first RF front-end module according to the access result; The identifying the type of the first RF front-end module according to the access result includes: In the case where the access to the first RF front-end module is successful, identifying the first RF front-end module as an active RF front-end module with a CPU; In the case of failure to access the first RF front-end module, reading control bits corresponding to the N types of RF front-end modules through the N digital ports of the inter-board interface, the control bits including pull-up control bits or pull-down control bits; The type of the first RF front-end module is identified according to the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The identifying the type of the first RF front-end module according to the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports includes: In the case where at least one of the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports is a first value, identifying the first RF front-end module as a target RF front-end module, wherein the target RF front-end module includes an active RF front-end module without a CPU or a passive RF front-end module fed with power through a front stage; When the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports are all the second values, it is identified that the first RF front-end module is a passive RF front-end module without a front-stage feed-in power supply.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that In the case where the inter-board interface supports access to multiple passive RF front-end modules without a front-stage feeding power supply, after identifying the first RF front-end module as a passive RF front-end module without a front-stage feeding power supply, the method further includes: By performing standing wave reflection detection on the radio frequency signal fed into the first radio frequency front-end module; According to the codes formed by the status values ​​of multiple RF interfaces corresponding to the multiple passive RF front-end modules without front-stage feed power, the type of passive RF front-end module without front-stage feed power to which the first RF front-end module belongs is identified, wherein different types of passive RF front-end modules without front-stage feed power correspond to different codes.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that In a case where the inter-board interface supports access to multiple target RF front-end modules, after identifying the first RF front-end module as a target RF front-end module, the method further includes: According to the code formed by the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports, the type of the target RF front-end module to which the first RF front-end module belongs is identified, wherein different types of target RF front-end modules correspond to different codes.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that In the case where the inter-board interface supports access to multiple active RF front-end modules with CPUs, after identifying the first RF front-end module as an active RF front-end module with CPU, the method further includes: Obtaining a first code of the first RF front-end module; wherein different types of active RF front-end modules with CPUs correspond to different codes; The type of active RF front-end module with CPU to which the first RF front-end module belongs is identified according to the first code.

10. A radio frequency front-end identification device, characterized in that: The active antenna assembly used in any one of claims 1 to 2 comprises: An access module, used to initiate access to a first RF front-end module through a control bus of the inter-board interface, where the first RF front-end module is a RF front-end module connected to the inter-board interface; A first identification module, used to identify the type of the first RF front-end module according to the access result; The first identification module comprises: A first identification unit is used to identify the first RF front-end module as an active RF front-end module with a CPU when the access to the first RF front-end module is successful; A first reading unit, configured to read control bits corresponding to the N types of RF front-end modules through the N digital ports of the inter-board interface when access to the first RF front-end module fails, wherein the control bits include pull-up control bits or pull-down control bits; The second identification unit is used to identify the type of the first RF front-end module according to the values ​​fed back by the N digital ports.

11. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: A processor, a memory, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the program is executed by the processor, the steps of the radio frequency front-end identification method as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 9 are implemented.

12. A readable storage medium for storing a program, characterized in that: When the program is executed by a processor, the steps of the radio frequency front-end identification method according to any one of claims 5 to 9 are implemented.

Images