A rotatable adjustable X-band antenna feed system

Abstract

The application discloses a rotatable adjustable X-waveband antenna feeder system in the technical field of antenna feeder systems, which comprises an antenna mounting groove assembly, the antenna mounting groove assembly comprises an antenna mounting groove and a mounting hole which is arranged at the center of the outer side wall of the antenna mounting groove; an installation disc assembly, the installation disc assembly comprises an installation block which is arranged in the inner cavity of the antenna mounting groove, a rotating disc which is arranged on the end face of the installation block and on the side wall in the inner cavity of the antenna mounting groove through a bearing, and a connecting groove which is coaxially arranged on the end face of the rotating disc and penetrates through the installation block and corresponds to the mounting hole; and a driving mechanism, the driving mechanism comprises a motor which is arranged on the outer side wall of the antenna mounting groove and corresponds to the mounting hole, the motor drives the TR assembly to rotate, thereby adjusting the angle of the TR assembly, the antenna signal can be received at any angle, and the working performance of the X-waveband antenna feeder system is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of antenna feeder system technology, specifically to a rotatable and adjustable X-band antenna feeder system. Background Technology

[0002] Antenna feed, short for antenna feed system, refers to an antenna radiating electromagnetic waves into the surrounding space. Electromagnetic waves consist of electric and magnetic fields. It is generally agreed that the direction of the electric field is the antenna polarization direction. Antennas used in general are single-polarized.

[0003] The existing antenna feeder system consists of a single antenna and a single TR component. When receiving X-band signals, it can only receive signals from a single angle, and signals from other directions cannot be received, which greatly affects the working performance of the X-band antenna feeder system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a rotatable and adjustable X-band antenna feed system to solve the problem mentioned in the background art that the existing antenna feed system consists of a single antenna and a single TR component, which can only receive signals from a single angle when receiving X-band signals, and cannot receive signals from other directions, which greatly affects the working performance of the X-band antenna feed system.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a rotatable and adjustable X-band antenna feed system, comprising:

[0006] An antenna mounting slot assembly, the antenna mounting slot assembly including an antenna mounting slot and a mounting hole formed at the center of the outer side wall of the antenna mounting slot;

[0007] The mounting plate assembly includes a mounting block disposed in the inner cavity of the antenna mounting slot, a turntable disposed on the end face of the mounting block and mounted on the side wall of the inner cavity of the antenna mounting slot via a bearing, and a connecting groove coaxially formed on the end face of the turntable, penetrating the mounting block and corresponding to the mounting hole.

[0008] The drive mechanism includes a motor mounted on the outer wall of the antenna mounting slot and corresponding to the mounting hole, and a drive shaft mounted on the output shaft of the motor and mounted on the inner side of the mounting hole via a bearing, and passing through the mounting hole and connecting to the connecting slot.

[0009] Preferably, it also includes an antenna radome assembly, the antenna radome assembly including an antenna radome disposed outside the antenna mounting slot and a first mounting block disposed at the edge of the outer wall of the antenna radome.

[0010] Preferably, the antenna mounting slot assembly further includes a fixing slot formed on the outer wall of the antenna mounting slot.

[0011] Preferably, it also includes a TR assembly, which includes a fixing bracket mounted on the turntable at one edge of the mounting block and a TR component mounted inside the fixing bracket and corresponding to the fixing groove.

[0012] Preferably, it also includes an antenna disposed inside the fixing slot and corresponding to the TR component.

[0013] Preferably, the mounting also includes a base assembly, the base assembly comprising a base disposed on the side of the first mounting block away from the radome and a second mounting block disposed on the base away from the side of the first mounting block.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: this rotatable and adjustable X-band antenna feed system, by driving the TR component to rotate by a motor, thereby adjusting the angle of the TR component, can receive antenna signals at any angle, effectively improving the working performance of the X-band antenna feed system. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the antenna radome assembly structure of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the antenna mounting slot assembly structure of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the installation disk assembly structure of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the drive mechanism structure of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the TR assembly structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the base assembly structure of the present invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 100 Antenna radome assembly, 110 Antenna radome, 120 First mounting block, 200 Antenna mounting slot assembly, 210 Antenna mounting slot, 220 Mounting hole, 230 Fixing slot, 300 Mounting plate assembly, 310 Mounting block, 320 Turntable, 330 Connecting slot, 400 Drive mechanism, 410 Motor, 420 Drive shaft, 500 TR assembly, 510 Fixing bracket, 520 TR assembly, 600 Antenna, 700 Base assembly, 710 Base, 720 Second mounting block. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] This invention provides a rotatable and adjustable X-band antenna feed system. By driving the TR (Transmitter Radar) component to rotate via a motor, the angle of the TR component can be adjusted, enabling signal reception from the antenna at any angle. This effectively improves the performance of the X-band antenna feed system. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 It includes: radome assembly 100, antenna mounting slot assembly 200, mounting plate assembly 300, drive mechanism 400, TR assembly 500, antenna 600 and base assembly 700;

[0025] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 3-6The antenna mounting slot assembly 200 includes an antenna mounting slot 210 and a mounting hole 220 formed at the center of the outer wall of the antenna mounting slot 210. The mounting plate assembly 300 includes a mounting block 310 disposed in the inner cavity of the antenna mounting slot 210, a turntable 320 disposed on the end face of the mounting block 310 and mounted on the side wall of the inner cavity of the antenna mounting slot 210 via bearings, and a connecting groove 330 coaxially formed on the end face of the turntable 320, passing through the mounting block 310 and corresponding to the mounting hole 220. The drive mechanism 400 includes a motor 410 mounted on the outer wall of the antenna mounting slot 210 and corresponding to the mounting hole 220, and a drive shaft 420 mounted on the output shaft of the motor 410, mounted on the inner side of the mounting hole 220 via bearings, and connected to the connecting groove 330 through the mounting hole 220. The antenna mounting slot assembly 200 also includes a fixing groove 230 formed on the outer wall of the antenna mounting slot 210. The TR assembly 500 includes a mounting block 310 mounted on the turntable 320. The device includes a fixed bracket 510 at one edge and a TR assembly 520 installed inside the fixed bracket 510 and corresponding to the fixed slot 230. It also includes an antenna 600 installed inside the fixed slot 230 and corresponding to the TR assembly 520. A Hall sensor is installed on the output shaft of the motor. A display screen and a microcomputer are installed on the outside and inside of the radome, respectively. The microcomputer is electrically connected to the Hall sensor and the display screen. The Hall sensor measures the rotation angle of the output shaft on the motor and uploads it to the microcomputer. The microcomputer uploads the data to the display screen and displays the data. In actual use, the motor is started, which drives the drive shaft to rotate. The drive shaft drives the mounting block and turntable to rotate. The rotation of the mounting block and turntable drives the TR assembly installed on the turntable to rotate. The position of the TR assembly can be adjusted, which can fill the gap in the TR assembly's reception of X-band signals and achieve X-band signal reception without dead angle.

[0026] The antenna array is a four-sided array, with each side completing an azimuth ±45° scan. The four sides are switched to complete a 360° azimuth scan. The antenna elements are in the form of microstrip patches. Due to the small number of antenna elements, high-gain microstrip patch elements are selected to achieve higher gain. According to the overall technical and size requirements, the axial gain of the antenna array reaches 17dBi, and the maximum azimuth scan angle gain is better than 14dBi.

[0027] The antenna feeder system is constructed using mature rack T / R components, a switching matrix (to achieve switching of 4 arrays), a power distributor / synthesizer, and a bidirectional amplifier (power regulation). See the detailed design section for details.

[0028] The device also has a beam control unit installed inside. The antenna beam control unit is the center of antenna control. It mainly completes the BIT self-test when the beam control unit is turned on, the array state initialization, serial communication with the main control computer, calculation and control of the array beam control code, receiving the timing signal of the system to complete the switching of the array state, and collection and transmission of the antenna array telemetry information.

[0029] The overall shape of the antenna feeder is polygonal, with four antenna arrays evenly and symmetrically distributed within a 360-degree circumference. Each antenna array has 16 elements. The array TRs adopt a four-channel brick structure and are interconnected with the array connectors using RF connectors. A four-in-one power divider is installed at the end of the TR. One end of the power divider is interconnected with a group (4 TRs) via a KK connector, and the other end of the RF connector is connected to a switch matrix installed at the bottom of the antenna feeder box via an RF cable. The TR components in the other three directions are connected in the same way. The switch matrix combines the RF signal into one path and communicates with the base installed at the bottom of the box through a circular hole. The base can install power boards, external interfaces, and other devices. To facilitate the subsequent addition of antenna covers to the antenna feeder, the outer dimensions of the base are enlarged to 274×274mm, which facilitates the installation of antenna covers on this plane using screws. Sealing grooves are opened at the external openings of the antenna feeder box to facilitate the subsequent installation of O-rings for sealing.

[0030] EIRP and G / T indicators are comprehensive system performance requirements, which are derived from the performance of subsystems such as antenna units and transceiver units within the system. Therefore, they must be comprehensively considered based on factors such as system size, number of units, and specific components to allocate technical indicators for each unit.

[0031] The EIPR value is determined by the antenna gain and the transmit power of the T / R module;

[0032] According to the specifications, the EIPR value of the antenna during axial radiation should be ≥24dBW, and the output power P-1 should be 27dBm (i.e. -3dBW). There are 16 channels per side. The EIPR is calculated as: 26dBW = 15 (antenna gain) + (-3) (single channel output power) + 10lg16 (number of channels). Therefore, the antenna gain should be ≥15dB.

[0033] When the antenna azimuth is scanned to 45°: the antenna gain decreases by 3dB, and the calculated EIRP = 21dBW;

[0034] When the antenna azimuth is scanned to 45° and the elevation is scanned to 50°, the antenna gain decreases by 3dB, and the calculated EIRP = 21dBW.

[0035] The G / T value is determined by the antenna gain and the system noise temperature: the system noise temperature is estimated by the system loss and the noise figure of the TR component. When the noise figure of the TR component is 3.5dB, the system noise figure is about 3.7dB, which translates to a noise temperature of 400K.

[0036] Antenna axial radiation: G / T=G(dB)-10logT(K)≥-9.2dB / K, therefore the antenna gain is required to be ≥16.8dB;

[0037] When the antenna azimuth is scanned to 45°: the antenna gain decreases by 3dB, and the calculated G / T is better than the requirement of -12.2dB / K;

[0038] When the antenna azimuth is scanned to 45° and the elevation is scanned to 50°, the antenna gain drops by 3dB, and the calculated G / T is better than the requirement of -12.2dB / K.

[0039] The power consumption allocation of the antenna feeder system is shown in the table below;

[0040] Table 1 Power Consumption Allocation of Each Component in the Antenna Feeder System

[0041] Serial Number project Power consumption 1 X-band TR (transmission status) 1 side <60W 2 X-band TR (receive status) 1 side <6W 3 Orientation switching switch matrix <0.1W 4 Drive Amplification <0.6W All four sides are powered on simultaneously (in transmitting mode). total <241W All four sides are powered on simultaneously (receiving mode) total <25W

[0042] Based on the previous calculation of system indicators, the indicators of each subsystem are decomposed and the preliminary design of the scheme is carried out.

[0043] The antenna array scheme employs a four-sided array configuration, comprising four planar arrays that collectively cover a 360° azimuth angle to radiate and receive microwave signals. Phased array control enables 360° horizontal scanning and ±50° elevation scanning. Each of the four arrays completes ±45° azimuth scanning, with all four arrays working together to achieve a 360° azimuth scan. Due to the relatively small number of antenna elements, low-profile, small-size, and easily fabricated microstrip patch antennas are used to achieve high gain. To extend the antenna bandwidth, a thicker dielectric material is used on the microstrip substrate. The antenna elements are fed using a coaxial back-feed configuration. The return loss at the antenna element ports is 10dB, and the bandwidth of 7.75GHz-8.65GHz meets the system bandwidth requirements. The antenna element gain reaches 7.4dBi, and in the axial direction (4×4 array), the gain is 18dBi, which is higher than the theoretical... The nominal gain of 7.4dBi + 12dB (array gain) is 1.4dB lower than the actual gain. This is due to the limitation of the array spacing by the TR port spacing of 18.2mm. Considering additional losses such as TR connector loss, and estimating the axial gain as 17dBi, when the azimuth angle scan reaches 45°, the gain decreases by 2.8dBi compared to the axial gain. Estimating a gain decrease of 3dBi, when the azimuth angle scan reaches 45° and the elevation angle scan reaches 50°, the maximum gain of the antenna main lobe is 15.6dBi, which is 2.4dBi lower than the axial gain. Estimating a gain decrease of 3dBi, the antenna array size is designed to be 100mm*100mm. To maintain consistency with the TR component spacing, the antenna element spacing is designed according to 18.2mm for azimuth and 20mm for elevation, with an axial gain ≥17dB, which can achieve the scanning requirements of azimuth ±45° and elevation ±50°.

[0044] The antenna feed scheme consists of a T / R module, a switching matrix, a power divider / combiner, and a bidirectional amplifier. The main function of the antenna feed system is to switch the X-band microwave signal output from the phased array transmitter to the corresponding array feed link via the switching matrix, then distribute it to each T / R channel via the power divider. The signal is then fed to the antenna element ports through amplitude / phase adjustment by the T / R module to form the desired beam. 1) Input power at the collection end: 0–1 dBm; 2) Maximum output power at the antenna port (antenna element) (P-1, out): 27 dBm; 3) Receiver noise figure: 3.5 dBm. B; Based on the overall performance requirements and considering the maturity and cost-effectiveness of the components, a single-channel X-band multi-function transceiver chip with a linear output power of approximately 28dBm (saturation power 30dBm) is used. Each array has 4×4 channels, using 4 sets of TR modules, for a total of 16 channels. Since the system consists of 4 arrays, a total of 16 sets of TR modules are used, resulting in 64 channels. The four T / R modules on each array are combined using a four-way power divider. The four arrays are switched using a switching matrix, and a bidirectional amplifier is used to adjust the transceiver system gain. The T / R module includes four identical T / R channels. This product consists of three parts: a 1-to-4 power divider, a power control system, and a power divider circuit. The power divider circuit converts one signal to four signals. The T / R channels perform RF transceiver functions and include phase and amplitude adjustment. Each channel contains a multi-functional transceiver and a multi-functional amplitude / phase control device, providing modulation power to the four T / R channels and coding for attenuation and phase shift states. This product uses off-the-shelf products from a certain company and has been validated and used in a phased array target reconnaissance radar. Its technical specifications meet the requirements, and its performance is stable. The power divider uses a traditional Wilkinson power divider microstrip to achieve the 1-to-4 function. The switching matrix uses... This solution uses a 1-to-4 switch to achieve selection and switching of four channels. It employs two single-pole double-throw switches connected in parallel to achieve the single-pole four-throw function. To meet the input power requirements of the system's junction port and mitigate the losses in the switch matrix and power amplifier circuit, a driver amplifier needs to be added to the common branch of the junction port for gain compensation. To reduce circuit complexity, a bidirectional amplifier is used to simultaneously compensate for the gain of both the transmit and receive branches. This solution uses off-the-shelf GaAsMMIC chips, operating in the 6–18 GHz frequency band, with a gain of 20 dB, a saturated output power of 20 dBm, and a noise figure of 6 dB, meeting the system requirements.

[0045] The beam control scheme uses a line beam controller as the central control unit for the antenna. Its main functions include BIT self-test upon power-on, array state initialization, serial communication with the main control computer, calculation and control of the array beam control code, switching of the array state using timing signals from the receiving system, and collection and transmission of antenna array telemetry information. The hardware platform of the beam control system is based on FPGA, allowing for both table lookup and calculation. The hardware and software interfaces between the antenna beam controller and the control unit can be customized by the antenna subsystem, provided that system functionality and performance are met. The electrical standard is RS422 full-duplex synchronous serial communication, with three pairs of 422 lines: SCLK, RXD, and TXD. For the control unit, TXD is the control data transmitter, and RXD is the control data receiver; for the array beam controller, the opposite is true. Parameter settings include: baud rate: 10Mbps (to be determined); data bits: 8 bits; parity bit: none; start bit: 1 bit; stop bit: 1 bit. Communication between the control unit and the beam controller... The communication is full-duplex. The control end sends control commands to the beam controller, and the beam controller sends back array telemetry information to the control end. The beam controller control commands mainly transmit the current operating mode, antenna two-dimensional beam angle information, antenna carrier antenna attitude information, etc. In addition, the command format also includes frame header and frame tail, as well as checksum. The beam controller control commands are sent before the beam establishment pulse, and the data format is: low byte first, high byte last; low bit first, high bit last. The beam controller control feedback commands are fed back to the main control to verify the correctness of the received beam controller control commands. The data format is: low byte first, high byte last; low bit first, high bit last. The beam controller periodically sends back telemetry parameters, including status parameters such as temperature of the beam controller and antenna system. The data format is: low byte first, high byte last; low bit first, high bit last. Beam angle calculation is performed, and the beam angle is calculated from the position and other information transmitted by the system. The calculation algorithm is given after the system transmits the data.

[0046] Structural scheme, overall structural design goal: to achieve 360° omnidirectional continuous scanning of the phased array antenna feed. The antenna feed has two external interfaces: one radio frequency interface and one power interface. The overall weight requirement is ≤6.5Kg, and the size is limited to within 280×280×305(mm). In order to meet the overall structural and reliability requirements, the airborne antenna feed is divided into two parts, namely the antenna feed box assembly and the base assembly. The two are screwed together by screw fastening. The overall shape of the antenna feed is a polygonal structure. Four antenna arrays are evenly and symmetrically distributed within a 360° circumference. Each antenna array has 4×4(16) antenna elements. The antenna feed TR adopts a four-channel brick structure. The array elements are connected to the TR through radio frequency connectors. The R units are interconnected, and a four-in-one power divider is installed at the end of the TR unit. One end of the power divider is interconnected with a group (4 TRs) via a blind-mating KK connector. The other end of the power divider transmits signals to a switch matrix installed at the bottom of the antenna feed assembly via an RF cable. The other three TR components are connected in the same way. The switch matrix combines the RF signals into one signal, which is connected to the RF interface installed in the base of the assembly through a pre-drilled hole at the bottom. The base is the mounting base for the power module, RF interface, power interface, and antenna feed housing. To facilitate the subsequent addition of an antenna cover by the overall design department, the outer dimensions of the base are enlarged to 274×274mm, with a final size of 274×274×195mm and a total weight of ≤6kg. To verify the strength of the antenna feeder system, structural simulations were conducted. The system comprises a frame, TR (Transmission Transformer) modules, and power dividers, with the TR modules being the core component. The accuracy of the TR module's position plays a decisive role in the system's connectivity. Therefore, the fixed frame of the TR module was analyzed and subjected to random vibration simulations. First, the 3D model was appropriately simplified by removing chamfers and unnecessary vias. The model was then imported into ANSYS. Material properties were set, and a mesh was created. The fastening holes at the bottom of the supports were fixed and constrained. Modal analysis was performed on the first 20 modal orders, covering a frequency range of 2-2000Hz, resulting in 20 modal deformation contour plots. Due to space limitations, only one modal deformation contour plot is presented here. Random vibration analysis of the components was performed. Power spectral density was selected, acceleration was set to 2g, frequency to 2-2000Hz, and Z-direction perpendicular to the mounting surface was selected. The simulation yielded random vibration deformation cloud map. The cloud map showed that the maximum deformation was about 0.0098mm, which met the positional accuracy requirements and the structural design was reasonable. To optimize the component's heat dissipation structure and reduce the system's computational load, the X-band model was simplified by removing some process chamfers and retaining key circular holes. Since the four arrays of TRs are evenly distributed circumferentially at equal angles, one array was selected for analysis to reduce computational load. The TRs and the mounting plate are cooled by conduction through metal, and convection grooves are opened on the cold plate to form a heat conduction channel, increasing the heat dissipation area of ​​the cold plate and facilitating the removal of heat.

[0047] Please see Figure 1-2 and Figure 7The radome assembly 100 includes an radome 110 disposed outside the antenna mounting slot 210 and a first mounting block 120 disposed at the edge of the outer wall of the radome 110. It also includes a base assembly 700, which includes a base 710 disposed on the side of the first mounting block 120 away from the radome 110 and a second mounting block 720 disposed on the side of the base 710 away from the first mounting block 120. The first mounting block is disposed at the end face opening of the radome. The radome is disposed outside the antenna mounting slot assembly, mounting plate assembly, drive mechanism and TR assembly, and is used to protect the antenna mounting slot assembly, mounting plate assembly, drive mechanism and TR assembly. The base is fixedly mounted on the side of the first mounting block away from the radome. The base and the first mounting block are sealed to block the end face opening of the radome. The second mounting block is fixedly mounted on the object to be mounted, which includes but is not limited to the ground, building or support. The base is fixedly mounted on the object to be mounted by the second mounting block, thereby fixing the radome assembly to the object to be mounted.

[0048] Although the invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, various modifications can be made and components can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, features in the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in any way, provided there is no structural conflict. The lack of an exhaustive description of these combinations in this specification is merely for brevity and resource conservation. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A rotatably adjustable X-band antenna feed system, characterized in that: include: Antenna mounting slot assembly (200) includes an antenna mounting slot (210), a mounting hole (220) formed at the center of the outer side wall of the antenna mounting slot (210), and a fixing slot (230) formed on the outer side wall of the antenna mounting slot (210). The mounting plate assembly (300) includes a mounting block (310) disposed in the inner cavity of the antenna mounting slot (210), a turntable (320) disposed on the end face of the mounting block (310) and mounted on the side wall of the inner cavity of the antenna mounting slot (210) by bearings, and a connecting groove (330) coaxially opened on the end face of the turntable (320), passing through the mounting block (310) and corresponding to the mounting hole (220); The drive mechanism (400) includes a motor (410) mounted on the outer wall of the antenna mounting slot (210) and corresponding to the mounting hole (220), and a drive shaft (420) mounted on the output shaft of the motor (410) and mounted on the inner side of the mounting hole (220) by a bearing, and passing through the mounting hole (220) and connected to the connecting slot (330); TR assembly (500), the TR assembly (500) includes a fixing bracket (510) mounted on the turntable (320) at one edge of the mounting block (310) and a TR component (520) mounted inside the fixing bracket (510) and corresponding to the fixing groove (230); Antenna (600) is disposed inside the fixing slot (230) and corresponds to the TR component (520).

2. The rotatable adjustable X-band antenna feed system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an antenna radome assembly (100), which includes an antenna radome (110) disposed outside the antenna mounting slot (210) and a first mounting block (120) disposed at the edge of the outer wall of the antenna radome (110).

3. The rotatably adjustable X-band antenna feed system according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a base assembly (700), which includes a base (710) disposed on the first mounting block (120) on the side away from the radome (110) and a second mounting block (720) disposed on the base (710) on the side away from the first mounting block (120).

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