A large-scale beamforming matrix and overall structure

Abstract

The application belongs to the field of communication and radar technology, and particularly relates to a large-scale beam forming matrix and a whole machine structure. The application comprises a beam power distribution board receiving a plurality of beam signals, and performing first power distribution on each beam signal to obtain two beam signals after first power distribution; a front surface of a beam power distribution and feed source power synthesis combination board performs second power distribution on the two beam signals after first power distribution to obtain signals of each feed source involved by the beams after second power distribution; a back surface is used for performing first feed source power synthesis on the signals of the same feed source after second power distribution of all beams on the front surface to obtain feed source signals after first feed source power synthesis; and a feed source power synthesis board is used for receiving the feed source signals after first feed source power synthesis to obtain feed source signals after second feed source power synthesis. The volume and weight of the application are reduced to about 25% of those of a conventional scheme, and the application has the advantages of high reliability, small volume and light weight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the fields of communication and radar technology, and specifically relates to a large-scale beamforming matrix and its overall structure. Background Technology

[0002] Beamforming matrices are key components in multi-beam communication, radar, and other systems, and are widely used in satellite communication, radar systems, and other fields. When the scale of a beamforming matrix is ​​relatively large, its miniaturization and high reliability become key issues that need to be addressed. A beamforming matrix includes 109 beam input signal power dividers, 109 sets (each set containing several feeds for the corresponding beam) of fixed phase shifters and fixed attenuators, and 64 power combiners outputting to the feeds. The input signal of each beam is first split, with the number of splits equal to the number of feeds for that beam. Unequal power dividers are used to ensure that the amplitude of each path meets the beam amplitude weighting distribution requirements. Then, the signal passes through fixed phase shifters and fixed attenuators to ensure that the signal of each path meets the beam phase weighting distribution requirements. Finally, the signals from the feeds shared by all beams are combined by an equal-power, equal-phase combiner before being transmitted to the feeds. The number of feeds, feed numbers, and amplitude and phase weights for forming the beam are all predetermined.

[0003] The principle block diagram of the beamforming matrix is ​​as follows: Figure 1 As shown, for convenience, the beamhead is uniformly defined as the power distribution end, and the feedhead is uniformly defined as the power combining end. The connection relationship between the output of the beamhead and the input of the feedhead is given by the amplitude and phase weighting table. From Figure 1 The block diagram of the beamforming matrix shown illustrates that it comprises three circuit modules: a power distribution circuit at the beam end, a phase-shifting attenuator circuit, and a power combining circuit at the feed end. The beamforming matrix has a total of 109 beams and 64 feeds. Its key feature is that the number of signals allocated to each beam is far less than the total number of feeds, typically not exceeding 16. The amplitude and phase distribution of each signal path conforms to an amplitude-phase weighting table. Figure 1 In the given information, I = 109, N1, N2…N I This indicates the number of paths for power allocation of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, ..., Ith beams.

[0004] After power allocation for each beam signal, each allocated signal is transmitted to the corresponding feeder. There are 64 feeders in total. Figure 1 J = 64. Since signals from multiple beams may need to be transmitted to the same feed horn, all beam signals transmitted to the same feed horn need to be combined with equal power and equal phase before being fed to the corresponding feed horn. However, not all beam signals need to be fed to the same feed horn, and the number of participating beams is different for each feed horn, satisfying the following relationship:

[0005]

[0006] In other words, the total number of beam signals after all beams are distributed is equal to the total number of beams before all feed signals are combined.

[0007] The existing technical solution uses a high-frequency PCB board to implement the beamforming matrix. The distribution circuits and phase shifters for 109 beam signals are integrated on one high-frequency PCB board, and the feed combining circuits for 64 beams are integrated on another high-frequency PCB board. The signals between these two boards are connected by cables. Therefore, the number of cables connecting these two boards is:

[0008]

[0009] The number of cables connecting the two boards is set to 1400 (actual numbers may vary slightly, but not exceeding ±50). Furthermore, to connect these 1400 cables, 1400 RF connectors need to be installed on each of the two circuit boards, which significantly increases the circuit weight. Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic of this design.

[0010] Figure 2 The drawback of the design shown is its excessive size and weight, which fails to meet practical application requirements. To implement 109 power distribution circuits and 1400 phase shifters on a single high-frequency PCB, the PCB area needs to be at least 1100mm × 400mm, and the power combining board at least 640mm × 400mm. To meet process and reliability requirements, these two types of high-frequency PCBs can be fabricated into several separate boards before assembly. The number of cables connecting the two high-frequency PCBs is 1400, all of which contribute to the system's inability to meet miniaturization requirements in terms of size and weight. A conventional beamforming matrix weighs approximately 75kg and has a volume of approximately 0.15m³. 3 Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a beamforming matrix that reduces the size and weight of the system. Summary of the Invention

[0011] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this invention is to provide a large-scale beamforming matrix and its overall structure. This invention provides a miniaturized, highly reliable large-scale beamforming matrix, whose volume and weight are reduced to about 25% of the prior art.

[0012] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the present invention provides a large-scale beamforming matrix, comprising:

[0013] A beam power distribution board is used to receive multiple beam signals and perform a first power distribution on each of the beam signals to obtain two beam signals after the first power distribution.

[0014] The beam power distribution and feed power combining board has its front side used for a second power distribution of the two beam signals after the first power distribution, to obtain the feed signals involved in each beam after the second power distribution; the back side of the beam power distribution and feed power combining board is used for a first feed power combining of the signals from all beams on the front side of the beam power distribution and feed power combining board after the second power distribution to the same feed, to obtain the feed signal after the first feed power combining.

[0015] The feed power combining board is used to receive the feed signal after the first feed power combining and to perform a second feed power combining on the feed signal after the first feed power combining to obtain the feed signal after the second feed power combining.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, it further includes:

[0017] A beam-end signal input cable assembly, the first end of which is mounted on the surface of the whole structure, is used to receive multiple beam signals and transmit the multiple beam signals to the input end of the beam power distribution board through the second end;

[0018] The first interconnecting cable assembly inside the substrate has a first end for receiving two beam signals after the first power distribution from the beam power distribution board, and sending the two beam signals after the first power distribution to the beam power distribution and feed power combining combination board through the second end.

[0019] The second interconnecting cable assembly inside the substrate has a first end for receiving the feed signal after the first feed power synthesis from the beam power distribution and feed power synthesis combination board, and sending the feed signal after the first feed power synthesis to the feed power synthesis board through the second end.

[0020] The feed-end signal output cable assembly has a first end for receiving the feed signal after the second feed power synthesis from the feed power synthesis board, and outputting the feed signal after the second feed power synthesis to the feed at the rear end through the second end installed on the surface of the whole structure.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the beam power distribution board includes:

[0022] The front of the distribution board is equipped with a first surface-mount RF connector socket, and the second end of the beam end signal input cable assembly is plugged into the first surface-mount RF connector socket to receive multiple external beam signals.

[0023] On the reverse side of the distribution board, a second surface-mount RF connector socket is provided. The second surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the first end of the first interconnect cable assembly inside the substrate to send the beam signal after the first power distribution to the beam power distribution and feed power combining combination board.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board includes:

[0025] On the front of the assembly board, a third surface-mount RF connector socket is provided, and the third surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the second end of the first interconnect cable assembly inside the substrate to receive the two beam signals after the first power distribution.

[0026] On the reverse side of the composite board, a fourth surface-mount RF connector socket is provided, and the fourth surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the first end of the second interconnect cable assembly inside the substrate to send the feed signal after the first feed power synthesis to the feed power synthesis board.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present invention, the feed power combining board includes:

[0028] On the front of the composite board, a fifth surface-mount RF connector socket is provided, and the fifth surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the second end of the second interconnect cable assembly inside the substrate to receive the feed signal after the first feed power synthesis.

[0029] On the reverse side of the composite board, a sixth surface-mount RF connector socket is provided. The sixth surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the first end of the feed signal output cable assembly to send the feed signal after the second feed power synthesis to the second end of the feed signal output cable assembly installed on the surface of the whole machine structure.

[0030] The present invention also provides an overall structure, including the aforementioned large-scale beamforming matrix, wherein the overall structure further includes:

[0031] A beam power distribution board assembly, in which the beam power distribution board is installed, is fixedly installed within a support frame;

[0032] A beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly is provided, wherein the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly is installed inside the assembly. The beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly is fixedly installed within the support frame, and the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly is located on the plane of the support frame, perpendicular to the plane of the beam power distribution assembly located on the support frame.

[0033] The feed power combining board assembly has the feed power combining board installed inside it. The feed power combining board assembly is fixedly installed in the cable fixing box and is installed on the top of the support frame.

[0034] A connecting screw, which is installed between the plurality of said support frames;

[0035] A base plate, which is mounted on the bottom of the plurality of said support frames;

[0036] Side panels are mounted on the base plate, and multiple side panels are mounted on the outside of the support frame to form a cubic assembly structure.

[0037] In one embodiment of the present invention, the beam power distribution board assembly includes:

[0038] The first rubber sleeve is fitted onto the outside of the beam power distribution plate;

[0039] A first cover plate is fitted over the outside of the first rubber sleeve and is installed inside the support frame.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present invention, the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly includes:

[0041] The second rubber sleeve is fitted on the outside of the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly plate;

[0042] The second cover plate is fitted over the outside of the second rubber sleeve and is installed inside the support frame.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present invention, the feed power combining board assembly includes:

[0044] The third rubber sleeve is fitted on the outside of the feed power combining plate;

[0045] A frame is fitted over the outside of the third rubber sleeve and is installed inside the cable fixing box.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, the beam power distribution plate, the beam power distribution and feed power combining plate, and the feed power combining plate are made of low-temperature co-fired ceramics.

[0047] As described above, the large-scale beamforming matrix and overall structure of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0048] The large-scale beamforming matrix of the present invention reduces the volume and weight to about 25% of conventional solutions, and its high reliability has been proven through mechanical and thermal tests. The present invention has the advantages of high reliability, small size and light weight.

[0049] The large-scale beamforming matrix of the present invention can embed a large number of beam power dividers, phase shifters, feed-end power combiners, and microwave transmission lines between different circuits within a multilayer low-temperature co-fired ceramic, thereby reducing the circuit area and the number of connecting cables.

[0050] The overall structure of the present invention adopts a three-dimensional frame assembly structure. The internal support columns and fixed frames are used to improve the rigidity of the structure. The side plates adopt reinforcing ribs and weight reduction measures, which reduce the weight of the whole machine while ensuring the mechanical reliability of the whole machine in three directions.

[0051] The overall structure of this invention encases the low-temperature co-fired ceramic in a rubber sleeve before inserting it into a metal frame structure. This reduces weight while ensuring structural rigidity. The rubber sleeve can absorb the stress generated by the whole machine under mechanical environments such as vibration and impact, and prevent direct contact between the substrate and the metal structural components from causing damage. In addition, the low-temperature co-fired ceramic substrate can also release thermal stress through the rubber sleeve in high and low temperature environments.

[0052] The overall structure of this invention uses cable assemblies for signal transmission between different substrates. The cable assemblies and surface-mounted RF connector sockets on the substrates interlock, making the design of the substrate circuits more flexible and the overall assembly more convenient. To ensure the reliability of the interlocking, measures such as adhesive application, adding cable fixing brackets, cable clamps, and cable clips are used to ensure the reliability of the connection between the cable assemblies and RF connector sockets under mechanical environments such as vibration and impact. Mechanical tests have proven the effectiveness of these measures.

[0053] To facilitate phase accuracy tuning, the assembly and disassembly processes of the entire unit have been optimized. Since phase tuning is performed only on the beam power distribution and feed power combining board, this optimization ensures that the state of all connecting cables within the unit remains essentially unchanged during each installation and removal of the beam power distribution and feed power combining board. This avoids phase errors caused by inconsistent cable coiling, effectively improving the accuracy of phase accuracy tuning. The phase accuracy of the entire unit can meet the required specifications through both coarse and fine tuning processes. Attached Figure Description

[0054] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the principle of a beamforming matrix.

[0055] Figure 2This is a block diagram illustrating the principle of beamforming matrix design schemes in existing technologies.

[0056] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a large-scale beamforming matrix provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a large-scale beamforming matrix provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0058] Figure 5 The positional relationship of the three types of LTCC substrates provided in the embodiments of this application in the beamforming matrix.

[0059] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of an overall machine structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0060] Figure 7 The following are structural diagrams of a rubber sleeve for an overall machine structure provided in an embodiment of this application. (a) is a structural diagram of the first rubber sleeve, and (b) is a structural diagram of the second rubber sleeve.

[0061] Figure 8 The following is a structural diagram of component 1-0 of an overall structure provided in an embodiment of this application. (a) is a front view of component 1-0. (b) is a rear view of component 1-0. (c) is an exploded view of component 1-0.

[0062] Figure 9 This is a structural diagram of component 2-0 of an overall structure provided in an embodiment of this application. (a) is a front view of component 2-0. (b) is a rear view of component 2-0.

[0063] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the assembly state of a feed power combining board (30) of an overall structure provided in an embodiment of this application. (a) is a schematic diagram before assembly. (b) is a schematic diagram after assembly.

[0064] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the feed-end signal output cable assembly provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0065] Component designation explanation

[0066] 1. Beam-end signal input cable assembly

[0067] 2. First interconnect cable assembly inside the substrate

[0068] 3. Second interconnect cable assembly inside the substrate

[0069] 4. Feed-end signal output cable assembly

[0070] 10-beam power distribution board

[0071] 20-beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board

[0072] 30 Feed power combining board

[0073] 11 Connecting screw

[0074] 12 base plate

[0075] 13 Side panels

[0076] 14 First rubber sleeve

[0077] 15 First cover plate

[0078] 21 Second rubber sleeve

[0079] 22 Second cover plate

[0080] 31 Third rubber sleeve

[0081] 32. Frame

[0082] 33 Fixed box body Detailed Implementation

[0083] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features described therein can be combined with each other.

[0084] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the illustrations only show the components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0085] The large-scale beamforming matrix of this invention uses LTCC (Low Temperature Cofired Ceramic) three-dimensional stacking technology to design the planar microwave circuit as a three-dimensional stacked circuit. A large number of beam power dividers, phase shifters, feed-end power combiners, and microwave transmission lines between different circuits are embedded in a multi-layer LTCC ceramic substrate, thereby reducing the circuit area and the number of connecting cables.

[0086] The beamforming matrix has a total of 109 beams and 64 feed sources for beamforming. Its characteristic is that the number of channels allocated to each beam signal is much less than the total number of feed sources, generally not exceeding 16 channels. The total effective channels are about 20% of the total number of channels in the matrix. This invention makes full use of the sparsity of the beamforming matrix, which can reduce the number of LTCC substrates and achieve further miniaturization of the beamforming matrix system. Limited by the processing technology of LTCC substrates, the largest size of LTCC substrates that can be processed in China is currently 8 inches. After the substrate is sintered, it will shrink, and the maximum usable area is 163mm×163mm. At this size, a 16×16 matrix (16 feed sources forming 16 beams) can be realized through three-dimensional stacking technology. Therefore, 109 beams can be decomposed into 7 groups, each group containing 16 beams (since the total number of beams is 109, some groups have fewer than 16 beams. For ease of explanation, the following descriptions assume that each group contains 16 beams). The actual beamforming matrix cannot achieve exactly 16 beams sharing 16 columns of feed sources, but through topology optimization, it is possible to achieve 32 beams sharing 48 columns of feed sources.

[0087] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a large-scale beamforming matrix provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 4This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structural principle of a large-scale beamforming matrix, as provided in another embodiment of this application. The present invention includes a large-scale beamforming matrix, including but not limited to a beam power distribution board 10, a beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20, and a feed power combining board 30. The beam power distribution board 10 is used to receive multiple beam signals and perform a first power distribution on each beam signal to obtain two beam signals after the first power distribution. The front side of the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20 is used to perform a second power distribution on the two beam signals after the first power distribution to obtain the feed signals involved in each beam after the second power distribution. The back side of the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20 is used to perform a first feed power combining on the signals of all beams after the second power distribution to the same feed after the second power distribution on the front side of the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20 to obtain a feed signal after the first feed power combining. The feed power combining board 30 is used to receive the feed signal after the first feed power combining and perform a second feed power combining on the feed signal after the first feed power combining to obtain a feed signal after the second feed power combining. The large-scale beamforming matrix also includes a beam-end signal input cable assembly 1, a first interconnect cable assembly 2 inside the substrate, a second interconnect cable assembly 3 inside the substrate, and a feed-end signal output cable assembly 4. The first end of the beam-end signal input cable assembly 1 is mounted on the surface of the overall structure and is used to receive multiple beam signals and transmit the multiple beam signals to the input end of the beam power distribution board 10 through the second end; the first end of the first interconnect cable assembly 2 inside the substrate is used to receive two beam signals after the first power distribution from the beam power distribution board 10 and transmit the two beam signals after the first power distribution to the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20 through the second end; the first end of the second interconnect cable assembly 3 inside the substrate is used to receive the feed signal after the first feed power combining from the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20 and transmit the feed signal after the first feed power combining to the feed power combining board 30 through the second end; the first end of the feed-end signal output cable assembly 4 is used to receive the feed signal after the second feed power combining from the feed power combining board 30 and output the feed signal after the second feed power combining to the feed at the rear end through the second end mounted on the surface of the overall structure.

[0088] exist Figure 3In this process, the first power distribution of multiple beam signals involves splitting each input beam signal into two signals. These two signals are then distributed to two substrates. One substrate has 16 rows of feed horns, while the other substrate uses only a portion of these feed horns, with the remaining portion used for the other 16 beam signals. This results in a structure where 32 beams share 3 substrates, requiring a total of 11 substrates. These 11 substrates constitute the beam power distribution and feed horn power combining board 20. The front side performs the second power distribution of the beam signals (unequal power), while the back side performs the first combining of the feed horn signals (equal power; depending on the actual situation, 16-in-1, 8-in-1, and 4-in-1 can be used). Finally, the identical feed horns on the 11 substrates undergo a second power combining, and the combined signal is output to the feed horns.

[0089] exist Figure 4 In this invention, the large-scale beamforming matrix includes three types of substrates: the first type of substrate is a beam power distribution board 10, the second type of substrate is a beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20, and the third type of substrate is a feed power combining board 30.

[0090] Specifically, the three types of substrates share the following common characteristics:

[0091] 1) All three types of substrates use LTCC technology to fabricate the substrate circuits, but the functions and sizes of the various substrates are different.

[0092] 2) The three types of substrates embed various power dividers and combiners inside the substrate, with only solder pads for soldering resistors and RF connector sockets, as well as some RF transmission lines extending to the surface (for phase accuracy adjustment).

[0093] 3) Both sides of the three types of substrates have circuits, one side is the signal input side and the other side is the signal output side;

[0094] 4) Conventional substrate circuits have RF connectors soldered to the side of the substrate for input and output. For power divider circuits, the signal input is usually in the middle of the circuit. If the signal is input from the side, a transmission line needs to be run inside the substrate to the middle position, which increases circuit loss and may cause transmission line crossing problems. To avoid this problem, the three types of substrates use surface-mount SMP connector sockets to realize signal input and output. The RF connector socket is located at the signal input position of the power divider circuit. The signal input is directly transmitted to the internal circuit through the RF connector socket and the through-hole in the connected LTCC substrate, without the need to run transmission lines on the substrate. In order to meet the system's operating requirements under high and low temperature conditions, the thermal expansion coefficient of the surface-mount RF connector material must match that of the LTCC substrate material. Therefore, the material used for the SMP connector socket is Valve, whose thermal expansion coefficient is close to that of the LTCC ceramic material.

[0095] The beam power distribution board 10 includes a front side and a back side. A first surface-mount RF connector socket is installed on the front side of the distribution board, and the second end of the beam signal input cable assembly 1 is inserted into the first surface-mount RF connector socket to receive multiple external beam signals. A second surface-mount RF connector socket is provided on the back side of the distribution board, and the first end of the first interconnect cable assembly 2 inside the substrate is inserted into the second surface-mount RF connector socket to send the beam signal after the first power distribution to the beam power distribution and feed power combining combination board 20.

[0096] Specifically, the beam power distribution board 10 divides each of the 109 beam signals into two signals. This type of board has 109 independent circuits distributed across 14 84mm × 23mm LTCC substrates, numbered A1 to A14. The beam power distribution board 10 has two sides. The front side receives beam signals input from the system surface via a surface-mount SMP RF connector socket and a beam-end signal input cable assembly 1. The first end of the beam-end signal input cable assembly 1 is an SMA-K RF connector mounted on the system surface, and the second end is an SMP RF connector plug, which plugs into the SMP connector socket on the front side of the beam power distribution board 10. The back side of the beam power distribution board 10 outputs signals to the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board 20 via a surface-mount SMP RF connector socket. Each circuit in the beam power distribution board 10 has two output terminals, connected to two beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly boards 20 respectively.

[0097] The beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20 includes a front side and a back side. A third surface-mount RF connector socket is provided on the front side of the board, and the third surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the second end of the first interconnect cable assembly 2 inside the substrate to receive the two beam signals after the first power distribution. A fourth surface-mount RF connector socket is provided on the back side of the board, and the fourth surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the first end of the second interconnect cable assembly 3 inside the substrate to send the feed signal after the first feed power combining to the feed power combining board 30.

[0098] Specifically, the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board 20 includes two functions: first, it performs a second power distribution at the beam end in rows on the front side; and second, it performs a first equal power and equal phase combining at the feed end in columns on the back side. There are 11 beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly boards 20, each measuring 163mm × 163mm. These assembly boards 20 are the core component of the beamforming matrix and a key part in realizing the beamforming matrix. The substrates are numbered B1 to B11. The 11 beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly boards 20 are divided into four groups: B1 to B3, B4 to B6, B7 to B9, and B10 to B11. Each group contains three substrates corresponding to two beam groups, achieving 32 beams. The three substrates B2, B5, and B8 are shared by beam groups 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and 5 and 6, respectively. Each of these three substrates has 32 beam input ports. The remaining beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board 20 has 16 beam input ports. The front of the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board 20 receives the output signal from the beam power distribution board 10 through a surface-mount SMP RF connector socket. The two receive signals through the first interconnect cable assembly 2 inside the substrate. Both ends of the first interconnect cable assembly 2 are SMP connector plugs, which are connected to the corresponding SMP RF connector sockets on the beam power distribution board 10 and the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board 20, respectively. The back of the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board 20 outputs the signal after the first power combining of all feeds on the substrate to the feed power combining board 30 through a surface-mount SMP RF connector socket.

[0099] The feed power combining board 30 includes a front side and a back side. A fifth surface-mount RF connector socket is provided on the front side of the combining board, and the fifth surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the second end of the second interconnect cable assembly 3 inside the substrate to receive the feed signal after the first feed power combining. A sixth surface-mount RF connector socket is provided on the back side of the combining board, and the sixth surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the first end of the feed end signal output cable assembly 4 to send the feed signal after the second feed power combining to the second end of the feed end signal output cable assembly 4 installed on the surface of the whole machine structure.

[0100] Specifically, the function of the feed power combining board 30 is to perform a second combining of all feeds with the same number on the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20. Since there are a total of 64 feeds, this type of substrate has 64 independent circuits, but the number of paths combined for each circuit is different. These 64 independent circuits can be assembled on 5 LTCC substrates, with a substrate size of 100mm × 100mm, and the substrates are numbered C1 to C5. The front of the feed power combining board 30 receives the output signal from the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20 through a surface-mount SMP RF connector socket. The two transmit signals through the second interconnect cable assembly 3 inside the substrate. The two ends of the second interconnect cable assembly 3 inside the substrate are SMP connector plugs, which are respectively connected to the SMP RF connector sockets at the corresponding positions of the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20 and the feed power combining board 30. On the reverse side of the feed power combining board 30, the signals from all feeds on the substrate after secondary power combining are output to the feed signal output terminal on the system surface via a surface-mount SMP RF connector plug. One end of the feed signal output cable assembly 4 is an SMP connector plug, which is mated to the SMP RF connector socket on the reverse side of the substrate C, and the other end is an SMA-K RF connector, which is mounted on the system surface.

[0101] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 5 The positional relationship of the three types of LTCC substrates provided in the embodiments of this application in the beamforming matrix. Figure 6This is a structural diagram of an overall structure provided in an embodiment of this application. The present invention also provides an overall structure including the aforementioned large-scale beamforming matrix. The overall structure further includes a beam power distribution board assembly, a beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly, and a feed power combining board assembly. The beam power distribution board assembly houses the beam power distribution board 10, which is fixedly installed within a support frame. The beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly houses the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly 20, which is fixedly installed within the support frame. The beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly is located on the plane of the support frame, and is positioned relative to the beam power distribution board assembly. The planes of the support frame are perpendicular to each other; the feed power combining plate 30 is installed inside the feed power combining plate assembly, the feed power combining plate assembly is fixedly installed in the cable fixing box 33, and the feed power combining plate assembly is installed on the top of the support frame; the connecting screw 11 is installed between the multiple support frames; the bottom plate 12 is installed at the bottom of the multiple support frames; the side plate 13 is installed on the bottom plate 12, and the multiple side plates 13 are installed on the outside of the support frame to form a cubic assembly structure.

[0102] Specifically, the overall structure of this invention is based on the four side plates 13, the bottom plate 12, and the top plate strip, forming a basic cubic assembly structure. Inside the cubic structure, the connecting screws 11 between components and the cable fixing box 33 provide support for the overall frame in the X direction, significantly reducing the deformation of the beam power distribution and feed power combining plate 20 in the X direction. The supporting frame provides support for the overall structure in the Y direction. The cable fixing box 33 and the surrounding frame 32 improve the equipment's stiffness in the Z direction, significantly reducing the deformation of the feed power combining plate 30 in the Y direction. The support of the internal X, Y, and Z direction structural components ensures that the overall stiffness meets the requirements. To reduce the problem of side plate displacement and shearing of connecting screws due to displacement during vibration testing, interlocking structures are used between the side plates and between the side plates and the bottom plate.

[0103] The beam power distribution board assembly includes a first rubber sleeve 14 and a first cover plate 15. The first rubber sleeve 14 is sleeved on the outside of the beam power distribution board 10; the first cover plate 15 is sleeved on the outside of the first rubber sleeve 14 and is installed inside the support frame.

[0104] The beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly includes a second rubber sleeve 21 and a second cover plate 22. The second rubber sleeve 21 is sleeved on the outside of the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly 20; the second cover plate 22 is sleeved on the outside of the second rubber sleeve 21 and is installed inside the support frame.

[0105] The feed power combining board assembly includes a third rubber sleeve 31 and a frame 32. The third rubber sleeve 31 is fitted on the outside of the feed power combining board 30; the frame 32 is fitted on the outside of the third rubber sleeve 31 and is installed inside the cable fixing box 33.

[0106] Please see Figure 7 , Figure 7 This document presents a structural diagram of a rubber sleeve for an overall structure provided in an embodiment of this application. (a) shows the structure of the first rubber sleeve, and (b) shows the structure of the second rubber sleeve. All three types of substrates are made of LTCC, a material with a certain degree of brittleness, and cannot be directly mounted on metal frame structures. Therefore, rubber sleeves are used to wrap around the substrates, and the wrapped substrates are then installed into a lightweight frame structure. The advantages of this structure are that the substrate mounting structure is relatively lightweight, and the substrate's thermal stress can be effectively released under high and low temperature environments. Due to the rubber sleeves, the stress experienced by the substrate under vibration and impact is absorbed by the rubber sleeves, preventing damage caused by direct structural collisions between the substrate and the metal structure.

[0107] Please see Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 8 The following is a structural diagram of component 1-0 of an overall structure provided in an embodiment of this application. (a) is a front view of component 1-0. (b) is a rear view of component 1-0. (c) is an exploded view of component 1-0. Figure 9This document presents a structural diagram of component 2-0 of an overall structure provided in an embodiment of this application. (a) is a front view of component 2-0. (b) is a rear view of component 2-0. Due to the large number and size of the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly boards 20, the overall structure design focuses on the installation of these boards, employing a frame structure to reduce the overall weight. Considering that the dimensions of the entire structure in the X and Y directions are as close as possible, two beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly boards 20 are assembled into one component, resulting in a total of six components, denoted as components 1-0 to 6-0. Component 1-0 includes substrates B1 and B3; component 2-0 includes substrates B2 and B5; component 3-0 includes substrates B4 and B6; component 4-0 includes substrates B7 and B9; component 5-0 includes substrate B8 (only one substrate); and component 6-0 includes substrates B10 and B11. In addition to the two beam power distribution and feed power combining boards 20, components 1-0, 3-0, 4-0, and 6-0 also have four beam power distribution boards 10. The 32 two-way power dividers on the four beam power distribution boards 10 correspond to the 32 beams on the two substrates B1 and B3. The 32 two-way power dividers on the beam power distribution boards 10 have a total of 64 outputs. Of these, 32 outputs are connected to the 32 beam inputs on B1 and B3 via cable assemblies II, and the remaining 32 outputs are connected to the 32 beam inputs on substrate B2 of component 2-0 via cable assemblies II. To ensure phase accuracy, the phase error of all cable assemblies II is less than ±2°. The 32 beams corresponding to the other B5 substrate on component 2-0 and 32 ports output from the beam power distribution board 10 on component 3-0 are connected via a cable assembly. The other 32 ports output from the beam power distribution board 10 are connected to the 32 beam input ports on component 3-0 via a cable assembly. After the six components 1-0 to 6-0 are assembled, they are connected in series using metal screws.

[0108] Please see Figure 10 , Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly state of a feed power combining board 30 for an embodiment of this application. (a) is a schematic diagram before assembly. (b) is a schematic diagram after assembly. The mounting method of the feed power combining board 30 is similar to that of the feed power combining assembly board 20, both using rubber sleeves to wrap the boards before inserting them into the metal structural frame. Five feed power combining boards 30 are used... Figure 10 The assembly method shown.

[0109] The internal cable assemblies of the large-scale beamforming matrix of this invention, namely the beam-end signal input cable assembly 1, the first interconnection cable assembly 2 inside the substrate, the second interconnection cable assembly 3 inside the substrate, and the feed-end signal output cable assembly 4, are all electrically connected via mating with SMP RF connector sockets soldered to the surface of the LTCC substrate. For ease of insertion and removal, a semi-escapement connector is used, which makes the cables and connectors prone to detachment under mechanical vibration and shock conditions. To improve the reliability of the cable and SMP RF connector socket connections, improvements have been made in structural design and assembly, including the following specific measures:

[0110] 1) Apply adhesive to reinforce the mating parts of the SMP RF connector sockets on the cable assembly and substrate;

[0111] 2) Design a cable fixing bracket 8mm to 12mm above the mating part of the SMP RF connector socket on the cable assembly and the substrate. Make a hole in the fixing bracket, the diameter of the hole is 1mm larger than the diameter of the cable. The cable assembly passes through the hole and is reinforced with glue. This can prevent the stress on the cable from being transmitted to the root of the cable assembly and the mating part of the SMP connector socket.

[0112] 3) Design cable assembly clamps or wire clips to fix the cable assembly to the structural components, so as to prevent the cable from swinging during vibration or impact and affecting the reliability of the root connection.

[0113] The outer frame structure of the whole machine of the present invention is composed of 5 flat plates spliced ​​together. The weight of the flat plates is reduced, the width of the internal reinforcing ribs is 1mm, and the thickness of the pit wall is reduced to 0.7mm.

[0114] Phase accuracy is one of the key indicators of large-scale beamforming matrices. To meet phase accuracy requirements, phase accuracy adjustment is necessary during the assembly process. Phase accuracy adjustment includes two processes: coarse adjustment and fine adjustment, both of which involve disassembling and reassembling the entire system. Analysis of the entire system reveals a correlation between phase accuracy and cable assembly, primarily because cable bending can affect the phase. Therefore, it is crucial to minimize changes in cable condition during assembly and disassembly. Among the four types of cable assemblies, the second interconnecting cable assembly 3 inside the substrate connecting the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20 and the feed power combining board 30 is the most complex. These cables are all 600mm long, and there are approximately 200 of them. They need to be coiled within the limited space between the feed power combining board 30 and the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20, i.e., within the cable fixing box 33. Each cable has a different routing configuration. Although the phase error between these cables is less than ±2° through cable manufacturing process control, the actual assembled error will exceed ±2° due to the different routing configurations, and this is difficult to control. If these cables need to be re-coiled every time the entire machine is disassembled, it will not only consume a lot of time, but it also cannot guarantee that the cables will be in the same state after disassembly and reassembly, thus introducing phase errors and affecting the adjustment of phase accuracy.

[0115] Please see Figure 11 , Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the feed-end signal output cable assembly provided in an embodiment of this application. Phase accuracy adjustment is performed on the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board 20. Therefore, during phase adjustment, it is only necessary to disassemble the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board 20. Following this approach, the assembly method of the entire structure of this invention includes:

[0116] S1. Install the five feed power combining boards 30 into the cable fixing box 33, and then install the feed end signal output cable assembly 4 in sequence. Shape and fix the feed end signal output cable assembly 4 with glue.

[0117] S2. Load the components completed in step S1 into the fixture, and insert the second interconnect cable assembly 3 inside the substrate that connects the front of the feed power combining board 30C1~C5 and the back of the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20B1~B11 in sequence. Then, apply adhesive to reinforce the second interconnect cable assembly 3 inside the substrate with the SMP connector socket, cable assembly and cable bracket on the feed power combining board 30. Then, coil and fix the second interconnect cable assembly 3 inside the substrate according to the connection relationship between each cable assembly and the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20.

[0118] S3. Assemble the 11 beam power distribution and feed power combining combination boards 20 onto components 1-0 to 6-0, and install the first interconnect cable assembly 2. Fix the joint between the SMP RF connector socket on the back of the beam power distribution board 10 and the SMP plug at one end of the first interconnect cable assembly 2 with adhesive. The cable assembly passes through the cable bracket and is fixed with adhesive. The joint between the other end of the first interconnect cable assembly 2 and the SMP RF connector plug on the beam power distribution and feed power combining combination board 20 is not fixed with adhesive during the phase adjustment process. Adhesive is only applied after the phase adjustment is completed.

[0119] S4. Install the six components onto the overall structure in the order of 2-0, 1-3, 3-0, 5-0, 4-0, and 6-0. During the assembly process, connect the SMP plug at the other end of the second interconnect cable assembly 3 inside the substrate and the SMP socket at the designated position on the reverse side (feed synthesis surface) of the feed power combining assembly board 20. Before the phase adjustment of the entire machine is completed, do not apply glue to the joints of these plugs and sockets. Only apply glue to fix them after the last adjustment is completed. Install the side plate 1 and the bottom plate.

[0120] S5. Remove the entire structure from the tooling and place it upright on the table. Install the beam input cable assembly 1 on the side into the two side strips respectively, and bundle the beam input cable assembly 1 into bundles. Do not apply glue to the joint between the SMP RF connector plug of the beam input cable assembly 1 and the SMP RF connector socket on the front of the beam power distribution board 10 before the phase accuracy of the whole machine is adjusted. Apply glue to fix it only after the last adjustment is completed.

[0121] S6. Install the side plate 2 and top cover of the whole machine structure, and screw in the fastening screws.

[0122] A method for disassembling the overall structure of the present invention includes:

[0123] S11. Remove side panel 2 and separate beam end signal input cable assembly 1 and beam power distribution board 10. The other states of beam end signal input cable assembly 1 remain unchanged.

[0124] S12. Install the entire machine structure into the tooling and remove side plate 1 and bottom plate.

[0125] S13. Remove components 1-0 to 6-0 from the overall structure in sequence. During the disassembly process, separate the SMP RF connector socket on the back (feed surface) of the beam power distribution and feed power combining board 20 on the component and the second interconnect cable assembly 3 inside the substrate. The other states of the second interconnect cable assembly 3 inside the substrate remain unchanged.

[0126] S14. Remove the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board 20 from components 1-0 to 6-0. During the disassembly process, separate the SMP RF connector socket on the front beam surface of the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board 20 on the components from the first interconnect cable assembly 2 inside the substrate. The other states of the first interconnect cable assembly 2 inside the substrate remain unchanged.

[0127] Through the above disassembly process, the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board 20 can be taken out separately. However, except for one end being separated from the corresponding substrate, the fixed position and routing of all the connecting cable assemblies remain unchanged, thus maintaining the state of the cable assemblies to the maximum extent and avoiding the introduction of cable assembly phase errors during the disassembly process.

[0128] In summary, the large-scale beamforming matrix of the present invention reduces the volume and weight to about 25% of conventional solutions, and its high reliability has been demonstrated through mechanical and thermal tests. The present invention has the advantages of high reliability, small size and light weight.

[0129] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A large-scale beamforming matrix, characterized in that, include: A beam power distribution board (10) is used to receive multiple beam signals and perform a first power distribution on each of the beam signals to obtain two beam signals after the first power distribution. The beam power distribution and feed power combining board (20) has its front side used to perform a second power distribution on the two beam signals after the first power distribution, so as to obtain the feed signals involved in each beam after the second power distribution; the back side of the beam power distribution and feed power combining board (20) is used to perform a first feed power combining on the signals of all beams after the second power distribution to the same feed after the second power distribution on the front side of the beam power distribution and feed power combining board (20), so as to obtain the feed signal after the first feed power combining. Feed power combining board (30) is used to receive the feed signal after the first feed power combining and to perform a second feed power combining on the feed signal after the first feed power combining to obtain the feed signal after the second feed power combining. Also includes: The beam-end signal input cable assembly (1) has its first end mounted on the surface of the whole structure for receiving multiple beam signals and sending the multiple beam signals to the input end of the beam power distribution board (10) through the second end; The first interconnect cable assembly (2) inside the substrate has its first end used to receive two beam signals after the first power distribution from the beam power distribution board (10), and send the two beam signals after the first power distribution to the beam power distribution and feed power combining board (20) through its second end. The second interconnecting cable assembly (3) inside the substrate has its first end used to receive the feed signal after the first feed power synthesis from the beam power distribution and feed power synthesis combination board (20), and send the feed signal after the first feed power synthesis to the feed power synthesis board (30) through the second end. The feeder end signal output cable assembly (4) has a first end for receiving the feeder signal after the second feeder power synthesis from the feeder power synthesis board (30), and outputting the feeder signal after the second feeder power synthesis to the feeder at the rear end through the second end installed on the surface of the whole machine structure.

2. The large-scale beamforming matrix according to claim 1, characterized in that, The beam power distribution board (10) includes: The front of the distribution board is equipped with a first surface-mount RF connector socket, and the first surface-mount RF connector socket and the second end of the beam end signal input cable assembly (1) are inserted relative to each other to receive multiple external beam signals. On the reverse side of the distribution board, a second surface-mount RF connector socket is provided, and the second surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the first end of the first interconnect cable assembly (2) inside the substrate to send the beam signal after the first power distribution to the beam power distribution and feed power combining combination board (20).

3. A large-scale beamforming matrix according to claim 2, characterized in that, The beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly board (20) includes: The front of the assembly board is provided with a third surface-mount RF connector socket, and the third surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the second end of the first interconnect cable assembly (2) inside the substrate to receive the two beam signals after the first power distribution. On the reverse side of the combined board, a fourth surface-mount RF connector socket is provided, and the fourth surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the first end of the second interconnect cable assembly (3) inside the substrate to send the feed signal after the first feed power synthesis to the feed power synthesis board (30).

4. A large-scale beamforming matrix according to claim 3, characterized in that, The feed power combining board (30) includes: The front side of the composite board is provided with a fifth surface-mount RF connector socket, and the fifth surface-mount RF connector socket is connected to the second end of the second interconnect cable assembly (3) inside the substrate to receive the feed signal after the first feed power synthesis; On the reverse side of the composite board, a sixth surface-mount RF connector socket is provided, and the sixth surface-mount RF connector socket and the first end of the feed end signal output cable assembly (4) are connected to each other to send the feed signal after the second feed power synthesis to the second end of the feed end signal output cable assembly (4) installed on the surface of the whole machine structure.

5. A complete machine structure, characterized in that, Including the large-scale beamforming matrix as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, the overall structure further includes: The beam power distribution board assembly has the beam power distribution board (10) installed inside it, and the beam power distribution board assembly is fixedly installed in the support frame; A beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly is provided, wherein the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly (20) is installed inside the assembly. The beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly is fixedly installed in the support frame, and the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly is located on the plane of the support frame and is perpendicular to the plane of the beam power distribution assembly located on the support frame. The feed power combining board assembly has the feed power combining board (30) installed inside it. The feed power combining board assembly is fixedly installed inside the cable fixing box (33) and the feed power combining board assembly is installed on the top of the support frame. A connecting screw (11) is installed between the plurality of said support frames; A base plate (12) is mounted on the bottom of the plurality of said support frames; Side plates (13) are mounted on the base plate (12), and a plurality of side plates (13) are mounted on the outside of the support frame to form a cubic assembly structure.

6. The overall structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The beam power distribution board assembly includes: The first rubber sleeve (14) is fitted on the outside of the beam power distribution plate (10); The first cover plate (15) is sleeved on the outside of the first rubber sleeve (14) and the first cover plate (15) is installed inside the support frame.

7. The overall structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly includes: The second rubber sleeve (21) is fitted on the outside of the beam power distribution and feed power combining assembly plate (20); The second cover plate (22) is sleeved on the outside of the second rubber sleeve (21) and is installed inside the support frame.

8. The overall structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The feed power combining board assembly includes: The third rubber sleeve (31) is fitted on the outside of the feed power combining plate (30); The frame (32) is fitted over the outside of the third rubber sleeve (31) and is installed inside the cable fixing box (33).

9. The overall structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The materials of the beam power distribution plate (10), the beam power distribution and feed power combining plate (20), and the feed power combining plate (30) are low-temperature co-fired ceramics.

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