Radio frequency front-end module and method for covering multi-frequency domain signals of an on-board integrated radio frequency system

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of radio frequency front end module and method for covering the multi-frequency domain signal of airborne integrated radio frequency system, belong to aviation radio frequency technical field, including high-frequency transceiving unit, low-frequency control unit, power unit and LRM connector;The high-frequency transceiving unit includes multiple radio frequency transceiving channels, and the high-frequency transceiving unit is interacted with external antenna system by LRM connector;The low-frequency control unit is used to parse the channel switch switching of external main control module, gain adjustment control instruction;The power unit is used to provide stable power supply for active device on the whole radio frequency module.The application meets the channel control requirement of airborne CNI radio frequency signal and thunder and lightning signal, can make that airborne integrated radio frequency system is not changed under the premise of radio frequency hardware, realizes multiple communication functions and transmission system dynamic switching, simultaneously has the characteristics of componentization, good stability and portability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aviation radio frequency technology, and more specifically, to a radio frequency front-end module and method covering multi-frequency domain signals of an airborne integrated radio frequency system. Background Technology

[0002] The airborne integrated radio frequency system mainly includes the CNI system and the radar electronic warfare system, undertaking airborne communication, navigation, identification, and combat tasks. It is the core system for aircraft to complete various flight missions. Generally speaking, the airborne integrated radio frequency system mainly possesses functions such as UV voice, UV data transmission, satellite communication, various band telemetry and control links, TACAN, microwave landing, radar target search, and lightning warning. Because the airborne integrated radio frequency system includes all of the above functions, it covers a wide range of bands, from low to high: HF band, UV band, Ls band, L band, S band, C band, K band, and Ka band.

[0003] Due to issues such as radio frequency interference, ADC sampling, and baseband signal processing, radio frequency signals in various bands cannot be directly sampled and processed. Before sampling and signal processing, the radio frequency signals in the aforementioned bands need to be processed by the radio frequency front-end module to ensure normal transmission and reception of radio frequency signals in the CNI and various Thunderbolt functional systems. This includes operations such as transmit / receive channel selection, gain control, spectrum shifting, and signal filtering to remove interference signals and amplify useful signals, ultimately laying the foundation for the specific implementation of various functions of the airborne integrated radio frequency system.

[0004] Traditional RF front-end equipment features independently designed functional modules, with CNI and Thunderbolt systems often designed separately. This results in cable connections, low space utilization, large overall size, complex connections, and significant additional losses, greatly reducing the reliability and usability of the equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a radio frequency front-end module and method that covers multi-frequency domain signals of an airborne integrated radio frequency system, meets the channel control requirements of airborne CNI radio frequency signals and lightning signals, and enables the airborne integrated radio frequency system to realize dynamic switching of multiple communication functions and transmission modes without changing the radio frequency hardware. It also features modularity, good stability and portability.

[0006] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following solution:

[0007] A radio frequency front-end module covering multi-frequency domain signals of an airborne integrated radio frequency system includes a high-frequency transceiver unit, a low-frequency control unit, a power supply unit, and an LRM connector.

[0008] The high-frequency transceiver unit includes multiple radio frequency transceiver channels, and the high-frequency transceiver unit interacts with the external antenna system through an LRM connector;

[0009] The low-frequency control unit is used to parse and process the channel switch switching and gain adjustment control commands of the external main control module;

[0010] The power supply unit is used to provide a stable power supply for the active devices on the entire radio frequency module.

[0011] Furthermore, the RF front-end module adopts a modular design, encapsulating the high-frequency transceiver channel serving the airborne CNI system in a single component, defined as a conventional channel component, which performs up-conversion, filtering, and gain control on the intermediate frequency signal of the conventional airborne CNI system.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes: encapsulating the X-band transceiver channel in another component, defined as a lightning-dedicated channel component, and filtering and gain controlling the X-band radar electronic warfare signals; and the conventional channel component is physically isolated from the conventional channel component.

[0013] Furthermore, the plurality of radio frequency transceiver channels specifically include C-band transceiver channels, L-band transceiver channels, HF-band transceiver channels, UV-band transceiver channels, S-band transceiver channels, K / Ka-band transceiver channels, and X-band transceiver channels.

[0014] Furthermore, calibration modules are set up for the HF band transceiver channel, UV band transceiver channel, C band transceiver channel, S band transceiver channel, and L band transceiver channel.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes an interface unit and an LRM mixed-signal blind-mating connector. The interface unit is controlled via an RS422 serial port and an LCMOS discrete line. The RS422 serial port receives the working status of the channel and sends mode control commands to the RF front-end. The LCMOS discrete line controls the transmit / receive switch of the RF module and sends AGC control commands. The RS422 serial port is used to connect to the DSP chip, and the LCMOS is used to connect to the analog-to-digital converter chip to make the frequency front-end module portable. The LRM mixed-signal blind-mating connector is used to achieve physical connection, and the analog signal area and the low-frequency digital signal area are physically isolated to make the frequency front-end module portable.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes an anti-burn-out unit, which is used for protection when receiving signals in each band.

[0017] Furthermore, it also includes a hysteresis AGC unit, through which the gain control of each high-frequency transceiver channel of the RF front-end module is achieved.

[0018] A control method for a radio frequency front-end module covering multi-frequency domain signals of an airborne integrated radio frequency system, wherein the multiple radio frequency transceiver channels can be controlled independently and can respectively enter the conventional CNI front-end processing mode, the parallel CNI front-end processing mode and the lightning signal front-end processing mode under control.

[0019] After entering the normal CNI front-end processing mode, only one high-frequency transceiver channel is turned on, while the other channels are turned off to save power, which is used for normal single-phase narrowband CNI signal front-end processing.

[0020] After entering the parallel CNI front-end processing mode, multiple high-frequency transceiver channels are opened concurrently for multiple narrowband CNI signal front-end processing and wideband CNI signal front-end processing.

[0021] After entering the lightning signal front-end processing mode, multiple channels of the high-frequency transceiver channel are activated concurrently as needed for wide-band lightning signal front-end processing, covering both low-frequency and ultra-high-frequency bands of lightning signals in parallel.

[0022] Furthermore, it also includes the step of further subdividing the L-band CNI signal to give it an LS-band signal channel.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention include:

[0024] This invention is applicable to the fields of CNI in aviation systems and radar electronic warfare, and is used for filtering, gain control, and frequency conversion control of airborne CNI radio frequency signals and lightning signals in various bands.

[0025] This invention covers multiple bands of airborne integrated radio frequency systems, including HF, UV, L, S, K / Ka, and X signals, meeting the channel control requirements of airborne CNI radio frequency signals and lightning signals. It features gain control, filtering, and up / down conversion functions. Using this radio frequency front-end module as the front-end processing device, the airborne integrated radio frequency system can achieve dynamic switching of various communication functions and transmission modes without changing the radio frequency hardware. Furthermore, this module is modular, stable, and portable.

[0026] This invention optimizes the design of the RF front-end circuit and module structure for the signal system of the airborne integrated RF system, achieving full coverage of multiple bands of the airborne integrated RF system. It can reduce weight and cost, further improve the integration of the airborne integrated RF system, and improve the reliability of the front-end processing of the airborne integrated RF system. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall architecture of the radio frequency front-end module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a conventional channel component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a lightning-dedicated channel assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0032] All features disclosed in all embodiments of this specification, or steps in all methods or processes implied in the disclosure, may be combined and / or extended or replaced in any way, except for mutually exclusive features and / or steps.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] like Figures 1-4 As shown, a radio frequency front-end module covering multi-frequency domain signals of an airborne integrated radio frequency system includes a high-frequency transceiver unit, a low-frequency control unit, a power supply unit, and an LRM connector.

[0035] The high-frequency transceiver unit includes multiple radio frequency transceiver channels, and the high-frequency transceiver unit interacts with the external antenna system through an LRM connector;

[0036] The low-frequency control unit is used to parse and process the channel switch switching and gain adjustment control commands of the external main control module;

[0037] The power supply unit is used to provide a stable power supply for the active devices on the entire RF module. Specifically, the power supply unit is responsible for powering each functional channel, mainly including 28V to 5V, 3.3V, 1.8V, 1.5V, and 1.2V conversion functions. Simultaneously, the voltages are isolated from each other to avoid mutual interference between channel voltages.

[0038] Example 2

[0039] Based on Example 1, this RF front-end module adopts a modular design, encapsulating the high-frequency transceiver channel serving the airborne CNI system in a component, which is defined as a conventional channel component, to perform up-conversion, filtering, and gain control on the intermediate frequency signal of the conventional airborne CNI system.

[0040] Example 3

[0041] Based on Embodiment 2, the method further includes: encapsulating the X-band transceiver channel in another component, defined as a lightning-dedicated channel component, to filter and control the gain of X-band radar electronic warfare signals; and the conventional channel component is physically isolated from the conventional channel component. The lightning-dedicated channel component is mainly responsible for amplifying, filtering, and controlling the gain of various lightning signals from low to high frequencies, mainly including functions such as radar scanning and electronic warfare early warning for various systems. Considering the necessity of the CNI system on the aircraft, while the lightning system is not installed on every aircraft model, and in order to reduce signal crosstalk, the two components mentioned above are designed to be physically separate and can be installed independently. On conventional airborne platforms, conventional channel components can be installed independently. On airborne platforms that require lightning, lightning-dedicated channel components can be added, featuring modularity, which can save costs and reduce radio frequency signal crosstalk.

[0042] Example 4

[0043] Based on Example 1, the multiple radio frequency transceiver channels specifically include a C-band transceiver channel, an L-band transceiver channel, an HF-band transceiver channel, a UV-band transceiver channel, an S-band transceiver channel, a K / Ka-band transceiver channel, and an X-band transceiver channel. Based on these multiple radio frequency transceiver channels, up / down conversion, amplification, filtering, and gain control of shortwave, VHF, C-band, L-band, S-band, and K / Ka-band signals, as well as gain control and filtering amplification of X-band lightning signals, can be performed.

[0044] Example 5

[0045] Based on Example 4, calibration modules are set up for the HF band transceiver channel, UV band transceiver channel, C band transceiver channel, S band transceiver channel, and L band transceiver channel.

[0046] Example 6

[0047] Based on Embodiment 1, it also includes an interface unit and an LRM mixed-signal blind-mating connector. The interface unit is controlled via an RS422 serial port and an LCMOS discrete line. The RS422 serial port receives the working status of the channel and sends mode control commands to the RF front-end. The LCMOS discrete line controls the transmit / receive switch of the RF module and sends AGC control commands. The RS422 serial port is used to connect to the DSP chip, and the LCMOS is used to connect to the analog-to-digital converter chip to make the frequency front-end module portable. The LRM mixed-signal blind-mating connector is used to achieve physical connection, and the analog signal area and the low-frequency digital signal area are physically isolated to make the frequency front-end module portable.

[0048] Example 7

[0049] Based on Embodiment 1, an anti-burn-out unit is also included, which has an anti-burn-out power of 1W. When receiving signals in each band, the anti-burn-out unit is used for protection.

[0050] Example 8

[0051] Based on Embodiment 1, a hysteresis AGC unit is also included, through which the gain control of each high-frequency transceiver channel of the RF front-end module is achieved.

[0052] Example 9

[0053] A control method for a radio frequency front-end module covering multi-frequency domain signals of an airborne integrated radio frequency system, wherein the multiple radio frequency transceiver channels can be controlled independently and can respectively enter the conventional CNI front-end processing mode, the parallel CNI front-end processing mode and the lightning signal front-end processing mode under control.

[0054] After entering the normal CNI front-end processing mode, only one high-frequency transceiver channel is turned on, while the other channels are turned off to save power, which is used for normal single-phase narrowband CNI signal front-end processing.

[0055] After entering the parallel CNI front-end processing mode, multiple high-frequency transceiver channels are opened concurrently for multiple narrowband CNI signal front-end processing and wideband CNI signal front-end processing.

[0056] After entering the lightning signal front-end processing mode, multiple channels of the high-frequency transceiver channel are activated concurrently as needed for wide-band lightning signal front-end processing, covering both low-frequency and ultra-high-frequency bands of lightning signals in parallel.

[0057] In this invention, the signal flow of the RF front-end module can be described in two parts: CNI and lightning. The CNI signal flow of the RF front-end module is as follows: The airborne control system generates baseband signals of various CNI types. These baseband signals enter the conventional channel component of the RF front-end module, where gain control, filtering, and up / down conversion are performed. Finally, an RF signal is output and radiated by the antenna system. The gain control and up / down conversion commands from external devices are received through an interface conversion component. The lightning signal flow of the RF front-end module is as follows: The airborne control system generates baseband signals of various lightning types, such as continuous wave radar signals. These baseband signals enter the dedicated lightning channel component of the RF front-end module, where gain control and filtering are performed. Finally, an RF signal is output and radiated by the antenna system. The gain control and up / down conversion commands from external devices are received through an interface conversion component.

[0058] The lightning-specific channel component does not perform frequency conversion on the signal internally. The frequency conversion of the lightning signal is usually completed by digital frequency conversion before the radio frequency front end.

[0059] The radio frequency front-end module of this invention can meet the front-end processing requirements of various airborne CNI signals and lightning signals, including lightning function requirements, such as shortwave voice, VHF voice and data transmission, S-band satellite communication, K / Ka satellite communication, TACAN, interrogation and response, ATC, ADS-B, AIS, radar reconnaissance, electronic early warning, etc.

[0060] Example 10

[0061] Based on Example 9, the method further includes the step of further subdividing the L-band CNI signal to give it an LS-band signal channel.

[0062] like Figure 1 The diagram shows the overall architecture of the RF front-end module provided in this embodiment of the invention. Baseband analog signals generated by external devices enter the RF front-end module through the RF port in the LRM connector. Gain control and filter control commands generated by external devices enter the RF front-end module through the low-frequency port in the LRM connector. The baseband analog signals undergo front-end processing in the respective band transceiver channels, and the processed RF signals are output to the antenna system, completing the processing function of the entire RF front-end module.

[0063] In this embodiment of the invention, taking a shortwave signal as an example, the airborne mission system generates a shortwave voice baseband AM modulation signal. This modulation signal will enter the radio frequency switch SW10 through the radio frequency switch SW12, flow to the AM signal narrowband filter, flow to the detector, and then be output to the external antenna system through the subsequent low noise amplifier and filter via the radio frequency switches SW11 and SW12.

[0064] In the signal flow of shortwave signals, the center frequency and bandwidth of the filter, the gain of the low-noise amplifier, and the status of each RF switch are all input from external devices via the LRM connector. Signals in other bands are similar to shortwave signals, with gain control, channel selection, and filter settings performed by the RF front-end module.

[0065] It should be noted that, within the scope of protection defined in the claims of this invention, the following embodiments can be combined and / or extended or replaced in any logical manner from the above specific embodiments, such as the disclosed technical principles, disclosed technical features or implicitly disclosed technical features.

[0066] The units described in the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in software or hardware, and the described units can also be located in a processor. The names of these units do not necessarily limit the specific unit itself.

[0067] According to one aspect of the present invention, a computer program product or computer program is provided, the computer program product or computer program including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and executes the computer instructions, causing the computer device to perform the methods provided in the various optional implementations described above.

[0068] In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer-readable medium, which may be included in the electronic device described in the above embodiments; or it may exist independently and not assembled into the electronic device. The computer-readable medium carries one or more programs, which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the methods described in the above embodiments.

[0069] In addition to the examples above, other embodiments may be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure or by making modifications using knowledge or technology in related fields. The features of each embodiment may be interchanged or replaced. Modifications and changes made by those skilled in the art that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A radio frequency front-end module covering multi-frequency domain signals of an airborne integrated radio frequency system, characterized in that, It includes a high-frequency transceiver unit, a low-frequency control unit, a power supply unit, an LRM (Low-Rate Mixed-Type) blind-mating connector, a burn-out protection unit, and a hysteresis AGC (Automatic Gauge Control) unit; The high-frequency transceiver unit includes multiple radio frequency transceiver channels, and the high-frequency transceiver unit interacts with the external antenna system through an LRM mixed-signal blind-mating connector. The low-frequency control unit is used to parse and process the channel switch switching and gain adjustment control commands of the external main control module; The power supply unit is used to provide a stable power supply for the active devices on the entire radio frequency module; The system employs a modular design, encapsulating the high-frequency transceiver channel serving the airborne CNI system in one component, defined as the conventional channel component, which performs up-conversion, filtering, and gain control on the intermediate frequency signals of the conventional airborne CNI system; and encapsulating the X-band transceiver channel in another component, defined as the lightning-dedicated channel component, which performs filtering and gain control on the X-band radar electronic warfare signals; and the conventional channel components are physically isolated from each other. The multiple radio frequency transceiver channels specifically include C-band transceiver channels, L-band transceiver channels, HF-band transceiver channels, UV-band transceiver channels, S-band transceiver channels, K / Ka-band transceiver channels, and X-band transceiver channels; the L-band CNI signal is further subdivided to give it an LS-band signal channel; When receiving signals in each band, protection is provided by anti-burnout units; and gain control of each high-frequency transceiver channel is achieved through hysteresis AGC units.

2. The RF front-end module for covering multi-frequency domain signals of an airborne integrated RF system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Calibration modules are set up for the HF band, UV band, C band, S band, and L band transceiver channels.

3. The RF front-end module for covering multi-frequency domain signals of an airborne integrated RF system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an interface unit, which is controlled via an RS422 serial port and an LCMOS discrete line. The RS422 serial port receives the working status of the channel and sends mode control commands to the RF front-end; the LCMOS discrete line controls the transmit / receive switch of the RF module and sends AGC control commands; the RS422 serial port is used to connect to the DSP chip, and the LCMOS discrete line is used to connect to the analog-to-digital converter chip, so as to make the RF front-end module portable; the LRM digital-analog mixed blind-mating connector is used to realize the physical connection, and the analog signal area and the low-frequency digital signal area are physically isolated, so as to make the RF front-end module portable.

4. A control method for a radio frequency front-end module covering multi-frequency domain signals of an airborne integrated radio frequency system, characterized in that, Based on the RF front-end module covering multi-frequency domain signals of the airborne integrated RF system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the following steps are performed: each of the multiple RF transceiver channels can be individually controlled, and under control, they can respectively enter the conventional CNI front-end processing mode, the parallel CNI front-end processing mode, and the lightning signal front-end processing mode. After entering the normal CNI front-end processing mode, only one high-frequency transceiver channel is turned on, while the other channels are turned off to save power, which is used for normal single-phase narrowband CNI signal front-end processing. After entering the parallel CNI front-end processing mode, multiple high-frequency transceiver channels are opened concurrently for multiple narrowband CNI signal front-end processing and wideband CNI signal front-end processing. After entering the lightning signal front-end processing mode, multiple channels of the high-frequency transceiver channel are activated concurrently as needed for wide-band lightning signal front-end processing, covering both low-frequency and ultra-high-frequency bands of lightning signals in parallel.

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