Vortex wave phased array antenna

Abstract

The invention discloses a vortex wave phased-array antenna which comprises a shell, a circular mounting plate is mounted on a front panel of the shell, a plurality of horn antennas are uniformly arranged on the periphery of the front end face of the circular mounting plate, and feed probes of the horn antennas penetrate through the circular mounting plate and are arranged on the rear end face of the circular mounting plate; a circular PCB is arranged on the rear end surface of the circular mounting plate; the edge area of the PCB is provided with a plurality of adjusting modules, and the adjusting modules and the horn antennas are in one-to-one correspondence and are connected through microstrip lines. Wherein the adjusting module consists of an amplifier and a phase shifter which are connected in series; the plurality of adjusting modules are connected to the active device through the same power divider; the precision adjustment of the antenna can be realized by adjusting the feed direction of the horn antenna and the extended phase shift design of the microstrip line, so that the accurate regulation and control of vortex waves in various modes are realized, and the spectrum efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of microwave radio frequency antennas, and in particular relates to a vortex wave phased array antenna. Background Art

[0002] Traditional channel multiplexing technologies include MIMO, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, code division multiplexing, time division multiplexing, polarization orthogonality, spatial orthogonality, etc. These technologies have been fully developed, but still cannot meet the growing communication needs. Vortex wave technology is one of the orthogonal resources of electromagnetic waves that has not been fully utilized. Vortex wave antennas can improve spectrum efficiency and channel capacity in the field of communications, and also show great application potential in the fields of radar detection and imaging.

[0003] Existing vortex wave antennas are large in size, expensive, require high precision of microwave equipment, and can only achieve a single mode. The effect of expanding channel capacity is not obvious, and the antenna array mode cannot be adjusted according to actual conditions. Resources are not fully utilized, resulting in huge waste of resources. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a vortex wave phased array antenna to achieve the control of multiple mode vortex waves and improve the spectrum efficiency.

[0005] The present invention adopts the following technical scheme: a vortex wave phased array antenna, comprising a shell, a circular mounting plate is mounted on the front panel of the shell, a plurality of horn antennas are evenly arranged on the outer periphery of the front end surface of the circular mounting plate, and a feeding probe of the horn antenna passes through the circular mounting plate and is arranged on the rear end surface of the circular mounting plate; A circular PCB board is arranged on the rear end surface of the circular mounting plate; Several adjustment modules are arranged at the edge area of ​​the PCB board, and the adjustment modules correspond to the horn antennas one by one and are connected through microstrip lines; wherein the adjustment modules are composed of an amplifier and a phase shifter connected in series; Several regulating modules are connected to the active device through the same power divider; The feeding directions of all the horn antennas are consistent, and the lengths of the microstrip lines between each horn antenna and the corresponding adjustment module are equal.

[0006] Furthermore, a structural cavity wall is arranged at the periphery of each adjustment module, the structural cavity wall is arranged around the adjustment module and has an inlet notch and an outlet notch; wherein the structural cavity wall is arranged to be raised relative to the PCB board.

[0007] Furthermore, the output lines of the power divider are isolated by the structural cavity wall.

[0008] Furthermore, a microstrip line between the horn antenna and the corresponding adjustment module is arranged around the horn antenna.

[0009] Further, when the length of the microstrip line between the horn antenna and the corresponding adjustment module is greater than the corresponding length threshold, the microstrip line is arranged in a serpentine shape.

[0010] Furthermore, when the microstrip line between the horn antenna and the corresponding adjustment module is arranged in a serpentine shape, a plurality of phase-shifting isolation columns are arranged between the parallel coupling sections of the microstrip line.

[0011] Furthermore, a plurality of phase-shifting isolation columns are arranged at equal intervals and are equidistant from the microstrip lines on both sides of the parallel coupling section.

[0012] Furthermore, the length of all the phase-shifting isolation columns connected at each parallel coupling section is greater than the length of the parallel coupling section.

[0013] Furthermore, a partition wall is provided between two adjacent horn antennas.

[0014] Furthermore, a cover plate is provided on the rear end surface of the PCB board, and a support member is provided between the cover plate and the shell.

[0015] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the present invention can achieve precise adjustment of the antenna by adjusting the feeding direction of the horn antenna and the extended phase shift design of the microstrip line, thereby achieving accurate control of multiple modal vortex waves and improving spectrum efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the side structure of a vortex wave phased array antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is another side structural schematic diagram of a vortex wave phased array antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a PCB board in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a PCB board in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an arrangement of a microstrip line between a feeding probe and a PCB board in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 Another schematic diagram of the arrangement of the microstrip line between the feeding probe and the PCB board in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a measured far-field phase distribution diagram when the mode of the vortex wave phased array antenna in an embodiment of the present invention is 0; Figure 8 : is a measured far-field phase distribution diagram when the mode of the vortex wave phased array antenna in an embodiment of the present invention is 1; Fig. 9 This is a measured far-field phase distribution diagram when the mode of the vortex wave phased array antenna in an embodiment of the present invention is 2; Fig.10 : is a measured far-field phase distribution diagram when the mode of the vortex wave phased array antenna in an embodiment of the present invention is 3; Fig.11 : is a measured far-field phase distribution diagram when the mode of the vortex wave phased array antenna in an embodiment of the present invention is 4; Fig.12 is the far-field radiation pattern of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 0 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.13 is the far-field radiation pattern of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 1 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.14 : is the far-field radiation pattern of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 2 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.15 : is the far-field radiation pattern of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 3 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.16 : is the far-field radiation pattern of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 4 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.17 is a modal purity diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is -1 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.18 is a modal purity diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is -2 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.19 : is a modal purity diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is -3 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 20 : is a modal purity diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is -4 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.21 is a modal purity diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 0 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 22 : is a modal purity diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 1 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.23 : is a modal purity diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 2 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.24 : is a modal purity diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 3 in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.25 4 is a modal purity diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 4 in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Among them: 10. power divider; 20. adjustment module; 30. microstrip line; 40. isolation wall; 50. phase-shifting isolation column; 60. feeding probe; 70. structural cavity wall; 80. shell; 90. horn antenna. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0019] The present invention discloses a vortex wave phased array antenna, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes a housing 80, a circular mounting plate is installed on the front panel of the housing 80, a plurality of horn antennas 90 are evenly arranged on the outer periphery of the front end surface of the circular mounting plate, and the feeding probe 60 of the horn antenna 90 passes through the circular mounting plate and is arranged on the rear end surface of the circular mounting plate; a circular PCB board is arranged on the rear end surface of the circular mounting plate. Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of adjustment modules 20 are arranged at the edge area of ​​the PCB board, and the adjustment modules 20 correspond to the horn antennas 90 one by one and are connected through a microstrip line 30; wherein the adjustment module 20 is composed of an amplifier and a phase shifter connected in series; the plurality of adjustment modules 20 are connected to the active device through the same power divider 10; wherein the feeding directions of all the horn antennas 90 are consistent, and the lengths of the microstrip lines 30 between each horn antenna 90 and the corresponding adjustment module 20 are equal.

[0020] In the present invention, the front end surface of the circular mounting plate refers to a surface facing the opening direction of the horn antenna 90 , and the rear end surface of the circular mounting plate refers to a surface opposite to the front end surface.

[0021] The present invention can achieve precision adjustment of the antenna by adjusting the feeding direction of the horn antenna 90 and the extended phase shift design of the microstrip line 30, thereby achieving accurate control of multiple modal vortex waves and improving spectrum efficiency.

[0022] Specifically, the shell 80 of the present invention is a rectangular structure, a circular through hole is dug out on the front panel, and a circular mounting plate of the same shape and slightly larger diameter is arranged thereon to facilitate the installation of the horn antenna 90. The cavity of the horn antenna 90 is located behind the circular mounting plate, that is, inside the shell 80, which is convenient for the wiring of the horn antenna 90 and the protection of important parts of the horn antenna 90. In addition, the shell 80 is made of a plurality of panels spliced ​​together for easy installation. Process holes or slots are provided on each panel according to the design strength requirements. Specifically, the connection of the antenna line is all located inside the shell 80, and various interfaces only need to be provided on the panel.

[0023] In one embodiment, Figure 4As shown, each adjustment module 20 is provided with a structural cavity wall 70 on the periphery, the structural cavity wall 70 is arranged around the adjustment module 20 and has an inlet notch and an outlet notch; wherein the structural cavity wall 70 is arranged to be raised relative to the PCB board. Similarly, the output lines of the power divider 10 are isolated by the structural cavity wall 70. The raised arrangement means that the height of the structural cavity wall 70 is greater than the thickness of the PCB board, that is, the adjustment module 20 is located in the concave cavity surrounded by the structural cavity wall 70.

[0024] The shape of the structural cavity wall 70 can be designed according to different positions and spaces, and is preferably designed as an irregular plate shape to facilitate the weight and stability design of the entire antenna. By adding the structural cavity wall 70, adjacent adjustment modules 20 can be isolated to prevent mutual interference.

[0025] Similarly, since the coupling effect between the output lines of each level of the power divider 10 is strong, the output lines of the power divider 10 are isolated by the structural cavity wall 70 to avoid mutual interference between signals and ensure good isolation and performance.

[0026] Specifically, the microstrip line 30 between the horn antenna 90 and the corresponding adjustment module 20 is arranged around the horn antenna 90. The surrounding arrangement means that each position of the microstrip line 30 is equidistant from the edge position of the horn antenna 90. Through this surrounding design, on the one hand, the length of the microstrip line 30 can be easily calculated, and on the other hand, the electrical performance of the microstrip line 30 can be increased.

[0027] When the length of the microstrip line 30 between the horn antenna 90 and the corresponding adjustment module 20 is greater than the corresponding length threshold, the microstrip line 30 is arranged in a serpentine shape. Since the cavity avoidance hole of each horn antenna 90 has the same orientation, but the orientation of the corresponding adjustment module 20 is different, the path length required for wiring between each horn antenna 90 and the corresponding adjustment module 20 is different. This path length is used as a length threshold in the present invention. When the length of the microstrip line 30 is greater than this threshold, it is necessary to design a wiring method to avoid phase deviation.

[0028] In the transmission of radio frequency signals, the length difference of the microstrip line 30 will cause phase deviation, thus affecting the formation of vortex waves. Through the serpentine arrangement design, the length of the microstrip line 30 can be increased, so that the phase offset between the multiple groups of horn antennas 90 and the adjustment module 20 is kept consistent, ensuring the smooth formation of vortex waves. If the serpentine arrangement design is not added, the phase difference needs to be compensated by the parameters of the phase shifter. However, the phase offset will change with the change of frequency, which means that the phase shifter needs to be configured with different parameters for each frequency, which will introduce a huge amount of calculation.

[0029] Since the present invention performs an extended phase shift design on the microstrip line 30, the length of the microstrip line 30 will be greater than the original wiring path length between the horn antenna 90 and the adjustment module 20, so the line of the microstrip line 30 needs to be designed to avoid mutual coupling. The serpentine arrangement of the present invention can greatly reduce the mutual coupling effect of the microstrip line 30.

[0030] In high-speed digital circuits, the difference in length of different signal paths may cause timing deviation and affect the synchronization of signals. Through serpentine arrangement, the length of the signal path can be artificially increased to keep the transmission time of the same group of signals consistent and avoid data sampling errors.

[0031] As a specific implementation method, when the microstrip line 30 between the horn antenna 90 and the corresponding adjustment module 20 is arranged in a serpentine shape, a plurality of phase-shifting isolation columns 50 are arranged between the parallel coupling sections of the microstrip line 30. The plurality of phase-shifting isolation columns 50 are arranged at equal intervals, and the distances from the microstrip lines 30 on both sides of the parallel coupling section are equal. Through the design of the phase-shifting isolation column 50, the additional crosstalk generated by the parallel coupling section can be effectively reduced. Moreover, through the physical isolation of the phase-shifting isolation column 50, the direct coupling of the electromagnetic field can be reduced, the signal integrity can be improved, and the signal reflection and impedance discontinuity can be reduced.

[0032] It should be noted that, in order to further reduce the impact of the parallel coupling section on the antenna performance, the length of all the phase-shifting isolation columns 50 at each parallel coupling section is greater than the length of the parallel coupling section.

[0033] In summary, after being controlled by the amplifier and the phase shifter, the microstrip line 30 is directly suspended at the center of the horn antenna 90 through the cavity avoidance hole of the horn antenna 90 to feed the horn antenna 90. In order to ensure the correct synthesis of the vortex wave, the polarization modes of all horn antennas 90 need to be consistent, that is, the feeding direction of the horn antenna 90 needs to be consistent.

[0034] However, the radial power division network makes the input position and input direction of the microstrip line 30 different. If the output position of the adjustment module 20 is directly connected to the input position of the horn antenna 90, the length of the microstrip line 30 of different horn antennas 90 will be different, which will lead to different phase shifts at different frequencies. Different phase shifts need to be set for different frequencies during use, which greatly increases the workload of the backend. In addition, the products made by this method can only be used as point frequencies and cannot use continuous spectrum.

[0035] Therefore, the present invention carries out an extended phase shift design for the microstrip line 30. Conventional phase shift lines are very likely to produce mutual coupling when arranged in a narrow space of a plate, causing the antenna phase shift to be inconsistent with expectations. Therefore, a phase shift isolation column 50 is added to the easily coupled part of the phase shift line, so that the 16 horn antennas 90 achieve excellent performance of being in the same direction, polarized, and phase-consistent.

[0036] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, two different design schemes of the phase-shifting isolation column 50 are respectively given. From these two methods, it can be known that the phase-shifting isolation column 50 can be designed differently according to different wiring methods, as long as the above requirements are met.

[0037] In one embodiment of the present invention, a partition wall 40 is provided between two adjacent horn antennas 90. The design of the partition wall 40 can block direct electromagnetic coupling and cross-polarization coupling between the horn antennas 90, especially far-field coupling, thereby reducing interference and improving the polarization purity of the antenna. In addition, the partition wall 40 can also reduce mutual interference between the horn antennas 90, thereby reducing the sidelobe level of the directional pattern and improving the main lobe gain.

[0038] The rear end surface of the PCB board of the present invention is provided with a cover plate, and a support member is provided between the cover plate and the housing 80. The support member can ensure the stable operation of various components in the housing 80 and can also conduct heat to improve the heat dissipation effect.

[0039] As a more specific implementation, the embodiment of the present invention is composed of 16 completely identical horn antennas 90, and the 16 horn antennas 90 are evenly distributed on the same circle. The horn antenna 90 adopts the design of a linearly polarized conical horn, and the feeding method is microstrip line feeding, so that the excitation of 16 horn antennas 90 can be completed on a printed circuit board, which greatly reduces the production cost and debugging cost of the antenna, and the debugging time of a single set of products can be reduced by more than 80%, and the debugging time of batch products can be even shorter.

[0040] The antenna feeder terminal is connected in series with an amplifier and an electronic phase shifter (these two items are active devices), where the gain of the horn antenna 90 is amplified and its phase is controlled. The end of the active device is connected to a microstrip one-to-sixteen power divider 10 for energy synthesis and distribution, and the energy is input and output through the main port of the power divider 10. The connection between the active device and the antenna feeder and the connection between the active device and the power divider 10 are all made by gold wire bonding to ensure that the microstrip lines 30 can be stably bridged.

[0041] In the present invention, the gain of the horn antenna 90 is not required and is determined according to the gain index of the vortex wave phased array antenna. The higher the gain of the horn antenna 90, the higher the gain of the vortex wave phased array antenna. At the same time, amplifiers with different gains can also change the gain of the vortex wave phased array antenna.

[0042] The present invention has conducted actual measurements on the vortex wave phased array antenna of the above embodiment. Specifically, the vortex wave phased array antenna is mounted on a planar near-field measurement system, and the measurement device is placed 80 mm away from the center of the vortex wave phased array antenna array surface for data collection. The collected amplitude and phase data are output as near-field data, and the amplitude data after data processing is output as far-field data.

[0043] like Figure 7~Figure 11 As shown, the horizontal axis X in the figure represents the horizontal direction of the vortex wave phased array antenna, the vertical axis Y represents the longitudinal direction of the vortex wave phased array antenna, and the point (0, 0) represents the intersection of the measurement plane and the axis of the vortex wave phased array antenna. The right side of the figure describes the corresponding relationship between the color and the phase in the figure. It should be noted that the modes 0 to 4 in the present invention refer to the serial numbers corresponding to different modes.

[0044] Figure 7 This is the phase distribution diagram when the vortex wave phased array antenna mode is 0. It can be seen from the figure that there is no vortex in the beam under this mode. Figure 8 This is the phase distribution diagram when the vortex wave phased array antenna mode is 1. It can be seen from the figure that there is one vortex in the beam under this mode. Fig. 9 This is the phase distribution diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 2. It can be seen from the figure that there are two vortices in the beam under this mode. Fig.10 This is the phase distribution diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 3. It can be seen from the figure that there are three vortices in the beam under this mode. Fig.11 The figure shows the phase distribution diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 4. It can be seen from the figure that there are 4 vortices in the beam under this mode.

[0045] In summary, it can be seen from the phase distribution diagram that the vortex mode of the corresponding mode can be observed in different modes, and the purity reaches more than 80%.

[0046] like Figure 12~Figure 16 As shown, it is the far-field radiation pattern under different modes, in which the horizontal axis is the direction angle and the vertical axis is the gain.

[0047] Specifically, Fig.12 It is the far-field radiation pattern when the mode is 0. There is no phase superposition and cancellation in this mode, and the main energy lobe is formed in the axial direction. Fig.13 It is the far-field pattern when the mode is 1. In this mode, there is phase superposition and cancellation, forming a beam angle. Fig.14 This is the far-field radiation pattern when the mode is 2. In this mode, there is phase superposition and cancellation, forming a beam angle. Fig.15 This is the far-field radiation pattern when mode is 3. In this mode, there is phase superposition and cancellation, forming a beam angle. Fig.16is the far-field pattern when mode is 4. In this mode, there is phase superposition and cancellation, forming a beam angle. Figures 13 to 16 In the process, the beam angle increases successively.

[0048] like Figure 17 to Figure 25 As shown in Figure 1, it is the modal purity diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna in different modes. Specifically, Fig.17 This is the modal purity diagram when the mode is -1. According to the diagram, it can be seen that the modal purity under this mode is 93.4%; Fig.18 This is the modal purity diagram when the mode is -2. According to the diagram, it can be seen that the modal purity under this mode is 87.9%; Fig.19 This is the modal purity diagram when the mode is -3. According to the diagram, it can be seen that the modal purity under this mode is 81.7%; Fig. 20 This is the modal purity diagram when the mode is -4. According to the diagram, it can be seen that the modal purity under this mode is 82.5%; Fig.21 It is the modal purity diagram when the mode is 0. According to the diagram, it can be seen that there is no vortex in the beam under this mode, so there is no modal purity; Fig. 22 This is the modal purity diagram when the mode is 1. According to the diagram, it can be seen that the modal purity under this mode is 93.5%; Fig.23 This is the modal purity diagram when the mode is 2. According to the diagram, it can be seen that the modal purity under this mode is 87.9%; Fig.24 This is the modal purity diagram when the mode is 3. According to the diagram, it can be seen that the modal purity under this mode is 86.7%; Fig.25 This is the modal purity diagram when the mode is 4. According to the diagram, it can be seen that the modal purity under this mode is 87.2%.

[0049] Therefore, it can be known that the vortex phased array antenna of the present invention has nine modes from -4 to 4, and has the function of mode switching.

Claims

1. A vortex wave phased array antenna, characterized in that: It comprises a shell (80), a circular mounting plate being mounted on the front panel of the shell (80), a plurality of horn antennas (90) being evenly arranged on the outer periphery of the front end surface of the circular mounting plate, and a feeding probe (60) of the horn antenna (90) passing through the circular mounting plate and being arranged on the rear end surface of the circular mounting plate; A circular PCB board is arranged on the rear end surface of the circular mounting plate; A plurality of adjustment modules (20) are arranged at the edge region of the PCB board, the adjustment modules (20) corresponding to the horn antennas (90) one by one and connected via microstrip lines (30); wherein the adjustment modules (20) are composed of an amplifier and a phase shifter connected in series; A plurality of the regulating modules (20) are connected to the active device via the same power divider (10); The feeding directions of all the horn antennas (90) are consistent, and the lengths of the microstrip lines (30) between each horn antenna (90) and the corresponding adjustment module (20) are equal.

2. The vortex wave phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: A structural cavity wall (70) is arranged on the periphery of each adjustment module (20), the structural cavity wall (70) being arranged around the adjustment module (20) and having an inlet notch and an outlet notch; wherein the structural cavity wall (70) is arranged to be raised relative to the PCB board.

3. The vortex wave phased array antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that: The output lines of the power divider (10) are isolated from each other by the structural cavity wall (70).

4. A vortex wave phased array antenna as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The microstrip line (30) between the horn antenna (90) and the corresponding adjustment module (20) is arranged around the horn antenna (90).

5. The vortex wave phased array antenna according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the length of the microstrip line (30) between the horn antenna (90) and the corresponding adjustment module (20) is greater than a corresponding length threshold, the microstrip line (30) is arranged in a serpentine shape.

6. The vortex wave phased array antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the microstrip line (30) between the horn antenna (90) and the corresponding adjustment module (20) is arranged in a serpentine shape, a plurality of phase-shifting isolation columns (50) are arranged between the parallel coupling sections of the microstrip line (30).

7. The vortex wave phased array antenna according to claim 6, characterized in that: A plurality of the phase-shifting isolation columns (50) are arranged at equal intervals and are at equal distances from the microstrip lines (30) on both sides of the parallel coupling section.

8. The vortex wave phased array antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that: The length of all the phase-shifting isolation columns (50) connected at the parallel coupling section is greater than the length of the parallel coupling section.

9. A vortex wave phased array antenna according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that: A separation wall (40) is provided between two adjacent horn antennas (90).

10. The vortex wave phased array antenna according to claim 9, characterized in that: A cover plate is provided on the rear end surface of the PCB board, and a support member is provided between the cover plate and the housing (80).

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