A vortex wave phased array antenna

Abstract

The application discloses a vortex wave phased array antenna, which comprises a shell, a circular mounting plate is mounted on the front panel of the shell, a plurality of horn antennas are uniformly arranged on the outer periphery of the front end surface of the circular mounting plate, the feed probes of the horn antennas pass through the circular mounting plate and are arranged on the rear end surface of the circular mounting plate, a circular PCB plate is arranged on the rear end surface of the circular mounting plate, a plurality of adjusting modules are arranged on the edge region of the PCB plate, the adjusting modules correspond to the horn antennas one by one and are connected through microstrip lines, wherein the adjusting module is composed of a series-connected amplifier and a phase shifter, the plurality of adjusting modules are connected to an active device through the same power divider, and the precision adjustment of the antenna can be realized through the adjustment of the feed direction of the horn antenna and the extension phase shift design of the microstrip line, so that the accurate regulation and control of various modal vortex waves are realized, and the frequency spectrum efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of microwave radio frequency antenna technology, and particularly relates to a vortex wave phased array antenna. Background Technology

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

[0003] Existing vortex wave antennas are large in size, expensive, and require high precision from microwave equipment. They can only achieve a single mode, and their effect on expanding channel capacity is not significant. They cannot adjust the antenna array modes according to actual conditions, resulting in incomplete utilization of resources and a great waste of resources. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a vortex wave phased array antenna to achieve the modulation of multiple modes of vortex waves and improve spectral efficiency.

[0005] The present invention adopts the following technical solution: a vortex wave phased array antenna, including a housing, a circular mounting plate is installed on the front panel of the housing, a plurality of horn antennas are uniformly arranged on the outer periphery of the front end face of the circular mounting plate, and the feed probes of the horn antennas pass through the circular mounting plate and are located on the rear end face of the circular mounting plate.

[0006] A circular PCB board is provided on the rear end face of the circular mounting plate;

[0007] Several adjustment modules are set on the edge area of ​​the PCB board. Each adjustment module corresponds to a horn antenna and is connected via a microstrip line. Each adjustment module consists of an amplifier and a phase shifter connected in series.

[0008] Several adjustment modules are connected to the active device through the same power divider;

[0009] All horn antennas are fed in the same direction, and the length of the microstrip line between each horn antenna and its corresponding adjustment module is equal.

[0010] Furthermore, each adjustment module is surrounded by a structural cavity wall, which has an inlet and an outlet notch; the structural cavity wall protrudes relative to the PCB board.

[0011] Furthermore, the output lines of the power divider are isolated from each other by the structural cavity wall.

[0012] Furthermore, a microstrip line is arranged around the horn antenna to connect the horn antenna and the corresponding adjustment module.

[0013] Furthermore, 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 pattern.

[0014] Furthermore, when the microstrip line between the horn antenna and the corresponding adjustment module is arranged in a serpentine pattern, several phase-shifting isolation pillars are set between the parallel coupling segments of the microstrip line.

[0015] Furthermore, several phase-shifting isolation pillars are arranged at equal intervals, and the distances from them to the microstrip lines on both sides of the parallel coupling section are equal.

[0016] Furthermore, the length of all phase-shifting isolation pillars connected at each parallel coupling segment is greater than the length of the parallel coupling segment.

[0017] Furthermore, an isolation wall is installed between each of the two adjacent horn antennas.

[0018] Furthermore, a cover plate is provided on the rear end face of the PCB board, and a support member is provided between the cover plate and the housing.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are: by adjusting the feeding direction of the horn antenna and the phase-shifting design of the extended microstrip line, this invention can achieve precise adjustment of the antenna, thereby realizing accurate control of multiple modes of vortex waves and improving spectral efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a side view of a vortex wave phased array antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another side structure of a vortex wave phased array antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the PCB board structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the PCB board in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of microstrip lines between the feed probe and the PCB board in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another arrangement of the microstrip line between the feed probe and the PCB board in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7This is a measured far-field phase distribution diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 0 in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a measured far-field phase distribution diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna in the embodiment of the present invention when the mode is 1;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a measured far-field phase distribution diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention when mode 2 is 2;

[0029] Figure 10 This is a measured far-field phase distribution diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention when the mode is 3;

[0030] Figure 11 This is a measured far-field phase distribution diagram of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention when the mode is 4;

[0031] Figure 12 This is the far-field radiation pattern of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 0 in this embodiment of the invention;

[0032] Figure 13 This is the far-field radiation pattern of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention when mode 1 is 1;

[0033] Figure 14 This is the far-field radiation pattern of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention when mode 2 is 2;

[0034] Figure 15 This is the far-field radiation pattern of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention when mode 3 is 3;

[0035] Figure 16 This is the far-field radiation pattern of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention when mode 4 is 4;

[0036] Figure 17 This is a diagram showing the mode purity of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention when the mode is -1;

[0037] Figure 18 This is a diagram showing the mode purity of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention when the mode is -2.

[0038] Figure 19 This is a diagram showing the modal purity of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention when the mode is -3;

[0039] Figure 20 This is a diagram showing the mode purity of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention when the mode is -4.

[0040] Figure 21 This is a diagram showing the modal purity of the vortex wave phased array antenna when its mode is 0 in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 22 This is a diagram showing the mode purity of the vortex wave phased array antenna when mode 1 is used in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 23 This is a diagram showing the mode purity of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention when mode 2 is 2.

[0043] Figure 24 This is a diagram showing the mode purity of the vortex wave phased array antenna when mode 3 is present in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 25 This is a mode purity diagram for mode 4 of the vortex wave phased array antenna in this embodiment of the invention.

[0045] Among them: 10. Power divider; 20. Adjustment module; 30. Microstrip line; 40. Isolation wall; 50. Phase-shifting isolation post; 60. Feed probe; 70. Structural cavity wall; 80. Housing; 90. Horn antenna. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0047] This invention discloses a vortex wave phased array antenna, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the device includes a housing 80. A circular mounting plate is mounted on the front panel of the housing 80. A plurality of horn antennas 90 are evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the front end face of the circular mounting plate. The feed probes 60 of the horn antennas 90 pass through the circular mounting plate and are located on the rear end face of the circular mounting plate. A circular PCB board is mounted on the rear end face of the circular mounting plate. Figure 3 As shown, several adjustment modules 20 are arranged on the edge area of ​​the PCB board. Each adjustment module 20 corresponds to a horn antenna 90 and is connected by a microstrip line 30. Each adjustment module 20 consists of an amplifier and a phase shifter connected in series. All adjustment modules 20 are connected to active devices through the same power divider 10. All horn antennas 90 have the same feed direction, and the length of the microstrip line 30 between each horn antenna 90 and its corresponding adjustment module 20 is equal.

[0048] In this invention, the front end face of the circular mounting plate refers to the face facing the opening direction of the horn antenna 90, and the rear end face of the circular mounting plate refers to the face opposite to the front end face.

[0049] This invention enables precise adjustment of the antenna by adjusting the feed direction of the horn antenna 90 and the phase-shifting design of the extended microstrip line 30, thereby achieving accurate control of multiple modes of vortex waves and improving spectral efficiency.

[0050] Specifically, the housing 80 of this invention has a cuboid structure, with a circular through-hole cut out on its front panel. A circular mounting plate of the same shape but slightly larger in diameter is installed on the through-hole to facilitate the installation of the horn antenna 90. The cavity of the horn antenna 90 is located behind the circular mounting plate, i.e., inside the housing 80, which facilitates the wiring of the horn antenna 90 and also protects important parts of the horn antenna 90. In addition, the housing 80 is composed of multiple panels spliced ​​together to facilitate installation. Each panel has process holes or slots provided according to design strength requirements. Specifically, the antenna wiring connections are all located inside the housing 80, and various interfaces are only provided on the panels.

[0051] In one embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, each adjustment module 20 is surrounded by a structural cavity wall 70, which has an inlet and an outlet notch. The structural cavity wall 70 protrudes from the PCB board. Similarly, the output lines of the power divider 10 are isolated from each other by the structural cavity wall 70. The protrusion design means that the height of the structural cavity wall 70 is greater than the thickness of the PCB board, i.e., the adjustment module 20 is located within the cavity formed by the structural cavity wall 70.

[0052] The shape of the structural cavity wall 70 can be designed according to different locations and spaces, with an irregular plate shape being preferred to facilitate the overall weight and stability design of the antenna. By adding the structural cavity wall 70, adjacent adjustment modules 20 can be isolated to prevent mutual interference.

[0053] Similarly, since the coupling effect between the output lines of each stage 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.

[0054] Specifically, the microstrip line 30 between the horn antenna 90 and the corresponding adjustment module 20 is arranged around the horn antenna 90. This surrounding arrangement means that all positions of the microstrip line 30 are equidistant from the edge of the horn antenna 90. This surrounding design facilitates the calculation of the microstrip line 30's length and also improves its electrical performance.

[0055] 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 pattern. Since the cavity clearance holes of each horn antenna 90 face the same direction, but the orientation of their corresponding adjustment modules 20 is different, the required wiring path length between each horn antenna 90 and its corresponding adjustment module 20 is different. This path length is used as a length threshold in this invention. When the length of the microstrip line 30 is greater than this threshold, a wiring method needs to be designed to avoid phase deviation.

[0056] In radio frequency signal transmission, the length difference of the microstrip line 30 can cause phase deviation, thus affecting the formation of vortex waves. A serpentine arrangement design can increase the length of the microstrip line 30, ensuring consistent phase offset between multiple horn antennas 90 and the adjustment module 20, thus guaranteeing successful vortex wave formation. Without the serpentine arrangement design, the phase difference needs to be compensated for using phase shifter parameters. However, the phase offset changes with frequency, meaning the phase shifter needs different parameters for each frequency, introducing a huge computational burden.

[0057] Because this invention incorporates an extended phase-shifting design for the microstrip line 30, its length is greater than the original wiring path length between the horn antenna 90 and the adjustment module 20. Therefore, the microstrip line 30 requires redesign to avoid mutual coupling. The serpentine arrangement of this invention significantly reduces the mutual coupling of the microstrip line 30.

[0058] In high-speed digital circuits, differences in the length of different signal paths can lead to timing deviations, affecting signal synchronization. By using a serpentine arrangement, the length of the signal paths can be artificially increased, ensuring that the transmission time of the same set of signals remains consistent and avoiding data sampling errors.

[0059] As a specific implementation, when the microstrip line 30 between the horn antenna 90 and the corresponding adjustment module 20 is arranged in a serpentine pattern, several phase-shifting isolation pillars 50 are provided between the parallel coupling sections of the microstrip line 30. These phase-shifting isolation pillars 50 are evenly spaced and equidistant from the microstrip lines 30 on both sides of the parallel coupling section. The design of the phase-shifting isolation pillars 50 effectively reduces additional crosstalk generated in the parallel coupling section. Furthermore, this physical isolation through the phase-shifting isolation pillars 50 also reduces direct electromagnetic field coupling, improves signal integrity, and reduces signal reflection and impedance discontinuities.

[0060] 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 phase-shifting isolation pillars 50 connected at each parallel coupling section is greater than the length of the parallel coupling section.

[0061] In summary, after being controlled by the amplifier and phase shifter, the microstrip line 30 is directly suspended at the center of the horn antenna 90 through the cavity clearance hole of the horn antenna 90, thus feeding the horn antenna 90. To ensure the correct synthesis of vortex waves, the polarization of all horn antennas 90 must be consistent, that is, the feeding direction of the horn antennas 90 must be consistent.

[0062] However, the radial power divider network causes the input position and direction of the microstrip line 30 to vary. 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 will be different for different horn antennas 90, resulting in different phase shifts at different frequencies. In use, different phase shifts need to be set for different frequencies, which greatly increases the workload of the backend. Moreover, products made using this method can only be used as a point frequency and cannot use continuous spectrum.

[0063] Therefore, the present invention extends the phase-shifting design of the microstrip line 30. Conventional phase-shifting lines are prone to mutual coupling when arranged in the narrow space of the plate, causing the antenna phase shift to be inconsistent with the expectation. Therefore, a phase-shifting isolation post 50 is added to the easily coupled part of the phase-shifting line, so that the 16 horn antennas 90 achieve excellent performance of being in the same direction and polarization and having the same phase.

[0064] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, two different design schemes for the phase-shifting isolation post 50 are presented. It can be seen from these two methods that the phase-shifting isolation post 50 can be designed differently according to different wiring methods, as long as the above requirements are met.

[0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, an isolation wall 40 is provided between each pair of adjacent horn antennas 90. The isolation wall 40 is designed to 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 antennas. Furthermore, the isolation wall 40 can also reduce mutual interference between the horn antennas 90, thereby reducing the sidelobe level of the radiation pattern and improving the main lobe gain.

[0066] The rear end face 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 each component inside the housing 80, and can also conduct heat and improve the heat dissipation effect.

[0067] As a more specific implementation, this embodiment of the invention uses 16 identical horn antennas 90, which are evenly distributed on the same circle. The horn antennas 90 adopt a linearly polarized conical horn design and are fed by microstrip lines. This allows the excitation of 16 horn antennas 90 to be completed on a single printed circuit board, significantly reducing antenna production and debugging costs. The debugging time for a single product can be reduced by more than 80%, and the debugging time for batch products can be even shorter.

[0068] An amplifier and an electronic phase shifter (both active devices) are connected in series at the antenna feed line termination to amplify the gain and control the phase of the horn antenna 90. The active devices are then connected to a microstrip 1-to-16 power divider 10 for energy synthesis and distribution, with energy input and output handled by the power divider 10's main port. The connections between the active devices and the antenna feed line, as well as between the active devices and the power divider 10, utilize gold wire bonding to ensure stable bridging between the microstrip lines 30.

[0069] In this invention, the gain of the horn antenna 90 is not specified and is determined based on the gain specifications of the vortex wave phased array antenna. A higher gain for the horn antenna 90 results in a higher gain for the vortex wave phased array antenna. Furthermore, amplifiers with different gains can also alter the gain of the vortex wave phased array antenna.

[0070] This invention presents a field measurement of 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 measuring device is placed 80 mm from the center of the vortex wave phased array antenna surface for data acquisition. The acquired amplitude and phase data are output as near-field data, and the processed amplitude data is output as far-field data.

[0071] like Figures 7-11 As shown in the figure, the horizontal axis X represents the transverse 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 illustrates the correspondence between the colors and the phase. It should be noted that modes 0 to 4 in this invention refer to the sequence numbers corresponding to different modes.

[0072] Figure 7 The diagram shows the phase distribution of the vortex wave phased array antenna when the mode is 0. As can be seen from the diagram, the beam has no vortex in this mode. Figure 8 The diagram shows the phase distribution of the vortex wave phased array antenna in mode 1. As can be seen from the diagram, there is one vortex in the beam in this mode. Figure 9 The diagram shows the phase distribution of the vortex wave phased array antenna in mode 2. As can be seen from the diagram, there are two vortices in the beam in this mode. Figure 10 The diagram shows the phase distribution of the vortex wave phased array antenna in mode 3. As can be seen from the diagram, there are 3 vortices in the beam under this mode. Figure 11 The figure shows the phase distribution of the vortex wave phased array antenna in mode 4. As can be seen from the figure, there are 4 vortices in the beam in this mode.

[0073] In summary, the phase distribution diagram shows that vortex modes of the corresponding modes can be observed under different modes, and the purity of each mode is above 80%.

[0074] like Figures 12-16The figure shows the far-field radiation patterns under different modes. The horizontal axis represents the direction angle, and the vertical axis represents the gain.

[0075] Specifically, Figure 12 The far-field radiation pattern is when the mode is 0. In this mode, there is no phase superposition or cancellation, and the main energy lobe is formed in the axial direction. Figure 13 The image shows the far-field radiation pattern when mode 1 is active. In this mode, phase superposition and cancellation occur, resulting in the beam angle. Figure 14 The image shows the far-field radiation pattern when mode 2 is active. In this mode, phase superposition and cancellation occur, resulting in the beam angle. Figure 15 The image shows the far-field radiation pattern when mode 3 is active. In this mode, phase superposition and cancellation occur, resulting in the beam angle. Figure 16 The image shows the far-field radiation pattern for mode 4, where phase superposition and cancellation occur, resulting in the beam angle. Furthermore, from... Figures 13 to 16 In the middle, the beam angle increases sequentially.

[0076] like Figures 17-25 The image shows the modal purity diagrams of a vortex wave phased array antenna in different modes. Specifically, Figure 17 The plot shows the modal purity for mode -1. According to the plot, the modal purity for this mode is 93.4%. Figure 18 The plot shows the modal purity for mode -2. According to the plot, the modal purity for this mode is 87.9%. Figure 19 The modal purity plot shows that the modal purity is 81.7% for mode -3. Figure 20 The plot shows the modal purity for mode -4. According to the plot, the modal purity for this mode is 82.5%. Figure 21 The diagram shows the modal purity when the mode is 0. According to the diagram, the beam has no vortex in this mode, so there is no modal purity. Figure 22 The diagram shows the modal purity for mode 1. Based on this diagram, the modal purity for this mode is 93.5%. Figure 23 The diagram shows the modal purity for mode 2. According to the diagram, the modal purity for this mode is 87.9%. Figure 24 The diagram shows the modal purity for mode 3. According to the diagram, the modal purity for this mode is 86.7%. Figure 25 The diagram shows the modal purity for mode 4. According to the diagram, the modal purity for this mode is 87.2%.

[0077] Therefore, it can be seen 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, The device includes a housing (80), on the front panel of which a circular mounting plate is mounted. A plurality of horn antennas (90) are evenly arranged on the outer periphery of the front end face of the circular mounting plate. The feed probes (60) of the horn antennas (90) pass through the circular mounting plate and are located on the rear end face of the circular mounting plate. The cavity clearance holes of each horn antenna (90) face the same direction, but the corresponding adjustment module (20) faces a different direction. 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 pattern. A circular PCB board is provided on the rear end face of the circular mounting plate; The edge area of ​​the PCB board is provided with several adjustment modules (20), each of which corresponds to the horn antenna (90) and is connected by a microstrip line (30); wherein, the adjustment module (20) is composed of an amplifier and a phase shifter connected in series; Several of the aforementioned adjustment modules (20) are connected to the active device through the same power divider (10); All the horn antennas (90) have the same feeding direction, and the length of the microstrip line (30) between each horn antenna (90) and the corresponding adjustment module (20) is equal.

2. The vortex wave phased array antenna as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the adjustment modules (20) is provided with a structural cavity wall (70) around its periphery. The structural cavity wall (70) surrounds the adjustment module (20) and has an inlet and an outlet. The structural cavity wall (70) protrudes relative to the PCB board.

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

4. A vortex wave phased array antenna as described 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. A vortex wave phased array antenna as described in claim 4, characterized in that, When the microstrip line (30) between the horn antenna (90) and the corresponding adjustment module (20) is arranged in a serpentine pattern, a number of phase-shifting isolation pillars (50) are provided between the parallel coupling segments of the microstrip line (30).

6. A vortex wave phased array antenna as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Several phase-shifting isolation pillars (50) are arranged at equal intervals and are equidistant from the microstrip lines (30) on both sides of the parallel coupling section.

7. A vortex wave phased array antenna as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The length of all phase-shifting isolation pillars (50) connected at the parallel coupling section is greater than the length of the parallel coupling section.

8. A vortex wave phased array antenna as described in any one of claims 5-7, characterized in that, An isolation wall (40) is provided between each of the two adjacent horn antennas (90).

9. A vortex wave phased array antenna as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The rear end face of the PCB board is provided with a cover plate, and a support member is provided between the cover plate and the housing (80).

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