A power amplifier combiner

Abstract

The present invention relates to a power amplifier combiner, belonging to the field of wireless communications, comprising an antenna combiner rack, two VHF power amplifier units, two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, and a VHF / UHF combiner unit; wherein the two VHF power amplifier units and the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units are provided with a total of four VHF channels, and the four VHF channels are combined and cascaded in the VHF frequency band; the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units are provided with two UHF channels, and the two UHF channels respectively output power-amplified UHF frequency band signals; and the VHF / UHF combiner unit combines the power-amplified UHF frequency band signals and outputs them to a UHF antenna interface. The power amplifier combiner of the present invention greatly reduces the size of the combiner and reduces the loss of the combiner; broadens the operating frequency band to support more communication devices; increases the signal amplification and filtering capabilities, effectively improving the communication capability when multiple devices are working simultaneously, and bringing better communication effects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of wireless communications, and in particular to a power amplifier combiner. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the market typically uses passive all-in-one combiner designs to address multi-device and multi-band communication issues. Existing combiners can support up to four simultaneous RF signals, combining four channels. Existing combiners generally support combining three VHF (Very High Frequency) band RF signals with one UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band RF signal, or two VHF band RF signals with one UHF band RF signal, but cannot meet the needs of combining RF signals from more frequency bands.

[0003] In addition, existing combiners usually only have a combining function, and the combiner and power amplifier are deployed independently, occupying a large space in the communication front end of each communication hub or communication vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present invention provide a power amplifier combiner to address existing problems such as large size, high losses, limited operating frequency bands, and limited support for a limited number of communication devices. This invention redesigns the combiner, significantly reducing its size and losses; broadening its operating frequency band to support a wider range of communication devices; and increasing its signal amplification and filtering capabilities, effectively improving the communication capabilities of multiple devices operating simultaneously and delivering better communication results.

[0005] An embodiment of the present invention provides a power amplifier combiner, comprising:

[0006] Antenna combiner rack, two VHF power amplifier units, two VHF / UHF power amplifier units and one VHF / UHF combiner unit;

[0007] Among them, the two VHF power amplifier units and the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units are equipped with a total of four VHF channels, and the four VHF channels are combined and cascaded in the VHF frequency band; the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units are equipped with two UHF channels, and the two UHF channels respectively output the UHF frequency band signals after power amplification; and the VHF / UHF combining unit combines the UHF frequency band signals after power amplification and outputs them to the UHF antenna interface.

[0008] Furthermore, the first VHF power amplifier unit of the two VHF power amplifier units performs power amplification on the first VHF frequency band signal, and outputs the power-amplified first VHF frequency band signal to the second VHF power amplifier unit; the second VHF power amplifier unit of the two VHF power amplifier units performs power amplification on the second VHF frequency band signal, and outputs the power-amplified second VHF frequency band signal and the power-amplified first VHF frequency band signal together to the first VHF / UHF power amplifier unit of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units; the first VHF / UHF power amplifier unit of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units performs power amplification on the third VHF frequency band signal, and outputs the power-amplified first VHF frequency band signal, the power-amplified second VHF frequency band signal, and the power-amplified third VHF frequency band signal to the two V a second VHF / UHF power amplifier unit in the HF / UHF power amplifier unit; the second VHF / UHF power amplifier unit in the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units power amplifies the fourth VHF frequency band signal, and combines the power-amplified first VHF frequency band signal, the power-amplified second VHF frequency band signal, the power-amplified third VHF frequency band signal, and the power-amplified fourth VHF frequency band signal to output to the VHF / UHF combining unit; the first VHF / UHF power amplifier unit power amplifies the first UHF frequency band signal, and outputs the power-amplified first UHF frequency band signal to the VHF / UHF combining unit; the second VHF / UHF power amplifier unit power amplifies the second UHF frequency band signal, and outputs the power-amplified second UHF frequency band signal to the VHF / UHF combining unit.

[0009] Furthermore, the VHF power amplifier unit is provided with a VHF10W filter module, a VHF power amplifier module, and a VHF combining module; the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit is provided with a VHF / UHF10W filter module, a VHF / UHF power amplifier module, and a VHF combining module; wherein the VHF combining module is further provided with a VHF100W filter module, and the VHF / UHF combining unit is further provided with a UHF100W filter module.

[0010] Furthermore, the power amplifier combiner includes the following four filtering modules:

[0011] VHF10W filter module;

[0012] VHF100W filter module;

[0013] UHF10W filter module;

[0014] UHF100W filter module;

[0015] Wherein, the VHF10W filter module, the VHF100W filter module, the UHF10W filter module, and the UHF100W filter module are frequency hopping filter modules; and wherein the VHF100W filter module is located in the VHF combiner module and the VHF combiner module is located in the two VHF power amplifier units and the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units; the UHF100W filter module is located in the VHF / UHF combiner unit and wherein the VHF10W filter module, the VHF100W filter module, the UHF10W filter module, and the UHF100W filter module are stacked and assembled in three layers, and the three layers include a resonant inductor cavity, a resonant capacitor matrix, and a drive circuit.

[0016] Furthermore, the resonant inductor in the resonant inductor cavity layer of the UHF100W filter module is a silver-plated copper column with a diameter greater than or equal to 7.1 mm and less than or equal to 8.1 mm; the resonant inductor in the resonant inductor cavity of the VHF100W filter module is a silver-plated copper wire with a diameter greater than or equal to 2.5 mm and less than or equal to 3.5 mm; the resonant inductor in the resonant inductor cavity of the VHF10W filter module is a silver-plated copper wire with a diameter greater than or equal to 1.2 mm and less than or equal to 1.7 mm.

[0017] Furthermore, the UHF100W filter module is an integrated silver-plated copper structure, wherein the resonant inductor in the resonant inductor cavity is tightly welded to the integrated silver-plated copper structure housing; the resonant inductor in the VHF100W filter module is welded on a metal plate, and the metal plate and the integrated silver-plated copper structure housing are tightly connected by screws.

[0018] Furthermore, in the VHF10W filter module, the VHF100W filter module, the UHF10W filter module, and the UHF100W filter module, the resonant inductor cavity is isolated from the drive circuit by a silver-plated copper plate, forming a resonant cavity with the upper part of the filter module structure, the resonant inductor cavity is silver-plated as a whole, and the corners of the resonant inductor cavity are arc-shaped; and the length and width of the resonant inductor cavity are 1.5 times the length and width of the resonant inductor, respectively; the capacitors in the resonant capacitor matrix are arranged in an arc shape and connected in series with the PIN tube; the capacitance of the capacitors is arranged in a binary mode, and the capacitance of each capacitor is twice that of the previous one.

[0019] Furthermore, in the VHF100W filter module, the PIN tube is welded in a sandwich mode, and the sandwich mode is an integrated silver-plated copper structure welded to the VHF100W filter module through a sandwich; in the UHF100W filter module, the PIN tube is welded in a tight mode, and the tight mode is an integrated silver-plated copper structure welded tightly to the UHF100W filter module.

[0020] Furthermore, the power amplifier combiner further includes a VHF antenna interface;

[0021] During transmission, the VHF band signal passes through the antenna combiner rack, the VHF channels of the two VHF power amplifier units and / or the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, and the VHF channel in the VHF / UHF combiner unit, and is sent to the VHF antenna interface and transmitted through the antenna; during transmission, the UHF band signal passes through the antenna combiner rack, the UHF channels of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, and the UHF channel in the VHF / UHF combiner unit, and is sent to the UHF antenna interface and transmitted through the antenna; during reception, when receiving in the VHF band, the VHF band signal received by the antenna is sent to the VHF channel of the VHF / UHF combiner unit through the VHF antenna interface. The F channel enters at least one of the two VHF power amplifier units and / or the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, and at least one of the two VHF power amplifier units and / or the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units is branched, filtered, and amplified by a low-noise amplifier through a combiner module, then enters the antenna combiner rack and is sent to the radio for demodulation; when receiving, when receiving in the UHF band, the UHF band signal received by the antenna is sent to the UHF channel of the VHF / UHF combiner unit through the UHF antenna interface, and enters at least one of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, and at least one of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units is filtered, amplified by a low-noise amplifier, then enters the antenna combiner rack and is sent to the radio for demodulation.

[0022] Furthermore, the VHF channels of the two VHF power amplifier units and the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units include a first filtering module, a first power amplifier module, and a first combining module; the UHF channels of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units include a second filter module and a second power amplifier module; the VHF channel in the VHF / UHF combining unit includes a first harmonic filtering module and a first standing wave detection module; the UHF channel in the VHF / UHF combining unit includes a second combining module, a second harmonic filtering module, and a second standing wave detection module.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0024] The redesign of the combiner has greatly reduced its size and reduced its loss; broadened the operating frequency band to support more communication devices; increased the signal power amplification and filtering capabilities, effectively improving the communication capabilities when multiple devices work simultaneously, bringing better communication effects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating specific embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present invention. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same components. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some of the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can also derive other drawings based on these drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a power amplifier combiner provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a VHF power amplifier unit of a power amplifier combiner provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a VHF / UHF power amplifier unit of a power amplifier combiner provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the composition of the filter module of the power amplifier combiner provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a VHF100W filter module of a power amplifier combiner provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 1. It is a structural diagram of a UHF100W filter module of a power amplifier combiner provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the PIN tube welding of the VHF100W filter module of the power amplifier combiner provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the PIN tube welding of the UHF 100W filter module of the power amplifier combiner provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the integrated silver-plated copper structure of the UHF 100W filter module of the power amplifier combiner provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 10 Schematic diagram showing a comparison of filter choke frames of a power amplifier combiner provided in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] To provide an implementation scheme for power amplification and combining, an embodiment of the present invention provides a power amplifier combiner. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are intended only to illustrate and explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments and features of the embodiments herein may be combined with one another unless there is a conflict.

[0037] The four-in-one power amplifier combiner is an important component of the vehicle communication platform. The VHF power amplifier unit, VHF / UHF power amplifier unit, and VHF / UHF combiner unit can all be individually plugged in and locked. The antenna combiner rack mainly realizes the conversion and supply of the power required by the entire machine, as well as receiving the RF and control signals from the dual-channel communication host unit, parsing the control signals, issuing control instructions to the VHF and UHF frequency band signal power amplification and combining modules, and transmitting the frequency band signals to the corresponding power amplifier unit. The power amplifier unit amplifies and filters the transmit and receive frequency band signals. The four power amplifier units are cascaded through RF lines to realize the combination of multiple VHF channels and send them to the VHF / UHF combining unit. The two VHF / UHF power amplifier units and the VHF / UHF combining unit work together to realize the combination of two UHF frequency band signals. The VHF / UHF combining unit is also responsible for the standing wave detection of the VHF and UHF antennas and the implementation of open and short circuit protection functions.

[0038] The embodiment of the present invention provides a power amplifier combiner, such as Figure 1 As shown, the power amplifier combiner may include an antenna combiner rack unit, a power amplifier (ie, power amplification) unit, a combining unit, and an antenna unit, wherein:

[0039] The antenna combiner rack unit includes a control interface module, a radio frequency distribution module, and a power supply module.

[0040] The power amplifier unit includes two VHF power amplifier units and two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, and the combining unit is a VHF / UHF combining unit.

[0041] It should be noted that the power amplifier in this article refers to power amplifier.

[0042] Figure 1 The power amplifier combiner 100 shown is interconnected with the communication host to amplify and filter four VHF signals and two UHF signals. The power amplifier combiner is interconnected with the UV antenna unit, amplifying and combining the multiple frequency band signals before transmitting them to a single UV antenna. The signals of different frequency bands received by the UV antenna are then allocated to different channels. For simplicity, V in the figure represents VHF and U represents UHF.

[0043] The antenna combiner rack (including shock-absorbing rack) 111 completes the radio control and RF access, input power filtering and voltage conversion functions, power amplification and control functions of the combiner module.

[0044] VHF power amplifier unit 101, VHF power amplifier unit 102, VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 103, and VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 104 collectively comprise four VHF channels. These four VHF channels are cascaded in the VHF frequency band and then output to the VHF antenna interface via VHF / UHF combiner unit 105. VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 103 and VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 104 comprise two UHF channels. These two UHF channels are cascaded in the UHF frequency band, but the power amplifier units do not combine the UHF band signals. The two UHF channels are output to the VHF / UHF combiner unit for channel combining in the UHF band and then output to the UHF antenna interface.

[0045] In transmit mode:

[0046] The input of VHF power amplifier unit 101 is the first VHF band signal (i.e., VHF band RF signal) from the antenna combiner rack, and the output of VHF power amplifier unit 101 is the combiner input of VHF power amplifier unit 102. VHF power amplifier unit 101 amplifies the first VHF band signal input from the RF distribution module. The amplified first VHF band signal is then combined and input to VHF power amplifier unit 102 via the first VHF channel.

[0047] The inputs to the VHF power amplifier unit 102 are the second VHF band signal from the antenna combiner rack and the power-amplified first VHF band signal from the VHF power amplifier unit 101. The VHF power amplifier unit 102 amplifies the second VHF band signal input from the RF distribution module, and outputs the power-amplified second VHF band signal to the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 103 via the second VHF channel. If a first VHF band signal is present, the power-amplified first VHF signal received from the VHF power amplifier unit 101 is also output to the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 103 via the second VHF channel.

[0048] The inputs to the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 103 are the third VHF band signal and / or the first UHF band signal (i.e., the UHF band RF signal) from the antenna combiner rack RF distribution module, as well as the input from the VHF power amplifier unit 2. The VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 103 amplifies the third VHF band signal input from the RF distribution module, and outputs the amplified third VHF band signal to the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 104 via the third VHF channel. If the first VHF band signal and / or the second VHF band signal are present, the amplified second VHF band signal and / or the first VHF band signal received from the VHF power amplifier unit 102 are also output to the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 104 via the third VHF channel. The VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 103 also amplifies the first UHF band signal input from the RF distribution module, and outputs the amplified first UHF band signal to the VHF / UHF combining unit 105 through the UHF channel UPA1 for combining.

[0049] The inputs to the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 104 are the fourth VHF band signal and / or the second UHF band signal from the antenna combiner rack RF distribution module, as well as the input from the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 103. The VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 104 amplifies the fourth VHF band signal input from the RF distribution module. The amplified fourth VHF band signal is combined with the VHF band signal input from the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 103 via the third VHF channel, and then output to the combiner unit 105 via the fourth VHF channel. If the first VHF band signal and / or the second VHF band signal and / or the third VHF band signal are present, the amplified third VHF band signal and / or the second VHF band signal and / or the first VHF band signal received from the VHF power amplifier unit 103 are also output to the VHF / UHF combiner unit 105 via the fourth VHF channel.

[0050] In general, if the signal from the RF distribution module includes a UHF band signal, the first UHF band signal is amplified by the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 103, output via UHF channel UPA1 to the combiner unit 105, and then combined there. The second UHF band signal is amplified by the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 104, output via UHF channel UPA2 to the combiner unit 105, and then combined there. There is no order requirement for the first and second UHF band signals mentioned here.

[0051] The VHF combiner cascade connection between the two VHF power amplifier units and the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units simultaneously supports power amplification and combining of four VHF band signals. A UHF cascade connection between the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units amplifies two UHF band signals, with the combining of the UHF band signals being accomplished by the combiner unit. This design, with a more streamlined hardware structure, broadens the operating frequency band, supports more communication devices, and reduces the overall combiner size.

[0052] The VHF channel (also called VHF path) of the VHF power amplifier unit and the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit includes a filter module, a power amplifier module, and a combiner module; the UHF channel (also called UHF path) of the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit includes a filter module and a power amplifier module; the VHF path in the VHF / UHF combiner unit includes a harmonic filter module and a standing wave detection module; the UHF path in the VHF / UHF combiner unit includes a combiner module, a harmonic filter module, and a standing wave detection module.

[0053] Specifically, the VHF channels of the two VHF power amplifier units and the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units include a first filtering module, a first power amplifier module, and a first combining module; the UHF channels of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units include a second filter module and a second power amplifier module; the VHF channel in the VHF / UHF combining unit includes a first harmonic filtering module and a first standing wave detection module; the UHF channel in the VHF / UHF combining unit includes a second combining module, a second harmonic filtering module, and a second standing wave detection module.

[0054] In one embodiment,

[0055] When transmitting in the VHF band, the VHF band signal passes through the antenna combiner rack, the VHF power amplifier unit and / or the VHF path of the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit, and the VHF path (channel) in the VHF / UHF combiner unit, and is sent to the VHF antenna interface and transmitted through the antenna; the power amplifier unit mentioned here can be any one or more of two VHF power amplifier units or two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, and is used according to actual conditions.

[0056] When transmitting in the UHF band, the UHF band signal passes through the antenna combiner rack, the UHF path of the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit, and the UHF path in the VHF / UHF combiner unit, and is sent to the UHF antenna interface and transmitted through the antenna; the power amplifier unit mentioned here can be any one or more of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, depending on the actual situation.

[0057] When receiving in the VHF band, the VHF band signal received by the antenna is sent to the VHF path of the VHF / UHF combiner unit through the VHF antenna interface, and enters the VHF power amplifier unit and / or VHF / UHF power amplifier unit. After being branched, filtered, and amplified by the combiner module in the power amplifier unit, it enters the antenna combiner rack and is then sent to the radio for demodulation; the power amplifier unit mentioned here can be any one or more of the two VHF power amplifier units or the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, and is used according to actual conditions.

[0058] When receiving in the UHF band, the UHF signal received by the antenna is sent through the UHF antenna interface to the UHF path of the VHF / UHF combiner unit and then to the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit. After filtering and low-noise amplification in the power amplifier unit, it enters the antenna combiner rack and is sent to the radio for demodulation. The power amplifier unit mentioned here can be any one or more of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, depending on the actual situation. Figure 2 and Figure 3 FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a VHF power amplifier unit 200 and a VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 300 .

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, the VHF power amplifier unit includes at least a VHF RF switching module 201, a VHF 10W filter module 202, a VHF power amplifier module 203, and a VHF combiner module 204. Furthermore, it also includes an external interface module 205 and a switching module 206. The VHF power amplifier unit 200, when used in conjunction with the antenna combiner rack 111, can achieve independent fixed-frequency and frequency-hopping transceiver functions for each VHF power amplifier unit channel; it can also achieve the combining function of two to four VHF channels, that is, it can achieve independent fixed-frequency and frequency-hopping transceiver functions for two to four VHF channels.

[0060] The functions of each module of the VHF power amplifier unit are as follows:

[0061] 1) VHF radio frequency switching module 201

[0062] a) In the transmitting state, the RF switch is switched to realize the transmission signal from the 10W filter module to the power amplifier and then to the VHF combiner module 204;

[0063] b) Complete the power detection of the transmission power at the power amplifier end and provide the detection value for the power closed loop;

[0064] c) In the receiving state, the RF switch is used to achieve low-noise amplification of the received signal when single-receiving to improve the receiving index, and the receiving end is connected to a 10W filter module to improve the multi-receiving and multi-transmitting performance.

[0065] 2) VHF10W filter module 202

[0066] a) In the transmitting state, the VHF10W filter module 202 is connected to filter the transmitting signal, improve the harmonic index and broadband noise index of the whole machine, and enhance the multi-transmit and multi-receive performance;

[0067] b) In the receiving state, when the whole device transmits multiple VHF band signals, the isolation between the transmitting channel and the receiving channel is improved, thereby filtering out the influence of the transmitting channel on the receiving channel.

[0068] 3) VHF amplifier module 203

[0069] In the transmitting state, the input power signal is amplified to meet the transmitting power index of the whole machine.

[0070] 4) VHF combiner module 204

[0071] a) When transmitting and receiving, one VHF band signal is coupled and distributed via bridge 208 (VHF band bridge) into two VHF band signals with the same amplitude, 3 dB lower than the input, and a phase difference of 90 degrees.

[0072] b) After passing through VHF100W filter module 207, the two VHF band signals, with the same amplitude and a 90-degree phase difference, are coupled via bridge 208 (VHF band bridge) to combine into a single VHF band signal with an amplitude 3dB higher than the input. Thus, the reflection performance of the two ports of bridge 208 in the combiner module enables the combining of multiple VHF power amplifier units.

[0073] 5) Adapter module 206

[0074] a) Realize the power supply input of the VHF power amplifier unit 200 and send the voltage signals of the power module of the antenna combiner rack 111 to each module for use;

[0075] b) Implementing the control input of the VHF power amplifier unit 200, and sending the control signals of the antenna combiner rack 111 control module to each module for use.

[0076] 6) External interface module 205

[0077] a) Realize the output of RF input signal, antenna output and combined input of RF amplified signal;

[0078] b) Realize the light control display of the module to read the working status of the device

[0079] like Figure 3As shown, the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 300 includes a VHF / UHF10W filter module 301, a VHF / UHF power amplifier module 302, a VHF combiner module 303, an external interface module 304 and a switching module 305; wherein the VHF combiner module 303 also includes a VHF100W filter module 306.

[0080] The VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 300, used in conjunction with the power amplifier antenna combiner rack 111, provides VHF and UHF channels capable of independent fixed-frequency and frequency-hopping transmission and reception. It can combine two to four VHF channels, enabling independent fixed-frequency and frequency-hopping transmission and reception of 2V to 4V channels. Unlike VHF channels, UHF channel combining is not involved in the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 300; this unit only needs to filter and amplify the transmit and receive signals.

[0081] The functions of each module of the VHF / UHF amplifier unit 300 are as follows:

[0082] 1) VHF / UHF RF switching module 308

[0083] Compared with the VHF radio frequency switching module 201, a UHF band radio frequency switch is newly added;

[0084] The LNA used in the VHF RF switching module 201 is the TQP3M9018, which covers a frequency range of 20-4000 MHz and is suitable for use in the UHF band. Therefore, the LNA circuit in the VHF / UHF RF switching module 308 does not need to be redesigned;

[0085] Furthermore, the UHF band also has the function of short-circuiting the 10W filter to optimize the dual-receiving indicators of the UHF band.

[0086] 2) VHF / UHF 10W filter module 301

[0087] a) Compared with the VHF 10W filter module 202, new frequency hopping 10W filters for 108-174M, 225-390M, and 390-678M are added;

[0088] b) Compared with the VHF10W filter module 202, the newly added filter uses a single-pole four-throw RF switch to merge the input and output ports. The number of module ports remains the same as that of the VHF10W filter module 202.

[0089] 3) VHF / UHF amplifier module 302

[0090] a) The VHF power amplifier module 203 contains only one 30-88MHz power amplifier component, and the VHF / UHF power amplifier module 302 is designed with two power amplifier components operating in the 30-512MHz and 512-678MHz frequency bands respectively;

[0091] b) Although the segmented design of the power amplifier increases the cost and the number of switches in the RF switching module, it can make the power amplifier gain flatter and the port matching better, which is conducive to improving the performance of the entire device and reducing power consumption.

[0092] 4) VHF combiner module 303

[0093] It is completely consistent with the VHF combining module 204 in the VHF power amplifier unit 200 .

[0094] 5) Adapter module 305

[0095] a) Realize the power supply input of the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 300 and send the voltage signals of the power module of the antenna combiner rack 111 to each module for use;

[0096] b) Implementing the control input of the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit 300 and sending the control signals of the antenna combiner rack 111 control module to each module for use.

[0097] 6) External interface module 304

[0098] Realize the input and output of signals in each frequency band.

[0099] The VHF power amplifier units 101 and 102 and the VHF / UHF power amplifier units 103 and 104 all combine VHF band signals, while UHF band signals are only power amplified in the VHF / UHF power amplifier units 103 and 104 and combined in a combining unit other than the power amplifier units. Therefore, both the VHF and VHF / UHF power amplifier units include a VHF combining module but do not include a UHF combining module.

[0100] In one embodiment, the filter is deployed in a cavity, and each cavity consists of a cover plate and a cavity body. The outer side of the cross-section of the cavity body is a rectangle, and the inner side of the cross-section of the cavity body is a rounded rectangle. On the inner wall of the cavity, an absorbing material can be set on the outside of each filter of the filter module to reduce interference between filters. A silver-plated copper mesh can be set on the outer wall of the cavity to cover the gap between the cover plate and the filter cavity body.

[0101] Figure 4 The figure shows the basic composition diagram of the filtering module.

[0102] Generally speaking, there are four types of filter modules (filters) in the power amplifier combiner:

[0103] VHF10W filter module;

[0104] VHF100W filter module;

[0105] UHF10W filter module;

[0106] UHF100W filter module;

[0107] These four filtering modules all use frequency hopping filters.

[0108] The 10W filter module is used for power amplification, and the 100W filter module is used for combining. The VHF power amplifier unit and the VHF / UHF power amplifier unit are equipped with a VHF 10W filter module and a UHF 10W filter module. The VHF combiner module, which is included in both power amplifier units, only has a VHF 100W filter module. The VHF 100W filter module is located in the VHF combiner module, and the VHF combiner module is located in both VHF power amplifier units and the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units. The UHF 100W filter module is located in the VHF / UHF combiner unit.

[0109] like Figure 4 As shown, the above four filter modules are stacked and assembled in three layers, and the three layers include a resonant inductor cavity 401 , a resonant capacitor matrix 402 and a driving circuit 403 .

[0110] Resonant inductor cavity 401: This includes the two main resonant inductors of the dual-tuned circuit and a cavity surrounding the inductors. The cavity is isolated from the drive circuit by a silver-plated copper plate and forms a resonant cavity with the upper portion of the filter module structure. The entire resonant inductor cavity is silver-plated, with rounded corners. The length and width of the resonant inductor cavity are 1.5 times the length and width of the inductor.

[0111] Resonant capacitor matrix 402: The resonant capacitor matrix primarily consists of PIN transistors and capacitors. The capacitors are arranged in an arc shape and connected in series with the PIN transistors. Switching the PIN transistors on or off connects or disconnects the corresponding capacitors. The capacitor values are arranged in a binary pattern, with each capacitor value being twice the value of the previous one. This minimizes the number of capacitors, reduces the size of the filter, and therefore the overall size of the combiner.

[0112] Driving circuit 403: a switching circuit, providing a turn-on voltage and a turn-off voltage for the PIN transistors of the capacitor matrix, thereby turning on or off the PIN transistors.

[0113] The three-layer stacked assembly of the above four filter modules can also be a resonant inductor cavity 401, a resonant capacitor matrix cavity 402 and a driving circuit cavity 403 stacked in sequence, wherein the resonant inductor cavity 401 is provided with a resonant inductor, the resonant capacitor matrix cavity 402 is provided with a resonant capacitor matrix, and the driving circuit cavity 403 is provided with a driving circuit.

[0114] Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a VHF 100W filter (filter module) 500 .

[0115] The VHF100W filter module 500 covers 30MHz-88MHz. This operating frequency band determines that the inductance value of the resonant inductor is relatively large, the size of the inductor is relatively large, and the Q value of the inductor is relatively low. The VHF100W resonant inductor 502 uses silver-plated copper wire with a diameter greater than or equal to 2.5mm and less than or equal to 3.5mm, preferably 3mm. The use of silver-plated copper wire in the inductor can play a role in heat dissipation. In order to further solve the heat dissipation problem, the inductor is welded on a thick metal plate 503, and the metal plate 503 is tightly connected to the overall copper structure by screws to dissipate the heat of the inductor. Preferably, the metal plate 503 can be a silver-plated copper plate. The overall copper structure is the external structure of the filter module, and the overall copper structure can be an integrated silver-plated copper structure. Compared with the conventional mode of welding the inductor on the printed circuit board, the inductor dissipates heat through the silver-plated copper plate 503, and the heat dissipation efficiency is greatly improved, which has a significant effect on increasing the operating temperature and improving reliability. At the same time, the silver-plated copper plate significantly improves the electromagnetic shielding effect compared to the printed circuit board, reducing the electromagnetic radiation intensity of the resonant inductor cavity 501. In the embodiment of the present invention, the resonant inductor in the resonant inductor cavity of the VHF10W filter module is also a silver-plated copper wire with a diameter greater than or equal to 1.2 mm and less than or equal to 1.7 mm, preferably 1.5 mm.

[0116] like Figure 5 As shown, the VHF100W filter module 500 adopts a three-layer stacked assembly, wherein the resonant inductor cavity 501, the resonant capacitor matrix 504, and the drive circuit 505 are stacked in sequence. The three-layer stacked assembly of the VHF100W filter module 500 can also be a resonant inductor cavity 501, a resonant capacitor matrix cavity 504, and a drive circuit cavity 505 stacked in sequence, wherein the resonant inductor cavity 501 is provided with a resonant inductor, the resonant capacitor matrix cavity 504 is provided with a resonant capacitor matrix, and the drive circuit cavity 505 is provided with a drive circuit.

[0117] Figure 6 FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a UHF 100W filter (filter module) 600 .

[0118] The UHF100W filter module 600 covers a frequency range of 225MHz-678MHz. Its operating frequency is relatively high, and the lumped parameter filter capacitor and the PIN tube matrix distributed parameters are large, so the main resonant inductance value needs to be extremely small. At the same time, the filter has a large power capacity, and the resistance value of the resonant inductor is mostly small, and the Q value is very high. Conventional wound inductors, and even inductors wound with silver-plated copper wire, cannot meet the requirements at the same time. The resonant inductor 603 of an embodiment of the present invention uses a thick silver-plated copper column with a diameter ranging from about 7.1mm to 8.1mm. There are two silver-plated copper columns in the resonant inductor cavity 604 to realize a dual-tuned circuit. The coupling between the two inductors is achieved by using a silver-plated wire jumper.

[0119] like Figure 6 As shown, the UHF 100W filter module 600 also adopts a three-layer stacked assembly, with the resonant inductor cavity 604, the resonant capacitor matrix 602, and the drive circuit 601 stacked in sequence, wherein the resonant inductor cavity 604 can be a silver-plated resonant inductor cavity, the drive circuit 601 is located in the drive circuit cavity, and the resonant capacitor matrix 602 is located in the resonant capacitor matrix cavity. The three-layer stacked assembly can also be a resonant inductor cavity 604, a resonant capacitor matrix cavity 602, and a drive circuit cavity 601 stacked in sequence, wherein the resonant inductor cavity 604 is provided with a resonant inductor, the resonant capacitor matrix cavity 602 is provided with a resonant capacitor matrix, and the drive circuit cavity 601 is provided with a drive circuit. The stacked assembly not only makes the space layout reasonable and improves volume utilization; at the same time, the entire module structure adopts an integrated silver-plated copper structure design, which has excellent heat dissipation performance, low loss, and good electromagnetic shielding performance. The resonant inductor silver-plated copper pillar is directly welded to the entire copper structure shell, which can further improve heat dissipation performance.

[0120] In the capacitor matrix, the PIN transistor is the main source of heat in the filter module due to its on-resistance when conducting. Therefore, it is particularly important to properly dissipate heat from the PIN transistor. In the embodiment of the present invention:

[0121] a) In the VHF100W filter module, the PIN tube adopts a sandwich welding mode, which sandwiches the PIN tube between the silver-plated copper plate and the printed circuit board. Figure 7 This is the VHF100W filter module PIN tube welding diagram. Figure 7 As shown, the two ends of the PIN tube are welded to a silver-plated copper plate 701, which is then fixed to the entire structure (housing) with screws. This conducts heat from the PIN tube to the entire module structure, dissipating the heat. The structure here is a monolithic copper structure, for example, an integrated silver-plated copper structure. Figure 7 In the figure, 701 is the silver-plated copper plate, 702 is the PIN tube welding position, and 703 is the resonant capacitor printed circuit board.

[0122] b) In the UHF 100W filter module, the PIN diode is directly soldered to the integral copper structure. One end of the PIN diode is soldered to the structural component and the other end is soldered to the printed circuit board. The integral copper structure is the external structure of the filter module and, in one embodiment, is an integrated silver-plated copper structure. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the PIN tube welding of the UHF100W filter module. Figure 8 In the figure, 801 is an integrated copper structure, 802 is a PIN tube welded to the structure, and 803 is a resonant capacitor printed circuit board. Figure 9 The figure shows the integrated silver-plated copper structure of the UHF100W filter module. Figure 9As shown in the figure, the integrated silver-plated copper structure is provided with a step, which is one PIN tube body higher than the printed circuit board, just fitting the size of the entire PIN tube, thus making the structure compact, further reducing the size of the combiner, and facilitating heat dissipation.

[0123] Optionally, in order to further enhance the heat dissipation effect, an inductor slot can be provided on the printed circuit board, the inductor can be vertically installed in the inductor slot of the printed circuit board, and a thermal pad can be used to cover the upper and lower ends of the inductor. The thermal pad can then be covered and bonded with a copper plate. The thermal pad is made of a soft material, thereby conducting all the heat of the inductor out of the filter module to the external structure. The external structure has a fan that can dissipate heat in real time.

[0124] Figure 10 A comparison diagram of the filter's choke skeleton.

[0125] The filter's choke has very high requirements for the Q value, otherwise it will increase the insertion loss of the filter module and also generate a lot of heat on the choke, causing the choke to burn out.

[0126] The filter module choke design in the embodiments of the present invention utilizes a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) bobbin winding. Compared to other magnetic cores, inductors wound with PTFE bobbins have a significantly higher Q value, roughly equivalent to air-core coils. Chokes are often quite high inductance, particularly in VHF filter modules, where the inductance is typically above 10uH. The PTFE bobbin winding of the choke achieves the technical advantage of a compact choke.

[0127] In addition, compared with the conventional circular skeleton, this device adopts square skeleton winding. Because the volume of the filter module is limited, the square skeleton has more advantages and high space utilization. Figure 10 As shown in the figure, the left side is a circular frame and the right side is a square frame. Under the same cross-radial direction, the square frame has a much higher space utilization rate.

[0128] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they may still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some of the technical features therein with equivalents; and such modifications or replacements do not deviate from the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention. Any changes or replacements that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A power amplifier combiner, characterized in that: include: Antenna combiner rack, two VHF power amplifier units, two VHF / UHF power amplifier units and one VHF / UHF combiner unit; The two VHF power amplifier units and the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units are provided with a total of four VHF channels, and the four VHF channels are combined and cascaded in the VHF frequency band; the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units are provided with two UHF channels, and the two UHF channels respectively output UHF frequency band signals after power amplification; as well as The VHF / UHF combining unit combines the power-amplified UHF band signals and outputs them to the UHF antenna interface.

2. The power amplifier combiner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first VHF power amplifier unit of the two VHF power amplifier units performs power amplification on the first VHF frequency band signal, and outputs the power-amplified first VHF frequency band signal to the second VHF power amplifier unit; The second VHF power amplifier unit of the two VHF power amplifier units performs power amplification on the second VHF frequency band signal, and outputs the power-amplified second VHF frequency band signal and the power-amplified first VHF frequency band signal together to the first VHF / UHF power amplifier unit of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units; The first of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units amplifies the third VHF frequency band signal, and outputs the power-amplified first VHF frequency band signal, the power-amplified second VHF frequency band signal, and the power-amplified third VHF frequency band signal to the second of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units; The second VHF / UHF power amplifier unit of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units performs power amplification on the fourth VHF frequency band signal, and combines the power-amplified first VHF frequency band signal, the power-amplified second VHF frequency band signal, the power-amplified third VHF frequency band signal, and the power-amplified fourth VHF frequency band signal and outputs them to the VHF / UHF combining unit; The first VHF / UHF power amplifier unit amplifies the power of the first UHF frequency band signal and outputs the power-amplified first UHF frequency band signal to the VHF / UHF combining unit; The second VHF / UHF power amplifier unit amplifies the power of the second UHF frequency band signal and outputs the power-amplified second UHF frequency band signal to the VHF / UHF combining unit.

3. The power amplifier combiner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The VHF power amplifier unit is provided with a VHF10W filter module, a VHF power amplifier module, and a VHF combining module; The VHF / UHF power amplifier unit is provided with a VHF / UHF 10W filter module, a VHF / UHF power amplifier module, and a VHF combining module; The VHF combining module is further provided with a VHF100W filter module, and the VHF / UHF combining unit is further provided with a UHF100W filter module.

4. The power amplifier combiner according to claim 3, characterized in that: The power amplifier combiner includes the following four filter modules: VHF10W filter module; VHF100W filter module; UHF10W filter module; UHF100W filter module; Wherein, the VHF10W filter module, the VHF100W filter module, the UHF10W filter module, and the UHF100W filter module are frequency hopping filter modules; and wherein The VHF100W filter module is located in the VHF combiner module and the VHF combiner module is located in the two VHF power amplifier units and the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units; The UHF100W filter module is located in the VHF / UHF combining unit; and The VHF10W filter module, the VHF100W filter module, the UHF10W filter module, and the UHF100W filter module are stacked and assembled in three layers, and the three layers include a resonant inductor cavity, a resonant capacitor matrix, and a driving circuit.

5. The power amplifier combiner according to claim 4, characterized in that: The resonant inductor in the resonant inductor cavity of the UHF100W filter module is a silver-plated copper column with a diameter greater than or equal to 7.1 mm and less than or equal to 8.1 mm; the resonant inductor in the resonant inductor cavity of the VHF100W filter module is a silver-plated copper wire with a diameter greater than or equal to 2.5 mm and less than or equal to 3.5 mm; the resonant inductor in the resonant inductor cavity of the VHF10W filter module is a silver-plated copper wire with a diameter greater than or equal to 1.2 mm and less than or equal to 1.7 mm.

6. The power amplifier combiner according to claim 5, characterized in that: The UHF 100W filter module is an integrated silver-plated copper structure, wherein the resonant inductor in the resonant inductor cavity is tightly welded to the housing of the integrated silver-plated copper structure; The resonant inductor in the VHF 100W filter module is welded on a metal plate, and the metal plate is tightly connected to the housing of the integrated silver-plated copper structure by screws.

7. The power amplifier combiner according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the VHF10W filter module, the VHF100W filter module, the UHF10W filter module, and the UHF100W filter module, the resonant inductor cavity is isolated from the drive circuit by a silver-plated copper plate, forming a resonant cavity with the upper part of the filter module structure; the resonant inductor cavity is entirely silver-plated, and the corners of the resonant inductor cavity are arc-shaped; and the length and width of the resonant inductor cavity are 1.5 times the length and width of the resonant inductor, respectively; The capacitors in the resonant capacitor matrix are arranged in an arc shape and connected in series with the PIN transistors; the capacitance values of the capacitors are arranged in a binary mode, and the capacitance value of each capacitor is twice that of the previous one.

8. The power amplifier combiner according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the VHF100W filter module, the PIN tube is welded in a sandwich mode, and the sandwich mode is an integrated silver-plated copper structure welded to the VHF100W filter module through a sandwich; In the UHF 100W filter module, the PIN tube is welded in a tight mode, and the tight mode is tightly welded to the integrated silver-plated copper structure of the UHF 100W filter module.

9. The power amplifier combiner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power amplifier combiner also includes a VHF antenna interface; During transmission, the VHF band signal passes through the antenna combiner rack, the VHF channels of the two VHF power amplifier units and / or the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, and the VHF channel in the VHF / UHF combiner unit, and is sent to the VHF antenna interface and transmitted through the antenna; During transmission, the UHF band signal passes through the antenna combiner rack, the UHF channels of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, and the UHF channel in the VHF / UHF combiner unit, and is sent to the UHF antenna interface and transmitted through the antenna; During reception, when receiving in the VHF band, the VHF band signal received by the antenna is sent to the VHF channel of the VHF / UHF combiner unit via the VHF antenna interface and enters at least one of the two VHF power amplifier units and / or the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units. After being branched, filtered, and amplified by a low-noise amplifier via the combiner module, at least one of the two VHF power amplifier units and / or the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units enters the antenna combiner rack and is then sent to the radio for demodulation; During reception, when receiving in the UHF band, the UHF band signal received by the antenna is sent to the UHF channel of the VHF / UHF combiner unit via the UHF antenna interface and enters at least one of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units. After filtering and low-noise amplification in at least one of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units, it enters the antenna combiner rack and is then sent to the radio for demodulation.

10. The power amplifier combiner according to claim 9, characterized in that: The VHF channels of the two VHF power amplifier units and the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units include a first filtering module, a first power amplifier module, and a first combining module; The UHF channels of the two VHF / UHF power amplifier units include a second filter module and a second power amplifier module; The VHF channel in the VHF / UHF combining unit includes a first harmonic filtering module and a first standing wave detection module; The UHF channel in the VHF / UHF combining unit includes a second combining module, a second harmonic filtering module, and a second standing wave detection module.

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