Adapter connector applied to X-band high-power active phased-array antenna array plane

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of electronics, and discloses an adapter connector applied to an X-band high-power active phased-array antenna array plane, which comprises a shell, a radio frequency circuit board and a radio frequency adapter, a transmission line structure based on a radio frequency circuit board is adopted, vertical transmission design and the radio frequency adapter are combined, conversion connection between an antenna array plane feed port and a T / R assembly interface is achieved, the adapter connector shell and the antenna shell are pressed and fixed through screws, the connector is simple and reliable in structure, the installation process is facilitated, and the stability of a system is improved; the plane radio frequency structure occupies a small area in the Z-axis direction, and the overall size of the phased array is reduced; the power capacity of radio frequency signals is high, and the connection reliability of the high-power active phased array is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of electronic technology, and in particular relates to a transfer connector applied to an X-band high-power active phased array antenna array. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous improvement of electromagnetic technology and components such as power amplifiers, phased array radar has gradually become the mainstream direction of radar development. Unlike mechanical rotation scanning, phased array radar uses electronic scanning, which greatly increases the scanning rate and avoids potential failures in servo systems.

[0003] Phased array radars can be categorized as active phased array and passive phased array. Passive phased arrays use a centralized transmitter, while active phased array radars utilize a distributed architecture, connecting each antenna element directly to the transceiver front end. With the continuous advancement of RF circuit miniaturization, active phased arrays are becoming the mainstream development direction of phased arrays.

[0004] In addition, the development of high-power RF solid-state circuits has also led to the continuous development of phased arrays in the direction of high power, and the demand for applications is increasing.

[0005] The T / R assembly is a key component in phased array radars. It serves as the fundamental unit for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals, enabling amplitude and phase modulation for each feed channel. As the number of antennas in a phased array increases, the number of T / R assemblies in a phased array radar also increases, ranging from hundreds to thousands. This places certain demands on the structure connecting the T / R assembly to the antenna adapter.

[0006] For multi-channel power feeding from T / R components to antenna arrays, low channel loss and consistent performance, such as phase, must be ensured. For high-power signals, sufficient power capacity is also required. For large arrays, using cables for all connections would complicate equipment assembly and hinder miniaturization and long-term maintenance.

[0007] Through the above analysis, the problems and defects of the existing technology are as follows:

[0008] When feeding multiple channels from T / R components to antenna arrays, it's difficult to ensure low channel loss and high phase consistency. Simulation analysis of the transmission structure's power capacity is lacking for high-power signal transmission. For large arrays, using cables for all connections makes assembly difficult, hindering miniaturization and long-term maintenance. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a switching connector applied to the array surface of an X-band high-power active phased array antenna.

[0010] The present invention is implemented as follows: a transfer connector applied to an X-band high-power active phased array antenna array includes:

[0011] A housing, a radio frequency circuit board, and a radio frequency adapter, wherein one side of the housing is the interface with the antenna array, and the other side is the interface with the T / R assembly;

[0012] The radio frequency circuit board is attached to the T / R component interface of the housing, and radio frequency adapters are provided on both sides of the radio frequency circuit board;

[0013] The RF adapter is embedded in the shell on the antenna side and is welded on the surface of the RF circuit board on the T / R component side.

[0014] Furthermore, the radio frequency adapters on both sides of the radio frequency circuit board are connected through a transmission line structure based on the radio frequency circuit board, and the length difference of the transmission line is less than 0.1 mm.

[0015] Furthermore, the RF adapters on the T / R component interface are arranged in a 2×8 matrix, with a total of 8 groups; the RF adapters on the antenna array interface are arranged in a 1×16 matrix, with a total of 8 groups.

[0016] Furthermore, the number of radio frequency adapters arranged on the T / R component interface and the antenna array interface is equal, namely 128 each.

[0017] Furthermore, a threaded through hole is provided on the side of the adapter connector housing to provide additional pressing force when connected to the antenna array surface, thereby increasing the connection stability.

[0018] Furthermore, the RF circuit substrate is made of Rogers 6002 with a thickness of 0.762 mm.

[0019] Furthermore, the RF transmission line in the RF circuit board is 1.44 mm wide, has a ground clearance of no less than 0.3 mm from the same layer, and has a transmission structure characteristic impedance of 50 ohms.

[0020] Furthermore, the adapter connector housing is made of aluminum and has a thickness of 5.1 mm.

[0021] In combination with the above technical solutions and the technical problems solved, the advantages and positive effects of the technical solutions to be protected by the present invention are as follows:

[0022] First, a transmission line structure based on an RF circuit board is adopted, combined with a vertical transmission design and an RF adapter to achieve the conversion connection between the antenna array feed port and the T / R component interface. The adapter connector shell and the antenna shell are fixed by screw pressing. The connector structure is simple and reliable, which facilitates the installation process and improves the stability of the system. The planar RF structure occupies less space in the Z-axis direction, reducing the overall volume of the phased array. It has a high RF signal power capacity, which improves the connection reliability of high-power active phased arrays.

[0023] Second, the present invention utilizes a planar transmission structure combined with RF adapters to create a three-dimensional vertical interconnection structure, replacing traditional cable connections. This reduces overall system space and facilitates phased array size optimization. The present invention also utilizes a plug-in adapter design, which reduces the complexity of equipment installation, improves system maintainability, and reduces long-term maintenance costs.

[0024] The present invention carries out a simulation design of low loss, equal phase and high power capacity, which can be applied to the switching link of high-power radio frequency antenna array, making it widely used in the fields of today's high-power phased array.

[0025] Compared with existing solutions, the present invention meets the reliability requirements of high-power signal transmission by improving and optimizing the radio frequency high-performance transmission structure, and has excellent transmission performance, and can be used for high-efficiency signal transfer connection of high-power arrays.

[0026] The present invention achieves multi-channel high-performance, high-efficiency, equal-phase, and high-power capacity RF signal transfer connection through simulation design of key factors such as board thickness, line width, and the distance between the conductor and the metal ground. It is superior to traditional cable connection methods in terms of physical size and installation convenience, providing a solution for the reliable connection of RF signals between current high-power arrays. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the adapter connector structure and its effect diagram applied to the X-band high-power active phased array antenna array provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the T / R component docking surface structure of the adapter connector provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 The figure is a schematic diagram of the antenna array interface structure of the adapter connector provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the connection between the adapter connector provided by an embodiment of the present invention and the antenna array.

[0031] Figure 5This is a diagram of the insertion loss simulation results of the adapter connector provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 6 This is a diagram of the standing wave simulation results of the adapter connector provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 7 This is a diagram of the electric field simulation results of the adapter connector provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 8 4 is a diagram showing the phase difference simulation results of the adapter connector provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing the isolation simulation results of the adapter connector provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 1 Middle: 11. RF adapter on the T / R component interface; 12. RF circuit board; 13. Adapter connector-antenna array fixing hole; 14. RF adapter on the antenna array interface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0038] The adapter connector provided by the embodiment of the present invention for use in an X-band high-power active phased array antenna array, hereinafter referred to as the adapter connector, can be divided into four main layers from top to bottom, such as Figure 1 shown.

[0039] Figure 1 11 is the RF adapter on the T / R component interface. The adapter here is an SMP series surface mount structure. It functions as an RF connection structure connected to the output port of the T / R component. The layout position of the RF adapter on the plane is consistent with the position of the T / R component output port. The layout is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, 8 groups are formed with 2×8 as a group. The RF adapter on the T / R component interface is soldered to the RF circuit board via surface mount technology, converting the fed RF signal from vertical to planar direction.

[0040] Figure 1Reference numeral 12 in the center represents the RF circuit board. The front side of the board features a grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) RF transmission structure. This also serves as the mounting surface for the RF adapter on the T / R assembly interface. Its primary function is to transmit the signal fed into the connector at the T / R assembly output to the antenna array feed port. The RF circuit board is constructed of Rogers 6002, with a thickness of 0.762mm, a dielectric constant of 2.94, and a loss factor of 0.0012. The coplanar waveguide structure has a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms, a width of 1.44mm, a gap of at least 0.3mm, and a transmission line length difference of less than 0.1mm.

[0041] Figure 1 The 13 in the middle is the adapter connector housing, which has a size of 224mm×202mm×5.1mm and can be divided into the T / R component interface and the antenna array interface. The T / R component interface of the connector housing is soldered to the high-power RF circuit board, and the antenna array interface has a reserved welding hole for the back-plug RF adapter. There are 4 screw fixing holes on the side of the housing, and the method of fixing it to the antenna array is as follows Figure 4 The surface of the shell is silver-plated.

[0042] Figure 1 14 is the RF adapter for the antenna array interface. The adapter here is an SMP series back-insertion structure, which functions as an RF connection structure connected to the phased array antenna array feed port. The arrangement position is consistent with the antenna feed port position. The arrangement method is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, 1×16 is a group, with a total of 8 groups. The antenna array surface RF adapter is welded and installed in the metal shell by back insertion.

[0043] To address the problems of complex connector structure, large RF transmission loss and uneven heat dissipation between the T / R components and the antenna array surface in existing X-band active phased array antennas, the present invention proposes a four-layer composite adapter connector. Through the compact integration of the RF adapter, GCPW circuit board, metal shell and back-insertion feed head, it achieves the organic fusion of signal transmission, mechanical support and electromagnetic shielding, thereby achieving both high-power transmission and reliable assembly in a limited space.

[0044] At the RF module level, the connector uses an SMP series surface-mount adapter that corresponds to the output port of the T / R component. A 50Ω grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) network designed on a 0.762mm thick Rogers 6002 substrate smoothly transitions the RF signal from the vertical direction to the planar transmission structure. The GCPW's geometric parameters, with a linewidth of 1.44mm and a gap of ≥0.3mm, ensure bandwidth while keeping the intra-board reflection coefficient below –20dB. The difference in adjacent channel lengths is ≤0.1mm, effectively minimizing phase mismatch.

[0045] The connector housing is constructed from high-strength aluminum alloy and silver-plated for enhanced surface conductivity and excellent electromagnetic shielding. One side of the housing houses a high-power RF circuit board, while the other side features a back-entry jack for mounting an SMP series back-entry feed head. Four side screw holes secure the connector to the antenna array, achieving a seamless integration of mechanical strength and electrical connectivity.

[0046] During operation, the input X-band high-power microwave signal enters the GCPW network from the T / R assembly through the surface-mount adapter, and then travels along the plane to the back-entry feed head on the other side of the housing. The inner wall of the feed head forms continuous electrical contact with the housing, ensuring impedance matching at the vias while minimizing standing waves and leakage caused by the metal vias.

[0047] In terms of heat dissipation and shielding, the high thermal conductivity of the silver-plated shell, combined with the tightly fitted circuit board, allows the heat generated during high-power operation to be quickly transferred to the shell surface and dissipated outward; at the same time, the continuous metal cladding structure effectively isolates external electromagnetic interference and prevents internal microwave leakage, meeting the strict requirements of phased array antennas for channel isolation and back radiation.

[0048] Through the collaborative design of the above four-layer structure, the present invention achieves low loss, equal phase, reliable heat dissipation and excellent shielding of high-power signals from the T / R components to the antenna array surface. The overall size is only 224mm×202mm×5.1mm, which not only simplifies the docking process but also improves the system stability and resistance to environmental interference, fully meeting the engineering application requirements of X-band high-power phased array antennas.

[0049] The interconnection between the antenna array and the connector is as follows Figure 4 The structure below the adapter connector in the figure is the antenna housing, which is used to secure the phased array antenna and the RF adapter at the antenna feed port. Its placement is consistent with the RF adapter on the antenna mating surface of the adapter connector. When connecting the antenna feed port to the adapter connector, the RF adapter is first connected through blind plugging. Then, it is further tightened and secured using the four screw holes on both sides of the housing to ensure the stability and reliability of the RF connection between the adapter connector and the antenna housing.

[0050] Main indicators of adapter connector:

[0051] a) Frequency: DC-12GHz

[0052] b) Single channel power consumption: 4500W (pulse width 3us, duty cycle 1 / 1000)

[0053] c) Insertion loss: <0.15dB

[0054] d) Standing wave: <1.3

[0055] e) Phase difference: ±5°

[0056] The analysis and implementation of adapter connector indicators mainly include the following aspects: adapter connector insertion loss and standing wave, adapter connector power capacity, adapter connector channel phase consistency, and adapter connector channel isolation.

[0057] Insertion loss and standing wave:

[0058] To ensure optimal RF signal transmission between the antenna and T / R assembly, it's crucial to minimize signal loss introduced by the adapter connector. Signal loss in the adapter connector primarily stems from signal reflections caused by substrate dielectric and conductor losses and circuit mismatches. During the design process, this manifests itself as insertion loss and standing wave coefficient (SWR) in the connection path. The following describes the optimization process for insertion loss and SWR.

[0059] To minimize transmission line losses at high frequencies, thicker RF circuit substrates are preferred, but excessive thickness should also be avoided. This solution uses a 0.762mm thick dielectric substrate and selects Rogers 6002 material for its low dissipation factor and high power handling.

[0060] Considering the adapter's RF transmission structure—a vertical interconnection of adapter, RF transmission line, and adapter—discontinuities at these vertical connections can be a major factor affecting standing wave (SWR) in the line. This design approach primarily employed adjustments to the pad size, the spacing between the pad and the surrounding metal ground plane, and the local width of the metal conductor strip. This approach minimized the SWR while maintaining power capacity, resulting in excellent signal transmission performance for the adapter.

[0061] Modeling and simulation optimization are performed through 3D RF electromagnetic simulation software. The insertion loss is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the insertion loss is <0.12dB in the DC-12GHz frequency range, and the standing wave is as shown in Figure 6 As shown, the standing wave is less than 1.3 in the DC-12GHz frequency range, meeting the design index requirements.

[0062] Channel power capacity:

[0063] This solution requires a power capacity of no less than 4500W, which is considered a high-power RF signal. When high-power RF signals pass through RF transmission structures, they can easily form strong electric fields due to uneven metal surfaces. When these fields exceed the dielectric breakdown strength, they can cause breakdown.

[0064] To ensure that the high-power RF signal input by the T / R component does not cause electric field breakdown when passing through the adapter connector, this solution screens the substrate material on the one hand, and conducts power capacity simulation design for the structure of the adapter connector channel on the other hand.

[0065] First, this solution selected Rogers6002 plate with higher power capacity and higher breakdown field strength;

[0066] Secondly, through the analysis of the relationship between board thickness and power capacity, it can be seen that thicker substrates have greater power capacity, so a board with a thickness of 0.762mm was selected;

[0067] Secondly, if the gap between the middle conductive strip and the metal ground on both sides of the GCPW structure of the circuit board is too small, the electric field strength will increase and the power capacity will decrease. Therefore, when designing GCPW, the spacing between the middle conductive strip and the surrounding ground must be no less than 0.3mm.

[0068] Finally, this solution simulates and optimizes the spacing between the pads at the connection between the GCPW and the RF adapter and the metal ground and ground vias, optimizing power capacity while ensuring RF performance.

[0069] By simulating the electric field strength of the transfer connector port when it is fed with 4500W power, Figure 7 It can be seen that the maximum electric field strength is about 3.66MV / m, which is lower than the breakdown field strength of Rogers6002 substrate 5.14MV / m. It can be considered that the RF channel power capacity of the adapter connector meets the index requirements.

[0070] Phase consistency:

[0071] To meet the requirement of maintaining consistency across phased array channels, this solution designs the RF transmission lines to be of equal length, ensuring that the total length difference between each channel is less than 0.1 mm. The local bending structure of the transmission lines is also adjusted to further minimize their impact on phase and RF performance.

[0072] This solution is verified by modeling and simulation, and the phase difference of the adapter channel is obtained as follows: Figure 8 As shown in the figure, it can be seen that the phase difference between channels is better than ±0.5° in the DC-12GHz range, which can meet the phase accuracy requirements of the phased array.

[0073] Channel isolation:

[0074] To increase isolation between the adapter channels and minimize crosstalk that can affect system stability, this solution uses a GCPW structure as the planar RF transmission structure. Compared to microstrip RF transmission structures, GCPW improves isolation between channels without increasing the number of circuit board layers, thus avoiding potential machining errors associated with complex processing and minimizing the cost of the adapter circuit board.

[0075] This solution further improves the isolation between channels by laying ground vias on both sides of the GCPW middle conductor. Figure 9 It can be seen that the channel isolation of the adapter is above 90dB, which can meet the isolation requirements of the adapter.

[0076] This invention is primarily used in high-power active phased arrays, ensuring stable and reliable transmission of high-power signals from these devices. It boasts advantages such as small size, low installation complexity, low loss, and high phase consistency, making it suitable for linking RF signals between various device arrays.

[0077] This solution combines the RF adapter with the vertical interconnection structure design of the RF circuit board to provide a reliable adapter connection structure for connecting phased array antenna arrays and T / R components, which is easy to install and disassemble, helps improve the system connection density, and has reliable performance.

[0078] This solution optimizes the transmission performance and power capacity of the connection structure, enabling the adapter connector to achieve a power capacity exceeding 4500W in the DC-12GHz range, insertion loss <0.12dB, standing wave <1.3, phase difference better than ±0.5°, and isolation >90dB. This provides a solution for high-efficiency, high-performance connections between high-power active phased array T / R components and antenna arrays.

[0079] Through the above simulation results, the proposed adapter connector has an insertion loss of <0.12dB, a standing wave <1.3, a phase difference better than ±0.5°, and an isolation >90dB, which can meet the requirements of high-performance adapter connection functions.

[0080] The above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made by any technician familiar with this technical field within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention and within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transfer connector for an X-band high-power active phased array antenna array, characterized in that: It includes a shell, an RF circuit board and an RF adapter; one side of the shell is the antenna array interface, and the other side is the T / R component interface; the RF circuit board is attached to the T / R component interface of the shell, and RF adapters are provided on both sides of the RF circuit board; the RF adapter is fixed to the shell in an embedded manner on the antenna side, and is fixed to the surface of the RF circuit board by surface mount welding on the T / R component side.

2. The adapter connector according to claim 1, wherein: The two-sided RF adapters are connected via a transmission line structure on the RF circuit board, and the length difference between adjacent transmission lines is less than 0.1 mm.

3. The adapter connector according to claim 1, wherein: The RF adapters on the T / R component interface are arranged in a matrix form with two rows and eight columns per group, with a total of eight groups; the RF adapters on the antenna array interface are arranged in a matrix form with one row and sixteen columns per group, with a total of eight groups.

4. The adapter connector according to claim 1, wherein: Radio frequency adapters are arranged on the T / R component interface and the antenna array interface, and the total number is not less than 128.

5. The adapter connector according to claim 1, wherein: A threaded through hole is provided on the side of the shell to provide additional pressing force when docking with the antenna array to enhance the connection stability.

6. The adapter connector according to claim 1, wherein: The shell is made of aluminum alloy and has an overall thickness of 5.1 mm.

7. The adapter connector according to claim 1, wherein: The RF circuit board substrate is Rogers 6002, and the thickness is 0.762 mm.

8. The adapter connector according to claim 1, wherein: The width of the RF transmission line is 1.44 mm, the gap with the ground plane on the same layer is not less than 0.3 mm, and the characteristic impedance of the transmission structure is 50 ohms.

9. An X-band high-power active phased array antenna system, characterized in that: The invention comprises an antenna array surface and an adapter connector meeting any of the preceding claims, wherein the adapter connector reliably connects the output port of the T / R component with the feed port of the antenna array surface to achieve low-loss transmission of high-power radio frequency signals.

10. A method for connecting a T / R assembly to a phased array antenna surface, characterized in that: The method comprises the following steps: providing a transfer connector having the structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8; aligning the T / R component interface of the transfer connector with the T / R component output port and fixing the interface by surface mount welding; Align the antenna array interface of the adapter connector with the antenna array feed port and press-fit them through the threaded through-holes; power on and test to confirm that the RF transmission characteristics of each channel meet the design specifications.

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