Direction finding antenna

Abstract

The invention discloses a direction-finding antenna, and the antenna comprises a direction-finding antenna unit which is composed of a PCB dielectric substrate, a metal enclosure frame, and a radio frequency connector. The direction-finding antenna array is formed by uniformly arranging N direction-finding antenna units at an angle of 360 degrees / N at intervals; wherein the PCB dielectric substrate is a multilayer board and comprises a plurality of copper layers; the bottom copper layer of the PCB dielectric substrate and the metal enclosure frame form an integral structure through welding or conductive material pasting / pressing. An outer conductor of the radio frequency connector is fixed to the metal enclosure frame, and an inner conductor is welded to a feed strip line of the PCB dielectric substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of radio monitoring and direction finding, and in particular to a direction finding antenna. Background Art

[0002] Radio monitoring and direction finding refers to the activities of detecting, searching, and intercepting radio signals within a radio management area, and then analyzing, identifying, monitoring, and obtaining technical information such as their technical parameters, operating characteristics, and radiation location. It is a key means of effectively implementing radio management and a vital branch of radio spectrum management. With the rapid development of the economy and technology, various radio services have penetrated into all areas of social and economic life and are widely used in broadcasting, television, mobile communications, and aerospace. The main radio signal frequencies range from 20 MHz to 18 GHz, and even higher in the millimeter wave band.

[0003] Currently, there are many types of radio monitoring and direction-finding equipment, including fixed stations, vehicle-mounted stations, transportable, portable, handheld, and backpack-mounted equipment. Antennas are required to cover frequency bands including 20MHz-1.300GHz, 1.3GHz-3GHz, 3GHz-8GHz, and 8GHz-18GHz. Multiple antennas are typically used to achieve full frequency band coverage, with combiners or switches used to connect or switch between antennas. Especially at the high end, achieving direction-finding performance requires a very small antenna array aperture. However, an excessively small antenna array aperture severely compresses the size of a single antenna, making it difficult to implement in an engineering context. Furthermore, ensuring consistency between antennas is difficult, impacting direction-finding performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a direction-finding antenna to solve the technical problems existing in the background technology.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A direction-finding antenna, comprising:

[0007] The direction-finding antenna unit consists of a PCB dielectric substrate, a metal frame, and a radio frequency connector;

[0008] A direction-finding antenna array is composed of N direction-finding antenna units uniformly arranged at an angular interval of 360° / N;

[0009] in:

[0010] The PCB dielectric substrate is a multi-layer board comprising multiple copper layers;

[0011] The bottom copper layer of the PCB dielectric substrate and the metal frame are welded or glued / pressed together by connecting strips to form an integral structure;

[0012] The outer conductor of the radio frequency connector is fixed to the metal frame, and the inner conductor is welded to the feed strip line of the PCB dielectric substrate.

[0013] In some embodiments, in the PCB dielectric substrate, the antenna radiator, the coupling feed strip line and the metal ground occupy two copper layers, and the antenna feed strip line occupies at least two copper layers.

[0014] In some embodiments, the antenna radiator and the coupling feed strip line are distributed on a first copper layer, and the coupling feed strip line is electrically connected to the feed strip line through a metallized via.

[0015] In some embodiments, the antenna feed strip line is a radio frequency transmission line, including a microstrip line, a stripline, or a coplanar waveguide (CPW);

[0016] One end of the feed strip line is connected to the coupling feed strip line, and the other end is connected to the inner conductor of the radio frequency connector.

[0017] In some embodiments, the antenna radiator is composed of four rectangular copper sheets of the same shape, and the coupling feed strip line is located in the middle area of ​​the four rectangular copper sheets.

[0018] In some embodiments, the metal frame is an integrally formed structure with raised partitions on its left and right sides.

[0019] In some embodiments, the outer conductor of the RF connector is fixed to the metal frame by screws.

[0020] In some embodiments, the direction-finding antenna array is of ultra-wideband design and has an operating frequency range of 8-18 GHz.

[0021] In some embodiments, N is an integer greater than or equal to 6.

[0022] In some embodiments, when N=7, the outer diameter of the direction-finding antenna array is less than 60 mm.

[0023] The beneficial effects that may be brought about by the direction-finding antenna disclosed in this application include but are not limited to:

[0024] 1. Breakthrough in ultra-miniaturization in high-frequency bands

[0025] The single antenna unit adopts a PCB dielectric substrate + metal frame integrated structure, formed into a whole through welding / conductive adhesive layer, eliminating the assembly error of traditional discrete components;

[0026] The diameter of the 7-element array is <60mm, which is more than 40% smaller than the traditional array, meeting the rigid requirements of the 8-18GHz high frequency band for tiny array aperture.

[0027] 2. Ultra-wideband performance stability

[0028] The innovative "four radiators + coupled feed" topology works synergistically with the raised baffle's secondary radiation enhancement to achieve full frequency coverage from 8 to 18 GHz.

[0029] 3. Strong scalability

[0030] By scaling the size of the PCB (1) and the frame (2) in proportion, it can adapt to higher frequency bands of 6-40GHz;

[0031] Supports flexible array configuration of N ≥ 6 elements (e.g. 6 / 7 / 8 elements), eliminating the need to redesign single antennas when the number of elements is expanded. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the direction-finding antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application in a 7-element direction-finding antenna array implementation;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the front structure of a direction-finding antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application in a single-antenna implementation mode;

[0034] Figure 3 A front view of a direction-finding antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application in a single-antenna implementation mode;

[0035] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the back structure of a direction-finding antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application in a single-antenna implementation mode;

[0036] Figure 5 A rear view of a direction-finding antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application in a single-antenna implementation mode;

[0037] Figure 6 A front view of a direction-finding antenna PCB provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 7 A rear view of the direction-finding antenna PCB provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Numbers in the figure: 1-PCB dielectric substrate, 2-metal frame, 3-RF connector, 4-metal bracket, 5-raised partition, 6-antenna radiator, 7-coupling feed strip line, 8-connecting strip line, 9-antenna feed strip line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0041] On the contrary, this application covers any alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and solutions made within the spirit and scope of this application as defined by the claims. Furthermore, to facilitate a better understanding of this application, certain specific details are described in detail below in the detailed description of this application. Those skilled in the art will be able to fully understand this application without these details.

[0042] like Figure 1-7 As shown, a direction-finding antenna includes: a direction-finding antenna unit consisting of a PCB dielectric substrate 1, a metal frame 2, an antenna radiator 6, a coupling feed strip line 7, a metal ground and a radio frequency connector 3, and a direction-finding antenna array consisting of N direction-finding antenna units arranged evenly.

[0043] The PCB dielectric substrate is a multi-layer board (multi-layer copper layer), the antenna radiator, coupling feed strip line and metal ground occupy two copper layers, the bottom copper layer of the PCB dielectric substrate and the metal frame are welded or pasted / pressed together by connecting strip line 8 to form an integral structure; the antenna feed strip line 9 (such as microstrip line and strip line, etc.) occupies at least two copper layers; the metal frame is an integrated design, with raised partitions 5 on the left and right sides to improve the antenna performance; the outer conductor of the RF connector is fixed to the metal frame by screws, and the inner conductor is welded to the feed strip line on the PCB copper layer; the bottom copper layer of the PCB dielectric substrate and the metal frame are welded or pasted / pressed together with conductive materials to form a whole. The inner core of the RF connector is welded on Figure 7 Antenna feeding is realized on the antenna feeding strip line 9 in the antenna, and together they form a complete direction-finding antenna unit.

[0044] like Figure 6 and 7 The antenna radiator 6 is coupled and fed through the coupling feed strip line 7, and the coupling feed strip line 7 is electrically connected to the bottom antenna feed strip line 9 through the metallized via, and then connected to the RF connector, finally realizing the feeding of the direction-finding antenna.

[0045] The present invention evenly combines the direction-finding antenna units into a direction-finding antenna array to achieve the direction-finding function of radio signals. According to antenna theory, when there are metal objects around the antenna with a wavelength comparable to the frequency band covered by the antenna, the metal objects will generate parasitic radiation (secondary radiation), thereby affecting the antenna performance. Figure 2 In the figure, the raised sides of the metal frame utilize this theory to improve the antenna radiation pattern performance.

[0046] In some embodiments, the PCB dielectric substrate is a multi-layer board (multi-layer copper layers), the antenna radiator, coupling feed strip line and metal ground occupy two copper layers, and the antenna feed strip line (such as microstrip line and strip line, etc.) occupies at least two copper layers.

[0047] In some embodiments, the antenna radiator and the coupling feed strip line are distributed on the first copper layer, and the coupling feed strip line is electrically connected to the feed strip line through a metallized via, and then connected to an RF connector to ultimately feed the direction-finding antenna.

[0048] In some embodiments, the antenna feed strip line can be any RF transmission line, including a microstrip line, a stripline, and a CPW (coplanar waveguide), etc. One end of the transmission line (the inner core of the equivalent coaxial line) is connected to the coupled feed strip line on the first copper layer of the antenna, and the other end (the outer conductor of the equivalent coaxial line) is connected to the metal ground of the antenna.

[0049] In some embodiments, the first copper layer of the PCB dielectric substrate, the radiator is composed of four rectangular copper sheets of the same shape, and the coupling feed strip line is located in the middle of the four rectangular copper sheets.

[0050] In some embodiments, the direction-finding antenna, the bottom copper layer of the PCB dielectric substrate and the metal frame are formed into a whole by welding or pasting / pressing conductive materials.

[0051] In some embodiments, the metal frame is an integrally formed design with partitions on the left and right sides to improve antenna performance. The outer conductor of the RF connector is fixed to the metal frame by screws, and the inner conductor is welded to the feed strip line on the PCB copper layer.

[0052] In some embodiments, the direction-finding array is formed by rotating N PCB antennas at an angle of 360° / N to form an N-element direction-finding antenna array. The direction-finding antenna and the direction-finding antenna array are ultra-wideband designs with a frequency range of 8-18 GHz.

[0053] In some embodiments, when the direction-finding antennas are uniformly formed into a 7-element direction-finding antenna array, the direction-finding antenna array is installed by a metal bracket 4 , and the outer diameter is less than 60 mm.

[0054] 1) The present invention discloses a direction-finding antenna for use in a radio direction-finding system, covering 8-18 GHz. The antenna is small in size and modular in design, and can be arbitrarily combined into an N-element direction-finding antenna array.

[0055] 2) The direction-finding antenna disclosed in the present invention can be proportionally enlarged or reduced to form direction-finding antennas for other frequency bands.

[0056] 3) The direction-finding antenna disclosed in the present invention uses a PCB + metal frame + RF connector design to ensure the stability of antenna performance in the 8-18 GHz range.

[0057] 4) The present invention discloses a direction-finding antenna that supports forming a direction-finding antenna array with 6 or more elements.

[0058] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A direction-finding antenna, characterized in that: include: A direction-finding antenna unit comprises a PCB dielectric substrate (1), a metal frame (2), and a radio frequency connector (3); A direction-finding antenna array is composed of N direction-finding antenna units uniformly arranged at an angular interval of 360° / N; in: The PCB dielectric substrate (1) is a multi-layer board comprising multiple copper layers; The bottom copper layer of the PCB dielectric substrate (1) is connected to the metal surrounding frame (2) to form an integral structure; The outer conductor of the radio frequency connector (3) is fixed to the metal frame (2), and the inner conductor is connected to the antenna feed strip line (9) of the PCB dielectric substrate (1).

2. The direction-finding antenna according to claim 1, wherein: In the PCB dielectric substrate (1), the antenna radiator (6), the coupling feed strip line (7) and the metal ground of the direction-finding antenna unit occupy two copper layers, and the antenna feed strip line (9) occupies at least two copper layers.

3. The direction-finding antenna according to claim 2, wherein: The antenna radiator (6) and the coupling feed strip line (7) are distributed on the first copper layer, and the coupling feed strip line (7) is electrically connected to the feed strip line (9) through a metallized via.

4. The direction-finding antenna according to claim 2, wherein: The antenna feed strip line (9) is a radio frequency transmission line, including a microstrip line, a strip line or a coplanar waveguide; One end of the feed strip line (9) is connected to the coupling feed strip line (7), and the other end is connected to the inner conductor of the radio frequency connector.

5. The direction-finding antenna according to claim 3, wherein: The antenna radiator (6) is composed of four rectangular copper sheets of the same shape, and the coupling feed strip line (7) is located in the middle area of ​​the four rectangular copper sheets.

6. The direction-finding antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The metal frame (2) is an integrally formed structure, with raised partitions (5) provided on its left and right sides.

7. The direction-finding antenna according to claim 6, wherein: The outer conductor of the radio frequency connector (3) is fixed to the metal surrounding frame (2).

8. The direction-finding antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The direction-finding antenna array is of ultra-wideband design, and its operating frequency range is 8-18 GHz.

9. The direction-finding antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The N is an integer greater than or equal to 6.

10. The direction-finding antenna according to claim 1, wherein: When N=7, the direction-finding antenna array is installed via a metal bracket (4), and the outer diameter is less than 60 mm.

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