Satellite-borne high-integration emission phased-array antenna

Abstract

The invention discloses a satellite-borne high-integration emission phased-array antenna, which is characterized in that an antenna radiation unit array, a secondary feed network and a power supply and control circuit of a T component array are integrated in a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) sub-array, and a phase shift and attenuation control channel, a power amplifier and a primary feed network are integrated in each T component; a minimum function unit of the phased-array antenna is formed by one PCB sub-array and a T assembly array installed on the PCB sub-array, and a plurality of minimum function units are combined through a radio frequency expansion mother board, so that modular connection and signal distribution are realized, and different emission requirements are met; the minimum function unit, the radio frequency expansion mother board and the thermal control board are longitudinally arranged in a vertical stacking mode, the wave control power supply module, the up-conversion amplification module and the vertical stacking module group are transversely arranged in the same plane, and a heat conduction path is greatly shortened. According to the invention, the longitudinal profile height, the overall size and the system weight of a traditional brick type phased-array antenna are obviously reduced, and the antenna can better meet the application requirements of a low earth orbit flat plate type satellite platform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of active phased array antennas, and in particular to a satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the low-Earth orbit (LEO) small satellite industry and the widespread application and maturity of high-efficiency launch technologies such as multiple satellites per launch, flat-panel satellites have become the preferred platform for building modern low-Earth orbit constellation networks due to their compact structure and ease of integration. However, at the same time, the phased array antenna payloads carried by such flat-panel satellites have also been subject to more stringent requirements for low longitudinal profile height, lightweight, and high integration to meet the constraints of the overall satellite design, integration, and launch. Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the traditional phased array antenna architecture based on brick-type or tile-type T / R components, due to its inherent physical size and integration method, has been unable to meet the strict constraints of the current flat-panel satellite platform on antenna profile, weight and integration. In particular, when the transmitting antenna has higher requirements for power efficiency and heat dissipation, the challenge is even more prominent. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem solved by the present invention is: to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna, which achieves deep integration and collaborative breakthroughs in the miniaturization, integration and efficiency of RF components and the innovative design of the overall architecture of the phased array antenna, so as to realize a low-profile, high-performance and high-efficiency transmitting phased array antenna that meets the needs of low-Earth orbit small satellite platforms.

[0004] The technical solution of the present invention is: a satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna, comprising a number of PCB sub-arrays, a T-component array, a radio frequency expansion motherboard, a thermal control board, a wave control power supply module and an up-conversion amplifier module;

[0005] The PCB subarray integrates the antenna radiating element array, the secondary feeding network, and the power supply and control circuits of the T-component array; each T-component integrates the phase shift and attenuation control channel, the power amplifier, and the primary feeding network; a PCB subarray and the T-component array installed thereon together constitute the minimum functional unit of the phased array antenna, and several of the minimum functional units are combined through the RF expansion motherboard to achieve modular connection and signal distribution to meet different transmission requirements; the minimum functional unit, the RF expansion motherboard, and the thermal control board are arranged vertically in a vertical stacking manner to form a vertically stacked module group; the wave control power supply module and the up-conversion amplifier module are both arranged horizontally in the same plane as the vertically stacked module group.

[0006] Furthermore, a T-component array is mounted on the bottom surface of each PCB sub-array, with each PCB sub-array located on the same plane. The RF expansion motherboard is mounted around all PCB sub-arrays, leaving space for mounting all T-component arrays. The edge area of ​​the inner surface of the thermal control board adopts a conformal design, consistent with the shape of the RF expansion motherboard, while the middle area is tightly attached to the T-component array via a thermal pad. The outer surface of the thermal control board is mounted on the unified heat dissipation interface of the satellite platform. The heat generated by the T-component array is directly transferred to the unified heat dissipation interface of the satellite platform through the thermal pad and the thermal control board.

[0007] The wave control power supply module and the up-conversion amplifier module are respectively located on both sides of the vertically stacked module group, and the bottom surfaces of the three are flush.

[0008] Furthermore, the specific composition of the PCB sub-array is:

[0009] The first and second layers are the antenna radiation unit array layers, the third layer is the antenna and RF ground, the fourth layer is the RF ground of the first transmitting beam, the fifth layer is the power splitter network routing layer of the first transmitting beam, the sixth layer is another layer of RF ground for the first transmitting beam, the seventh layer is the RF ground for the second transmitting beam, the eighth layer is the power splitter network routing layer of the second transmitting beam, and the ninth layer is another layer of RF ground for the second transmitting beam. And so on, the following layers are the RF ground, power splitter network routing layer and another layer of RF ground for beam i, until beam N; finally, the 3×N+4 layer is the control line shielding layer, the 3×N+5 layer is the control routing layer, the 3×N+6 layer is the shielding layer shared by control and power supply, the 3×N+7 layer is the power supply routing layer, the 3×N+8 layer is the power supply screen layer, and the 3×N+9 layer is the BGA pad layer; N is the number of beams of the transmitting phased array antenna.

[0010] Furthermore, the total thickness of the PCB sub-array is less than 5 mm, and electrical connectivity is achieved between circuits on each layer via a vertical interconnection structure.

[0011] Furthermore, each PCB sub-array has N independent secondary feed network RF input ports; N is the number of beams of the transmitting phased array antenna; each secondary feed network RF input port is connected to the RF output port on the RF expansion motherboard to receive the RF signal from the RF expansion motherboard;

[0012] In the internal circuit of the RF expansion motherboard, the signal transmission path of each antenna beam is independent of each other. The RF signal processed by the up-conversion amplification module is distributed to each PCB sub-array through the RF output port of the RF expansion motherboard.

[0013] Furthermore, each secondary feeding network RF input port and the RF expansion motherboard RF output port are connected using an SMP RF connector.

[0014] Furthermore, each T component integrates N×N independent phase shift and attenuation control channels and corresponding power amplifiers, with N-beam, N-channel parallel processing capabilities.

[0015] Furthermore, RF signal transmission is achieved between the RF output port of the T component and the antenna radiating element array, as well as between the RF input port of the T component and the secondary feeding network, through the vertical interconnection structure inside the PCB sub-array.

[0016] Furthermore, the up-conversion amplification module up-converts the input baseband or intermediate frequency signal to the target transmission frequency band, performs filtering and power amplification, and transmits the processed RF signal through N independent RF output ports to N independent beam input ports on the RF expansion motherboard.

[0017] Furthermore, the wave control power supply module integrates the wave controller and the power supply module to power the T component array and transmit control instructions, as well as power other modules that require electricity in the transmitting phased array antenna.

[0018] The advantages of the present invention compared with the prior art are:

[0019] (1) The present invention overcomes a series of technical bottlenecks faced by traditional brick-type and tile-type phased array antennas when applied to low-orbit small satellite platforms, such as high profile, large volume, heavy weight, low integration and low transmission efficiency. It proposes an advanced transmitting phased array antenna that can meet the requirements of large-angle beam scanning coverage, and has high integration, extremely low profile, four-beam independent control capability, high transmission efficiency, and its antenna array size can be flexibly adjusted according to specific mission index requirements. It can meet the transmission requirements of modern satellite communication systems for multi-region, multi-user, multi-task concurrent coverage and high data throughput.

[0020] (2) The present invention greatly shortens the path for heat conduction from the main active devices (T components) to the final heat dissipation interface by carefully optimizing the overall structural layout of the antenna. This innovation greatly simplifies the design of the thermal control structure and avoids the complex and expensive thermal management solutions that may be required in traditional high-performance antennas, such as solid-liquid phase change energy storage materials, gas-liquid phase change heat conduction technology (such as heat pipes, heat spreaders), etc. At the same time, the design of the present invention ensures that when the array scale is expanded according to different mission indicators, the thermal conduction characteristics and path length of a single sub-array remain basically consistent, so that the original thermal control design method can continue to be effectively applied without major changes, showing excellent thermal design compatibility and maintainability.

[0021] (3) The present invention achieves an extremely low profile height, and also achieves a significant reduction in size and weight, achieving a significant lightweight and miniaturized effect.

[0022] (4) The present invention adopts the design of RF expansion motherboard to perform standardized interconnection and signal distribution between the PCB sub-arrays of the phased array antenna, realizing convenient modular design and scalability.

[0023] (5) The present invention highly integrates functions such as multi-layer broadband coupled microstrip antenna units, power supply and control routing of the T-component array, and the secondary feeding network of four independent beams. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure principle of a typical brick-type or tile-type active phased array antenna in the prior art;

[0025] Figure 2 A three-dimensional perspective view of the overall structure of the phased array antenna of the present invention;

[0026] Figures 3(a) to 3(w) show the wiring diagrams and three-dimensional schematics of each layer of the PCB sub-array;

[0027] Figure 4 A perspective view of the three-dimensional structure of the PCB sub-array and the T-module array after integration and assembly of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 A perspective view of the three-dimensional structure of the radio frequency expansion motherboard of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 A perspective view of the three-dimensional structure of the thermal control plate of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 A perspective view of the three-dimensional structure of the wave-controlled power module of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 It is a perspective view of the three-dimensional structure of the up-conversion amplification module of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described below. Elements not shown in the figures or not described in words are forms known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The description of the embodiments herein, any reference to directions and orientations, are only for ease of description and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. The following description of the preferred embodiments will involve combinations of features, which may exist independently or in combination, and the present invention is not particularly limited to the preferred embodiments.

[0033] In the following, this embodiment is described by taking a four-beam transmitting phased array antenna as an example.

[0034] like Figure 2As shown, the four-beam transmitting phased array antenna includes several PCB sub-arrays 1, T-component arrays 4, RF expansion motherboards 2, thermal control boards 3, wave control power supply modules 5 and up-conversion amplifier modules 6; the PCB sub-arrays 1, T-component arrays 4, RF expansion motherboards 2 and thermal control boards 3 are vertically stacked for a vertically integrated layout; the wave control power supply modules 5 and up-conversion amplifier modules 6 are horizontally coordinated with the aforementioned vertically stacked module groups in a planar manner; through this highly integrated design, the vertical space occupied by the antenna is effectively compressed, and the overall space utilization is optimized through a reasonable horizontal layout, and the heat conduction path is greatly shortened through the optimized layout.

[0035] PCB subarray 1 is a key core component that enables the highly integrated design of the present invention. In this embodiment, a single PCB subarray integrates 128 dual-layer broadband microstrip antenna radiating elements, a secondary feed network for four independent beams (serving as signal input paths), a power distribution network and control signal routing for the 32-way T-module array 4, and a surface-mounted BGA pad array for mounting the 32-way T-modules.

[0036] Each PCB sub-array uses a multi-layer lamination process to integrate the antenna radiation unit, secondary feeding network, and power supply and control circuits of the T-component array into a multi-layer RF PCB board with a total thickness of less than 5mm. Electrical connectivity is achieved between the circuits on each layer through vertical interconnection structures (such as vias).

[0037] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3(w), it is a layered schematic diagram of the PCB sub-array, and as shown in Figures 3(a) to (v), it is a schematic diagram of the PCB board layout of each layer and the BGA pad distribution. Among them, the first and second layers are antenna radiation unit arrays, specifically in the form of double-layer microstrip patch antennas. The third layer is the RF ground of the antenna radiation unit array, the fourth layer is the RF ground of beam 1, the fifth layer is the power splitter network routing layer of beam 1, the sixth layer is another RF ground of beam 1, the seventh layer is the RF ground of beam 2, the eighth layer is the power splitter network routing layer of beam 2, the ninth layer is another RF ground of beam 2, the tenth layer is the RF ground of beam 3, the eleventh layer is the power splitter network routing layer of beam 3, the twelfth layer is another RF ground of beam 3, the thirteenth layer is the RF ground of beam 4, the fourteenth layer is the power splitter network routing layer of beam 4, the fifteenth layer is another RF ground of 4, the sixteenth layer is the control line shielding layer, the seventeenth layer is the control routing layer, the eighteenth layer is the shielding layer shared by control and power supply, the nineteenth layer is the power supply routing layer, the 20th layer is the power supply screen layer, and the 21st layer is the BGA pad layer.

[0038] The resulting multilayer RF PCB features layers made of dielectric materials with excellent microwave-frequency properties and low loss characteristics. These layers are bonded together through multiple layers of prepreg and then cured. Interconnections between the layers are achieved by punching and metallizing before and after lamination. The T-module array 4 is a BGA chip-based transmitter module array using ceramic packaging technology. Each module integrates 16 independent phase shift and attenuation control channels and corresponding power amplifiers (PAs), enabling four-beam, four-channel parallel processing capabilities. It also incorporates a primary feed network for each beam. The T-modules achieve high-density electrical interconnection and mechanical fixation to the corresponding pads of PCB subarray 1 using ball grid array (BGA) implant technology. Direct RF signal transmission between the T-module's RF output port and the antenna radiating element, as well as between the T-module chip's RF input port and the secondary feed network, is achieved through the vertical interconnect structure within the PCB subarray. Specifically, the antenna radiating element is directly electrically connected to the BGA pads on the bottom surface of the PCB via the vertical interconnect structure and then soldered to the T-module's RF output port. The RF input port of the secondary feeding network is also connected to the bottom BGA pad through the vertical interconnection structure inside the PCB sub-array, and then connected to the RF input port of the T component after welding.

[0039] A PCB subarray and the 32 T-modules mounted on it together form the smallest, independently operable functional unit of a phased array antenna. The present invention designs a radio frequency expansion motherboard 2 that conveniently and flexibly combines several of these smallest functional units, enabling the phased array antenna to flexibly adjust its overall array size, precisely adapting to satellite communication transmission requirements at varying orbital altitudes, communication rates, and target coverage areas.

[0040] Preferably, if Figure 4 As shown, a T-component array 4 consisting of 32 T-component chips is mounted on the bottom surface or designated area of ​​the PCB subarray. The T-component chips on each PCB subarray are arranged in a 4-row × 8-column array. Each T-component is responsible for the four-beam phase shifting, attenuation control, and power amplification of a 2×2 antenna radiating element. Correspondingly, the antenna radiating elements are arranged in a regular array of 8 rows × 16 columns.

[0041] Preferably, the 16-channel phase shift and attenuation function control channels inside the T component are implemented using mature silicon-based CMOS or SiGe BiCMOS processes; the power amplifier (PA) is implemented using high-performance compound semiconductor processes (such as gallium arsenide GaAs or gallium nitride GaN) based on performance requirements such as output power, efficiency and linearity.

[0042] Preferably, if Figure 5As shown, each PCB subarray has four independent secondary feed network RF input ports. Each of these four RF input ports is connected to the output port preset for the corresponding beam on the RF expansion motherboard 2 via a suitable RF connection method, such as an SMP connector, to receive RF signals from the RF expansion motherboard 2. In the internal circuit design of the RF expansion motherboard 2, the signal transmission path for each beam is independent, responsible for accurately distributing the signal processed by the up-conversion amplification module 6 to each PCB subarray.

[0043] Preferably, if Figure 6 As shown, by carefully optimizing the design of the overall structure of the antenna, the PCB sub-array and the T-component chip can be closely mounted on the thermal control board 3; specifically, combined with Figure 2 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 A T-component array 4 is installed on the bottom surface of each PCB sub-array 1, and all PCB sub-arrays 1 are located in the same plane. The RF expansion motherboard 2 is installed around all PCB sub-arrays, leaving space for the installation of all T-component arrays 4. The edge area of ​​the inner surface of the thermal control board 3 adopts a conformal design, consistent with the shape of the RF expansion motherboard 2, and the middle area is tightly attached to the T-component array 4 via a thermal conductive pad (TIM). The outer surface of the thermal control board is installed on the unified heat dissipation interface of the satellite platform. The wave control power supply module and the up-conversion amplifier module are located on both sides of the vertically stacked module group, and the bottom surfaces of the three are flush. This design greatly shortens the heat conduction path from the heat source to the final heat dissipation interface, making the thermal control design simplified.

[0044] Preferably, if Figure 7 As shown, the beam controller and power module are integrated into a compact and efficient beam control power module. This module is interconnected with each PCB sub-array via flexible low-frequency cable assemblies, centrally providing power to all T-module arrays within each sub-array, as well as real-time transmission of control commands such as beam pointing and power level adjustment, and powering other power-consuming modules within the transmitting phased array antenna.

[0045] Preferably, if Figure 8 As shown, the upconversion amplifier module is directly connected to the four corresponding independent beam input ports on the RF expansion motherboard via four high-quality RF cables. This module upconverts the input baseband or intermediate frequency (IF) signal to the target transmit frequency band (such as the Ku or Ka band), performs necessary filtering and power amplification, and then distributes the processed RF signal to the RF expansion motherboard, where it is fed into the various T-modules for final power amplification and beamforming. Simultaneously, the upconversion amplifier module is connected to the beam control power module via a low-frequency cable assembly to obtain a stable and reliable operating power supply and the necessary enable control signals.

[0046] It will be understood that the present invention is described by way of example, and it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes or equivalent substitutions may be made to these features and embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, under the teachings of the present invention, these features and embodiments may be modified to adapt to specific circumstances without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and any embodiment that falls within the scope of the claims of this application is intended to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] The contents not described in detail in the specification of the present invention belong to the common knowledge of those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna, characterized by: It includes several PCB sub-arrays, T-component arrays, RF expansion motherboards, thermal control boards, wave control power modules and up-conversion amplifier modules; The PCB subarray integrates the antenna radiating element array, the secondary feeding network, and the power supply and control circuits of the T-component array; each T-component integrates the phase shift and attenuation control channel, the power amplifier, and the primary feeding network; a PCB subarray and the T-component array installed thereon together constitute the minimum functional unit of the phased array antenna, and several of the minimum functional units are combined through the RF expansion motherboard to achieve modular connection and signal distribution to meet different transmission requirements; the minimum functional unit, the RF expansion motherboard, and the thermal control board are arranged vertically in a vertical stacking manner to form a vertically stacked module group; the wave control power supply module and the up-conversion amplifier module are both arranged horizontally in the same plane as the vertically stacked module group.

2. The satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific composition of the vertical stacking module group is as follows: the bottom surface of each PCB sub-array is installed with a T component array, and each PCB sub-array is located on the same plane. The RF expansion motherboard is installed around all PCB sub-arrays, leaving space for the installation of all T component arrays. The edge area of ​​the inner surface of the thermal control board adopts a conformal design, consistent with the shape of the RF expansion motherboard, and the middle area is closely attached to the T-component array through a thermal pad; The outer surface of the thermal control panel is installed on the unified heat dissipation interface of the satellite platform; The heat generated by the T-module array is directly transferred to the unified heat dissipation interface of the satellite platform through the thermal pads and thermal control plate; The wave control power supply module and the up-conversion amplifier module are respectively located on both sides of the vertically stacked module group, and the bottom surfaces of the three are flush.

3. The satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific composition of the PCB sub-array is: The first and second layers are the antenna radiation unit array layers, the third layer is the antenna and RF ground, the fourth layer is the RF ground of the first transmitting beam, the fifth layer is the power splitter network routing layer of the first transmitting beam, the sixth layer is another layer of RF ground for the first transmitting beam, the seventh layer is the RF ground for the second transmitting beam, the eighth layer is the power splitter network routing layer of the second transmitting beam, and the ninth layer is another layer of RF ground for the second transmitting beam. And so on, the following layers are the RF ground, power splitter network routing layer and another layer of RF ground for beam i, until beam N; finally, the 3×N+4 layer is the control line shielding layer, the 3×N+5 layer is the control routing layer, the 3×N+6 layer is the shielding layer shared by control and power supply, the 3×N+7 layer is the power supply routing layer, the 3×N+8 layer is the power supply screen layer, and the 3×N+9 layer is the BGA pad layer; N is the number of beams of the transmitting phased array antenna.

4. The satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna according to claim 3, characterized in that: The total thickness of the PCB sub-array is less than 5 mm, and electrical connectivity is achieved between circuits on each layer via a vertical interconnection structure.

5. The satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each PCB sub-array has N independent secondary feed network RF input ports; N is the number of beams of the transmitting phased array antenna; each secondary feed network RF input port is connected to the RF output port on the RF expansion motherboard to receive the RF signal from the RF expansion motherboard; In the internal circuit of the RF expansion motherboard, the signal transmission path of each antenna beam is independent of each other. The RF signal processed by the up-conversion amplification module is distributed to each PCB sub-array through the RF output port of the RF expansion motherboard.

6. The satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that: Each secondary feeding network RF input port and the RF expansion motherboard RF output port are connected using an SMP RF connector.

7. The satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that: Each T component integrates N×N independent phase shift and attenuation control channels for transmission and corresponding power amplifiers, and has N-beam, N-channel parallel processing capabilities.

8. The satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that: RF signal transmission is achieved between the RF output port of the T component and the antenna radiating element array, as well as between the RF input port of the T component and the secondary feeding network, through the vertical interconnection structure inside the PCB sub-array.

9. The satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that: The up-conversion amplifier module up-converts the input baseband or intermediate frequency signal to the target transmission frequency band, performs filtering and power amplification, and transmits the processed RF signal through N independent RF output ports to N independent beam input ports on the RF expansion motherboard.

10. The satellite-borne highly integrated transmitting phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The beam control power module integrates the beam controller and the power module to provide power to the T component array and transmit control instructions, as well as to supply power to other modules that require electricity in the transmitting phased array antenna.

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