Waveguide tube, power distribution structure, power distribution network and antenna device

Abstract

The invention provides a waveguide tube, which comprises a cavity, a ridge part is arranged in the cavity, the cross section of the cavity is a rectangular cross section, the rectangular cross section comprises two opposite short edges and two opposite long edges, and the bottom edge of the ridge part is connected with one of the short edges. The invention further provides a power distribution structure, a power distribution network and an antenna device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a waveguide, power distribution structure, power divider network, and antenna device. Background Technology

[0002] The power amplifier board and antenna array of a wireless transceiver can be connected through a power divider network. The power divider network can use waveguides to transmit signals to reduce insertion loss.

[0003] However, in some related technologies, using waveguides to transmit signals is difficult to manufacture and will increase the overall weight and cost of wireless transceivers. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides a waveguide, a power distribution structure, a power divider network, and an antenna device.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a waveguide including a cavity, wherein a ridge is provided inside the cavity, the cross-section of the cavity is a rectangular cross-section, the rectangular cross-section includes two opposite short sides and two opposite long sides, and the bottom edge of the ridge is connected to one of the short sides.

[0006] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a power distribution structure, including a power dividing unit, each power dividing unit being connected to an input line and multiple output lines, wherein all the input lines and all the output lines in the power distribution structure are parallel to a reference plane;

[0007] At least one of the input line and the output line is constituted by any waveguide according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0008] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a power distribution network, including any of the power distribution structures described in the embodiments of this disclosure, wherein there are multiple power distribution structures, and the multiple power distribution structures are arranged sequentially in a stacking direction, the stacking direction being parallel to the reference plane.

[0009] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide an antenna device, including:

[0010] Power amplifier circuit;

[0011] Antenna array;

[0012] A power divider network is connected between the power amplifier circuit and the antenna array, the power divider network including any power distribution structure of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0013] In this embodiment of the waveguide, the short side of the rectangular cross-section is connected to the ridge. When multiple waveguides are arranged side by side along the stacking direction to form a power divider network and a power amplifier board to form an antenna device, the ridge of the waveguide is perpendicular to the surface of the power divider board itself. The parallel waveguide structure can be disassembled into an integrated form of parallel grooves with ridges and a cover plate, which greatly reduces the processing difficulty and improves the system stability and electrical performance. Attached Figure Description

[0014] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed herein:

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a waveguide cross-sectional structure provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 2(a) is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a conventional ridge waveguide;

[0017] Figure 2(b) is a schematic diagram of a waveguide cross-sectional structure provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3 A structural block diagram of power distribution provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0019] Figure 4(a) is a schematic diagram of an antenna device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0020] Figure 4(b) is a schematic diagram of another antenna device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a power dividing unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a signal steering unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a signal conversion unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another signal conversion unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a power divider network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 10 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of a power divider network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 11 An electric field distribution diagram of a waveguide provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 12 This is a diagram showing the insertion loss of a waveguide according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0029] In this disclosure, some reference numerals have the following meanings:

[0030] 1. Waveguide;

[0031] 11. Cavity; 12. Ridge; 111. Long side; 112. Short side;

[0032] 10. Conventional spinal waveguide;

[0033] 101. Cavity; 102. Ridge; 1011. Short side; 1012. Long side;

[0034] 2. Power distribution structure;

[0035] 21. Power Distribution Unit;

[0036] 210. Narrow waveguide power divider unit; 211. Input line; 212. Output line; 213. Input cavity; 2131. Input ridge;

[0037] 214. Output cavity; 2141. Input ridge; 215. Opening; 2151. Partition; 216. Signal connector;

[0038] 22. Signal redirection unit;

[0039] 220. Narrow waveguide signal steering unit; 221. Steering input line; 222. Steering output line; 223. Steering input cavity;

[0040] 2231, Steering input ridge; 224, Steering output cavity; 2241, Steering output ridge; 225, Opening; 2251, Partition;

[0041] 226. Signal connectors;

[0042] 23. Signal conversion unit;

[0043] 231. Transition ridge; 232. Joint; 2321. Cut; 233. Transition ridge; 2331. Groove;

[0044] 3. Power distribution network;

[0045] 31. Back panel; 32. Partition plate; 33. Cover plate;

[0046] 4. Antenna device;

[0047] 41. Power amplifier circuit; 42. Antenna array. Detailed Implementation

[0048] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this disclosure, the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] The present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, the embodiments shown may be embodied in different forms, and the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth below. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of the disclosure.

[0050] The accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed herein are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the detailed embodiments to explain this disclosure and do not constitute a limitation thereof. The above and other features and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of the detailed embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] This disclosure may be described with reference to plan and / or cross-sectional views using the ideal schematic diagrams of this disclosure. Therefore, the example illustrations may be modified according to manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances.

[0052] Where there is no conflict, the various embodiments of this disclosure and the features thereof in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0053] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the disclosure. The term "and / or" as used in this disclosure includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated enumerated entries. The singular forms "a" and "the" as used in this disclosure are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprising," "made of," etc., as used in this disclosure specify the presence of the stated feature, integral, step, operation, element, and / or component, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0054] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used in this disclosure (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. It will also be understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure, and will not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning, unless expressly so defined in this disclosure.

[0055] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, but includes modifications to the configuration based on the manufacturing process. Therefore, the areas illustrated in the drawings are schematic, and the shapes of the areas shown illustrate specific shapes of the areas of an element, but are not intended to be limiting.

[0056] With the development of wireless communication technology, wireless transceiver equipment such as active antenna units (AAU) of communication base stations need to reduce costs as much as possible while ensuring a certain effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) and throughput. This requires reducing the number of channels, filters, and power amplifier circuits (power amplifiers) on the one hand, and reducing the insertion loss of the link on the other hand.

[0057] In this case, with the number of antenna elements remaining constant, as the number of channels decreases, it becomes inevitable that one power amplifier circuit drives multiple antenna elements (one-to-many). Therefore, the power amplifier board can be connected to the antenna board through a power divider network in the form of microstrip lines. However, as the spacing between antenna elements increases, the signal transmission distance in the power distribution network also increases, resulting in increased insertion loss, which can often reach more than 1dB, seriously affecting the performance of wireless transceivers.

[0058] In some related technologies, waveguides (electromagnetic signals propagate along the cavity of the waveguide) can be used in power distribution structures to transmit signals and reduce insertion loss. To reduce the size of the power distribution structure, it is necessary to reduce the waveguide size within the same operating frequency band. Ridged waveguides can be used in the power distribution structure, that is, ridges are added to the sidewalls of the cavity of a waveguide with a rectangular cross-section. However, in power splitting networks, referring to Figures 2(a), 2(b), and... Figure 9 Typically, multiple power distribution structures need to be arranged sequentially along the stacking direction X. To save space, the long sides (1012, 111) of the cross-section of the waveguides (10, 1) in each power distribution structure are usually pressed together, and the short sides (1011, 112) are arranged sequentially along the stacking direction X. Referring to Figure 2(a), the ridge 102 of the conventional ridge waveguide 10 is connected to the long side 1012 of the cross-section. After multiple power distribution structures are arranged sequentially along the stacking direction X, the ridge 102 in the waveguide is parallel to the power amplifier board and suspended between the upper and lower side walls of the cavity 101. Such a parallel waveguide structure is difficult to achieve integrated processing. Each waveguide needs to be disassembled into an independent structure and then merged. When assembling multiple waveguides, a large number of screws and other fasteners are introduced, which increases the weight of the whole machine and the production cost. Assembly errors will also affect stability and deteriorate the electrical performance of the system.

[0059] Firstly, referring to Figures 1 to 12 This disclosure provides a waveguide 1.

[0060] The waveguide 1 of this disclosure is used to transmit electromagnetic wave signals. (Refer to...) Figure 1The waveguide 1 of this embodiment includes a cavity 11, and a ridge 12 is provided inside the cavity 11. The cross-section of the cavity 11 is a rectangular cross-section, which includes two opposite short sides 112 and two opposite long sides 111. The bottom edge of the ridge 12 is connected to one of the short sides 112.

[0061] The waveguide 1 of this disclosure is used for signal transmission in wireless communication, as shown in the following embodiment. Figure 9 In this embodiment, the waveguide 1 can be applied in the power divider network 3 of a wireless transceiver device, which can be in the form of an AAU of a communication base station.

[0062] It is understood that the application of waveguide 1 in the embodiments of this disclosure is not limited to this, and it can also be used for other signal transmissions, which will not be described in detail here.

[0063] Referring to Figure 2(a), the ridge 102 of a conventional ridge waveguide 10 is connected to the long side 1012 of the cross section. When multiple conventional ridge waveguides 10 are arranged in sequence, the short sides 1011 are usually arranged in sequence to save space. At this time, the ridge 102 is suspended in the middle of the cavity 101, which makes it difficult to achieve integrated processing of the parallel waveguide structure. Multiple independent waveguides need to be assembled with fasteners such as screws, which not only increases the weight of the whole machine and the production cost, but also introduces stability deterioration and system electrical performance deterioration caused by assembly errors.

[0064] Referring to Figure 2(b), in this embodiment of the waveguide 1, the ridge 12 is connected to the short side 112 of the cross-section. When multiple waveguides 1 are arranged side by side, the short sides 112 are arranged sequentially. The side-by-side waveguide structure can be disassembled into the reference... Figure 10 The integrated parallel groove with ridge and the separate structure of the cover plate greatly reduce the difficulty of the process and the production cost. At the same time, the integrated parallel waveguide structure can also reduce the weight of the whole machine and ensure stability and electrical performance.

[0065] In some embodiments, the height h of the ridge 12 of the waveguide 1 of this disclosure is greater than half the difference between the length a of the long side 111 and the length b of the short side 112 of the rectangular cross section.

[0066] Reference Figure 11 When the height h of the ridge 12 of the waveguide 1 is greater than half the difference between the length a of the long side 111 and the length b of the short side 112 of the rectangular cross-section, the electric field distribution direction is as follows: Figure 11 As shown. Also refer to Figure 12 Compared to waveguides with h≦(ab) / 2, waveguide 1 with h>(ab) / 2 operates at a lower frequency and has a lower insertion loss of 0.01dB in the low-frequency band, while the insertion loss of waveguides with h≦(ab) / 2 is above 6dB in the low-frequency band. Therefore, waveguide 1 with h>(ab) / 2 is more suitable for miniaturized wireless transceiver equipment.

[0067] Secondly, referring to Figures 1 to 12 This disclosure provides a power distribution structure 2, including power distribution units 21. Each power distribution unit 21 is connected to an input line 211 and multiple output lines 212. All input lines 211 and all output lines 212 in the power distribution structure 2 are parallel to a reference plane (i.e., Figure 9 (XZ plane in the middle);

[0068] At least one of the input line 211 and the output line 212 is configured as any waveguide 1 according to any embodiment of this disclosure.

[0069] The power distribution structure 2 of this embodiment is used to distribute the power of the input signal, that is, to divide each input signal into multiple output signals.

[0070] It is understandable that input line 211 and output line 212 are relative. For a power divider unit 21, during the power distribution process, the line that introduces the signal into it is the input line 211, and the line that outputs the signal from it is the output line 212. However, it should be understood that the output line 212 of a power divider unit can be connected to the input line 211 of the next power divider unit.

[0071] As an embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 3 In Figures 4(a) and 4(b), each input line 211 and each output line 212 in the power distribution structure 2 is any waveguide 1 of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0072] Reference Figure 9 The power distribution structure 2 of this embodiment can be used in the power distribution network 3 in the antenna device of a wireless transceiver. That is, the power distribution structure 2 can be used to form the power distribution network 3, which is connected between the power amplifier circuit 41 (such as a power amplifier board) and the antenna array 42 (such as an antenna board) of the antenna device, thereby distributing the radio frequency signal generated by the power amplifier circuit 41 to each antenna element of the antenna array 42.

[0073] It is understood that the application of the power distribution structure 2 in this embodiment is not limited to this, and it can also be used for power distribution of other signals, which will not be described in detail here.

[0074] Reference Figure 3As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the power distribution structure 2 of this embodiment includes one or more power distribution units 21, wherein each power distribution unit 21 is connected to an input line 211 and two output lines 212. The two output lines 212 are arranged opposite each other and located in a straight line, and the orthographic projections of the input line 211 and the output line 212 on the reference plane at least partially overlap. When there are multiple power distribution units 21, each power distribution unit 21 is divided into multiple levels. Each power distribution unit 21 in the next level can further distribute each output of the power distribution unit 21 in the previous level, that is, to realize the "multi-level distribution" of the total input signal.

[0075] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 3 Figure 4(a), Figure 4(b) and Figure 9 Two adjacent power divider units 21 are connected by a signal steering unit 22. At this time, in a plane parallel to the rectangular cross-section, the short side 112 of the ridge 12 of the input line 211 connected to each power divider unit 21 is opposite to the short side 112 of the ridge 12 of the output line 212 connected to it. Each output line 212 connected to the power divider unit 21 is connected to a signal steering unit 22, and also serves as a steering input line 221. The steering output line 222 of the signal steering unit 22 is also an input line 211 connected to the next level power divider unit 21. By setting the signal steering unit 22, each level of power divider unit 21 no longer runs along the direction perpendicular to the reference plane (i.e.,...). Figure 9 The directions (Y) are set sequentially, ensuring that the output lines 212 of the upper and lower power distribution units 21 are in a straight line, thereby reducing the power distribution structure 2 in the direction perpendicular to the reference plane (i.e., Figure 9 The thickness in the direction Y).

[0076] As an embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 5 The power divider unit 21 is a "narrow waveguide power divider unit 210". The narrow waveguide power divider unit 210 includes an input cavity 213 and an output cavity 214 arranged opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane (i.e., direction Y). The input cavity 213 is connected to the cavity of the input line 211 (i.e., the cavity 11 of the waveguide 1 that serves as the input line 211, hereinafter the same) and has an input ridge 2131 connected to the ridge of the input line 211 (i.e., the ridge 12 of the waveguide 1 that serves as the input line 211, hereinafter the same). The output cavity 214 is connected to the cavity of the output line 212 and has an output ridge 2141 connected to the ridge of the output line 212. The input cavity 213 and the output cavity 214 are connected through an opening 215, and the input ridge 2131 and the output ridge 2141 are connected through a signal connector 216. The input spine 2131 and the signal connector 216, and the output spine 2141 and the signal connector 216, can be independently connected by contact inductive coupling or non-contact capacitive coupling, respectively.

[0077] It is understandable that the opening 215 can be achieved by multiple spaced partitions 2151, or by a through-hole in a single partition 2151. The signal connector 216 can be a cylindrical conductor or a mesa conductor. There is a gap between the partition 2151 and the signal connector 216, forming a quasi-coaxial structure. The dominant mode of this structure is TEM mode, with the electric field direction pointing from the partition 2151 to the signal connector 216. The signals coupled to the output lines 212 on both sides are in phase. To ensure that the signal can be transmitted evenly to the next stage power divider unit 21, the two output ridges 2141 connecting the two output lines 211 are of equal length.

[0078] As an embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 6 The signal steering unit 22 is a narrow waveguide signal steering unit 220, including a steering input cavity 223 and a steering output cavity 224 disposed opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane (i.e., direction Y). The steering input cavity 223 is connected to the cavity of the steering input line 221 and has a steering input ridge 2231 connected to the ridge of the steering input line 221. The steering output cavity 224 is connected to the cavity of the steering output line 222 and has a steering output ridge 2241 connected to the ridge of the steering output line 222. The steering input cavity 223 and the steering output cavity 224 are connected through an opening 225, and the steering input ridge 2231 and the steering output ridge 2241 are connected through a signal connector 226. The steering input ridge 2231 and the signal connector 226, and the steering output ridge 2241 and the signal connector 226, can be independently connected by contact inductive coupling or non-contact capacitive coupling, respectively.

[0079] It is understood that the opening 225 can be achieved by multiple partitions 2251 spaced apart, or by a through hole in a single partition 2251. The signal connector 226 can be a cylindrical conductor or a mesa conductor. To achieve signal diversion, the signal connector 226 is connected to the relatively adjacent ends of the diversion input ridge 2231 and the diversion output ridge 2241, respectively.

[0080] In this embodiment of the disclosure, among all power distribution units 21 in each power distribution structure 2, at least one level of all power distribution units 21 are specific “narrow waveguide power distribution units 210”, and the two output lines 212 connected to the narrow waveguide power distribution unit 210 are each connected to a specific “narrow waveguide signal steering unit 220”. For example, the output line 212 of the narrow waveguide power distribution unit 210 and the steering input line 221 of the narrow waveguide signal steering unit 220 are the same waveguide, and the steering output line 222 of the narrow waveguide signal steering unit 220 and the input line 211 connected to the next level power distribution unit are the same waveguide. For example, referring to FIG4(a), the first-level power distribution unit 21 can be a narrow waveguide power distribution unit 210, with two output lines 212 connected to both ends of its output cavity 214, the waveguides of the two output lines 212 being on a straight line and arranged opposite to each other, and the two output lines 212 (i.e., the two steering input lines 221) being connected to two narrow waveguide signal steering units 220 respectively. Through the narrow waveguide signal steering unit 220, the input line 212 waveguide connected to the narrow waveguide power divider unit 210 and the output line 222 waveguide connected to the narrow waveguide signal steering unit 220 are on a straight line and parallel to the straight line containing the waveguides of the two output lines 212. Furthermore, the waveguides on the two straight lines are close together, reducing the power distribution structure's position in the direction perpendicular to the reference plane (i.e.,...). Figure 9 The thickness in the direction Y) is reduced, thereby reducing the overall size of the machine.

[0081] In some embodiments, the power distribution structure 2 of this disclosure further includes a signal conversion unit 23. When the signal conversion unit 23 functions as an input signal conversion unit, it is connected to the input line 211 of the first-stage power distribution unit 21 to introduce external signals into the power distribution structure 2; when it functions as an output signal conversion unit, it is connected to the output line 212 of the last-stage power distribution unit 21 to output signals from the power distribution structure 2 to the outside. The signal conversion unit 23 includes a transition cavity 231, in which a connector 232 and a transition ridge 233 are interconnected. The connector 232 is used to connect to an external transmission line, and the transition ridge 233 is used to connect to the input line 211 or the output line 212.

[0082] As an embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 7The external transmission line is a lead, such as a microstrip line or stripline. The transition cavity 231 of the signal conversion unit 23 has a transition ridge 233, and the transition ridge 233 has a groove 2331 for tuning the impedance discontinuity at the connection between the transition ridge 233 and the connector 232. For different optimized bandwidths, there can be one or more grooves 2331. The connector 232 is connected to the end of the transition ridge 233. It is understood that the connector 232 can be an integral part of the ridge 233. The connector 232 has a cutout 2321 to ensure the introduction of a resonant point within the operating frequency band, allowing for efficient signal transmission. It is understood that the cutout 2321 can be a chamfer or a stepped notch. The end of the connector 232 not connected to the transition ridge 233 is connected to the lead, and the sidewall of the transition cavity 231 is in contact with the metal ground on the PCB board. Furthermore, metallized vias are provided around the lead wire. The metallized vias form a unidirectional signal opening at the connection between the lead wire and the connector 232 to ensure the transition of the electric field direction and reduce losses during transmission.

[0083] As an embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 8 The external transmission line is a coaxial cable. Connector 232 is used to connect the fiber core of the coaxial cable; connector 232 and the fiber core can be inductively or capacitively coupled. Connector 232 is connected to the top of the transition ridge 233; furthermore, connector 232 can have a stepped structure. The outer periphery of the coaxial cable is fixed to the outer surface of the sidewall of the transition cavity 231.

[0084] Thirdly, referring to Figures 1 to 12 This disclosure provides a power distribution network 3, which includes multiple power distribution structures 2 of any one of the embodiments of this disclosure. The multiple power distribution structures 2 are arranged sequentially in the stacking direction X, which is parallel to the reference plane.

[0085] Reference Figure 9 Multiple power distribution structures 2 are arranged sequentially along the stacking direction X, and the waveguides that make up the power distribution structures 2 are also arranged sequentially along the stacking direction X. Therefore, multiple parallel power distribution structures 2 can be split into two opposite integrated parallel grooves with ridges and partitions, which greatly reduces the manufacturing difficulty and improves the system stability and electrical performance.

[0086] Specifically, refer to Figure 10 , is the plane of power distribution network 3 perpendicular to the reference plane and parallel to the stacking direction X (i.e. Figure 9The cross-section of the XY plane shows multiple parallel power distribution structures 2 arranged sequentially in the stacking direction X. The same level power distribution unit 21 within each power distribution structure 2 is also arranged sequentially in the stacking direction X. Multiple input ridges 2131, multiple signal connectors 216, and the sidewalls of the input cavity 213 are integrally formed. Multiple output ridges 2141 and the sidewalls of the output cavity 214 are integrally formed. The partition 2151 is an isolation plate with multiple through holes 215. Multiple signal connectors 216 correspond one-to-one with the multiple through holes 215 and connect to the output ridges 2141 through the through holes 215. It is understood that the signal connectors 216 can also be integrally formed with the output ridges 2141 and connect to the input ridges 2131 through the through holes 215. Multiple signal steering units 22 are also arranged sequentially in the stacking direction X. Multiple steering input ridges 2231, multiple signal connectors 226, and the sidewalls of the steering input cavity 223 are integrally formed. Multiple steering output ridges 2241 and the sidewalls of the steering output cavity 224 are also integrally formed. The partition 2251 is an isolation plate with multiple through holes 225. Multiple signal connectors 226 correspond one-to-one with the multiple through holes 225 and are connected to the steering output ridges 2241 through the through holes 225. It is understood that the signal connectors 226 can also be integrally formed with the steering output ridges 2241 and connected to the steering output ridges 2231 through the through holes 225.

[0087] refer to Figure 9 As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the multiple power distribution units 21 and multiple signal steering units 22 of each power distribution structure 2 are distributed in a straight line. Therefore, the power distribution network 3 can be divided into a back plate 31, an isolation plate 32 with through holes, and a cover plate 33. Either the back plate 31 or the cover plate 33 is a parallel grooved plate with a ridge, and the other is a parallel grooved plate with a signal connector on the ridge. Both the back plate 31 and the cover plate 33 can be integrally formed. The ridge is integrally formed with the waveguide sidewall (i.e., the groove sidewall), which simplifies the manufacturing process, eliminates the need for additional fasteners, reduces the weight of the entire machine, and improves the stability of the system.

[0088] Fourthly, refer to Figures 1 to 12 This disclosure provides an antenna device 4, comprising:

[0089] Power amplifier circuit 41;

[0090] Antenna array 42;

[0091] A power divider network 3 is connected between the power amplifier circuit 41 and the antenna array 42. The power divider network 3 includes any of the power distribution structures 2 in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0092] The power amplifier circuit 41 can be in the form of a power amplifier board (power amplifier circuit board) or the like, used to generate one or more radio frequency signals. The antenna array 42 can be in the form of an antenna board (antenna circuit board) or the like, including multiple antenna elements arranged in an array, each antenna element being used to construct and transmit some radio frequency signals.

[0093] In the antenna device of this embodiment, each output of the power amplifier circuit 41 is connected to the input line waveguide of the power divider unit 21 of the first stage of the power distribution structure 2, and each output line waveguide of the power divider unit 21 of the last stage of the power amplifier distribution structure 2 is connected to an antenna array, thereby distributing the output of the power amplifier circuit 41 to multiple antenna arrays.

[0094] Understandably, the connection between the power divider network 3 and the power amplifier board and antenna board can be referenced. Figure 7 Lead wire connection or reference Figure 8 The coaxial cable connection. Referring to Figure 4(a), when the power divider network 3 is connected to the power amplifier board, refer to... Figure 7 When connecting the leads, a power divider unit 21 is connected after the signal conversion unit 23 for power distribution; referring to Figure 4(b), when the power divider network 3 is connected to the power amplifier board, refer to... Figure 8 When connected to a coaxial cable, the signal conversion unit 23 can simultaneously perform power distribution.

[0095] It is understandable that, referring to Figures 4(a), 4(b), and... Figure 9 In the antenna device of this embodiment, the power amplifier board can be the back plate 31 of the power divider network 3, and the antenna board can be the cover plate 33 of the power divider network 3.

[0096] This disclosure has disclosed exemplary embodiments, and although specific terminology has been used, it is for general illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. In some instances, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with particular embodiments may be used alone, or in combination with features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with other embodiments, unless otherwise expressly indicated. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure as set forth by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A waveguide comprising a cavity having a ridge inside the cavity, the cavity having a rectangular cross-section including two opposing short sides and two opposing long sides, the bottom edge of the ridge being connected to one of the short sides.

2. The waveguide according to claim 1, wherein, The height of the ridge is greater than half the difference between the length of the long side and the length of the short side.

3. A power distribution structure, comprising a power dividing unit, each power dividing unit being connected to an input line and multiple output lines, wherein all the input lines and all the output lines in the power distribution structure are parallel to a reference plane; At least one of the input line and the output line is constituted by a waveguide as described in any one of claims 1 to 2.

4. The power distribution structure according to claim 3, wherein, Each power divider unit is connected to two output lines, which are arranged opposite each other and in a straight line. Both the input and output lines are constructed using waveguides as described in any one of claims 1 to 2. For each power divider unit... The orthographic projections of the input line and the output line on the reference plane at least partially overlap; In a plane parallel to the rectangular cross-section, the short side containing the ridge of the input line is opposite to the short side containing the ridge of the output line; The power dividing unit includes an input cavity and an output cavity that are arranged opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane; The input cavity is connected to the cavity of the input line and has an input ridge connected to the ridge of the input line; The output cavity is connected to the cavity of the output line and has an output ridge connected to the ridge of the output line; The input cavity and the output cavity are connected by an opening, and the input ridge and the output ridge are connected by a signal connector.

5. The power distribution structure according to claim 4, wherein, The power distribution structure further includes a signal steering unit, which connects a steering input line and a steering output line. The steering input line is connected to the output line of the power distribution unit, and the steering output line is connected to the input line of the next-stage power distribution unit. Both the steering input line and the steering output line are constructed from waveguides as described in any one of claims 1 to 2. For each signal steering unit... The steering input line and the steering output line are located in the same plane perpendicular to the reference plane, and their orthogonal projections on the reference plane are located on opposite sides of the orthogonal projection of the signal steering unit. In a plane parallel to the rectangular cross-section, the short side containing the ridge of the steering input line is opposite to the short side containing the ridge of the steering output line; The signal steering unit includes a steering input cavity and a steering output cavity disposed opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane; The steering input cavity is connected to the cavity of the steering input line and has a steering input ridge connected to the ridge of the steering input line; The steering output cavity is connected to the cavity of the steering output line and has a steering output ridge connected to the ridge of the steering output line; The steering input cavity and the steering output cavity are connected by an opening, and the steering input ridge and the steering output ridge are connected by a signal connector.

6. The power distribution structure according to claim 3, wherein, The power distribution structure further includes a signal conversion unit; the signal conversion unit is connected to the input line or the output line, and the input line or the output line connected to the signal conversion unit is composed of a waveguide as described in any one of claims 1 to 2; The signal conversion unit includes a transition cavity, in which a connector and a transition ridge are interconnected; the transition cavity is connected to the cavity of the input line or the output line, the connector is used to connect to an external transmission line, and the transition ridge is connected to the ridge of the input line or the output line.

7. The power distribution structure according to claim 6, wherein, The external transmission line includes leads, and the connector is connected to the end of the transition ridge.

8. The power distribution structure according to claim 6, wherein, The external transmission line includes a coaxial cable, the connector is used to connect the fiber core of the coaxial cable, and the connector is connected to the top of the transition ridge, and the sidewall of the transition cavity is connected to the periphery of the coaxial cable.

9. A power distribution network, comprising the power distribution structure according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein, The power distribution structure is a plurality of structures, which are arranged sequentially in a stacking direction parallel to the reference plane.

10. An antenna device, comprising: Power amplifier circuit; Antenna array; A power divider network connected between the power amplifier circuit and the antenna array, the power divider network comprising the power distribution structure according to any one of claims 3 to 8.

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