Dual-circular polarization flat array antenna and processing method thereof
By combining a sealed microstrip power divider network and a waveguide network, the problems of high thickness and cost of dual circularly polarized planar antennas are solved, realizing a miniaturized and low-cost dual circularly polarized planar array antenna with a frequency band coverage of 18.7GHz-30GHz and a radiation efficiency of 75%.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JIANGSU WEILAI COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-08
AI Technical Summary
Existing dual-circularly polarized planar antennas are thick, costly, and heavy. The waveguide network structure results in a large array spacing, making it difficult to achieve miniaturization and low-cost design. At the same time, the axial ratio data of the circularly polarized network is poor.
The design combines a sealed microstrip power divider network and a waveguide network. By combining a radiating element array, a dual circular polarizer array, a sealed microstrip power divider network, and waveguide ports, the waveguide to microstrip line conversion is achieved, reducing the antenna thickness and optimizing the array element spacing. Dielectric substrate etching and metal substrate milling are used to avoid welding processes.
It achieves miniaturization and low-cost design of dual circularly polarized planar array antenna, improves assembly convenience and performance, reduces array element spacing, reduces antenna thickness by more than 35%, covers frequency band of 18.7GHz-30GHz, and achieves radiation efficiency of 75%.
Smart Images
Figure CN122000705A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of planar array antenna technology, and in particular to a dual circularly polarized planar array antenna and its fabrication method. Background Technology
[0002] In the design of planar antennas, dual-linear polarized high-frequency planar antennas often use waveguide horn arrays, while dual-circular polarized array antennas are usually fabricated using septum-type circular polarizers in conjunction with waveguide networks to form broadband dual-circular polarized arrays. Among these, the ridge waveguide network has the widest bandwidth.
[0003] The aforementioned planar antenna, due to its entirely waveguide network construction, is quite thick, requiring milling for fabrication, resulting in high cost and weight. Furthermore, the waveguide network structure necessitates a large array spacing, necessitating the use of methods like cross or circular apertures to reduce sidelobes and improve antenna performance. However, this reduces the antenna's bandwidth.
[0004] Wideband ultrathin antennas are currently a bottleneck in the industry's development. To reduce the thickness of planar array antennas, known methods include using dual-linearly polarized array antennas in conjunction with waveguide bridges to achieve dual-circularly polarized array antennas. However, for large arrays, this method makes it difficult to guarantee the phase consistency of the two waveguide networks, resulting in poor axial ratio data of the circularly polarized network, and failing to solve the fundamental problem. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna and its processing method to address all or part of the problems mentioned above, so as to achieve miniaturization, low-cost design and processing of the dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna.
[0006] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: A dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna includes a radiating element array, a dual-circularly polarized array, a first sealed microstrip power divider network, a second sealed microstrip power divider network, and two waveguide ports. The radiating element array is connected to the input port array of the dual circular polarizer array; the first output port array of the dual circular polarizer array is respectively connected to each output port of the first sealed microstrip power divider network, and the second output port array of the circular polarizer array is respectively connected to each output port of the second sealed microstrip power divider network to realize the waveguide to microstrip line conversion; the common port of the first sealed microstrip power divider network and the common port of the second sealed microstrip power divider network are respectively connected to a waveguide port to realize the microstrip line to waveguide conversion.
[0007] Optionally, the first sealed microstrip power divider network includes a first sealed cavity and a first microstrip power divider; the first microstrip power divider is sealed within the first sealed cavity; The second sealed microstrip power divider network includes a second sealed cavity and a second microstrip power divider; the second microstrip power divider is sealed within the second sealed cavity.
[0008] Optionally, the first sealing cavity and the second sealing cavity are disposed on opposite sides of the isolation plate, and the first sealing cavity and the second sealing cavity share the isolation plate to achieve sealing.
[0009] Optionally, the first sealing cavity includes a first sealing plate, the first sealing plate and the first side of the isolation plate are mated to form the first sealing cavity, and the first microstrip power divider is sandwiched between the first sealing plate and the first side of the isolation plate; The second sealing cavity includes a second sealing plate, the second sealing plate and the second side of the isolation plate are mated to form the second sealing cavity, and the second microstrip power divider is sandwiched between the second sealing plate and the second side of the isolation plate.
[0010] Optionally, the first sealing cavity is formed on the first side of the isolation plate and / or on the first sealing plate; the second sealing cavity is formed on the second side of the isolation plate and / or on the second sealing plate.
[0011] Optionally, the first sealing plate is integrally connected to the bottom of the dual circular polarizer array; the two waveguide ports are opened on the second sealing plate.
[0012] Optionally, the first microstrip power divider is disposed on the first dielectric substrate, and the second microstrip power divider is disposed on the second dielectric substrate; the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate have the same structure.
[0013] Optionally, both the first microstrip power divider and the second microstrip power divider are composed of multiple microstrip two-stage power dividers connected in stages.
[0014] Optionally, the first sealed cavity includes: a first rectangular waveguide corresponding to the common port of the first microstrip power divider, and a second rectangular waveguide array corresponding to each output port of the first microstrip power divider. The second sealed cavity includes: a third rectangular waveguide corresponding to the common port of the second microstrip power divider, and a fourth rectangular waveguide array corresponding to each output port of the second microstrip power divider.
[0015] In a second aspect, this application also provides a method for fabricating a dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna, comprising: An array of radiating elements is formed on the radiating layer; A dual circular polarizer array is formed at the top of the circular polarization layer; A first sealing plate is machined at the bottom of the circular polarization layer; A first sealing cavity is formed at the bottom of the first sealing plate and / or the top of the isolation plate; A second sealing cavity is formed at the top of the second sealing plate and / or at the bottom of the isolation plate; Two waveguide ports are formed on the second sealing plate; The first microstrip power divider and the second microstrip power divider were fabricated respectively. The first microstrip power divider is clamped between the bottom of the first sealing plate and the top of the isolation plate; the second microstrip power divider is clamped between the bottom of the isolation plate and the top of the second sealing plate; The second sealing plate, the isolation plate, the circular polarization layer, and the radiation layer are screwed together as a single unit.
[0016] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: The dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna provided by this invention, through the combined design of a sealed microstrip power divider network and a waveguide network, achieves a dual-circularly polarized array design while significantly reducing the thickness of the planar array antenna. Furthermore, by incorporating a dual-circularly polarized array feed source, the spacing between antenna array elements is reduced, enabling amplitude and phase shaping of the antenna without needing to suppress the antenna grating lobes using cross or circular holes. The dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna of this invention obtains the circular polarization layer, the isolation plate, and the second sealing plate through double-sided milling of metal materials, and obtains the microstrip power divider through etching and other processing of the dielectric substrate (such as 5880 substrate). The various structural layers are stacked layer by layer, and the entire planar array antenna can be assembled by screws, eliminating the need for welding processes and improving assembly convenience. Moreover, this invention allows the isolation plate and the two dielectric substrates to be designed as standard parts. The front and back of the isolation plate can be processed on the same production line, and the first and second dielectric substrates can be processed on another production line. During assembly, there is no need to distinguish between the front and back of the isolation plate or the first and second dielectric substrates, significantly improving assembly efficiency. Furthermore, the double-sided slotted design allows for the assembly of the first and second dielectric substrates without regard to their front or back sides, thus further improving assembly efficiency. Attached Figure Description
[0017] The present invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 This is a top view of a dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna.
[0018] Figure 2 This is a bottom view of a dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna.
[0019] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of a dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna.
[0020] Figure 4 This is a diagram of the radiation layer structure.
[0021] Figure 5 This is a top view of the circular polarization layer.
[0022] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the bottom of the circular polarization layer, which is also the first sealing plate.
[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the dimensions of a circular polarization layer in one embodiment, with all units in mm.
[0024] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the first dielectric substrate.
[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the dimensions of the first dielectric substrate in one embodiment, with all units in mm.
[0026] Figure 10 This is a top view of the isolation panel.
[0027] Figure 11 This is a view from the bottom of the isolation panel.
[0028] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the dimensions of the isolation plate in one embodiment, with all units in mm.
[0029] Figure 13 This is a structural diagram of the second dielectric substrate.
[0030] Figure 14 This is a top view of the first sealing plate.
[0031] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the dimensions of the first sealing plate in one embodiment, with all units in mm.
[0032] Figure 16 It is along Figure 2 Sectional view of AA.
[0033] Figure 17 yes Figure 16 A three-dimensional view of a sectional view.
[0034] Figure 18 It is along Figure 2 A three-dimensional sectional view of BB.
[0035] Figure 19 These are the simulated standing wave curves for the left-hand and right-hand circularly polarized ports of the planar array antenna. Figure 19 In the figure, subfigure (a) is the standing wave simulation curve of the left-hand circularly polarized port, and subfigure (b) is the standing wave simulation curve of the right-hand circularly polarized port.
[0036] Figure 20 These are the gain patterns of the left-hand and right-hand circularly polarized ports of the planar array antenna. Figure 20 In the diagram, sub-figure (a) shows the gain pattern of the left-hand circularly polarized port, and sub-figure (b) shows the gain pattern of the right-hand circularly polarized port.
[0037] Figure 21 It is a graph showing the axial ratio of the transmit and receive frequency bands of the left-hand circularly polarized port and the right-hand circularly polarized port of the planar array antenna. Figure 21 In the figure, subfigure (a) is the axial ratio curve of the left-hand circularly polarized port, and subfigure (b) is the axial ratio curve of the right-hand circularly polarized port.
[0038] In the figure, 1-second sealing plate; 2-second dielectric substrate; 3-isolation plate; 4-first dielectric substrate; 5-circular polarization layer; 6-radiating layer; 11-first waveguide port; 12-second waveguide port; 13-lower cavity of the second sealing cavity; 14-fourth rectangular waveguide; 15-second rectangular waveguide; 21-second microstrip power divider; 22-common port of the second microstrip power divider; 23-output port of the second microstrip power divider; 24-third via; 25-fourth via; 30-first side of the isolation plate; 31-second side of the isolation plate; 32-lower cavity of the first sealing cavity; 33-first output waveguide; 34-second transition waveguide; 35-second Input waveguide; 36-First transition waveguide; 37-Upper cavity of the second sealed cavity; 38-First sealed cavity; 39-Second sealed cavity; 41-First microstrip power divider; 42-Common port of the first microstrip power divider; 43-Output port of the first microstrip power divider; 44-First via; 45-Second via; 51-Dual circular polarizer array; 51a-Circular polarizer input port; 51b-First output port of the circular polarizer; 51c-Second output port of the circular polarizer; 51d-Stepped gradient partition; 52-First sealing plate; 53-Upper cavity of the first sealed cavity; 54-First rectangular waveguide; 55-Third rectangular waveguide; 61-Radiating element. Detailed Implementation
[0039] All features disclosed in this specification, or all steps in all disclosed methods or processes, may be combined in any way, except for mutually exclusive features and / or steps.
[0040] Any feature disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims and abstract) may be replaced by other equivalent or similar features, unless specifically stated otherwise. That is, unless specifically stated otherwise, each feature is merely one example of a series of equivalent or similar features.
[0041] This application provides a dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna; see [link to previous document]. Figures 1-3The antenna includes a radiating element array, a dual circular polarizer array 51, a first sealed microstrip power divider network, a second sealed microstrip power divider network, and two waveguide ports.
[0042] A radiation element array is an array composed of multiple radiation elements 61 arranged in a specific pattern. Each radiation element 61 is used to receive or transmit signals. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the radiating element array can be formed on the radiating layer 6. Figure 4 The middle section is a radiating element array with 8 radiating elements 61.
[0043] In one alternative implementation, such as Figure 4 As shown, the radiating element 61 adopts a stepped gradient horn structure. Furthermore, each stepped aperture surface employs a chamfered design, achieving wide-aperture signal transmission and reception while reducing manufacturing difficulty. Moreover, the spacing between the radiating elements 61 in the radiating element array no longer needs to be reduced by using cross or circular apertures to lower the grating lobes. This reduces the spacing between traditional array elements from 1.4 to 2.2 times the wavelength to 0.8 to 1.3 times the wavelength, thus optimizing / reducing the antenna's lateral dimensions.
[0044] The so-called dual circular polarizer array 51 is composed of multiple partitioned circular polarizer arrays, with each partitioned circular polarizer corresponding one-to-one with a radiating element 61. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the dual circular polarizer array 51 can be formed on the circular polarization layer 5. Each septum-type circular polarizer is a three-port device, namely, a circular polarizer input port 51a, a first circular polarizer output port 51b, and a second circular polarizer output port 51c. For example, this septum-type circular polarizer is formed by designing a stepped gradient septum 51d in the center of the rectangular waveguide. When receiving a signal, the signal enters the septum-type circular polarizer from the circular polarizer input port 51a, achieving left-hand circular polarization and right-hand circular polarization. The left-hand circular polarization signal and the right-hand circular polarization signal are output from the first circular polarizer output port 51b and the second circular polarizer output port 51c, respectively. Conversely, when transmitting signals, the two transmission signals enter the partition-type circular polarizer from the first output port 51b and the second output port 51c of the circular polarizer, respectively, and are then transmitted to the corresponding radiation unit 61 for transmission via the input port 51a of the circular polarizer.
[0045] The input ports 51a of all the partitioned circular polarizers arranged in the array form the input port array of the dual circular polarizer array 51; the first output ports 51b of all the circular polarizers form the first output port array; and the second output ports 51c of all the circular polarizers form the second output port array.
[0046] Both the first and second sealed microstrip power divider networks are sealed microstrip structures, meaning the microstrip structure is housed within a sealed structure rather than exposed. This sealed microstrip power divider structure achieves lower power loss and improves antenna performance. Furthermore, and more importantly, compared to traditional pure waveguide or ridge waveguide network designs, the sealed microstrip power divider network can significantly reduce antenna thickness and optimize the antenna's longitudinal dimensions.
[0047] The radiating element array is connected to the input port array of the dual circular polarizer array 51. The first output port array of the dual circular polarizer array 51 is connected to each output port of the first sealed microstrip power divider network, and the second output port array of the circular polarizer array is connected to each output port of the second sealed microstrip power divider network, thereby realizing the waveguide-to-microstrip line conversion. The common port of the first sealed microstrip power divider network and the common port of the second sealed microstrip power divider network are each connected to a waveguide port, thereby realizing the microstrip line-to-waveguide conversion.
[0048] Both the first and second sealed microstrip power dividers are power dividers, and therefore each includes a common port (combining port) and multiple output ports (power dividers). The number of output ports should correspond to the number of radiating elements 61 / partitioned circular polarizers. When receiving a signal, the signal is transmitted through the first output port array of the dual circular polarizer array 51 to each output port of the first sealed microstrip power divider network, and the signal transmission path is converted from waveguide to microstrip line. Similarly, the signal is transmitted through the second output port array of the dual circular polarizer array 51 to each output port of the second sealed microstrip power divider network, and the signal transmission path is also converted from waveguide to microstrip line. The first and second sealed microstrip power dividers output the combined signal from their respective common ports to the corresponding waveguide ports (the first sealed microstrip power divider network outputs to the first waveguide port 11, and the second sealed microstrip power divider network outputs to the second waveguide port 12), and the signal transmission path is converted from microstrip line to waveguide again. Conversely, during signal transmission, the signal is input from two waveguide ports and then to the common port of the first and second sealed microstrip common networks, respectively. The signal transmission path changes from waveguide to microstrip line. Subsequently, each output port of the first sealed microstrip common network transmits the signal to the first output port corresponding to the dual circular polarizer array 51, and each output port of the second sealed microstrip common network transmits the signal to the second output port corresponding to the dual circular polarizer array 51. The input port array of the dual circular polarizer array 51 then transmits the signal to the radiating element array for transmission.
[0049] As an optional implementation, see [link to implementation details]. Figures 6-8The first sealed microstrip power divider network includes a first sealed cavity 38 and a first microstrip power divider 41; the first microstrip power divider 41 is sealed within the first sealed cavity 38. Similarly, the second sealed microstrip power divider network includes a second sealed cavity 39 and a second microstrip power divider 21; the second microstrip power divider 21 is sealed within the second sealed cavity 39.
[0050] The first sealing cavity 38 and the second sealing cavity 39 are the sealing structures described above, which seal the corresponding microstrip power dividers in their respective sealing cavities.
[0051] In addition, as an optional implementation, see [link to implementation details]. Figures 6-18 The first sealed cavity 38 includes a first rectangular waveguide 54 corresponding to the common port 42 of the first microstrip power divider, and an array of second rectangular waveguides 15 corresponding to each output port of the first microstrip power divider 41. The second sealed cavity 39 includes a third rectangular waveguide 55 corresponding to the common port 22 of the second microstrip power divider, and an array of fourth rectangular waveguides 14 corresponding to each output port of the second microstrip power divider 21. Each rectangular waveguide is used for waveguide-to-microstrip line or microstrip line-to-waveguide conversion.
[0052] As an optional implementation method, such as Figure 8 , Figure 9 As shown, both the first microstrip power divider 41 and the second microstrip power divider 21 are composed of multiple microstrip two-stage power dividers connected step by step.
[0053] For example, such as Figure 8 Figure 9 As shown, assuming that both the first microstrip power divider 41 and the second microstrip power divider 21 are 1-to-8 power dividers, then each of the first and second microstrip power dividers 21 contains three stages of two-stage power dividers, which are cascaded sequentially to achieve 1-to-2, 2-to-4, and 4-to-8 power division. Preferably, both the first microstrip power divider 41 and the second microstrip power divider 21 are symmetrical about their respective first-stage two-stage power dividers.
[0054] In one specific implementation, unlike the equal-width microstrip line design, such as Figure 9 As shown, the common ports of each stage of the first microstrip power divider 41 and the second microstrip power divider 21 are all microstrip lines of equal width, and the output ports of each stage of the power divider are microstrip lines with a gradually increasing width, and the final width is equal to the width of the common port.
[0055] In addition, the common port and each output port of the first microstrip power divider 41 and the second microstrip power divider 21 are microstrip lines with gradually changing widths, wherein the width of the common port gradually decreases from large to small, and the width of each output port gradually increases from small to large.
[0056] The gradient microstrip line and ports allow for adjustment of the matching bandwidth, and the matching adjustment of the multi-stage two-way power divider enables the antenna to have a wider bandwidth.
[0057] As a preferred implementation method, such as Figures 6-15 As shown, the shape of the first sealed cavity 38 corresponds to the shape of the first microstrip power divider 41; the shape of the second sealed cavity 39 corresponds to the shape of the second microstrip power divider 21. For example, if the first microstrip power divider 41 / second microstrip power divider 21 is in a T-shape, the shapes of the first sealed cavity 38 / second sealed cavity 39 will also be T-shaped. Although this increases the amount of machining (such as milling) work to some extent, it can better constrain the corresponding microstrip power dividers, further reduce their power division loss, and significantly improve antenna performance.
[0058] As mentioned above, both the first microstrip power divider 41 and the second microstrip power divider 21 require sealing using sealed cavities, and the first sealed cavity 38 and the second sealed cavity 39 need to be isolated from each other. Therefore, milling is usually performed on different metal substrates to obtain the first sealed cavity 38 and the second sealed cavity 39 respectively. In an optional embodiment, to further reduce the antenna thickness, such as... Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 As shown, the first sealing cavity 38 and the second sealing cavity 39 are disposed on opposite sides of the isolation plate 3, and the first sealing cavity 38 and the second sealing cavity 39 share the isolation plate 3 to achieve sealing. That is to say, part or all of the first sealing cavity 38 and the second sealing cavity 39 are processed on both sides (top and bottom) of the same isolation plate 3. By sharing the same isolation plate 3, the antenna thickness is minimized as much as possible, and the antenna assembly difficulty is reduced while minimizing the number of metal substrate layers, thus improving the antenna's operational stability.
[0059] Considering the high difficulty of directly machining the sealing cavity on the isolation plate 3, the first sealing cavity 38 and the second sealing cavity 39 are machined in two parts, and the two parts are combined to form the corresponding sealing cavity.
[0060] Specifically, see Figure 3 and Figure 6 The first sealing cavity 38 includes a first sealing plate 52, which is mated with a first side 30 of an isolation plate to form the first sealing cavity 38. A first microstrip power divider 41 is sandwiched between the first sealing plate 52 and the first side 30 of the isolation plate. Similarly, the second sealing cavity 39 includes a second sealing plate 1, which is mated with a second side 31 of an isolation plate to form the second sealing cavity 39. A second microstrip power divider 21 is sandwiched between the second sealing plate 1 and the second side 31 of the isolation plate.
[0061] In other words, the isolation plate 3 only forms a portion of the sealed first sealing cavity 38 / second sealing cavity 39, while the other portion is served by the corresponding first / second sealing plate 1. The isolation plate 3 and the first / second sealing plate 1 are connected to form the first sealing cavity 38 / second sealing cavity 39, which facilitates the processing and manufacturing of the first sealing cavity 38 / second sealing cavity 39. In addition, the isolation plate 3 and the first / second sealing plate 1 sandwich the first / second microstrip power divider 21 between them, which also facilitates the assembly of the first / second sealed microstrip power divider network.
[0062] For example, the isolation plate 3 has a first output waveguide 33, a first transition waveguide 36, a second input waveguide 35, and a second transition waveguide 34. The first output waveguide 33 is used to connect the common port 42 of the first microstrip power divider and the first waveguide port 11; the second transition waveguide 34 is used to connect the common port 22 of the second microstrip power divider and the third rectangular waveguide 55; the second input waveguide 35 is used to connect the second output port 51c of the circular polarizer and the output port 23 of the second microstrip power divider; the first transition waveguide 36 is used to connect the output waveguide of the first microstrip power divider 41 and the second rectangular waveguide 15.
[0063] As an optional implementation method, such as Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 13 As shown, the first microstrip power divider 41 is disposed on the first dielectric substrate 4, and the second microstrip power divider 21 is disposed on the second dielectric substrate 2. That is, by sandwiching the first dielectric substrate 4 between the first side of the isolation plate 3 and the first sealing plate 52, a first sealed microstrip power divider network is formed; by sandwiching the second dielectric substrate 2 between the second side 31 of the isolation plate and the second sealing plate 1, a second sealed microstrip power divider network is formed. The plate-shaped design of the microstrip power divider not only facilitates production but also facilitates assembly.
[0064] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the first dielectric substrate 4 and the second dielectric substrate 2 have identical structures. Identical structures mean that the first microstrip power divider 41 and the second microstrip power divider 21 have identical structures, and that all other structures are identical except for the first microstrip power divider 41 and the second microstrip power divider 21. For example, if there are openings, the number, structure, and position of the openings are also identical. In other words, the first dielectric substrate 4 and the second dielectric substrate 2 are completely identical. Thus, only one production line is needed to simultaneously produce the first microstrip power divider 41 and the second microstrip power divider 21. Moreover, since they have identical structures, they can be assembled without distinction; either dielectric substrate can be selected to serve as the first microstrip power divider 41 and the second microstrip power divider 21, respectively. Assembly only requires following the required orientation (e.g., left-right symmetry), which significantly improves assembly efficiency and facilitates later maintenance.
[0065] For example, in addition to the first microstrip power divider 41, a first via 44 and a plurality of second vias 45 are respectively formed on the first dielectric substrate 4. The position of the first via 44 corresponds to the position of the common port 22 of the second microstrip power divider, so as to connect the third rectangular waveguide 55 and the common port 22 of the second microstrip power divider; the positions of each second via 45 correspond to the positions of the output ports 23 of the second microstrip power divider, so as to connect the second output port 51c of the circular polarizer and the output port 23 of the second microstrip power divider. Similarly, in addition to the second microstrip power divider 21, a third via 24 and a plurality of fourth vias 25 are respectively formed on the second dielectric substrate 2. The position of the third via 24 corresponds to the position of the common port 42 of the first microstrip power divider, so as to connect the common port 42 of the first microstrip power divider and the first waveguide port 11; the positions of each fourth via 25 correspond to the positions of the output ports 43 of the first microstrip power divider, so as to connect the output ports 43 of the first microstrip power divider and the second rectangular waveguide 15.
[0066] There are several optional implementation methods for machining a complete first sealing cavity 38 / second sealing cavity 39 on the isolation plate 3 and the first sealing plate 52 / second sealing plate 1: Method 1: The groove structure of the first sealing cavity 38 / second sealing cavity 39 is only opened on the isolation plate 3.
[0067] The first sealing cavity 38 is formed on the first side 30 of the isolation plate, and the first sealing plate 52 (with a planar structure) seals the first side 30 of the isolation plate to form a complete first sealing cavity 38. The first microstrip power divider 41 is sandwiched between the two to form a first sealed microstrip power divider network.
[0068] Similarly, the second sealing cavity 39 is formed on the second side 31 of the isolation plate (opposite to / away from the first side), and the second sealing plate 1 (with a planar structure) seals the second side 31 of the isolation plate to form a complete second sealing cavity 39. The second microstrip power divider 21 is sandwiched between the two to form a second sealed microstrip power divider network.
[0069] Method 2: The groove structure of the first sealing cavity 38 / second sealing cavity 39 is only opened on the first / second sealing plate 1.
[0070] The first sealing cavity 38 is formed on the first sealing plate 52, and the first side 30 of the isolation plate (with a planar structure) seals the first sealing plate 52 to form a complete first sealing cavity 38. The first microstrip power divider 41 is sandwiched between the two to form a first sealed microstrip power divider network.
[0071] Similarly, the second sealing cavity 39 is formed on the second sealing plate 1, and the second side 31 of the isolation plate (with a planar structure) seals the second sealing plate 1 to form a complete second sealing cavity 39. The second microstrip power divider 21 is sandwiched between the two to form a second sealed microstrip power divider network.
[0072] Method 3: The groove structure of the first sealing cavity 38 / second sealing cavity 39 is simultaneously opened on the isolation plate 3 and the first / second sealing plate 1.
[0073] like Figure 3 , Figures 6-16 As shown, in this configuration, the first sealing cavity 38 is formed on the first side 30 of the isolation plate and the first sealing plate 52. The groove structure for the first sealing cavity 38 is formed on both the first side 30 of the isolation plate and the first sealing plate 52. The groove depths for the first sealing cavity 38 on the first side 30 of the isolation plate and the first sealing plate 52 can be equal or different. Preferably, the groove depths of both can independently accommodate the first microstrip power divider 41. For example, an upper cavity 53 of the first sealing cavity is formed on the first sealing plate 52, and a lower cavity 32 of the first sealing cavity is formed on the first side 30 of the isolation plate. The upper cavity 53 and the lower cavity 32 of the first sealing cavity are joined together (with the first dielectric substrate or the first microstrip power divider 41 sandwiched in between) to form the first sealing cavity 38.
[0074] The second sealing cavity 39 is formed on the second side 31 of the isolation plate and the second sealing plate 1. The groove structure for the second sealing cavity 39 is formed on both the second side 31 of the isolation plate and the second sealing plate 1. The groove depths for the second sealing cavity 39 on the second side 31 of the isolation plate and the second sealing plate 1 can be equal or different. Preferably, the groove depths of both can independently accommodate the second microstrip power divider 21. For example, a lower cavity 13 of the second sealing cavity is formed on the second sealing plate, and an upper cavity 37 of the second sealing cavity is formed on the second side 31 of the isolation plate. The upper cavity 37 and the lower cavity 13 of the second sealing cavity are joined together (with a second dielectric substrate or the second microstrip power divider 21 sandwiched in between) to form the second sealing cavity 39.
[0075] It should be noted that the above three methods are descriptions of three optional implementations of the first sealing cavity 38 and the second sealing cavity 39, and do not limit the design of the first sealing cavity 38 and the second sealing cavity 39 to be the same. That is to say, the first sealing cavity 38 can adopt any of the above three methods, and similarly, the second sealing cavity 39 can also adopt any of the above three methods; the design of the two sealing cavities may not be the same.
[0076] One advantage of simultaneously opening part or all of the first sealing cavity 38 and the second sealing cavity 39 on the isolation plate 3 is that when the first microstrip power divider 41 and the second microstrip power divider 21 adopt the same structural design, the front and back of the isolation plate 3 can be ignored when processing the antenna, reducing the number of processing lines and improving production efficiency; and the assembly direction of the isolation plate 3 can also be ignored when assembling the antenna, thus facilitating the rapid assembly of the antenna.
[0077] The advantage of simultaneously opening the first sealing cavity 38 / second sealing cavity 39 on the isolation plate 3 and the first / second sealing plate 1 is that when assembling the first / second microstrip power divider 21, there is no need to consider the orientation of the first / second microstrip power divider 21, which can greatly improve the assembly efficiency.
[0078] In summary, the isolation plate 3, the first sealing plate 52, and the second sealing plate 1 can be designed as standard parts, which can facilitate both machining (milling) and assembly.
[0079] Furthermore, to further reduce the antenna thickness, the first sealing plate 52 is integrally connected to the bottom of the dual circular polarizer array 51. That is, the partition-type circular polarizer and the first sealing plate 52 are milled on both sides of the same metal substrate, as shown below. Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, a dual circular polarizer array 51 is fabricated on top of the circular polarization layer 5, and a first sealing plate 52 is fabricated on the bottom of the circular polarization layer 5. Two waveguide ports are formed on the second sealing plate 1, i.e., the two waveguide ports penetrate the second sealing plate 1, as shown. Figures 14-16 As shown. In this way, the originally separate dual circular polarization array and the first sealing plate 52 can be integrated into a single design, and the originally separate second sealing plate 1 and the two waveguide ports can be integrated into a single design. This saves materials, reduces the antenna thickness, simplifies assembly, and improves the antenna's operational stability.
[0080] Based on the above-described dimensional design example, the performance of the designed antenna was tested in this application embodiment. For example... Figure 19 The figure shows the simulated standing wave curves of the left-hand circularly polarized port and the right-hand circularly polarized port of the planar array antenna. Figure 20 The image shows the gain patterns of the left-hand and right-hand circularly polarized ports of the planar array antenna. Figure 20 The gains of test points m1 and m2 are 18.4dB@19.75GHz and 21.2dB@30GHz, respectively. The gain curves in the two directions (azimuth angles phi are 0 degrees and 90 degrees, respectively) coincide, indicating that the radiation directions of the antenna azimuth and elevation planes are the same, which proves that the left-hand circular polarization port and the right-hand circular polarization port of the array antenna gain have good consistency. Figure 21 The figure shows the axial ratio curves of the transmit and receive frequency bands of the left-hand and right-hand circularly polarized ports of the planar array antenna. Figure 21 It is known that the antenna's VSWR is below 2.0. Considering the antenna dimensions of 56mm × 32mm × 26.2mm, the calculated radiation efficiencies at its left-hand and right-hand circularly polarized ports are 72% and 60%, respectively. The antenna thickness is also significantly less than that of traditional Ka-band array antennas. The normal axial ratio of the antenna array is less than 1.75. The antenna exhibits excellent performance, providing superior radiation over a relatively wide coverage area.
[0081] Conventional planar array antennas typically employ a horn-shaped radiating element array combined with a waveguide network design. After milling each layer, welding is used to connect the layers together to ensure the waveguide network's sealing. This application, however, significantly reduces the antenna thickness (by more than 35%) through the structural design of the first and second sealed microstrip power dividers, as well as the coordinated design of the dielectric substrate and the sealing cavity. The spacing between array elements is also correspondingly reduced, achieving miniaturization of the planar array antenna and greatly improving portability. Furthermore, conventional planar array antennas, due to their large element spacing, cannot perform signal shaping. The reduced element spacing in this application makes amplitude and phase shaping possible. When assembling the dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna, simply stacking the layers sequentially and screwing them together ensures antenna performance, eliminating the need for welding and improving the ease of assembly. Testing revealed that the dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna designed in this application achieves coplanar transmission and reception across the k-ka bands and dual-circular polarization, covering a frequency range of 18.7 GHz to 30 GHz. The radiation efficiency reaches 75% in the K-band and 60% in the ka-band. The antenna has a compact structure and miniaturized size, requiring only screw assembly, thus reducing production costs. This planar array antenna has broad market application prospects.
[0082] Based on the concept of this application, this application also provides a method for fabricating a dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figures 1-18 The processing method includes: A radiation element array is formed on radiation layer 6; A dual circular polarizer array 51 is formed on the top of the circular polarization layer 5; The first sealing plate 52 is machined at the bottom of the circular polarization layer 5; A first sealing cavity 38 is formed at the bottom of the first sealing plate 52 and / or the top of the isolation plate 3; A second sealing cavity 39 is formed at the top of the second sealing plate 1 and / or at the bottom of the isolation plate 3; Two waveguide ports are opened on the second sealing plate 1; The first microstrip power divider 41 and the second microstrip power divider 21 were fabricated respectively. The first microstrip power divider 41 is clamped between the bottom of the first sealing plate 52 and the top of the isolation plate 3; the second microstrip power divider 21 is clamped between the bottom of the isolation plate 3 and the top of the second sealing plate 1; The second sealing plate 1, the isolation plate 3, the circular polarization layer 5, and the radiating layer 6 are screwed together as a single unit. This screw-in assembly method, rather than welding, allows for the fabrication of the planar array antenna, significantly improving the ease of antenna assembly.
[0083] The optional implementations of the above layers (radiation layer 6, circular polarization layer 5, first sealing plate 52, isolation plate 3, second sealing plate 1, first microstrip power divider 41 and second microstrip power divider 21) can refer to the structures designed in the above embodiments or their optional implementations, and will not be described in detail here.
[0084] This invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The invention extends to any new feature or combination disclosed in this specification, as well as any new method or process step or combination disclosed herein.
Claims
1. A dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna, characterized in that, It includes a radiating element array, a dual circular polarizer array, a first sealed microstrip power divider network, a second sealed microstrip power divider network, and two waveguide ports; The radiating element array is connected to the input port array of the dual circular polarizer array; The first output port array of the dual circular polarizer array is connected to each output port of the first sealed microstrip power divider network, and the second output port array of the circular polarizer array is connected to each output port of the second sealed microstrip power divider network to realize the waveguide to microstrip line conversion; the common port of the first sealed microstrip power divider network and the common port of the second sealed microstrip power divider network are each connected to a waveguide port to realize the microstrip line to waveguide conversion.
2. The dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first sealed microstrip power divider network includes a first sealed cavity and a first microstrip power divider; the first microstrip power divider is sealed inside the first sealed cavity; The second sealed microstrip power divider network includes a second sealed cavity and a second microstrip power divider; the second microstrip power divider is sealed within the second sealed cavity.
3. The dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first sealing cavity and the second sealing cavity are disposed on opposite sides of the isolation plate, and the first sealing cavity and the second sealing cavity share the isolation plate to achieve sealing.
4. The dual circularly polarized planar array antenna as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The first sealing cavity includes a first sealing plate, the first sealing plate and the first side of the isolation plate are mated to form the first sealing cavity, and the first microstrip power divider is sandwiched between the first sealing plate and the first side of the isolation plate; The second sealing cavity includes a second sealing plate, the second sealing plate and the second side of the isolation plate are mated to form the second sealing cavity, and the second microstrip power divider is sandwiched between the second sealing plate and the second side of the isolation plate.
5. The dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The first sealing cavity is formed on the first side of the isolation plate and / or on the first sealing plate; the second sealing cavity is formed on the second side of the isolation plate and / or on the second sealing plate.
6. The dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna as described in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The first sealing plate is integrally connected to the bottom of the dual circular polarizer array; the two waveguide ports are opened on the second sealing plate.
7. The dual circularly polarized planar array antenna as described in any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The first microstrip power divider is disposed on the first dielectric substrate, and the second microstrip power divider is disposed on the second dielectric substrate; the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate have the same structure.
8. The dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Both the first microstrip power divider and the second microstrip power divider are composed of multiple microstrip two-stage power dividers connected in stages.
9. The dual circularly polarized planar array antenna as described in any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The first sealed cavity includes: a first rectangular waveguide corresponding to the common port of the first microstrip power divider, and a second rectangular waveguide array corresponding to each output port of the first microstrip power divider. The second sealed cavity includes: a third rectangular waveguide corresponding to the common port of the second microstrip power divider, and a fourth rectangular waveguide array corresponding to each output port of the second microstrip power divider.
10. A method for fabricating a dual-circularly polarized planar array antenna as described in any one of claims 2-9, characterized in that, include: An array of radiating elements is formed on the radiating layer; A dual circular polarizer array is formed at the top of the circular polarization layer; A first sealing plate is machined at the bottom of the circular polarization layer; A first sealing cavity is formed at the bottom of the first sealing plate and / or the top of the isolation plate; A second sealing cavity is formed at the top of the second sealing plate and / or at the bottom of the isolation plate; Two waveguide ports are formed on the second sealing plate; The first microstrip power divider and the second microstrip power divider were fabricated respectively. The first microstrip power divider is sandwiched between the bottom of the first sealing plate and the top of the isolation plate; The second microstrip power divider is sandwiched between the bottom of the isolation plate and the top of the second sealing plate; The second sealing plate, the isolation plate, the circular polarization layer, and the radiation layer are screwed together as a single unit.