A three-frequency-band multi-beam phased array radio frequency front-end architecture

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of multi-band phased array, and particularly relates to a three-frequency-band multi-beam phased array radio frequency front end architecture. The architecture is composed of an S-band 16-beam radio frequency front end, a Ku-band 32-beam radio frequency front end, a Ka-band 128-beam radio frequency front end, an intermediate frequency exchange network, a local oscillator distribution network and a digital processing unit. Each frequency band radio frequency front end is independently designed and uses heterogeneous integration technology. The unified routing of three-frequency-band signals is realized through the intermediate frequency exchange network. The local oscillator distribution network provides high-purity local oscillator signals to support coherent or non-coherent operation. The digital processing unit completes beam forming and modulation and demodulation. The architecture realizes the fusion of S / Ku / Ka three-frequency-band multi-beam, simultaneously adapts to the communication requirements of mobile phone direct connection, Qianxian constellation and star network constellation, reduces hardware redundancy, and improves terminal compatibility and resource utilization.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of satellite communication radio frequency front-end technology, specifically involving the integrated architecture design of multi-band, multi-beam phased arrays, which is particularly suitable for satellite communication terminals compatible with multiple constellations. This architecture focuses on the integrated design of the S, Ku, and Ka bands, respectively adapting to the transceiver requirements of 16, 32, and 128 beams. By sharing a core network unit, it reduces hardware redundancy, solving the problems of large size and high cost of traditional multi-band terminals. It meets the communication needs of multiple scenarios such as direct satellite connection from mobile phones, Qianfan constellation, and StarNet constellation, and is compatible with the mainstream application frequency bands of low-Earth orbit satellite communication. Background Technology

[0002] The rapid development of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication constellations has driven the demand for multi-constellation compatible terminals. Mainstream satellite constellations operate in the S-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band frequency bands, with significantly different requirements for the number of beams: S-band mobile phones require 16 beams for direct connection, the Ku-band Qianfan constellation requires 32 beams, and the Ka-band Xingwang constellation requires 128 beams to meet high-speed data transmission needs. Traditional solutions involve designing independent RF front-ends and antenna systems for each constellation, resulting in bulky terminals, significant hardware redundancy, high manufacturing costs, and high power consumption, making it difficult to meet the demands of portable and miniaturized applications.

[0003] Existing multi-band RF front-end architectures mostly focus on dual-band fusion or the implementation of a small number of beams, lacking adaptability to tri-band multi-beam (16 / 32 / 128 beams) architectures. Furthermore, the signal routing and local oscillator allocation for each frequency band lack a unified design, hindering flexible resource scheduling and multi-band collaborative operation. Simultaneously, the significant differences in device characteristics across different frequency bands present a key technological bottleneck restricting the development of tri-band multi-beam RF front-ends. This bottleneck stems from the challenge of achieving efficient integration of multiple chips through heterogeneous integration technology, balancing performance and power consumption across different frequency bands. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to propose a three-band multi-beam phased array radio frequency front-end architecture to solve the technical problems of hardware redundancy, large size and high cost of traditional multi-constellation satellite communication terminals, and to achieve efficient integration and collaborative operation of S / Ku / Ka three-band multi-beams.

[0005] The core technical solution of this architecture is "three-band independent design + shared core network": the S-band RF front-end contains 16 independent transceiver channels, supporting 16-beam transceiver processing; the Ku-band RF front-end contains 32 independent transceiver channels, adapting to 32-beam requirements; and the Ka-band RF front-end contains 128 independent transceiver channels, meeting the high-speed data transmission requirements of 128 beams. Each band's RF front-end adopts heterogeneous integration technology, integrating GaAs, GaN, and SiGe chips within the same package to optimize device performance and power consumption across different frequency bands.

[0006] The intermediate frequency (IF) switching network uses a non-blocking cross switch matrix as the unified routing core for the three frequency bands. It receives the down-converted IF signals from each frequency band and routes them to the digital processing unit. At the same time, it distributes the up-converted IF signals from the digital processing unit to the corresponding frequency band RF front-end. It supports flexible connection between any frequency band beam channel and digital processing channel. The IF signal frequency range of 0.9-3.6GHz can be dynamically configured.

[0007] The local oscillator distribution network provides high-purity local oscillator signals for each frequency band. It includes multiple phase-locked loop frequency synthesizers and distribution amplifiers, and can provide independent local oscillator frequencies for each frequency band as needed, or provide coherent local oscillators to achieve multi-band collaborative operation. The reference clock shares a 100MHz temperature-compensated crystal oscillator to ensure the stability of the local oscillator signal.

[0008] The digital processing unit consists of an FPGA and a DSP, connected to the intermediate frequency switching network. It is responsible for digital down-conversion, beamforming, modulation and demodulation, and protocol processing of intermediate frequency signals in three frequency bands, so as to achieve accurate multi-beam formation and efficient signal processing.

[0009] This architecture reduces redundant hardware design by sharing an intermediate frequency switching network and a local oscillator allocation network, achieving the fusion and integration of three frequency bands and multiple beams. It also supports flexible signal routing and multi-frequency band collaboration, significantly reducing terminal size, cost, and power consumption, and improving multi-constellation compatibility. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 is an overall block diagram of the three-band multi-beam phased array RF front-end architecture; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the S-band single-channel receiver link structure; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the intermediate frequency switching network. Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0011] 101: S-band RF front-end; 102: Ku-band RF front-end; 103: Ka-band RF front-end; 104: Intermediate frequency switching network; 105: Local oscillator distribution network; 106: Digital processing unit. 201: Antenna Interface; 202: Limiter; 203: Low Noise Amplifier (LNA); 204: Image Rejection Mixer; 205: Intermediate Frequency Filter; 206: Variable Gain Amplifier (VGA); 207: Intermediate Frequency Output Interface; 208: Local Oscillator Input Interface 301: Multi-channel intermediate frequency input interface; 302: Cross switch core; 303: Control interface; 304: Multi-channel intermediate frequency output interface Detailed Implementation

[0012] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the various drawings, the same elements are indicated by similar reference numerals. For clarity, the various parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale. Furthermore, some well-known parts may not be shown in the drawings.

[0013] Many specific details of the invention, such as device selection, frequency parameters, network size, etc., are described below to provide a clearer understanding of the invention. However, as those skilled in the art will understand, the invention may be implemented without following these specific details.

[0014] Figure 1 shows the overall block diagram of the three-band multi-beam phased array RF front-end architecture. As shown in Figure 1, the RF front-end architecture of this invention includes an S-band RF front-end 101, a Ku-band RF front-end 102, a Ka-band RF front-end 103, an intermediate frequency switching network 104, a local oscillator distribution network 105, and a digital processing unit 106. The S-band RF front-end 101 is a 16-beam transceiver architecture, containing 16 independent transceiver channels, operating in the 1980-2010MHz receiving and 2170-2200MHz transmitting band. The Ku-band RF front-end 102 is a 32-beam transceiver architecture, containing 32 independent transceiver channels, operating in the 10.7-12.75GHz receiving and 14.0-14.5GHz transmitting band. The Ka-band RF front-end 103 is a 128-beam transceiver architecture, containing 128 independent transceiver channels, operating in the 17.7-20.2GHz receiving and 27.5-30.0GHz transmitting band. The three frequency bands employ heterogeneous integration technology in their front-ends, integrating GaAs, GaN, and SiGe chips. The intermediate frequency (IF) switching network 104 is a non-blocking cross-connected switch matrix, enabling routing and allocation of IF signals across the three bands. The local oscillator (LO) allocation network 105 provides the required LO signals for each band, supporting coherent or incoherent modes. The digital processing unit 106, composed of an FPGA and a DSP, is responsible for beamforming and signal processing. All modules work collaboratively to achieve fused transmission and reception across the three frequency bands and multiple beams.

[0015] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the S-band single-channel receiving link structure. As shown in Figure 2, the S-band single-channel receiving link in this invention includes an antenna interface 201, a limiter 202, a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 203, a mirror rejection mixer 204, an intermediate frequency filter 205, a variable gain amplifier (VGA) 206, an intermediate frequency output interface 207, and a local oscillator input interface 208. The antenna interface 201 receives the S-band radio frequency signal, which is then protected from overvoltage by the limiter 202 and input to the low-noise amplifier 203 for low-noise amplification. The amplified radio frequency signal is mixed with the 1.9GHz local oscillator signal connected to the local oscillator input interface 208 in the mirror rejection mixer 204 and down-converted to an 80-180MHz intermediate frequency signal. After the intermediate frequency signal is filtered out for noise by the intermediate frequency filter 205, the signal amplitude is adjusted by the variable gain amplifier 206, and finally output to the intermediate frequency switching network through the intermediate frequency output interface 207. This link uses a mirror rejection mixer to suppress mirror interference, ensuring the purity and quality of the intermediate frequency signal.

[0016] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the intermediate frequency (IF) switching network. As shown in Figure 3, the IF switching network in this invention adopts a non-blocking cross-switch matrix architecture, including a multi-channel IF input interface 301, a cross-switch core 302, a control interface 303, and a multi-channel IF output interface 304. The multi-channel IF input interface 301 has 16+32+128=176 channels, which are respectively connected to the IF outputs of the RF front-ends of the S / Ku / Ka bands. The cross-switch core uses the ADRF5545A cross-switch chip from Analog Devices (ADI), achieving a non-blocking switching scale of 176×176 through multi-level cascading. The control interface 303 is connected to the digital processing unit, receives routing configuration commands, and dynamically adjusts the signal connection paths. The multi-channel IF output interface 304 is connected to the ADC input of the digital processing unit, distributing the IF signals of each band to the corresponding digital processing channels. This network supports flexible connection between any beam channel and digital processing channel in any band, realizing efficient routing and dynamic resource allocation of IF signals.

[0017] In this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that the included set of elements (such as a process, method, article, or apparatus) includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements besides those included.

[0018] In this invention, the embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor are they intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments described. Many variations can be made based on the above description. These embodiments have been selected and specifically described in this specification to better explain the principles and practical applications of the invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to effectively utilize the invention and make modifications based on it. This invention is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. A three-band multi-beam phased array radio frequency front-end architecture, characterized in that, It includes S-band RF front-end, Ku-band RF front-end, Ka-band RF front-end, intermediate frequency (IF) switching network, and local oscillator (LO) distribution network; the S-band front-end supports 16-beam transceiver, the Ku-band front-end supports 32-beam transceiver, and the Ka-band front-end supports 128-beam transceiver; the IF switching network realizes the routing and allocation of IF signals in each frequency band; and the LO distribution network provides LO signals for each frequency band.

2. The architecture according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each frequency band RF front-end contains independent transceiver channels: 16 transmit / receive channels in S-band, 32 transmit / receive channels in Ku-band, and 128 transmit / receive channels in Ka-band. Each channel integrates an LNA / PA, mixer, filter, and variable gain amplifier.

3. The architecture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intermediate frequency (IF) switching network uses a non-blocking cross switch matrix, which supports flexible connection between beam channels and digital processing channels in any frequency band. The IF signal frequency range of 0.9-3.6GHz can be dynamically configured.

4. The architecture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The local oscillator distribution network contains multiple phase-locked loop frequency synthesizers and distribution amplifiers, which can provide independent local oscillators or coherent local oscillators for each frequency band and support multi-band collaborative operation.

5. The architecture according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a digital processing unit that connects to the intermediate frequency switching network and is responsible for beamforming, modulation and demodulation, and protocol processing of the three-band intermediate frequency signals.

6. The architecture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radio frequency front-end for each frequency band adopts heterogeneous integration technology, integrating GaAs, GaN and SiGe chips into the same package to optimize performance and power consumption.

7. The architecture according to claim 1, characterized in that, Operating frequencies for each band: S-band: 1980-2010MHz for receiving and 2170-2200MHz for transmitting; Ku-band: 10.7-12.75GHz for receiving and 14.0-14.5GHz for transmitting; Ka-band: 17.7-20.2GHz for receiving and 27.5-30.0GHz for transmitting.

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