Phased array frequency synthesizer module
By independently setting up transmit and receive channels in the phased array frequency synthesizer module and adopting a local oscillator signal source split-connection design, the problem of electromagnetic interference between modules is solved, the system stability is improved and the hardware cost is reduced.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHAANXI DONGFANG CHANGLING ELECTRONIC TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-28
AI Technical Summary
The lack of an effective electromagnetic interference isolation mechanism between the functional modules in the existing phased array frequency synthesizer module leads to signal crosstalk and system stability problems.
The transmitting and receiving channels are set up independently and connected by a local oscillator signal source. Independent first and second local oscillator signals are used for the transmitting and receiving channels respectively. Combined with the design of the preamplifier circuit and mixer, electromagnetic interference between modules is reduced.
It effectively reduces mutual interference between the transmitting and receiving channels, improves the stability and reliability of the system, simplifies the system structure, and reduces hardware costs and design complexity.
Smart Images
Figure CN224178146U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to a phased array frequency synthesizer module, belonging to the field of electronic information technology. Background Technology
[0002] With the rapid development of modern communication technology, radar systems, and electronic countermeasures technology, the performance requirements for signal sources are becoming increasingly stringent, especially in terms of frequency synthesis accuracy, phase noise, switching speed, and system integration. Phased array technology, as an advanced beamforming and control technology, flexibly adjusts the phase and amplitude of each element in the antenna array electronically, achieving rapid beam scanning and pointing, greatly improving the flexibility and stealth of radar detection and communication transmission systems. The phased array frequency synthesizer module, as one of the core components of a phased array system, is responsible for generating high-precision, low-phase-noise local oscillator signals, and its performance directly affects the overall efficiency of the phased array system.
[0003] Currently, most phased array frequency synthesizer modules on the market adopt a highly integrated design, integrating multiple functional modules such as frequency synthesizers, phase-locked loops (PLLs), voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), frequency dividers, and frequency multipliers into a single chip or small package to reduce size, lower cost, and improve system reliability. However, while this highly integrated design brings many advantages, it also raises a series of technical challenges. The most prominent problem is electromagnetic interference and signal crosstalk between functional modules, i.e., the lack of effective isolation mechanisms between modules.
[0004] In existing technologies, because the functional modules within a phased array frequency synthesizer module (such as PLL and VCO, frequency divider and frequency multiplier, etc.) are close to each other and share the same substrate or packaging environment, high-frequency signals are prone to unnecessary coupling during transmission through paths such as substrate parasitic capacitance, inductance, and packaging structure, leading to mutual interference between signals from different modules. This interference not only reduces the output frequency accuracy and phase noise performance of the frequency synthesizer but may also cause PLL locking failure or false locking, thereby affecting the normal operation of the entire phased array system. Utility Model Content
[0005] According to one aspect of this application, a phased array frequency synthesizer module is provided, which can effectively isolate electromagnetic interference between various circuit modules and improve the stability of the system.
[0006] A phased array frequency synthesizer module, characterized in that it comprises:
[0007] The transmission channel is used to convert the first intermediate frequency signal into a high frequency signal for output.
[0008] The receiving channel is used to convert the echo signal into a second intermediate frequency signal for output;
[0009] The local oscillator signal source has its transmitting channel and receiving channel set independently, and they are connected through the local oscillator signal source branch.
[0010] The local oscillator signal source includes a first local oscillator signal and a second local oscillator signal. The first local oscillator signal is used for signal processing of the transmitting channel, and the second local oscillator signal is used for signal processing of the transmitting channel and the receiving channel.
[0011] Furthermore, the transmission channel includes:
[0012] The transmission excitation channel is used to process the first intermediate frequency signal and output the high frequency signal;
[0013] The calibration excitation channel is used to generate a standard reference signal for system self-testing and channel calibration.
[0014] The transmit excitation channel and the calibration excitation channel share a preamplifier circuit, which is used to process the first intermediate frequency signal.
[0015] Furthermore, the preamplifier circuit includes:
[0016] A single-stage mixer is used to mix the first intermediate frequency signal and the first local oscillator signal.
[0017] A secondary mixer is used to mix the signal processed by the primary mixer with the second local oscillator signal.
[0018] The first amplifier is used to amplify the signal processed by the secondary mixer.
[0019] A switching switch is used to switch the signal processed by the first amplifier to either the output transmission excitation channel or the calibration excitation channel.
[0020] Furthermore, the receiving channel includes:
[0021] Multiple radio frequency receiving channels, each radio frequency receiving channel including a second amplifier and a first mixer connected in sequence;
[0022] The stealth channel includes a third amplifier and a second mixer connected in sequence;
[0023] The calibration channel includes a fourth amplifier and a third mixer connected in sequence;
[0024] The first mixer is used to mix the second local oscillator signal and the echo signal on the radio frequency receiving channel;
[0025] The second mixer is used to mix the second local oscillator signal and the echo signal on the stealth channel;
[0026] The third mixer is used to mix the second local oscillator signal and the echo signal on the calibration channel.
[0027] Furthermore, the local oscillator signal source is transmitted through a frequency source, and the first local oscillator signal transmitted by the frequency source is mixed with the first intermediate frequency signal once.
[0028] The second local oscillator signal emitted by the frequency source is processed by a power divider amplifier to obtain a third local oscillator signal and a fourth local oscillator signal. The third local oscillator signal is mixed with the first intermediate frequency signal in a second frequency mixing process, and the fourth local oscillator signal is mixed with echo signals from different receiving channels.
[0029] Furthermore, the local oscillator signal source is a low-frequency local oscillator signal source.
[0030] Furthermore, the multiple radio frequency receiving channels, stealth channels, and calibration channels are arranged in parallel and independently.
[0031] Furthermore, the radio frequency receiving channels are eight.
[0032] The beneficial effects that this application can produce include:
[0033] The phased array frequency synthesizer module provided in this application features independently configured transmit and receive channels, significantly reducing the possibility of mutual interference between the two channels during operation. The transmit and receive channels operate independently without interference, effectively improving the stability of the entire frequency synthesizer module and ensuring stable and reliable operation under various working scenarios. Furthermore, the connection between the transmit and receive channels is achieved through a local oscillator signal source splitter, avoiding the need for a separate local oscillator signal source for each channel, greatly simplifying the system structure and reducing hardware costs and design complexity. Attached Figure Description
[0034] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the principle of a phased array frequency synthesizer module according to one embodiment of this application;
[0035] List of components and reference numerals: 1- Primary mixer; 2- Secondary mixer; 3- First amplifier; 4- Changeover switch; 5- Second amplifier; 6- First mixer; 7- Third amplifier; 8- Second mixer; 9- Fourth amplifier; 10- Third mixer; 11- Frequency source; 12- Power divider amplifier. Detailed Implementation
[0036] The present application is described in detail below with reference to the embodiments, but the present application is not limited to these embodiments.
[0037] See Figure 1 A phased array frequency synthesizer module, characterized in that it comprises:
[0038] The transmission channel is used to convert the first intermediate frequency signal into a high frequency signal for output.
[0039] The receiving channel is used to convert the echo signal into a second intermediate frequency signal for output;
[0040] The local oscillator signal source has its transmitting channel and receiving channel set independently, and they are connected through the local oscillator signal source branch.
[0041] The local oscillator signal source includes a first local oscillator signal and a second local oscillator signal. The first local oscillator signal is used for signal processing of the transmitting channel, and the second local oscillator signal is used for signal processing of the transmitting channel and the receiving channel.
[0042] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the transmitting channel converts the input first intermediate frequency (IF in) signal into a high-frequency signal output for subsequent signal radiation or transmission. It needs to have frequency up-conversion, gain control, and filtering functions to ensure the spectral purity and power matching of the high-frequency signal. The receiving channel converts the received echo signals (RF in1-8, calibration input, and stealth input) into a second intermediate frequency (IF out1-8, calibration intermediate frequency, and stealth intermediate frequency) output for subsequent signal processing (such as demodulation and analysis). It needs to implement low-noise amplification, down-conversion, and anti-aliasing filtering to ensure the dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio of the received signal. The local oscillator signal source includes an independent first local oscillator signal (LO 1) and a second local oscillator signal (LO 2). LO 1 is used only in the transmitting channel as the local oscillator source for up-conversion. LO 2 serves both the transmitting and receiving channels, achieving frequency reference unification between the transmitting and receiving channels.
[0043] The local oscillator signals of the transmitting and receiving channels are physically isolated to avoid mutual interference. The LO2 signal is routed to the transmitting and receiving channels through a power divider (such as a Wilkinson power divider).
[0044] This application allows for different frequency schemes for the transmitting and receiving channels through an independent local oscillator design, adapting to complex electromagnetic environments. Local oscillator signal splitting reduces inter-channel interference and improves system stability. By adjusting the LO2 frequency, the operating frequency band of the receiving channel can be quickly switched, enhancing spectrum adaptability.
[0045] The launch channel includes:
[0046] The transmission excitation channel is used to process the first intermediate frequency signal and output the high frequency signal;
[0047] The calibration excitation channel is used to generate a standard reference signal for system self-testing and channel calibration.
[0048] The transmit excitation channel and the calibration excitation channel share a preamplifier circuit, which is used to process the first intermediate frequency signal.
[0049] Specifically, the transmit excitation channel receives the first intermediate frequency signal (IF in), and outputs a high-frequency signal through up-conversion, filtering, and amplification. The preamplifier circuit, serving as a common part of the transmit and calibration excitation channels, preprocesses the input first intermediate frequency signal (or calibration signal source) including low-noise amplification, gain control, and filtering to ensure signal quality. The transmit and calibration excitation channels are designed using existing channels to achieve the required functions and do not represent any improvement in this application.
[0050] Reusing the preamplifier circuit reduces hardware redundancy, lowering module size and cost. By sharing the preamplifier circuit, the initial processing conditions for the transmitted and calibration signals are kept consistent, improving calibration accuracy.
[0051] The pre-amplifier circuit includes:
[0052] A primary mixer 1 is used to mix the first intermediate frequency signal and the first local oscillator signal.
[0053] Secondary mixer 2 is used to mix the signal processed by the primary mixer with the second local oscillator signal.
[0054] The first amplifier 3 is used to amplify the signal processed by the secondary mixer;
[0055] The switching switch 4 is used to switch the signal processed by the first amplifier 3 to either the output transmission excitation channel or the calibration excitation channel.
[0056] Specifically, the preamplifier circuit is mainly responsible for the frequency conversion, amplification, and routing switching of the first intermediate frequency signal (IF in). The primary mixer 1 mixes the first intermediate frequency signal (IF in) with the first local oscillator signal (LO1) to generate the first intermediate frequency signal (IF1_mix). During this process, a filter can be set to suppress spurious components (such as image frequencies) generated during mixing. The secondary mixer 2 mixes the signal after the primary mixing (IF1_mix) with the second local oscillator signal (LO2) to generate the final high-frequency signal. The mixing type is set to up-conversion or down-conversion according to system requirements. The first amplifier 3 amplifies the signal after the secondary mixing, compensating for mixing losses and increasing signal power.
[0057] Specifically, it must support automatic gain control (AGC) or manual gain adjustment to adapt to different input signal strengths. The amplifier must maintain high linearity to avoid nonlinear distortion affecting signal quality.
[0058] The switch 4 switches the amplified signal to either the transmit excitation channel or the calibration excitation channel.
[0059] The switching switch 4 must meet system timing requirements (such as radar pulse period) and ensure no signal leakage between channels to avoid interference.
[0060] The receiving channel includes:
[0061] Multiple radio frequency receiving channels, each radio frequency receiving channel including a second amplifier 5 and a first mixer 6 connected in sequence;
[0062] The stealth channel includes a third amplifier 7 and a second mixer 8 connected in sequence.
[0063] The calibration channel includes a fourth amplifier 9 and a third mixer 10 connected in sequence;
[0064] The first mixer 6 is used to mix the second local oscillator signal and the echo signal on the radio frequency receiving channel;
[0065] The second mixer 8 is used to mix the second local oscillator signal and the echo signal on the stealth channel;
[0066] The third mixer 10 is used to perform frequency mixing processing on the second local oscillator signal and the echo signal on the calibration channel.
[0067] Furthermore, the receiving channel consists of three sub-channels responsible for receiving, processing, and calibrating the echo signal. The RF receiving channel receives and processes the echo signal from the antenna, generating an intermediate frequency (IF) signal (IF out1-8). Specifically, the second amplifier 5 performs low-noise amplification (LNA) on the RF echo signal to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. The first mixer 6 mixes the amplified RF signal with the second local oscillator signal (LO 2) and down-converts it to the intermediate frequency (IF). The stealth channel detects and suppresses strong interference signals (such as radar sidelobe signals) to prevent receiver saturation. The third amplifier 7 pre-amplifies the echo signal to ensure sufficient interference signal strength to trigger the stealth logic. The second mixer 8 mixes the interference signal with LO 2 to generate an intermediate frequency signal for stealth circuit analysis. The calibration channel generates and processes a calibration signal for system self-testing and channel calibration. The fourth amplifier 9 amplifies the calibration signal (or test signal) to simulate the actual echo signal strength. The third mixer 10 mixes the calibration signal with LO 2 to generate an intermediate frequency signal for calibration analysis.
[0068] The local oscillator signal source is transmitted through the frequency source 11, and the first local oscillator signal transmitted by the frequency source 11 is mixed with the first intermediate frequency signal once.
[0069] The second local oscillator signal emitted by the frequency source 11 is processed by the power divider amplifier 12 to obtain the third local oscillator signal and the fourth local oscillator signal. The third local oscillator signal is mixed with the first intermediate frequency signal in a second frequency mixing process, and the fourth local oscillator signal is mixed with the echo signals on different receiving channels.
[0070] Specifically, frequency source 11 can generate multiple local oscillator signals via a divider to drive the transmit and receive links. The first local oscillator signal is mixed once with the first intermediate frequency signal to generate an intermediate frequency signal. The second local oscillator signal is processed by power amplifier 12 and split into a third and a fourth local oscillator signal. The third local oscillator signal is mixed twice with the signal after the first mixing to generate the final output signal. The fourth local oscillator signal is mixed with the echo signal from the receiving channel to achieve down-conversion to intermediate frequency.
[0071] The frequency source 11 generates a highly stable local oscillator signal, supporting multi-channel frequency requirements. This frequency source covers the required frequency bands of the system (such as X-band and Ku-band). Phase noise ≤ -100dBc / Hz@10kHz offset (typical value). Frequency switching speed ≤ 100μs (supports frequency hopping applications). The power divider amplifier 12 evenly divides and amplifies the power of the second local oscillator signal, generating a third and fourth local oscillator signal. Its gain ≥ 20dB (compensating for power division losses). Isolation ≥ 30dB (preventing mutual interference between the third and fourth local oscillators). Output power ≥ 10dBm (meets mixer input requirements).
[0072] The local oscillator signal source is a low-frequency local oscillator signal source.
[0073] Specifically, low-frequency local oscillator signal sources can meet the requirements of low power consumption, high stability, and low phase noise.
[0074] Multiple radio frequency receiving channels, stealth channels, and calibration channels are arranged in parallel and independently.
[0075] Specifically, the RF receiving channel, stealth channel, and calibration channel are physically isolated to avoid signal crosstalk. Multiple channels operate synchronously, supporting functions such as multi-target detection, anti-interference, and self-calibration.
[0076] The radio frequency receiving channels are 8.
[0077] Specifically, this application features 8 channels operating independently, supporting multi-target detection, MIMO communication, array signal processing, etc. It also supports channel expansion (e.g., 16 / 32 channels) or functional upgrades.
[0078] It is worth noting that all electronic components mentioned in this application are commercially available products, primarily those that can achieve the desired functionality.
[0079] The above description is merely a few embodiments of this application and is not intended to limit this application in any way. Although this application discloses preferred embodiments as described above, it is not intended to limit this application. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the technical solution of this application using the disclosed technical content are equivalent to equivalent implementation cases and fall within the scope of the technical solution.
Claims
1. A phased array frequency synthesizer module, characterized in that, include: The transmission channel is used to convert the first intermediate frequency signal into a high frequency signal for output. The receiving channel is used to convert the echo signal into a second intermediate frequency signal for output; The local oscillator signal source has its transmitting channel and receiving channel set independently, and they are connected through the local oscillator signal source branch. The local oscillator signal source includes a first local oscillator signal and a second local oscillator signal. The first local oscillator signal is used for signal processing of the transmitting channel, and the second local oscillator signal is used for signal processing of the transmitting channel and the receiving channel.
2. The phased array frequency synthesizer module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The launch channel includes: The transmission excitation channel is used to process the first intermediate frequency signal and output the high frequency signal; The calibration excitation channel is used to generate a standard reference signal for system self-testing and channel calibration. The transmit excitation channel and the calibration excitation channel share a preamplifier circuit, which is used to process the first intermediate frequency signal.
3. The phased array frequency synthesizer module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pre-amplifier circuit includes: A primary mixer (1) is used to perform frequency mixing processing on the first intermediate frequency signal and the first local oscillator signal; Secondary mixer (2) is used to mix the signal processed by the primary mixer with the second local oscillator signal; The first amplifier (3) is used to amplify the signal processed by the secondary mixer; The switching switch (4) is used to switch the signal processed by the first amplifier (3) to the output transmission excitation channel or the calibration excitation channel.
4. The phased array frequency synthesizer module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving channel includes: Multiple radio frequency receiving channels, each radio frequency receiving channel including a second amplifier (5) and a first mixer (6) connected in sequence; The stealth channel includes a third amplifier (7) and a second mixer (8) connected in sequence. The calibration channel includes a fourth amplifier (9) and a third mixer (10) connected in sequence. The first mixer (6) is used to mix the second local oscillator signal and the echo signal on the radio frequency receiving channel; The second mixer (8) is used to mix the second local oscillator signal and the echo signal on the stealth channel; The third mixer (10) is used to mix the second local oscillator signal and the echo signal on the calibration channel.
5. A phased array frequency synthesizer module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The local oscillator signal source is transmitted through a frequency source (11), and the first local oscillator signal transmitted by the frequency source (11) is mixed with the first intermediate frequency signal once; The second local oscillator signal emitted by the frequency source (11) is processed by the power divider amplifier (12) to obtain the third local oscillator signal and the fourth local oscillator signal. The third local oscillator signal is mixed with the first intermediate frequency signal in a second frequency mixing process, and the fourth local oscillator signal is mixed with the echo signals on different receiving channels.
6. A phased array frequency synthesizer module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The local oscillator signal source is a low-frequency local oscillator signal source.
7. A phased array frequency synthesizer module according to claim 4, characterized in that, Multiple radio frequency receiving channels, stealth channels, and calibration channels are arranged in parallel and independently.
8. A phased array frequency synthesizer module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The radio frequency receiving channels are 8.