A Ku-band transducer

Abstract

This utility model discloses a Ku-band converter, which includes an upper cover and a lower cover disposed below the upper cover. The lower cover includes an air cavity, a filter cavity, and a waveguide arranged sequentially from left to right. The air cavity, filter cavity, and waveguide are integrally formed. The lower surfaces of the lower cover located in the air cavity and the lower cover located in the filter cavity are horizontally transitioned. The lower surface of the lower cover located in the waveguide is higher than the lower surface of the lower cover located in the filter cavity, forming a step. The upper cover covers the air cavity, filter cavity, and waveguide. During assembly, only the upper and lower covers need to be assembled. The assembly lines of the upper and lower covers are planar, making assembly easier. Even though the lower surface of the lower cover located in the waveguide is higher than the lower surface of the lower cover located in the filter cavity, forming a step, misalignment will not occur, thus avoiding gaps.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of unimpeded microwave adapters, and more specifically, to a Ku-band converter. Background Technology

[0002] In microwave systems, various types of transmission lines are commonly used, such as microstrip lines, coaxial lines, and waveguides. Signal transmission in the radio frequency (RF) microwave field largely relies on transmission lines, with coaxial lines and waveguides being the two most widely used forms. These two types of transmission lines differ significantly in size, material, and transmission characteristics. To interconnect these two types of transmission lines, an intermediate conversion structure is needed: waveguide-to-coaxial converters and coaxial-to-waveguide converters. Converters are widely used in satellite communications, radar, wireless communications, industrial microwave, test equipment, and medical microwave systems, and are employed whenever bridging transmission between coaxial and waveguide transmission lines is required. Because waveguides have lower losses than coaxial cables, waveguide interconnects are often preferred when high power or low loss is a priority, especially when interconnect losses might limit the dynamic range of sensing or communication systems. This necessitates the use of conversion elements for transmission between different transmission lines. Coaxial-to-waveguide transitions are widely used in radar systems, satellite communication interference and immunity, and test equipment. As the operating frequency range widens, the bandwidth requirements for adapters also increase accordingly.

[0003] Chinese Patent 201910969593.5 discloses a Ku-band converter, which includes a first conversion module, a second conversion module, a fourth-order ridge impedance transformer, an air cavity, three tuning screws, and a flange. The first conversion module includes a coaxial connector and a square coaxial line. The second conversion module uses a transition matching block. The air cavity is a housing. The square coaxial line, the transition matching block, and the fourth-order ridge impedance transformer are sequentially connected and arranged within the air cavity along its central axis. The rear end face of the air cavity has an opening as an output terminal, and the front end face has a through hole. One end of the coaxial probe of the coaxial connector passes through the through hole on the front end face and contacts the square coaxial line. The other end of the coaxial connector serves as the input terminal. The top surface of the air cavity has three circular holes spaced apart along its central axis, into which the three tuning screws are inserted respectively. The flange is fixed to both sides of the rear end face of the air cavity for back-to-back connection of another Ku-band transmitter of the same model, a coaxial-to-rectangular waveguide transition converter.

[0004] It achieves lateral miniaturization by employing a non-standard waveguide port. A first and second conversion module are designed between the coaxial line and the waveguide to achieve low return loss. The first conversion module converts the TEM mode of the coaxial line to the TEM mode of the square coaxial line, and the second conversion module orderly converts the TEM mode in the square coaxial line to the TE10 mode. It features lateral miniaturization, low return loss during the conversion from coaxial mode to waveguide-dominated mode over a wide bandwidth, low production cost, ease of processing and manufacturing, and mass production capability.

[0005] Based on the specific implementation method and the accompanying drawings, it can be seen that the air cavity is connected to the subsequent filter cavity and waveguide through the flange. However, in the actual assembly and use process, it was found that because the filter cavity and waveguide are at different heights, they form a step. During assembly, the filter cavity and waveguide are not easy to align, which makes it easy for the assembled filter cavity and waveguide to misalign and create gaps. This causes the signal to leak from the gaps, thereby interfering with other components of the whole machine and affecting the overall performance. Utility Model Content

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is how to avoid misalignment of the filter cavity and waveguide during assembly, thereby avoiding gaps, preventing signal leakage from the gaps and interfering with other components of the whole machine, and improving overall performance.

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, a Ku-band converter is provided, which includes an upper cover and a lower cover disposed below the upper cover. The lower cover includes an air cavity, a filter cavity, and a waveguide arranged sequentially from left to right. The air cavity, filter cavity, and waveguide are integrally formed. The lower surface of the lower cover located in the air cavity is horizontally transitioned to the lower surface of the lower cover located in the filter cavity. The lower surface of the lower cover located in the waveguide is higher than the lower surface of the lower cover located in the filter cavity, forming a step. The upper cover covers the air cavity, filter cavity, and waveguide.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the Ku-band converter provided by this utility model, the lower cover includes a base plate and a front face, left wall, rear face and right wall arranged sequentially on the edge of the base plate. The base plate, front face, left wall, rear face and right wall form an open frame shape.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the Ku-band converter provided by this utility model, a plurality of screw holes are provided on the left and right walls, and a plurality of fixing screws are provided on the upper cover, and the upper cover and the lower cover are fixed by the fixing screws.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the Ku-band converter provided by this utility model, a first through hole is provided on the front end surface, a coaxial connector is fixed at the first through hole, and an SMA pin is provided on the coaxial connector.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the Ku-band converter provided by this utility model, a ridge-shaped impedance transformer is provided on the upper surface of the lower cover located in the air cavity, and a blind hole is opened at the left end of the ridge-shaped impedance transformer, into which the SMA pin extends.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the Ku-band converter provided by this utility model, the SMA pin and the blind hole of the ridge impedance transformer are filled with dielectric material.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the Ku-band converter provided by this utility model, a metal ring is provided on the SMA pin located between the front end face and the ridge impedance transformer.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the Ku-band converter provided by this utility model, a guide chamfer is provided on the outer side of the first through hole.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the Ku-band converter provided by this utility model, the guide chamfer is a straight chamfer, and the angle between the guide chamfer and the central axis of the first through hole is 45°.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the Ku-band converter provided by this utility model, a second through hole is provided on the upper cover located at the waveguide, and an LNB probe is provided on the second through hole.

[0018] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] Because the air cavity, filter cavity, and waveguide of the lower cover are integrally molded, and the upper cover covers the air cavity, filter cavity, and waveguide, only the upper and lower covers need to be assembled during assembly. The assembly lines of the upper and lower covers are flat, making assembly easier. Even if the lower surface of the lower cover located on the waveguide is higher than the lower surface of the lower cover located on the filter cavity, forming a step, there will be no misalignment during assembly. This can effectively prevent the filter cavity and waveguide from being misaligned during assembly, thereby avoiding gaps and preventing signals from leaking from gaps and interfering with other components of the whole machine, thus improving overall performance. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the solutions in this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a Ku-band converter provided by this utility model.

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A sectional view.

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of its decomposed structure.

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure after the top cover is flipped over.

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the lower cover.

[0026] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0027] Upper cover 1; Lower cover 2; Air cavity 201; Filter cavity 202; Waveguide 203;

[0028] Base plate 21; front end face 22; left wall 23; rear end face 24; right wall 25; screw hole 26; fixing screw 11; first through hole 27; coaxial connector 3; SMA pin 4; ridge impedance transformer 5; blind hole 51; second through hole 22. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0030] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0031] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0032] This utility model provides a Ku-band converter, which includes an upper cover and a lower cover disposed below the upper cover. The lower cover includes an air cavity, a filter cavity, and a waveguide arranged sequentially from left to right. The air cavity, filter cavity, and waveguide are integrally formed. The lower surface of the lower cover located in the air cavity is horizontally transitioned to the lower surface of the lower cover located in the filter cavity. The lower surface of the lower cover located in the waveguide is higher than the lower surface of the lower cover located in the filter cavity, forming a step. The upper cover covers the air cavity, filter cavity, and waveguide.

[0033] Because the air cavity, filter cavity, and waveguide of the lower cover are integrally molded, and the upper cover covers the air cavity, filter cavity, and waveguide, only the upper and lower covers need to be assembled during assembly. The assembly lines of the upper and lower covers are flat, making assembly easier. Even if the lower surface of the lower cover located on the waveguide is higher than the lower surface of the lower cover located on the filter cavity, forming a step, there will be no misalignment during assembly. This can effectively prevent the filter cavity and waveguide from being misaligned during assembly, thereby avoiding gaps and preventing signals from leaking from gaps and interfering with other components of the whole machine, thus improving overall performance.

[0034] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, examples of which are shown in the drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0035] Example 1, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 This utility model provides a Ku-band converter, which includes an upper cover 1 and a lower cover 2 disposed below the upper cover 1. The lower cover 2 includes an air cavity 201, a filter cavity 202 and a waveguide 203 arranged sequentially from left to right. The air cavity 201, the filter cavity 202 and the waveguide 203 are integrally formed. The lower surface of the lower cover 2 located in the air cavity 201 and the lower cover 2 located in the filter cavity 202 are horizontally transitioned. The lower surface of the lower cover 2 located in the waveguide 203 is higher than the lower surface of the lower cover 2 located in the filter cavity 202, forming a step. The upper cover 1 covers the air cavity 201, the filter cavity 202 and the waveguide 203. Since the air cavity 201, filter cavity 202, and waveguide 203 of the lower cover 2 are integrally formed, and the upper cover 1 covers the air cavity 201, filter cavity 202, and waveguide 203, only the upper cover 1 and the lower cover 2 need to be assembled during assembly. The assembly line of the upper cover 1 and the lower cover 2 is flat, which makes assembly easier. Even if the lower surface of the lower cover 2 located on the waveguide 203 is higher than the lower surface of the lower cover 2 located on the filter cavity 202, forming a step, there will be no misalignment during assembly. This can effectively prevent the filter cavity 202 and the waveguide 203 from being misaligned during assembly, thereby avoiding gaps and preventing signals from leaking from the gaps and interfering with other components of the whole machine, thus improving the overall performance.

[0036] Example 2, please refer to Figure 4 As a further optimization of Embodiment 1, in this embodiment, the lower cover 2 includes a base plate 21 and a front end face 22, a left wall 23, a rear end face 24, and a right wall 25 arranged sequentially on the edge of the base plate 21. The base plate 21, the front end face 22, the left wall 23, the rear end face 24, and the right wall 25 form an open frame and are integrally formed. The left wall 23 and the right wall 25 are provided with a plurality of screw holes 26. The upper cover 1 is provided with a plurality of fixing screws 11 corresponding to the screw holes 26. The upper cover 1 and the lower cover 2 are fixed by fixing screws 11, thereby realizing the assembly of the upper cover 1 and the lower cover 2.

[0037] Furthermore, a first through hole 27 is provided on the front end face 22, and a coaxial connector 3 is fixed at the first through hole 27. An SMA pin 4 is provided on the coaxial connector 3. A ridge impedance transformer 5 is provided on the upper surface of the lower cover 2 located at the air cavity 201. A blind hole 51 is provided at the left end of the ridge impedance transformer 5. The SMA pin 4 extends into the blind hole 51. The SMA pin 4 and the blind hole 51 of the ridge impedance transformer 5 are filled with dielectric material. A metal ring is provided on the SMA pin 4 located between the front end face 22 and the ridge impedance transformer 5.

[0038] Some structures use square blocks and transition blocks. Square blocks and transition blocks are not necessary components. Sometimes circular blocks can also be used. However, neither square blocks nor circular blocks are conducive to mass production and installation. They have high requirements for assembly clearance and stability.

[0039] The coaxial cable extends into the converter via SMA pin 4, which acts as a probe. For this coaxial waveguide converter design, a probe-coupled structure is adopted, forming a two-port network. The inner conductor of the coaxial cable extends into the waveguide, forming an electrical probe. The square block provides an adjustable reactance to cancel the probe reactance corresponding to the cutoff field of higher-order modes. If any mode in the waveguide has an alternating electric field along the probe direction at the probe's location, an alternating current will be excited on the probe. According to the reciprocity principle, when a TEM wave is incident from the coaxial cable into the waveguide, the probe current will excite any mode with an electric field in the probe direction at its location. During probe coupling, the radiation field generated by the current source in the waveguide can be solved to obtain the probe's radiation resistance. By adjusting the probe length and the position of the square block, the susceptance provided by the square block and the probe susceptance caused by the local field of higher-order modes are canceled out, making the probe radiation resistance consistent with the characteristic impedance of the coaxial cable. This maximizes the power delivered from the coaxial cable to the waveguide.

[0040] Please see Figure 5 Furthermore, a guide chamfer is provided on the outer side of the first through hole 27. The guide chamfer is a straight chamfer, and the angle between the guide chamfer and the central axis of the first through hole 27 is 45°. By providing the guide chamfer, the SMA pin 4 can be easily inserted into the first through hole 27, thereby improving assembly efficiency.

[0041] Please see Figure 4 Furthermore, a second through hole 12 is provided on the upper cover 1 located at the waveguide 203, and an LNB probe is provided on the second through hole 12 as a signal output terminal.

[0042] The working principle of the Ku-band converter provided by this utility model is as follows: Inside the traveling wave tube (TWT), high-frequency signals are transmitted along slow-wave lines, while outside the tube, transmission lines such as coaxial cables or waveguides are generally used. Because the signal transmission paths inside and outside the TWT are different, there are problems such as electromagnetic field conversion and impedance matching between different transmission lines. Most importantly, the high-frequency signal must pass through a vacuum tube shell during transmission. Therefore, the structure requires a design that can maintain the vacuum level inside the TWT while also effectively transmitting high-frequency signals.

[0043] The coupling structure is the key component that enables the transmission of high-frequency signals from inside the traveling wave tube to the outside of the tube, or vice versa, while maintaining the vacuum level inside the tube.

[0044] The coupling structure typically includes an impedance transformer, a power window, and an external transmission line (such as a coaxial cable or waveguide), with the specific structure varying depending on the specific circumstances. The input and output reflection parameters of the coupling structure, especially for space traveling wave tubes (TWTs), are crucial design parameters. Due to the unique operating environment, space TWTs require high gain, high efficiency, and high reliability. Reflection and insertion loss in the output coupling structure not only significantly reduce output power but also cause the output slow-wave line to heat up, increasing high-frequency loss and reducing overall tube efficiency. Furthermore, the high-frequency power loss and heat can easily burn out the output attenuator, lowering the TWT's reliability. Simultaneously, due to space and energy limitations, space systems cannot provide high-power signal sources, necessitating a low-reflectivity input coupling structure to reduce input signal reflection and loss. Therefore, the design of the coupling structure is a critical aspect of space TWT development. When designing a coupling structure, it is required that the coupler and the slow wave line be well matched within a sufficient bandwidth, be able to withstand the required power transmission, occupy the shortest possible spatial length in the electron beam propagation direction, have a simple and reliable structure, and cause as few difficulties as possible to the focusing system. These are also the basic principles of coupling structure design.

[0045] The working process of the Ku-band converter provided by this utility model is as follows: the TEM wave transmitted in the coaxial line is converted into TM wave and TE wave that can be transmitted in the waveguide through probe coupling. In the air cavity 201 (also known as the resonant cavity), the impedance matching between the transmission line and the load is achieved by a λ / 4 converter. The TM wave and TE wave obtained after conversion are transmitted to the LNB probe position through the filter structure (equivalent to the capacitor-inductor effect).

[0046] Currently, the two most commonly used coaxial waveguides in microwave technology are 75 ohms and 50 ohms. The former mainly considers minimizing attenuation, while the latter compromises between maximizing power capacity and minimizing attenuation constant.

[0047] Selection of Coaxial Cables and Input Ports: A coaxial waveguide is a two-conductor waveguide system consisting of inner and outer conductors, also known as a coaxial cable. Coaxial waveguides have an inner conductor and can transmit TEM modes of any wavelength. However, a coaxial waveguide can also be considered a circular waveguide, therefore, in addition to transmitting TEM waves, TE waves and TM waves can also be transmitted. To suppress these non-TEM wave components, the dimensions of the coaxial cable must be appropriately designed according to the operating frequency (the operating frequency of coaxial cables ranges from DC to the maximum cutoff frequency; there are specialized coaxial cable and SMA manufacturers on the market that can meet different operating frequencies).

[0048] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0049] Obviously, the embodiments described above are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. The accompanying drawings show preferred embodiments of this application, but do not limit the patent scope of this application. This application can be implemented in many different forms; rather, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to provide a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the disclosure of this application. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing specific embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any equivalent structures made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields, are similarly within the scope of patent protection of this application.

Claims

1. A Ku-band converter, characterized by, It includes an upper cover and a lower cover disposed below the upper cover. The lower cover includes an air cavity, a filter cavity, and a waveguide arranged sequentially from left to right. The air cavity, filter cavity, and waveguide are integrally formed. The lower surface of the lower cover located in the air cavity and the lower cover located in the filter cavity are horizontally transitioned. The lower surface of the lower cover located in the waveguide is higher than the lower surface of the lower cover located in the filter cavity, forming a step. The upper cover covers the air cavity, filter cavity, and waveguide.

2. The Ku-band converter of claim 1, wherein, The lower cover includes a base plate and a front face, left wall, rear face and right wall arranged sequentially on the edge of the base plate. The base plate, front face, left wall, rear face and right wall form an open frame shape.

3. The Ku-band transducer of claim 2, wherein, The left and right walls are provided with multiple screw holes, and the upper cover is provided with multiple fixing screws. The upper cover and the lower cover are fixed by the fixing screws.

4. The Ku-band converter of claim 2, wherein, A first through hole is provided on the front end surface, and a coaxial connector is fixed at the first through hole. An SMA pin is provided on the coaxial connector.

5. The Ku-band transducer of claim 4, wherein, A ridge-shaped impedance transformer is provided on the upper surface of the lower cover located in the air cavity. A blind hole is provided at the left end of the ridge-shaped impedance transformer, and the SMA needle extends into the blind hole.

6. The Ku-band transducer of claim 5, wherein, The SMA needle and the blind hole of the ridge impedance transformer are filled with dielectric material.

7. The Ku-band transducer of claim 5, wherein, A metal ring is provided on the SMA pin located between the front end face and the ridge impedance transformer.

8. The Ku-band converter of claim 4, wherein, A guide chamfer is provided on the outer side of the first through hole.

9. The Ku-band transducer of claim 8, wherein, The guide chamfer is a straight chamfer, and the angle between the guide chamfer and the central axis of the first through hole is 45°.

10. The Ku-band transducer of claim 1, wherein, A second through hole is provided on the top cover located at the waveguide, and an LNB probe is provided on the second through hole.

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