A Ka-band full-bandwidth power amplifier

Abstract

This utility model discloses a Ka-band full-bandwidth power amplifier, comprising: a power amplifier body, on which several sets of radio frequency interfaces are arranged on one side wall; the power amplifier body integrates a radio frequency link, which consists of a pre-module, a driver unit, a power amplifier unit, a forward detector, a circulator, and a reverse detector connected in sequence. This utility model can achieve a linear output of more than 20W in the Ka full-band 26-40GHz, with a power flatness of less than ±1dB; it has complete control and protection functions, including protection against over-temperature, over-current, over-voltage, and over-reflection, extending the chassis life and reducing the chassis failure rate; it supports multiple communication methods according to requirements; it adopts linearization technology to significantly optimize the linearity index; it has a built-in pulse function to generate a pulse output signal through modulation control; it has an ALC function to automatically control attenuation and greatly improve the stability of output power.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of power amplifier technology, specifically a Ka-band full-bandwidth power amplifier. Background Technology

[0002] A power amplifier, or simply power amplifier, is a device that, under given external triggering conditions, can generate maximum power output to drive a specific load. Power amplifiers are used in many fields. In the civilian sector, they are commonly used in wireless communication (5G / 6G, Wi-Fi, satellite communication), broadcasting and television transmission, industrial and IoT applications, and medical equipment. In the military sector, they are commonly used in radar and electronic warfare (phased array radar, electronic countermeasures), satellite communication, and missile and drone guidance.

[0003] Existing power amplifiers are constantly being updated and iterated in terms of functions and specifications, and the functions and specifications of traditional power amplifiers are no longer sufficient to meet current practical needs.

[0004] Specifically, in terms of RF performance, there may be issues such as unmet requirements (gain flatness, insufficient gain, standing wave spurs, etc.). Under excessive current or voltage, or excessively high temperature, there is also the possibility of damage to the power amplifier components. Furthermore, the functionality is very limited and does not meet current needs. Therefore, we need to propose a Ka-band full-bandwidth power amplifier. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a Ka-band full-bandwidth power amplifier, which solves the problems of poor connection stability, insufficient radio frequency performance, weak environmental adaptability and complex maintenance of existing Ka-band power amplifiers. It has significant practical value in high-precision radio frequency systems such as communication and radar.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A Ka-band full-bandwidth power amplifier includes: a power amplifier body, on one side wall of which a plurality of radio frequency interfaces are provided; the power amplifier body has an integrated radio frequency link, which is composed of a pre-module, a driver unit, a power amplifier unit, a forward detector, a circulator and a reverse detector connected in sequence.

[0008] A power supply unit, which is electrically connected to each module of the radio frequency link;

[0009] A monitoring unit is electrically connected to the forward detector and the reverse detector, and the monitoring unit includes a temperature sensor, a current sensor and a voltage sensor.

[0010] Preferably, it also includes a pulse modulator, which is integrated into the power amplifier unit and electrically connected to the monitoring unit.

[0011] Preferably, the power amplifier unit includes gallium nitride devices and a broadband high-isolation synthesis circuit, and the operating frequency band of the power amplifier unit covers 26-40 GHz.

[0012] Preferably, the monitoring unit includes an over-temperature protection circuit, an over-current protection circuit, and an over-voltage protection circuit, and the protection circuit is electrically connected to the power supply unit.

[0013] Preferably, the pre-module includes an adjustable attenuator, which is electrically connected to the monitoring unit.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0015] This invention can achieve a linear output of over 20W across the entire Ka band from 26-40GHz with a power flatness of less than ±1dB. It has complete control and protection functions, including protection against over-temperature, over-current, over-voltage, and over-reflection, extending the chassis life and reducing the chassis failure rate. It supports multiple communication methods as needed, adopts linearization technology to significantly optimize linearity, has a built-in pulse function to generate pulse output signals through modulation control, and has ALC function to automatically control attenuation, greatly improving the stability of output power. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the axial side structure of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the system of this utility model.

[0019] In the diagram: 1. Power amplifier body; 2. RF interface; 3. Power interface; 4. Low frequency interface; 5. Display screen; 6. Preset module; 7. Driver unit; 8. Power amplifier unit; 9. Forward detector; 10. Circulator; 11. Reverse detector; 12. Power supply unit; 13. Monitoring unit; 14. Fixing block; 15. Wedge-shaped part; 16. Positioning slot; 17. Power switch. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the present utility model 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 utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0021] Please see Figure 1-3 This utility model provides a technical solution:

[0022] A Ka-band full-bandwidth power amplifier includes a power amplifier body 1. Several sets of radio frequency (RF) interfaces 2 are provided on one side wall of the power amplifier body 1. The RF interfaces 2 are connectors for connecting external RF cables. An RF link is integrated inside the power amplifier body 1. The RF link consists of a pre-module 6, a driver unit 7, a power amplifier unit 8, a forward detector 9, a circulator 10, and a reverse detector 11 connected in sequence. The driver unit 7 uses a GaAs MMIC driver amplifier (such as a Qorvo TGA2597) with a gain of 18dB, an output power of 25dBm, and a 50Ω system impedance to reduce the input VSWR (VSWR < 1.5:1) of the power amplifier unit 8. The circulator 10 uses a ferrite microstrip circulator (such as a Mini-Circuits ZFRSC-42-S+) with isolation > 25dB and power handling capacity > 43dBm to protect the power amplifier unit 8 from the effects of load mismatch reflected power.

[0023] Power supply unit 12 is electrically connected to each module of the RF link. The GaN device uses a 0.25μm GaN-on-SiC process, with a breakdown voltage >100V, a saturated drain current density of 1.2A / mm, and a thermal conductivity of 130W / m·K. It supports high power density (>5W / mm) and wide temperature range (-55℃ to 175℃) operation. Power supply unit 12 provides stable power to each module of the RF link, adopts a wide range of input (12-36V) and multiple outputs (such as +5V / 3A, +28V / 5A), and supports overvoltage, overcurrent, and short circuit protection.

[0024] The monitoring unit 13 is electrically connected to the forward detector 9 and the reverse detector 11. The monitoring unit 13 includes a temperature sensor, a current sensor and a voltage sensor. The monitoring unit 13 integrates a temperature sensor (such as an NTC thermistor), a current sensor (such as an ACS712) and a voltage sensor (such as an LTC2991) to monitor the working status of the power amplifier body 1 in real time, and is linked with the power supply unit 12 through over-temperature, over-current and over-voltage protection circuits.

[0025] It also includes a pulse modulator, which is integrated into the power amplifier unit 8 and electrically connected to the monitoring unit 13. The power amplifier unit 8 supports an adjustable duty cycle of 10%-100% and a rise / fall time of <200ns. Through the FPGA control of the monitoring unit 13, power back-off and energy efficiency optimization are achieved.

[0026] The power amplifier unit 8 includes gallium nitride devices and a wideband high-isolation synthesis circuit. The operating frequency band of the power amplifier unit 8 covers 26-40GHz. The power amplifier unit 8 is based on gallium nitride (GaN) devices (such as Wolfspeed CG2H40010F) and a wideband high-isolation synthesis circuit, and supports full-bandwidth signal amplification in the Ka band.

[0027] Monitoring unit 13 includes over-temperature protection circuit, over-current protection circuit, and over-voltage protection circuit. The protection circuits are electrically connected to power supply unit 12. A temperature monitoring NTC thermistor (B value 3950K, resistance 10kΩ at 25℃) is mounted on the GaN device heat sink substrate. Monitoring unit 13 samples the voltage divider value via an ADC, with junction temperature estimation accuracy ±2℃. The over-temperature protection trigger threshold is 150℃ with a delay time of 1s; the over-current protection threshold is 2A with a response time of 10μs; and the over-voltage protection threshold is 28V with a turn-off time <5μs. It employs a dual redundancy design with a hardware comparator and a software watchdog. Monitoring unit 13 has a built-in EEPROM (e.g., 24AA025T-I / OT) storing the most recent 100 fault events (timestamp, fault type, parameter value), and supports I / O. 2 C interface reading aids in fault diagnosis.

[0028] The pre-module 6 includes an adjustable attenuator, which is electrically connected to the monitoring unit 13. The adjustable attenuator is a PIN diode attenuator (such as MACOM MAAD-008867), with an attenuation range of 0-30dB, a step of 0.5dB, and a response time of <50ns. The control voltage (0-5V) is output through the DAC of the monitoring unit 13.

[0029] An external RF signal is input to RF interface 2. The amplitude is adjusted by the adjustable attenuator of the pre-module 6 to compensate for link loss. The input power is monitored in real time by the monitoring unit 13 (feedback through the forward detector 9). The drive unit 7 pre-amplifies the signal (gain 18dB) to drive the GaN device of the power amplifier unit 8 into the saturation region. The power amplifier unit 8 combines the four signals through a broadband high-isolation synthesis circuit, with an output power >43dBm, covering the 26-40GHz frequency band. The forward detector 9 monitors the output power, and the reverse detector 11 detects the reflected power through the circulator 10. If VSWR >2:1, the monitoring unit 13 triggers overload protection, reduces the gain or shuts down the power amplifier. The power supply unit 12 supplies power to each module. The monitoring unit 13 monitors the junction temperature in real time through a temperature sensor. If the junction temperature >150℃, the fan starts running at full speed and the output power is reduced; if the current >2A or the voltage >28V, the power supply is immediately cut off.

[0030] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A Ka-band full-bandwidth power amplifier, characterized in that, include: A power amplifier body (1) is provided with several sets of radio frequency interfaces (2) on one side wall of the power amplifier body (1); The power amplifier body (1) integrates an internal radio frequency link, which consists of a pre-module (6), a drive unit (7), a power amplifier unit (8), a forward detector (9), a circulator (10), and a reverse detector (11) connected in sequence. A power supply unit (12) is electrically connected to each module of the radio frequency link; The monitoring unit (13) is electrically connected to the forward detector (9) and the reverse detector (11). The monitoring unit (13) includes a temperature sensor, a current sensor and a voltage sensor.

2. The Ka-band full-bandwidth power amplifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a pulse modulator, which is integrated into the power amplifier unit (8) and electrically connected to the monitoring unit (13).

3. The Ka-band full-bandwidth power amplifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power amplifier unit (8) includes gallium nitride devices and a broadband high-isolation synthesis circuit, and the operating frequency band of the power amplifier unit (8) covers 26-40GHz.

4. The Ka-band full-bandwidth power amplifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The monitoring unit (13) includes an over-temperature protection circuit, an over-current protection circuit and an over-voltage protection circuit, and the protection circuit is electrically connected to the power supply unit (12).

5. A Ka-band full-bandwidth power amplifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pre-module (6) includes an adjustable attenuator that is electrically connected to the monitoring unit (13).

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