Conformal / omnidirectional differential compartment aperture

Abstract

Providing conformal / omnidirectional differential compartmentalized apertures. [Solution] The radio frequency (RF) aperture includes an array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a curved aperture, such as a semi-cylindrical aperture, or a cylindrical aperture (which may be configured as two semi-circular apertures arranged toward each other to define a cylindrical aperture). The RF aperture may further include a top array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a top aperture. The top aperture may be planar, and the cylinder axis of the cylindrical aperture may be perpendicular to the plane of the planar aperture. The RF aperture may further include a ballast mounted on at least one printed circuit board, electrically connected to two adjacent conductive tapered projections of the array, and further having a balanced port with an unbalanced port.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 839,122, filed on 26 April 2019 and titled "CONFORMAL / OMNI-DIRECTIONAL DIFFERENTIAL SEGMENTED APERTURE." U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 839,122, filed on 26 April 2019, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] (background) The following pertains to the fields of radio frequency (RF) technology, RF transmission technology, RF receiver technology, RF transceiver technology, broadband RF transmission, receiver, and / or transceiver technology, RF communications technology, and related technologies.

[0003] Steinbrecher's U.S. Patent No. 7,420,522, titled "Electromagnetic Radiation Interface System and Method," discloses a broadband RF aperture as follows: "An electromagnetic radiation interface suitable for use with radio frequencies is provided. The surface comprises a plurality of metallic conical bristles. A plurality of corresponding termination sections are provided such that each bristle is terminated with the termination section. The termination sections may have electrical resistance to capture substantially all of the electromagnetic wave energy received by each individual bristle, thereby preventing reflection from the interface surface. Each termination section may also include an analog-to-digital converter for converting the energy from each bristle into a digital word. The bristles may be mounted on a ground surface having a plurality of holes through them. A plurality of coaxial transmission lines may extend through the ground surface to interconnect the plurality of bristles to the plurality of termination sections."

[0004] Some improvements are disclosed herein. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Publication No. 7,420,522 [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (Brief summary) According to several illustrative embodiments, a radio frequency (RF) aperture comprises an array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a curved aperture surface. In some embodiments, the array of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a semi-cylindrical aperture surface. In some embodiments, the array of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a cylindrical aperture surface. In these latter embodiments, the array of conductive tapered projections may include a first array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a first semi-cylindrical aperture surface and a second array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a second semi-cylindrical aperture surface, wherein the first and second semi-cylindrical aperture surfaces are arranged relative to each other to define a cylindrical aperture surface. In some embodiments employing a cylindrical aperture surface, the RF aperture further comprises an upper array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define an upper aperture surface. In some such embodiments, the upper aperture surface is a planar upper aperture surface, and in some more specific embodiments, the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical aperture surface is perpendicular to the plane of the planar upper aperture surface.

[0007] According to some illustrative embodiments disclosed herein, the RF aperture comprises an array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a curved aperture surface; at least one printed circuit board; a balun mounted on at least one printed circuit board, each balun having a balanced port electrically connected to two neighboring conductive tapered projections of the array of conductive tapered projections, and further having an unbalanced port; and an RF network disposed on at least one printed circuit board and electrically connected to the unbalanced port of the balun. In some embodiments, the array of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a semi-cylindrical aperture surface. In some embodiments, the array of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a cylindrical aperture surface.

[0008] Some embodiments of the RF aperture described in the preceding paragraph, in which an array of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a cylindrical aperture surface, are constructed as follows: The array of conductive tapered projections includes a first array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a first semi-cylindrical aperture surface, and a second array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a second semi-cylindrical aperture surface, wherein the first and second semi-cylindrical aperture surfaces are arranged relative to each other to define a cylindrical aperture surface. In some such embodiments, at least one printed circuit board includes a first at least one printed circuit board having a first sub-assembly of baluns, the balanced port of which is electrically connected to the first array of conductive tapered projections, and a second at least one printed circuit board having a second sub-assembly of baluns, the balanced port of which is electrically connected to the second array of conductive tapered projections. In some such embodiments, the first at least one printed circuit board is planar, and the balanced port of the first sub-assembly of the balun is electrically connected to the first array of conductive tapered projections by a coaxial cable, and the second at least one printed circuit board is planar, and the balanced port of the second sub-assembly of the balun is electrically connected to the second array of conductive tapered projections by a coaxial cable.

[0009] In any one embodiment of the two preceding paragraphs, where an array of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a cylindrical opening surface, the RF opening may optionally further comprise an upper array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define an upper opening surface, at least one upper printed circuit board, and baluns mounted on at least one upper printed circuit board, each balun mounted on at least one upper printed circuit board having a balanced port and further having an unbalanced port, which is electrically connected to two neighboring conductive tapered projections of the upper array of conductive tapered projections. In some such embodiments, the upper opening surface is a planar upper opening surface, and optionally, the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical opening surface is perpendicular to the plane of the planar upper opening surface.

[0010] According to some illustrative embodiments disclosed herein, an RF aperture comprises an array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a curved aperture surface, at least one printed circuit board, and an RF network disposed on the at least one printed circuit board and electrically connected to the conductive tapered projections. In some such embodiments, the array of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a cylindrical aperture surface. Some such embodiments for mounting a cylindrical aperture further include a cylindrical support supporting the array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a cylindrical aperture surface, and the at least one printed circuit board comprises a plurality of printed circuit boards disposed inside the cylindrical support. In some embodiments, the plurality of printed circuit boards comprises vertical printed circuit boards, each having an edge adjacent to the inner surface of the cylindrical support, and each being perpendicular to the cylindrical support at the edge adjacent to the cylindrical support. In some embodiments, the plurality of printed circuit boards comprises circular printed circuit boards, concentrically disposed inside the cylindrical support and having a circular circumference adjacent to the inner surface of the cylindrical support. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] Any quantitative dimensions shown in the drawings are to be understood as non-limiting illustrative examples. Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are not to scale, and any aspect of the drawings is shown as if it were to scale, and the scales shown are to be understood as non-limiting illustrative examples.

[0012] [Figure 1] Figures 1 and 2 schematically illustrate a front cross-sectional view and a side cross-sectional view, respectively, of an illustrative differential segmented aperture (DSA). [Figure 2] Figures 1 and 2 schematically illustrate a front cross-sectional view and a side cross-sectional view, respectively, of an illustrative differential segmented aperture (DSA).

[0013] [Figure 3] Figure 3 schematically shows a block diagram of a single QUAD subassembly of the DSA of FIGS. 1-4.

[0014] [Figure 4] Figure 4 schematically illustrates a front view of an interface printed circuit board (i-PCB) of the DSA of FIGS. 1-3, including vias and mounting holes, and schematically shows the locations of baluns and register pads.

[0015] [Figure 5] Figure 5 schematically illustrates a rear view of an enclosure of the DSA of FIGS. 1-4, including a schematically shown RF connection, a control unit, and a power connector.

[0016] [Figure 6] Figure 6 schematically illustrates a side cross-sectional view of an embodiment with conductive tapered protrusions, in addition to a schematic representation of the connection of the balance ports of a chip balun between two adjacent conductive tapered protrusions.

[0017] [Figure 7] Figures 7-10 schematically illustrate additional embodiments of conductive tapered protrusions. [Figure 8]Figure 7-10 schematically illustrates an additional embodiment of the conductive tapered projection. [Figure 9] Figure 7-10 schematically illustrates an additional embodiment of the conductive tapered projection. [Figure 10] Figure 7-10 schematically illustrates an additional embodiment of the conductive tapered projection.

[0018] [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows a perspective view of an omnidirectional DSA according to a further embodiment.

[0019] [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows a perspective view of the omnidirectional DSA of Figure 11, with the outer housing omitted to expose the cylindrical array of conductive tapered projections (CADSA) for low-angle coupling and the upper array of conductive tapered projections (TADSA) for high-angle coupling.

[0020] [Figure 13] Figure 13 schematically shows a top view of CADSA (with TADSA omitted).

[0021] [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows a side view of one semi-cylindrical section of the CADSA.

[0022] [Figure 15] Figure 15 shows a top view of TADSA.

[0023] [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows a more detailed schematic top view of one semi-cylindrical section of the CADSA (TADSA is omitted), with a detailed inset.

[0024] [Figure 17] Figure 17 shows a more detailed schematic side view of TADSA.

[0025] [Figure 18]Figure 18 shows another embodiment of CADSA.

[0026] [Figure 19] Figure 19 shows another embodiment of CADSA. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] (Detailed explanation) Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an illustrative front and side section view of an RF aperture is shown, which includes an interface printed circuit board (i-PCB) 10 having a front side 12 and a back side 14, and an array of conductive tapered projections 20 having a base 22 positioned on the front side 12 of the i-PCB 10 and extending away from the front side 12 of the i-PCB 10. The illustrative i-PCB 10 is shown in Figure 1 as having dimensions of 5 inches x 5 inches, but this is only a non-limiting illustrative embodiment of a small RF aperture. Figure 1 shows a front view of the RF aperture, accompanied in the upper left by an inset showing a perspective view of one conductive tapered projection 20. This illustrative embodiment of the conductive tapered projection 20 has a square cross-section with a larger square base 22 and a vertex that does not extend to a full tip but rather terminates at a flat vertex 24 (in other words, the conductive tapered projection 20 in the inset has a frustoconical shape). This is merely an illustrative example, and more generally, the conductive tapered projection 20 can have any type of cross-section (e.g., square as in the inset, or circular, or hexagonal, or octagonal, etc.). The vertex 24 can be flat as in the embodiment of the inset, or it can reach an acute point, or it can be rounded, or it can have some other vertex geometric shape. The tapering rate as a function of height (i.e., the distance "above" the base 22 when the vertex 24 is at its maximum "height") can be constant, as in the embodiment of the inset, or the tapering rate can be variable with height. For example, the tapering rate can increase with increasing height to form a projection with a rounded apex, or decrease with increasing height to form a projection with a more pointed tip. Similarly, as shown in most detail in Figure 1, the illustrative array of conductive tapered projections 20 is a linear array with regular rows and orthogonal regular columns; however, the array may have other symmetries, such as hexagonal symmetry, octagonal symmetry, etc.In the illustrative embodiment shown in the inset, the square base 22 and square vertex 24 lead to a conductive tapered projection 20 having four flat, inclined side walls 26. However, other side wall shapes are also conceivable. For example, if the base and vertex are circular (or if the base is circular and the vertex reaches a certain point), the side walls may be inclined or tapered cylinders, with six inclined side walls in relation to the hexagonal base and hexagonal or pointed vertex.

[0028] Continuing with reference to Figures 1 and 2, and further with reference to Figure 3, the RF aperture further comprises an RF network including a chip balun 30 mounted on the back side 14 of the i-PCB 10 in an illustrative embodiment. Alternatively, the balun 30 may be implemented differently, for example, as a balun inscribed within the i-PCB 10. In another approach, the signal chain driving the RF aperture may be a fully differential signal chain, in which case the balun can be omitted. Each chip balun 30 is electrically connected to two neighboring conductive tapered projections of an array of conductive tapered projections via an electrical feedthrough 32 that passes through the i-PCB 10, through a balanced port P B Each chip balun 30 also has an unbalanced port P that connects to the rest of the RF network. U (See Figures 3 and 6). The illustrative RF network further includes the unbalanced port P of the chip balun 30. U It includes an RF power divider / coupler 40 for coupling the outputs from. As seen in Figure 3, the illustrative electrical configuration of the RF network is an unbalanced port P U A first-level 1x2 RF power divider / coupler 401 combines the pairs of power dividers and couplers, and a second-level 1x2 RF power divider / coupler 402 combines the outputs of the pairs of first-level RF power dividers / couplers 401. This is merely an illustrative approach, and other configurations are possible, such as using 1x3 (combining 3 lines), 1x4 (combining 4 lines), or higher-level coupled RF power dividers / couplers, or various combinations thereof. The illustrative RF network further includes each unbalanced port P of the chip balun 30. UThe signal conditioning circuit 42 is inserted between the first level 1x2 power divider 401 and the signal conditioning circuit 42 connected to each unbalanced port and includes an RF transmission amplifier T, an RF reception amplifier R, and an RF switching network including a switch RFS configured to switch between a transmission mode in which the RF transmission amplifier T and the unbalanced port are operably connected and a reception mode in which the RF reception amplifier R and the unbalanced port are operably connected.

[0029] Continuing with reference to Figures 1-3, and further with reference to Figures 4 and 5, a compact design (e.g., a depth of 3 inches in the non-limiting illustrative embodiment of Figure 3) is achieved, in part, by employing one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) including at least an i-PCB 10. In the illustrative embodiment shown in Figure 3, a chip balun 30 is mounted on the back side 14 of the i-PCB 10. Optionally, other electronic components may also be mounted on the back side of the i-PCB 10, with an array of conductive tapered projections 20 on its front side 12. However, there may be insufficient occupied area on the i-PCB 10 to mount all the electronic components of the RF network. In the illustrative embodiment, this is addressed by providing a second printed circuit board 50 positioned in parallel with the i-PCB 10 and facing the back side 14 of the i-PCB 10. In other words, the second printed circuit board 50 is located on the (back) side 14 of the i-PCB 10 opposite to the (front) side 12 where the conductive tapered projections 20 are located. The RF network comprises electronic components mounted on the second printed circuit board 50, which may also be referred to herein as a signal conditioning PCB or SC-PCB 50, and additionally, or alternatively, electronic components mounted on the i-PCB 10 (typically on the back side 14 of the i-PCB, but it is also conceivable that the RF network components be mounted on the front side of the i-PCB in the field space between the conductive tapered projections 20 (not shown)). If the SC-PCB 50 is provided, as shown in Figure 2, it is appropriately fixed parallel to the i-PCB 10 by standoffs 54, and a single-ended feedthrough 52 is provided for electrically interconnecting the i-PCB 10 and the SC-PCB 50 (see Figure 3). If the RF network cannot be fitted onto the occupied area of ​​the two PCBs 10, 50, a third (and optionally a fourth, and further) PCB may be added to accommodate the components of the RF network (not shown).

[0030] Figure 4 shows a front view of the i-PCB10, including vias and mounting holes, and schematically illustrates the locations of the balun 30 and register pads as shown in the legend in Figure 4. (The registers are used to terminate the unused side of the pyramid to help reduce the radar cross-section.)

[0031] Referring to Figure 2, and further to Figure 5, the illustrative RF opening has an enclosure 58 fixed around the periphery of the i-PCB 10 such that the periphery of the i-PCB 10 encloses the RF network. This is only one illustrative arrangement, and other designs are conceivable, for example, both PCBs 10 and 50 may be located inside the enclosure (however, such an enclosure should not include an RF shielding extending forward to block the area of ​​the RF opening). Figure 5 schematically illustrates the rear view of an RF aperture enclosure 58, showing a schematicly represented RF connector (or port) 60 (also shown or displayed in Figures 2 and 3), control electronics 62 (e.g., illustrative phased array beam steering electronics 63, shown as a non-limiting figure, which may be mounted outside the enclosure 58 and / or located inside the enclosure 58 to provide useful RF shielding), and a power connector 64 for providing power to operate the active components of the RF network (e.g., operating power for an active RF transmission amplifier T, an active RF reception amplifier R, and a switch RFS). The specific arrangement of the various components 60, 62, 63, 64 across the rear surface area of ​​the enclosure can vary widely from that shown in Figure 5, and these components may be located elsewhere, for example, the RF connector 60 may be located alternatively at the edge of the RF aperture. It should also be understood that if the RF aperture is constructed in conjunction with some other component or system, for example, if the RF aperture is used as an RF transmission element and / or receiving element in a mobile ground station, maritime radio, or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the enclosure 58 may be replaced by having an RF aperture built into the housing of the mobile ground station, maritime radio, UAV airframe, etc. In such cases, the RF connector 60 may also be replaced by a wired connection to the mobile ground station, maritime radio, UAV electronics, etc.

[0032] Referring particularly to Figure 3, an illustrative electrical configuration for an illustrative RF network is shown. In this non-limiting illustrative embodiment, the array of conductive tapered projections 20 is assumed to be a 5 × 5 array of conductive tapered projections 20, as shown in Figures 1 and 4. The balanced port P of the tip balun 30 BThe array connects adjacent (i.e., neighboring) pairs of conductive tapered projections 20 to receive a differential RF signal between two adjacent conductive tapered projections 20 (in receiving mode, or alternatively, in transmission mode, to apply a differential RF signal between two adjacent conductive tapered projections 20). As detailed in Steinbrecher's U.S. Patent No. 7,420,522 (which is incorporated herein by reference as a whole), the tapering of the conductive tapered projections 20 presents separation between two conductive tapered projections 20, which varies with "height," i.e., with respect to the distance "above" the base 22 of the conductive tapered projections 20. This provides broadband RF capture, as a range of RF wavelengths corresponding to the range of separation between adjacent conductive tapered projections 20 introduced by the tapering can be captured. The RF aperture is therefore a differential compartmentalized aperture (DSA) and has differential RF receiving (or RF transmitting) elements corresponding to adjacent pairs of conductive tapered projections 20. These differential RF receiving (or transmitting) elements are referred to herein as aperture pixels. With respect to an illustrative linear 5×5 array of adjacent conductive tapered projections 20, this means that there are four aperture pixels along each row (or column) of five conductive tapered projections 20. More generally, with respect to a linear array of projections having N rows (or columns) of conductive tapered projections 20, there will be N-1 corresponding pixels along the row (or column). Figure 3 shows a QUAD subassembly, which is an interconnection of rows (or columns) of four pixels. Since there are four rows and four columns, this leads to 4×4 or 16 such QUAD subassemblies. Register pads are used as terminations for the unused edges of the surrounding pyramids to prevent unwanted reflections. Without the resistors mounted via the resistor pads, their surfaces would remain floating, re-radiating incident RF energy and potentially causing an enhanced radar cross-section.

[0033] In the illustrative embodiment shown in Figure 3, the second-level 1×2 RF power divider / coupler 402 of each QUAD subassembly connects to the RF connector 60 on the rear side of the enclosure 58. Thus, as seen in Figure 5, there are eight RF connectors for the eight QUAD subassemblies shown in Figures 4 and 5, such as row QUAD subassemblies N1, N2, N3, N4 and column QUAD subassemblies M1, M2, M3, M4. The Gnd(N) row and Gnd(M) column are circuit grounds to allow a common path for current flow from captured RF energy along the periphery of the pyramid. The use of QUAD subassemblies allows for a high level of flexibility in RF coupling to the RF aperture. For example, the illustrative phased array beam steering electronics 63 provides appropriate phase shifts for row QUAD subassemblies N1, N2, N3, N4.

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[0034] The electronic device described employing PCBs 10, 50, a chip balun 30, and active signal conditioning components (e.g., an active transmission amplifier T and a receiving amplifier R) advantageously allows the RF aperture to be fabricated in a small and lightweight form. As described below, embodiments of the conductive tapered projection 20 further facilitate the provision of a small and lightweight broadband RF aperture.

[0035] Figure 6 shows a side cross-sectional view of one illustrative embodiment in which each conductive tapered projection 20 is fabricated as a dielectric tapered projection 70 with a conductive layer 72 disposed on the surface of the dielectric tapered projection 70. The dielectric tapered projection may consist of an electrically insulating plastic or ceramic material such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, etc., and may be manufactured by injection molding, three-dimensional (3D) printing, or other suitable techniques. The conductive layer 72 may be any suitable conductive material such as copper, copper alloys, silver, silver alloys, gold, gold alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, or may consist of a layered stack of different conductive materials, and may be coated onto the dielectric tapered projection 70 by vacuum evaporation, RF sputtering, or any other vacuum deposition technique. Figure 6 shows one embodiment in which a soldering point 74 is used to electrically connect the conductive layer 72 of each dielectric tapered projection 20 to its corresponding electrical feedthrough 32 passing through the i-PCB 10. Figure 6 also shows the balancing port P of one tip balun 30 between two adjacent conductive tapered projections 20 via a soldering point 76. B The illustrative connection is also shown.

[0036] Figures 7 and 8 show an exploded side section and perspective view, respectively, of one embodiment in which dielectric tapered projections 70 are integrally contained within a dielectric plate 80. The conductive layer 72 coats each dielectric tapered projection 70 but has insulating gaps 82 that provide galvanic insulation between neighboring dielectric tapered projections 20. The insulating gaps 82 can be formed after coating the conductive layer 72 by etching the coating away from the plate 80 between the conductive tapered projections 20, thereby DC-insulating the conductive tapered projections from each other. Alternatively, the insulating gaps 82 can be defined before coating by depositing a mask material (not shown) on the plate 80 between the conductive tapered projections 20 so that the coating does not coat the plate within the insulating gaps 82 between the conductive tapered projections, thereby DC-insulating the conductive tapered projections from each other. As can be seen in the perspective view of Figure 8, the dielectric plate 80 consequently covers (and thus closes) the surface of the i-PCB 10, with the conductive tapered projection 20 extending away from the dielectric plate 80.

[0037] Referring particularly to Figure 7, in one approach for electrical interconnection, a through-hole 82 passes through the illustrative plate 80 and the underlying i-PCB 10, and a rivet, screw, or other conductive fastener 32' passes through the through-hole 82 (note that Figure 7 is an exploded view) and, therefore, when installed, forms an electrical feedthrough 32' that passes through the i-PCB 10. (Note that the perspective view in Figure 8 is simplified and does not depict the fastener 32'.) The use of the dielectric plate 80 with an integrated dielectric tapered projection 70 and combined fastener / feedthrough 32' advantageously allows the conductive tapered projection 20 to be installed without soldering using precise positioning.

[0038] In the embodiment shown in Figure 6-8, the conductive coating 72 is placed on the outer surface of the dielectric tapered projection 70. In this case, the dielectric tapered projection 70 may be hollow or solid.

[0039] Referring to Figures 9 and 10, since the dielectric material is substantially transparent to RF radiation, the conductive coating 72 may instead be coated on the inner surface of the (hollow) dielectric tapered projection 70. Figure 9 shows a side section view of such an embodiment, while Figure 10 shows a perspective view. The embodiments of Figures 9 and 10 again employ a dielectric plate 80 including the dielectric tapered projection 70. As seen in Figure 10, coating the inner surface of the hollow dielectric tapered projection 70 with the conductive coating 72 protects the conductive coating 72 from external contact by the dielectric plate 80 including the integrated dielectric tapered projection 70. This may be useful in environments where weather may be a concern.

[0040] It should be understood that various aspects disclosed are illustrative examples, and that disclosed features may be combined or omitted in various ways in specific embodiments. For example, one of the illustrative examples of the conductive tapered projection 20 or a variation thereof may be adopted without the QUAD subassembly network configuration shown in Figure 2-5. Conversely, the QUAD subassembly network configuration shown in Figure 2-5 or a variation thereof may be adopted without the dielectric / coating configuration for the conductive tapered projection 20. Similarly, the chip balun 30 may or may not be used in specific embodiments.

[0041] The RF aperture design in Figure 1-10 employs an illustrative planar i-PCB10. This design is generally limited to an angular field of view (FOV) of approximately 180° (solid) or less. To obtain a wider (solid) angular FOV, two or more such planar RF apertures may be arranged in different directions; for example, three planar DSAs oriented at 120° azimuthal intervals can potentially provide angular coverage of up to 360°. Similarly, four planar DSAs at 90° azimuthal angles (forming a square, for example) can also cover 360°. However, such an approach may have difficulties at high elevation angles. In addition, these arrangements can be bulky, and it is expected that the coverage quality may exhibit non-uniform behavior in the overlapping FOVs between angular neighboring planar DSAs.

[0042] Referring to Figures 11-17, a compact omnidirectional DSA 100 is described. The illustrative omnidirectional DSA 100 has non-limiting illustrative dimensions shown, and these are merely examples; the omnidirectional DSA 100 can more generally have any aspect ratio and size. Figure 11 shows a perspective view of the omnidirectional DSA 100 housed in a cosmetic and / or protective housing or enclosure 101. The DSA 100 includes a cylindrical array of conductive tapered projections (CADSA) 102 for low elevation angle coupling and a top array of conductive tapered projections (TADSA) 104 for high elevation angle coupling. Figure 11 also illustrates a mounting support (e.g., a pole) 106 and an external port 108 for enabling polarization-independent operation and / or multiple input / multiple output (MIMO) RF transmission and / or reception operation. Figure 12 shows a perspective view of the DSA100 of Figure 11, in which the housing or enclosure 101 is omitted to expose the cylindrical RF coupling surface of CADSA102 and the planar RF coupling surface of TADSA104. These surfaces include an array of conductive tapered projections 20, the embodiments of which have already been described herein.

[0043] FIG. 13 schematically shows a top view of CADSA102 (where TADSA104 is omitted). For ease of manufacture, an illustrative cylindrical CADSA102 is formed by two semi-cylindrical sections 102 joined together by a longitudinal joint 110 (also shown by dashed lines in FIG. 11). H That is, the cylinder of CADSA102 is split longitudinally. The illustrative joint 110 includes spacer elements, although the joint could be an adhesive joint, a clip, or other fastener, etc. FIG. 14 shows a side view of one of the semi-cylindrical sections 102 of CADSA102 H . FIG. 15 shows a top view of TADSA104. The omnidirectional DSA100 is made up of three sections: two semi-cylindrical sections 102 that can be connected as shown to form CADSA102, which provides a full (360°) azimuth omnidirectional RF aperture, H and an upper circular TADSA104 for high elevation (i.e., high altitude) RF aperture coverage that extends upward to the zenith. An illustrative TADSA104 is a planar DSA where the cylinder axis of CADSA102 is perpendicular to the plane of TADSA104 (i.e., the cylinder axis of CADSA102 is parallel to the surface normal of the plane of TADSA104). The perpendicularity provides advantageous design symmetry, although some deviation from perpendicularity is conceivable.

[0044] In one variant embodiment, TADSA104 is omitted, and the resulting DSA includes only two semi-cylindrical sections 102 that are connected to form CADSA102. H When mounted vertically (i.e., the cylinder axis of CADSA102 is vertically oriented), this DSA provides a full (360°) azimuth omnidirectional RF aperture but with reduced or eliminated sensitivity at higher elevations (e.g., the zenith) due to the omission of TADSA104. Such a design that omits TADSA104 may be appropriate when the application is not expected to involve high elevation sources and / or targets and / or receiving and / or transmitting RF signals to and / or from them.

[0045] In further variations (not shown), the planar TADSA 104 may be replaced by an equivalent component with a curved, for example, hemispherical surface, which supports the upper array of conductive tapered projections 20. However, the illustrative planar TADSA 104 is advantageously convenient for manufacturing and providing acceptable high elevation angle RF apertures for most applications. It should also be noted that while the illustrative upper array of conductive tapered projections 20 has a linear array with a square perimeter (see Figure 15), other array configurations may also be employed.

[0046] Figure 16 shows one semi-cylindrical section 102 of CADSA102 (TADSA is omitted). H A more detailed schematic top view is shown. Inset A shows a perspective view of one of the conductive tapered projections 20 (in this embodiment, it is a conical shape tapering toward the tip, but more generally it may exhibit any of the other conductive tapered projection designs disclosed herein). As shown in the main drawing of Figure 16, in the illustrative embodiment the conductive tapered projection 20 is mounted within a semicircular hollow shell 120 with the base of the projection 20 fixed to the inner circumferential surface 122 and the apex of the projection 20 fixed to the outer circumferential surface 124. However, other mounting configurations are also conceivable, for example the apex may be independent (i.e., unsupported) in some alternative embodiments, or the conductive tapered projections 20 may be solid elements mounted by their bases using screws or other fasteners that engage a threaded opening within the base, or the conductive tapered projections 20 may employ a conductive plate mounted on a dielectric forming body, etc. Exemplary semi-cylindrical section 102 HIt further includes a planar printed circuit board 126, which substantially corresponds to the i-PCB 10 of the planar design in Figure 1-10 insofar as it supports the chip balun 130. However, unlike the i-PCB 10, the planar printed circuit board 126 does not support the conductive tapered projection 20 (which is instead supported here by a hollow shell 120). Therefore, to provide an electrical connection between the balanced port of the chip balun 130 and the conductive tapered projection 20, a coaxial cable 132 is extended from the terminal of the balanced port of the chip balun 130 to the conductive tapered projection 20. Inset B shows a schematic diagram of one coaxial cable 132 having a first differential connector 134 connecting to the unbalanced port of the chip balun 130 and an opposite second differential connector 136 connecting two neighboring sides 138 of two neighboring conductive tapered projections 20 (see Inset C). The second differential connector 136 may therefore be seen to perform a function similar to, for example, the pair of feedthroughs 32 shown in the embodiment of Figure 6. In the illustrative design, the second differential connector 136 connects the neighboring sides 138 of the two neighboring projections 20, and the coaxial shield of the coaxial cable 132 is not connected to either projection (or differential connector 136). More generally, other RF shielded electrical cable configurations are also conceivable. All the illustrative coaxial cables 132 are of the same length, however this is not required, and as an alternative, shorter cables may be used for closer connections to the junction between the semi-cylindrical shell 120 and the printed circuit board 126 (if the distance to be crossed by the cable is shorter).

[0047] The exemplary printed circuit board 126 is planar, and therefore the coaxial cable 132 is provided to span the distance between the chip balun 130 on the printed circuit board 126 and the projection 20 mounted within the semi-cylindrical shell 120. However, other configurations are also conceivable, such as employing a flexible printed circuit board positioned inside the shell 120 and conforming to its inner surface 122, on which the chip balun is then mounted in close proximity to the connected projection.

[0048] Continuing to refer to Figure 16, an illustrative semi-cylindrical section 102 H The assembly further includes a second printed circuit board 140, which provides additional space for mounting additional electronic devices. Therefore, the second printed circuit board 140 is understood to perform a role similar to that of the SC-PCB 50 shown in Figure 2. As already discussed, if the main PCB 126 has sufficient space, the second PCB 140 may be optionally omitted; conversely, if the two PCBs are insufficient, a third (or further) PCB (not shown) may be added to provide additional space. In the illustrative embodiment of Figure 16, a semi-cylindrical shell 120 separates the two PCBs 126, 140 and thus provides a standoff, which serves the role of the standoff 54 in the embodiment of Figure 2. Other assembly configurations are also conceivable. Various electronic devices 144 may be similar to, for example, those in the embodiments of Figures 2 and 3.

[0049] Figure 17 shows a more detailed schematic side view of TADSA104. The electronic equipment is located in the semi-cylindrical compartment 102. H It is configured similarly to the design and includes two PCBs 126, 140, a chip balun 130 on the first PCB 126 connected to the projection 20 via a differential connector 136 and a differential connector 134 connected to the balanced port of the balun 130, and various other electronic devices 144. Due to the proximity of the projections 20 of the planar array of conductive tapered projections 20 of the TADSA 104, the semi-cylindrical section 102 H The coaxial cable 132 can be replaced by a feedthrough 142 (e.g., a differential feedthrough or a paired single-ended feedthrough). The electronic equipment and protrusions 20 are optionally enclosed within a housing or enclosure 150. The semi-cylindrical compartment 102 is shown in Figure 16. HThe use of the exemplary physical design for TADSA104 shown in Figure 17, which is similar to the physical design of the original, is advantageous in that it facilitates manufacturability through the use of many identical components (e.g., connectors 134, 136, potentially identical circuit boards 126 and / or 140, etc.). However, as an alternative, it is conceivable to construct TADSA104 using a physical design similar to that of the embodiment in Figure 2 (with a planar array of conductive tapered projections 20 of the TADSA, which is mounted directly on a circuit board, for example, which also has a chip balun mounted on its rear side).

[0050] In the following, several principles relating to the RF design of the omnidirectional DSA100 shown in Figure 11-17 will be explained.

[0051] As in the embodiment shown in Figure 1-10, a square, flat aperture plane yields a beam pattern that is inherently directional. The estimated beam width (in radians) of a square, flat aperture DSA can be obtained by the following equation.

number

[0052] RF modeling, along with TADSA104, shows that the curved (e.g., cylindrical) aperture plane of CADSA102 provides hemispherical (omnidirectional at azimuth and high elevation angles up to zenith coverage) transceiver functionality. Typically, the dominant mode of propagation is the vertically polarized electric field, as the horizontally polarized electric field tends to attenuate more rapidly depending on the ground electrical characteristics over line-of-sight low angles (terrestrial links). In that case, the vertical dimension may require an additional pyramidal sensing element and may be primary polarization. However, the pyramidal sensing element may also be connected horizontally for cross-polarization implementation. More generally, the semi-cylindrical section 102 of CADSA102 H This provides an option for implementing both polarizations with higher sensitivity assigned to orthogonal polarization. The upper section (i.e., TADSA104) is configured as a polarization-independent square DSA that corresponds to both orthogonal polarizations in the illustrative embodiment. This section provides high elevation and overhead (near-zenith) coverage.

[0053] As mentioned above, TADSA104 may be omitted for applications where high elevation coverage is not particularly important. Similarly, for a single semi-cylindrical section 102 (with or without TADSA) where a wide azimuth angle (but less than 360°) is desired. H It is conceivable to use the following. Also, although the illustrative CADSA102 is cylindrical with a circular cross-section, in other embodiments the curvature of the surface may differ from that of the circular cross-section. For example, section 102 H The curved surface can be manufactured to conform to the curved surface of an aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or to conform to the hull of an ocean-going vessel or submarine, or to conform to the surface of a rounded or cylindrical orbiting satellite, etc. Furthermore, as mentioned above, while an omnidirectional RF aperture has been described, this design can be similarly applied to acoustic apertures or magnetic apertures.

[0054] Referring now to Figure 18, another embodiment of a cylindrical array of conductive tapered projections (CADSA) is shown. In this embodiment, the conductive tapered projections 20 are mounted on a cylindrical support 160 (e.g., a dielectric cylinder made of plastic or another non-conductive material) that forms a structural support for the RF opening. The illustrative projections 20 are independent in this embodiment and have their bases mounted on the cylindrical support 160. For example, the conductive tapered projections 20 may be solid projections with threaded openings within their bases, which are fixed to the cylindrical support 160 by screws or other suitable threaded fasteners; or the conductive tapered projections 20 may be hollow projections fixed to the inside of hollow projections via a central column; or the conductive tapered projections 20 may be hollow projections whose bases are soldered to or otherwise fixed to the cylindrical support 160, and so on. This is merely an illustrative example of a preferred cylindrical support; in another embodiment, the cylindrical support may be a pair of semicircular hollow shells 120, with the projection 20 supported between the inner circumferential surface 122 and the outer circumferential surface 124 of the shell 120, as described above with reference to Figure 16.

[0055] In the embodiment of Figure 18, the planar printed circuit boards 126 and 140 of the embodiment of Figure 16 are replaced by a set of radially oriented vertical printed circuit boards 162, whose planes are positioned parallel to radial lines extending outward from the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical support 160. One edge of each radially oriented printed circuit board 162 is close to the inner surface of the cylindrical support 160 and, in some embodiments, is fixed to it. Each radially oriented vertical printed circuit board 162 is oriented perpendicular to the cylindrical support 160 at the edge close to the cylindrical support 160. A collector printed circuit board 164 is located inside the cylindrical support 160 and is electrically coupled to the radially oriented vertical printed circuit boards 162. In receiving mode, RF signals captured by the projection 20 are transmitted to the collector printed circuit board 164 via an RF network arranged on the radially oriented vertical printed circuit boards 162, where they are ported out through the RF aperture. In transmission mode, the RF signal to be transmitted is delivered from the collector printed circuit board 164 to the projection 20 via a radially oriented vertical printed circuit board 162. (It should be understood that a given RF aperture according to the design in Figure 18 can be configured to operate as an RF receiver, an RF transmitter, or an RF transceiver capable of both receiving and transmitting.) The electrical connection between the radially oriented vertical printed circuit board 162 and the collector board 164 may be via a coaxial cable (such as the coaxial cable 132 mentioned above with reference to Figure 16), or by an electrical connector or equivalent. It should also be understood that there may be one, two, or more collector boards 164, with more than one collector board being used when required to accommodate the RF network. Furthermore, the radially oriented vertical printed circuit board 162 can optionally be fixed to the collector board 164 to improve structural support, and having two or more collector boards 164 may be beneficial for improving structural support.Although not shown in Figure 18, the upper array (TADSA) 104 of the conductive tapered projections in Figure 17 may optionally be used in conjunction with the embodiment in Figure 18 for high elevation angle coupling.

[0056] One advantage of the design in Figure 18 is that the radially oriented vertical printed circuit board 162 is oriented perpendicular to the cylindrical support 160 on which the conductive tapered projection 20 is positioned. This configuration has the following advantages, as recognized herein. Printed circuit boards supporting RF networks typically include a grounding surface, i.e., a conductive sheet (e.g., a copper sheet) positioned inside or at the bottom of the printed circuit board. It is well known that such grounding surfaces have substantial benefits to RF network performance. However, it is recognized herein that if the grounding surface is located beneath the conductive tapered projection 20, for example, by being oriented parallel to or near-parallel to the cylindrical support 160, the grounding surface may produce undesirable RF reflections that can interfere with the performance of the RF aperture. By aligning the radially oriented vertical printed circuit board 162 perpendicular to the cylindrical support 160, the grounding surface of the radially oriented vertical printed circuit board 162 is not located beneath the projection 20. A further benefit of the arrangement in Figure 18 is that, as seen in Figure 18, the edges of each radially oriented vertical printed circuit board 162 that contact the cylindrical support 160 are positioned between two adjacent rows of conductive tapered projections 20. This facilitates the electrical connection of two adjacent projections 20 in a differential manner (for example, using the balanced port of the balun 30, as shown in the cross section SS of Figure 18) without using a very long coaxial cable 132, as used in the embodiment of Figure 16.

[0057] Referring to Figure 19, another cylindrical array (CADSA) embodiment of conductive tapered projections employing vertical printed circuit boards is shown. The embodiment in Figure 19 includes conductive tapered projections 20 mounted on a cylindrical support 160, as already described with reference to Figure 18. However, in the embodiment of Figure 19, the radially oriented vertical printed circuit board 162 and collector board 164 of the embodiment in Figure 18 are replaced by a set of vertical circular printed circuit boards 172 having a circular circumference 174 (i.e., a circular edge 174, see Figure VV in Figure 19), which are concentrically arranged inside the cylindrical support 160, close to the inner surface of the cylindrical support 160, and, in some embodiments, fixed to it. The cylindrical axis of the cylindrical support 160 is perpendicular to the circular printed circuit boards 172. This allows contact between the inner surface of the cylindrical support 160 and the vertical circular printed circuit boards 172 around a nearly 360° circular circumference, which promotes structural robustness. Furthermore, the circular periphery of each vertical circular printed circuit board 172 is oriented perpendicularly to the cylindrical support 160 at the contact point, which again reduces the potential for the contact surface of the vertical circular printed circuit board 172 to introduce RF reflections that could potentially produce RF interference during the operation of the RF aperture in Figure 19. By positioning each vertical circular printed circuit board 172 between the two rings of the projection 20, as seen in Figure 19, differential electrical connection of two adjacent projections 20 is again facilitated, for example, using the balanced port of the balun 30 (diametrically shown in view VV of Figure 19). This again avoids the use of very long coaxial cables 132, as used in the embodiment of Figure 16. Although not shown in Figure 19, the conductive tapered projection upper array (TADSA) 104 of Figure 17 may optionally be used in conjunction with the embodiment of Figure 19 for high elevation angle coupling.

[0058] Preferred embodiments are illustrated and described. Naturally, modifications and alterations will be conceivable to those skilled in the art, provided they carefully read and understand the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the present invention includes all such modifications and alterations to the extent that they fall within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

[0059] (Item 1) Radio frequency (RF) aperture, An RF aperture comprising an array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a curved aperture surface. (Item 2) The array of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define the semi-cylindrical opening surface, as described in item 1, for the RF opening. (Item 3) The array of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define the surface of the cylindrical opening, as described in item 1, for the RF opening. (Item 4) The array of conductive tapered protrusions is A first array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a first semi-cylindrical opening surface, A second array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a second semi-cylindrical opening surface and Includes, The RF opening according to item 3, wherein the first and second semi-cylindrical opening surfaces are arranged relative to each other to define the cylindrical opening surface. (Item 5) An RF aperture according to any one of items 3-4, further comprising an upper array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define the upper opening surface. (Item 6) The upper opening surface is a planar upper opening surface, as described in item 5, for the RF opening. (Item 7) The RF opening according to item 6, wherein the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical opening surface is perpendicular to the plane of the planar upper opening surface. (Item 8) The RF aperture according to item 1, wherein the array of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a curved aperture surface that is conformal to the curved surface of an aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or the curved surface of a ship or submarine hull, or the curved surface of a satellite. (Item 9) At least one printed circuit board, An RF network is disposed on the at least one printed circuit board and electrically connected to the conductive tapered projection. An RF aperture as described in any one of items 1-8, comprising: (Item 10) The array of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define the semi-cylindrical opening surface, as described in item 9, for the RF opening. (Item 11) The array of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define the surface of the cylindrical opening, as described in item 9, for the RF opening. (Item 12) The array of conductive tapered protrusions is A first array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a first semi-cylindrical opening surface, A second array of conductive tapered projections arranged to define a second semi-cylindrical opening surface and Includes, The RF opening according to item 11, wherein the first and second semi-cylindrical opening surfaces are arranged relative to each other to define the cylindrical opening surface. (Item 13) The system further comprises a cylindrical support portion that supports the array of conductive tapered protrusions arranged to define the cylindrical opening surface, The RF aperture according to any one of items 11-12, wherein the at least one printed circuit board comprises a plurality of printed circuit boards disposed inside the cylindrical support portion. (Item 14) The RF aperture according to item 13, wherein each of the plurality of printed circuit boards has an edge adjacent to the inner surface of the cylindrical support and each edge adjacent to the cylindrical support is perpendicular to the cylindrical support, comprising a vertical printed circuit board. (Item 15) The vertical printed circuit board is a radially oriented vertical printed circuit board, as described in item 14, with respect to the RF aperture. (Item 16) The edges of the radially oriented vertical printed circuit boards adjacent to the inner surface of the cylindrical support are fixed to the inner surface of the cylindrical support, as described in item 15, the RF opening. (Item 17) The edges of the radially oriented vertical printed circuit boards adjacent to the cylindrical support portion are positioned between two adjacent rows of adjacent conductive tapered projections, as described in any one of items 15-16, for the RF opening. (Item 18) The RF aperture according to item 13, wherein the plurality of printed circuit boards are arranged concentrically inside the cylindrical support portion and each circular printed circuit board has a circular circumference close to the inner surface of the cylindrical support portion. (Item 19) The RF aperture according to item 18, wherein the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical support portion is perpendicular to the circular printed circuit board. (Item 20) The circular periphery of the circular printed circuit board is fixed to the inner surface of the cylindrical support portion, as described in any one of items 18-19, with an RF opening. (Item 21) The circular printed circuit board is positioned between adjacent rings of conductive tapered projections, with an RF aperture as described in any one of items 18-20. (Item 22) The balun further comprises a balun mounted on at least one printed circuit board, each balun having a balanced port electrically connected to two neighboring conductive tapered protrusions of the array of conductive tapered protrusions, and further having an unbalanced port, The RF network, disposed on at least one printed circuit board, is electrically connected to the unbalanced port of the balun, as described in any one of items 9-21, with respect to the RF aperture. (Item 23) The at least one printed circuit board is, A first printed circuit board having a first sub-assembly of the balun, wherein the balancing port is electrically connected to the first array of conductive tapered protrusions, The balancing port is electrically connected to the second array of conductive tapered protrusions, and a second at least one printed circuit board holding the second sub-assembly of the balun, RF apertures as described in item 22, including those listed. (Item 24) The first at least one printed circuit board is planar, and the balanced port of the first sub-assembly of the balun is electrically connected to the first array of the conductive tapered projections by a coaxial cable. The RF aperture according to item 23, wherein the second at least one printed circuit board is planar, and the balanced port of the second sub-assembly of the balun is electrically connected to the second array of the conductive tapered projections by a coaxial cable. (Item 25) The array of conductive tapered protrusions is Dielectric tapered projection, A conductive layer is disposed on the surface of the dielectric tapered projection. An RF aperture as described in any one of items 1-24, comprising: (Item 26) The conductive tapered projection is hollow, the RF opening as described in any one of items 1-24. (Item 27) The conductive tapered projection is solid, the RF opening as described in any one of items 1-24.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) aperture, wherein the RF aperture is An array of multiple conductive tapered projections arranged to define a cylindrical or curved opening surface, At least one printed circuit board, An RF network located on at least one printed circuit board and An RF aperture equipped with this.

2. The array of the plurality of conductive tapered protrusions is arranged to define the cylindrical opening surface and to define a 360° opening, The RF aperture according to claim 1, wherein the RF network, which is located on at least one printed circuit board, is located inside the surface of the cylindrical aperture and is electrically connected to the plurality of conductive tapered projections to receive and / or apply differential RF signals between neighboring pairs of the plurality of conductive tapered projections.

3. The RF opening according to claim 1, wherein the array of the plurality of conductive tapered protrusions is arranged to define the surface of the cylindrical opening, and comprises an upper array of the plurality of conductive tapered protrusions.

4. The RF opening according to claim 3, wherein the upper array of the plurality of conductive tapered protrusions defines the upper opening surface.

5. The RF opening according to claim 3, wherein the upper array of the plurality of conductive tapered protrusions defines a planar upper opening surface, and the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical opening surface is perpendicular to the plane of the planar upper opening surface.

6. The array of the plurality of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a curved opening surface, and the RF opening further comprises a cylindrical support portion that supports the array of the plurality of conductive tapered projections arranged to define the cylindrical opening surface. The RF opening according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of printed circuit boards are arranged inside the cylindrical support portion, the RF network is arranged on the plurality of circuit boards and is electrically connected to the plurality of conductive tapered protrusions.

7. The array of the plurality of conductive tapered protrusions is arranged to define a curved opening surface and to define a 360° opening, The RF aperture according to claim 1, wherein the RF network, which is located on at least one printed circuit board, is located inside the curved aperture surface defining the 360° aperture and is electrically connected to the plurality of conductive tapered projections to receive and / or apply differential RF signals between neighboring pairs of the plurality of conductive tapered projections.

8. The RF opening according to claim 7, wherein the array of the plurality of conductive tapered projections comprises a plurality of hollow or solid conductive tapered projections.

9. The array of multiple conductive tapered projections arranged to define the opening surface includes a first array of multiple conductive tapered projections and a second array of multiple conductive tapered projections, The first array of the plurality of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a first curved opening surface, and the second array of the plurality of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a second curved opening surface. The RF opening according to claim 7, wherein the first curved opening surface and the second curved opening surface are arranged relative to each other to define the curved opening surface that defines the 360° opening.

10. The RF opening according to claim 7, further comprising a pole at the end of the curved opening surface defining the 360° opening, wherein the pole supports the array of the plurality of conductive tapered projections.

11. The RF aperture according to claim 1, wherein the array of the plurality of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a curved aperture surface, the curved aperture surface being conformal to the curved surface of an aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) body, or the curved surface of a ship or submarine hull, or the curved surface of a satellite.

12. The array of the plurality of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define the cylindrical opening surface and includes a first array of the plurality of conductive tapered projections and a second array of the plurality of conductive tapered projections. The RF opening according to claim 1, wherein the first array of the plurality of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a first semi-cylindrical opening surface, the second array of the plurality of conductive tapered projections is arranged to define a second semi-cylindrical opening surface, the first semi-cylindrical opening surface and the second semi-cylindrical opening surface are arranged relative to each other to define a cylindrical opening surface, and the longitudinal joint fixes both the first semi-cylindrical opening surface and the second semi-cylindrical opening surface to define the cylindrical opening surface.

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