Air interface plane for radio frequency aperture

Abstract

An air interface plane (AIP) for a radio frequency (RF) aperture includes a circuit board having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and a matrix of tapered elements positioned on the first side of the circuit board and fixed to the circuit board, the matrix of tapered elements cooperating to receive or transmit an over-the-air RF signal. Preferably, each tapered element of the matrix has a central hub extending along the longitudinal axis from a hub base adjacent to the first side of the circuit board to the apex of the tapered element distal to the first side of the circuit board, and a plurality of arms extending from the central hub at the apex of the tapered element, each of the plurality of arms including a first portion projecting radially away from the longitudinal axis and a second portion projecting longitudinally toward the first side of the circuit board.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] 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. [Background technology]

[0002] Steinbrecher's U.S. Patent No. 7,420,522, entitled "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 so that each bristle is terminated at a termination section. The termination sections may have electrical resistance to capture substantially all of the electromagnetic energy received by each respective bristle, thereby preventing reflection from the interface surface. Each termination section may also have an analog-to-digital converter to convert the energy from each bristle into a digital word. The bristles may be mounted on a ground plane, the ground plane having a plurality of holes through it. A plurality of coaxial transmission lines may extend through the ground plane to interconnect the plurality of bristles to the plurality of termination sections."

[0003] Certain improvements are disclosed herein. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 7,420,522 [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to some non-limiting illustrative embodiments disclosed herein, an air interface plane (AIP) for a radio frequency (RF) aperture includes a circuit board having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and a matrix of tapered elements disposed on the first side of the circuit board and fixed to the circuit board, the matrix of tapered elements cooperating to receive or transmit an over-the-air RF signal. Preferably, each tapered element of the matrix includes a central hub defining a vertex of the tapered element distal to the first side of the first circuit board extending along a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of arms extending from the central hub at the vertex of the tapered element, each of the plurality of arms including a first portion projecting radially away from the longitudinal axis perpendicular to the board and passing through the vertex, and a second portion projecting longitudinally toward the first side of the circuit board.

[0006] According to some non-limiting illustrative embodiments disclosed herein, a radio frequency (RF) aperture is: Digital Personality Circuit Board (DPB), Transmission classification, and transmission classification is, A first air interface plane (AIP), the first AIP is, A first AIP circuit board comprising a first side and a second side opposite the first side, A first matrix of tapered elements arranged on the first side of the first AIP circuit board and fixed to the first AIP circuit board, wherein neighboring tapered elements of the first matrix define transmission pixels within the first matrix, and the first matrix of tapered elements cooperate to selectively transmit over-the-air RF signals. A first adjustment circuit board electrically connected to a first AIP circuit board, the first adjustment circuit board selectively operates to perform at least one of adjusting or amplifying individual transmission signals provided to each transmission pixel of a first matrix, A distribution circuit board electrically connected to a first adjustment circuit board, the distribution circuit board receives a modulated transmission signal from a DPB and selectively operates to divide the received modulated transmission signal into individual transmission signals for each transmission pixel of a first matrix, A power supply circuit board electrically connected to at least a first adjustment circuit board and a distribution circuit board, wherein the power supply circuit selectively provides power to operate at least the first adjustment circuit board and the distribution circuit board. A transmission segment including a first AIP having, A reception segment including a second AIP, The second AIP is, A second AIP circuit board comprising a first side and a second side opposite the first side, A second matrix of tapered elements arranged on the first side of the second AIP circuit board and fixed to the second AIP circuit board, wherein neighboring tapered elements of the second matrix define receiving pixels within the second matrix, and the second matrix of tapered elements cooperate to selectively receive over-the-air RF signals. A second adjustment circuit board electrically connected to a second AIP circuit board, the second adjustment circuit board selectively operates to perform at least one of adjusting or amplifying individual received signals received by each receiving pixel of a second matrix, A coupling circuit board electrically connected to a second adjustment circuit board, wherein the coupling circuit board selectively operates to couple individual received signals from each receiving pixel of the second matrix to a coupled received signal and to provide the coupled received signal to the DPB. Receiving classification and The first and second AIP circuit boards, the first and second adjustment circuit boards, the distribution and coupling circuit board, the power supply circuit board, and the DPB are modularly interconnected such that a given one of the circuit boards can be selectively removed and replaced without removing and replacing another of the circuit boards.

[0007] According to some non-limiting illustrative embodiments disclosed herein, the RF aperture includes a digital personality circuit board (DPB) and an air interface plane (AIP), the AIP comprising: an AIP circuit board having a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a matrix of tapered elements disposed on the first side of the AIP circuit board and fixed to the AIP circuit board, wherein neighboring tapered elements of the matrix define pixels within the matrix, and the matrix of tapered elements cooperate to selectively transmit or receive at least one of over-the-air RF signals; and an adjustment circuit board electrically connected to the AIP circuit board, the adjustment circuit board adjusting or amplifying individual signals for each pixel of the matrix. The present invention provides a power supply circuit board, which is electrically connected to the DPB and the AIP, and a power supply circuit board, which is electrically connected to the DPB and the AIP, and a power supply circuit board, which is electrically connected to the DPB and the AIP, and the DPB, and the AIP, and the DPB, and the DPB, and the DPB, and the DPB, and the DPB, and the DPB, and the DPB, and the DPB, and the DPB, and the DPB, and the DPB, and the DPB, and a power supply circuit board, which is electrically connected to the DPB and the DPB and the DPB, and the power supply circuit board, which is electrically connected to the DPB and the DPB and the DPB Appropriately, the cooling assembly includes a fan that operates to draw air out of the enclosure through exhaust vents in the first wall of the enclosure, a first heatsink in a stack positioned between the regulating circuit board and the power supply circuit board, and a second heatsink in a stack positioned between the power supply circuit board and the distribution / coupling circuit board.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] 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 the scale shown is to be understood as a non-limiting illustrative example, as if any side of the drawing were shown to scale.

[0009] [Figure 1] Figures 1 and 2 schematically illustrate, respectively, a front cross-sectional view and a side cross-sectional view of an illustrative RF aperture implemented as a differential segmented aperture (DSA). [Figure 2] Figures 1 and 2 schematically illustrate, respectively, a front cross-sectional view and a side cross-sectional view of an illustrative RF aperture implemented as a differential segmented aperture (DSA).

[0010] [Figure 3] Figure 3 schematically shows a block diagram of a single QUAD subassembly of the DSA of Figures 1 - 4.

[0011] [Figure 4] Figure 4 schematically illustrates a front view of an interface printed circuit board (i-PCB) of the DSA of Figures 1 - 3 that includes vias and mounting holes, and schematically shows the locations of baluns and register pads.

[0012] [Figure 5] Figure 5 schematically illustrates a rear view of an enclosure of the DSA of Figures 1 - 4 that includes schematically shown RF connections, controls, and power connectors.

[0013] [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 balanced ports of a chip balun between two adjacent conductive tapered protrusions.

[0014] [Figure 7]Figure 7-10 schematically illustrates an additional conductive tapered projection. [Figure 8] Figure 7-10 schematically illustrates an additional conductive tapered projection. [Figure 9] Figure 7-10 schematically illustrates an additional conductive tapered projection. [Figure 10] Figure 7-10 schematically illustrates an additional conductive tapered projection.

[0015] [Figure 11] Figures 11 and 12 show embodiments in which the conductive tapered projection of the RF aperture is hollow, and one or more electronic components are arranged inside the hollow conductive tapered projection. [Figure 12] Figures 11 and 12 show embodiments in which the conductive tapered projection of the RF aperture is hollow, and one or more electronic components are arranged inside the hollow conductive tapered projection.

[0016] [Figure 13] Figure 13 schematically illustrates an exploded view of another illustrative RF aperture assembly.

[0017] [Figure 14] Figures 14-17 schematically illustrate several illustrative layouts of conductive tapered projections across the RF aperture area. [Figure 15] Figures 14-17 schematically illustrate several illustrative layouts of conductive tapered projections across the RF aperture area. [Figure 16] Figures 14-17 schematically illustrate several illustrative layouts of conductive tapered projections across the RF aperture area. [Figure 17] Figures 14-17 schematically illustrate several illustrative layouts of conductive tapered projections across the RF aperture area.

[0018] [Figure 18]Figure 18-24 shows a side cross-sectional view of an RF aperture embodiment that employs a dielectric filler material positioned between neighboring conductive tapered projections to adjust RF capture performance for transmission and / or reception operations. [Figure 19] Figure 18-24 shows a side cross-sectional view of an RF aperture embodiment that employs a dielectric filler material positioned between neighboring conductive tapered projections to adjust RF capture performance for transmission and / or reception operations. [Figure 20] Figure 18-24 shows a side cross-sectional view of an RF aperture embodiment that employs a dielectric filler material positioned between neighboring conductive tapered projections to adjust RF capture performance for transmission and / or reception operations. [Figure 21] Figure 18-24 shows a side cross-sectional view of an RF aperture embodiment that employs a dielectric filler material positioned between neighboring conductive tapered projections to adjust RF capture performance for transmission and / or reception operations. [Figure 22] Figure 18-24 shows a side cross-sectional view of an RF aperture embodiment that employs a dielectric filler material positioned between neighboring conductive tapered projections to adjust RF capture performance for transmission and / or reception operations. [Figure 23] Figure 18-24 shows a side cross-sectional view of an RF aperture embodiment that employs a dielectric filler material positioned between neighboring conductive tapered projections to adjust RF capture performance for transmission and / or reception operations. [Figure 24] Figure 18-24 shows a side cross-sectional view of an RF aperture embodiment that employs a dielectric filler material positioned between neighboring conductive tapered projections to adjust RF capture performance for transmission and / or reception operations.

[0019] [Figure 25] Figure 25 shows another illustrative RF aperture assembly.

[0020] [Figure 26] Figure 26 shows an RF aperture with a conductive tapered projection positioned on a curved (e.g., radial) surface.

[0021] [Figure 27] Figure 27 schematically illustrates a network employing DSA.

[0022] [Figure 28] Figure 28 schematically shows appropriate processing nodes to be used in conjunction with the embodiment shown in Figure 25.

[0023] [Figure 29] Figure 29-36 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection, which is a solid projection. [Figure 30] Figure 29-36 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection, which is a solid projection. [Figure 31] Figure 29-36 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection, which is a solid projection. [Figure 32] Figure 29-36 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection, which is a solid projection. [Figure 33] Figure 29-36 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection, which is a solid projection. [Figure 34] Figure 29-36 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection, which is a solid projection. [Figure 35] Figure 29-36 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection, which is a solid projection. [Figure 36] Figure 29-36 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection, which is a solid projection.

[0024] [Figure 37] Figures 37-39 illustrate several alternative faceted conductive tapered projection geometric shapes. [Figure 38] Figures 37-39 illustrate several alternative faceted conductive tapered projection geometric shapes. [Figure 39] Figures 37-39 illustrate several alternative faceted conductive tapered projection geometric shapes.

[0025] [Figure 40] Figure 40-41 illustrates an embodiment with a hollow conductive tapered projection. [Figure 41] Figure 40-41 illustrates an embodiment with a hollow conductive tapered projection.

[0026] [Figure 42] Figures 42-46 illustrate an embodiment having a conductive tapered projection including a dielectric structure and a tapered plate. [Figure 43] Figures 42-46 illustrate an embodiment having a conductive tapered projection including a dielectric structure and a tapered plate. [Figure 44] Figures 42-46 illustrate an embodiment having a conductive tapered projection including a dielectric structure and a tapered plate. [Figure 45] Figures 42-46 illustrate an embodiment having a conductive tapered projection including a dielectric structure and a tapered plate. [Figure 46] Figures 42-46 illustrate an embodiment having a conductive tapered projection including a dielectric structure and a tapered plate.

[0027] [Figure 47] Figure 47-49 illustrates the mounting portion of the conductive tapered projection shown in Figure 42-46 on the interface substrate. [Figure 48] Figure 47-49 illustrates the mounting portion of the conductive tapered projection shown in Figure 42-46 on the interface substrate. [Figure 49] Figure 47-49 illustrates the mounting portion of the conductive tapered projection shown in Figure 42-46 on the interface substrate.

[0028] [Figure 50] Figure 50-54 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection constructed by bending a cutout in a sheet of metal. [Figure 51]Figure 50-54 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection constructed by bending a cutout in a sheet of metal. [Figure 52] Figure 50-54 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection constructed by bending a cutout in a sheet of metal. [Figure 53] Figure 50-54 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection constructed by bending a cutout in a sheet of metal. [Figure 54] Figure 50-54 illustrates an embodiment of a conductive tapered projection constructed by bending a cutout in a sheet of metal.

[0029] [Figure 55] Figure 55 illustrates an embodiment having a conductive tapered projection constructed by punching a sheet metal into a radome that defines the tapered projection shape.

[0030] [Figure 56] Figure 56 illustrates potential RF interference within the DSA caused by the interface substrate with a ground contact surface.

[0031] [Figure 57] Figure 57 illustrates one embodiment that employs a standoff to mitigate potential RF interference, as described with reference to Figure 56.

[0032] [Figure 58] Figures 58-63 illustrate an RF network configuration that includes a vertical printed circuit board (PCB) to mitigate potential RF interference, as described with reference to Figure 56. [Figure 59] Figures 58-63 illustrate an embodiment that employs an RF network with a vertical printed circuit board (PCB) to mitigate potential RF interference, as described with reference to Figure 56. [Figure 60]Figures 58-63 illustrate an embodiment that employs an RF network with a vertical printed circuit board (PCB) to mitigate potential RF interference, as described with reference to Figure 56. [Figure 61] Figures 58-63 illustrate an embodiment that employs an RF network with a vertical printed circuit board (PCB) to mitigate potential RF interference, as described with reference to Figure 56. [Figure 62] Figures 58-63 illustrate an embodiment that employs an RF network with a vertical printed circuit board (PCB) to mitigate potential RF interference, as described with reference to Figure 56. [Figure 63] Figures 58-63 illustrate an embodiment that employs an RF network with a vertical printed circuit board (PCB) to mitigate potential RF interference, as described with reference to Figure 56.

[0033] [Figure 64] Figure 64 illustrates an exploded view of a DSA including a radome and a vertical PCB, as described with reference to Figures 58-63.

[0034] [Figure 65] Figure 65 illustrates the five-sided enclosure or housing of the DSA embodiment shown in Figure 64.

[0035] [Figure 66] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 67] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 68] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 69] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 70]Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 71] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 72] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 73] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 74] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 75] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 76] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 77] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 78] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 79] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 80] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 81] Figures 66-81 illustrate various embodiments of RF networks that are appropriately used with the DSA embodiments disclosed herein.

[0036] [Figure 82] Figure 82 is a schematic diagram showing a perspective view of yet another embodiment of an RF opening provided with multiple conductive tapered projections according to some suitable embodiments disclosed herein.

[0037] [Figure 83] Figure 83 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional view of the RF opening shown in Figure 82, obtained along the cross-sectional line AA.

[0038] [Figure 84] Figure 84 is a schematic diagram showing a partial perspective view of the RF aperture shown in Figure 82.

[0039] [Figure 85] Figure 85 is a schematic diagram showing an exploded view of an RF aperture as depicted in Figure 84.

[0040] [Figure 86] Figure 86 is a schematic diagram showing a partial perspective view of a cooling assembly according to several embodiments of the opening shown in Figure 82.

[0041] [Figure 87] Figure 87 is a schematic diagram showing a partial end view of a cooling assembly according to several embodiments of the opening shown in Figure 82.

[0042] [Figure 88] Figure 88 is a schematic diagram showing a perspective view of a heat sink plate of a cooling assembly according to several embodiments of the opening shown in Figure 82.

[0043] [Figure 89] Figure 89 is a schematic diagram showing a partial perspective view of an AIP according to several embodiments of the opening shown in Figure 82.

[0044] [Figure 90] Figure 90 is a schematic diagram showing perspective views of tapered elements according to several embodiments of the opening shown in Figure 82.

[0045] [Figure 91] Figure 91 is a schematic diagram showing a side view of the tapered element shown in Figure 90.

[0046] [Figure 92] Figure 92 is a schematic diagram showing a top view of the tapered element shown in Figure 90.

[0047] [Figure 93] Figure 93 is a schematic diagram showing the bottom view of the tapered element shown in Figure 90.

[0048] [Figure 94] Figure 94 is a schematic diagram showing a perspective view of a multi-component embodiment of a tapered element according to several embodiments of the opening shown in Figure 82.

[0049] [Figure 95] Figure 95 is a schematic diagram showing a side view of the multi-component tapered element shown in Figure 94.

[0050] [Figure 96] Figure 96 is a schematic diagram showing the curvature or taper of the edge or periphery of a tapered element according to several embodiments of the opening shown in Figure 82.

[0051] [Figure 97] Figure 97 is a schematic diagram showing a side view of one alternative embodiment of a tapered element according to several embodiments of the opening shown in Figure 82. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0052] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an illustrative front and side section view of an RF aperture is shown, respectively, and 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, the conductive tapered projections 20 being located 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 example of a small RF aperture. Figure 1 shows a front view of the RF aperture accompanied by an inset in the upper left 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 terminates at a flat vertex 24 rather than extending to a full tip (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, or circular, or hexagonal, or octagonal, etc., as in the inset). The vertex 24 can be flat, as in the example in the inset, or it can reach a pointed 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, where the vertex 24 is at the maximum "height") can be constant, as in the example in 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 sharper tip. Similarly, as seen 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 example in the inset, the square base 22 and square vertex 24 lead to a conductive tapered projection 20 having four flat, inclined sidewalls 26; however, other sidewall shapes are also conceivable, for example, if the base and vertex are circular (or if the base is circular and extends to a point where the vertex is), the sidewalls would be inclined or tapered cylinders, and there would be six inclined sidewalls with respect to the hexagonal base and hexagonal or pointed vertex.

[0053] Continuing with reference to Figures 1 and 2, and further with reference to Figure 3, the RF aperture further comprises an RF network, and in the illustrative embodiment, the RF network includes chip baluns 30 mounted on the back side 14 of the i-PCB 10. Each chip balun 30 has a balanced port P B It has a balanced port P B Each chip balun 30 is electrically connected to two neighboring conductive tapered projections of the array of conductive tapered projections via an electrical feedthrough 32 that passes through the i-PCB 10 (see Figures 3 and 6). Each chip balun 30 is connected to an unbalanced port P that connects to the rest of the RF network. U It further includes (see Figures 3 and 6). An illustrative RF network is the unbalanced port P of the chip balun 30. U It further includes an RF power distributor / coupler 40 for coupling the outputs from P. As shown in Figure 3, the illustrative electrical configuration of the RF network is an unbalanced port P U This example employs a first-level 1x2 RF power distributor / coupler 401 that combines pairs of the first-level RF power distributors / couplers 401, and a second-level 1x2 RF power distributor / coupler 402 that combines the outputs of the pairs of the first-level RF power distributors / couplers 401. This is merely an illustrative approach, and other configurations are possible, such as using 1x3 (combining three lines), 1x4 (combining four lines), or higher-level coupled RF power distributors / couplers, or various combinations thereof. The illustrative RF network connects each unbalanced port P of the chip balun 30. UThe system further includes a signal conditioning circuit 42 inserted between the first level 1x2 power distributor 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, the switch RFS being configured to switch between a transmission mode in which the RF transmission amplifier T is operably connected to the unbalanced port and a reception mode in which the RF reception amplifier R is operably connected to the unbalanced port.

[0054] 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 example of Figure 3) is achieved by partially employing one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) that include at least an i-PCB 10. In the illustrative example 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 not be sufficient footprint on the i-PCB 10 to mount all the electronic components of an 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, in addition or alternatively, electronic components mounted on the i-PCB 10 (typically on the back side 14 of the i-PCB, although 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 secured 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 fit on the area occupied by 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).

[0055] Figure 4 shows a front view of the i-PCB 10, including vias and mounting holes, and schematically indicates 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.)

[0056] Referring to Figure 2, and further to Figure 5, the illustrative RF opening has an enclosure 58, and in the illustrative example, the enclosure 58 is fixed at its periphery to the periphery of the i-PCB 10 so as to enclose the RF circuitry. 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 have an RF shielding extending forward to block the area of ​​the RF opening). Figure 5 schematically illustrates the rear view of the 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, these electronics 62, 63 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 the active RF transmission amplifier T, the active RF receiver amplifier R, and the switch RFS). The specific arrangement of the various components 60, 62, 63, 64 across the entire rear area of ​​the enclosure can vary widely from that shown in Figure 5, and furthermore, these components may be located elsewhere, for example, the RF connector 60 may be located alternatively at the edge of the RF aperture, etc. It should also be understood that the enclosure 58 may be built in conjunction with other components or systems that have an RF aperture, 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 incorporated within 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.

[0057] Referring particularly to Figure 3, an illustrative electrical configuration for an illustrative RF network is shown. In this non-limiting illustrative example, 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 provides separation between two conductive tapered projections 20 that varies with "height" (i.e., distance "above" the base 22 of the conductive tapered projections 20). This provides broadband RF capture, as a range of RF wavelengths can be captured, corresponding to the range of separation between adjacent conductive tapered projections 20 introduced by the tapering. The RF aperture is therefore a differential segmented 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, it means that there are four aperture pixels along each row (or column) of the 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 would 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, it leads to 4×4 or 16 such QUAD subassemblies. Resistor 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 be left floating, re-radiating incident RF energy and potentially causing an increased radar cross-section.

[0058] In the illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the second level 1×2 RF power divider / combiners 402 of each QUAD subassembly connect to the RF connector 60 on the back side of the enclosure 58. Thus, as seen in FIG. 5, there are eight RF connectors for the eight QUAD subassemblies shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, such as row QUAD subassemblies N1, N2, N3, N4, and column QUAD subassemblies M1, M2, M3, M4. The Gnd(N) rows and Gnd(M) columns are circuit grounds to enable a common path for current flow from the captured RF energy along the sides around the pyramid. The use of QUAD subassemblies enables a high level of flexibility in RF connection to the RF aperture. For example, the illustrative phased array beam steering electronics 63 can be implemented by introducing appropriate phase shifts φ N ,N = 1, ···, 4 for the row QUAD subassemblies N1, N2, N3, N4 and phase shifts φ M ,M = 1, ···, 4 for the column QUAD subassemblies M1, M2, M3, M4 and steering the transmitted RF signal beam in a desired direction or orienting the RF aperture to receive an RF signal beam from a desired direction (transmission or reception is controlled by the setting of the switch RFS in the signal conditioning circuit 42). Other applications that can be implemented by the RF aperture include a simultaneous “transmit / receive dual circular polarization mode” and “scalability,” which is achieved by physically placing multiple DSAs in close proximity to each other to give the combined effect of an increased aperture size. In an alternative embodiment schematically shown in FIG. 3, the RF connector 60 can be replaced by an analog / digital (A / D) converter 66 and a digital connector 68, and the digitized signal is output via the digital connector 68. More generally, the A / D conversion can be inserted anywhere within the RF chain. For example, the A / D converter can be placed at the output of the signal conditioning circuit 42, and the analog first and second level RF power divider / combiners 401, 402 can thus be replaced by a digital signal processing (DSP) circuitry.

[0059] The described electronic device employing PCBs 10, 50, chip balun 30, and active signal conditioning components (e.g., active transmission amplifier T and receiving amplifier R) has the advantage of enabling the RF aperture to be fabricated in a small and lightweight form. As will be described below, embodiments of the conductive tapered projection 20 further facilitate the provision of a small and lightweight broadband RF aperture.

[0060] Figure 6 shows a side cross-sectional view of an illustrative embodiment, where each conductive tapered projection 20 is fabricated as a dielectric tapered projection 70 and accompanied by a conductive layer 72 disposed on the surface of the dielectric tapered projection 70. The dielectric tapered projections are made from electrically insulating plastic or ceramic materials 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 include layered stacks of different conductive materials, which may be coated onto the dielectric tapered projection 70 by vacuum evaporation, RF sputtering, or any other vacuum deposition technique. Figure 6 shows an example 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 shows the balancing port P of one tip balun 30 between two adjacent conductive tapered projections 20. B An illustrative connection via solder point 76 is also shown.

[0061] Figures 7 and 8 show exploded side and perspective views, respectively, of a particular embodiment, in which dielectric tapered projections 70 are integrally included in the 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 galvanically insulating the conductive tapered projections from each other. Alternatively, the insulating gaps 82 can be defined before coating by depositing a masking 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 galvanically insulating the conductive tapered projections from each other. As can be seen in the perspective view of Figure 8, the result is that the dielectric plate 80 covers (and therefore blocks) the surface of the i-PCB 10, and the conductive tapered projection 20 extends away from the dielectric plate 80.

[0062] 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, when installed in the manner shown, forms an electrical feedthrough 32' 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 a dielectric plate 80 with an integrated dielectric tapered projection 70 and a combined fastener / feedthrough 32' is advantageous in that it allows the conductive tapered projection 20 to be installed with precise positioning and without soldering.

[0063] 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 can be either hollow or solid.

[0064] Referring to Figures 9 and 10, since the dielectric material is substantially transparent to RF radiation, the conductive coating 72 can instead be coated on the inner surface of the (hollow) dielectric tapered projection 70. Figure 9 shows a side cross-sectional 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, by coating the conductive coating 72 on the inner surface of the hollow dielectric tapered projection 70, this results in the conductive coating 72 being protected 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.

[0065] It should be understood that the various disclosed aspects are illustrative examples, and that the 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 employed 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 employed 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, and / or other configurations are also possible.

[0066] Referring to Figures 11 and 12, further embodiments of the multiple sensor elements / pyramids 20 of the DSA102 (e.g., an expandable modular substrate) are described. The sensor elements / pyramids can be formed, for example, as an array on the front side 12 of the circuit board 10 and function as a radiating interface. Each of the sensor elements / pyramids 20 in Figures 11 and 12 includes a plurality of conductive plates 90 (Figure 12) that together form a pyramid, and / or each of the sensor elements / pyramids can be formed from a single plate 91 (Figure 11) that wraps around in a conical manner, for example. In some embodiments, each sensor element / pyramid 20 is hollow, i.e., includes a void 92. The void 92 can be formed by the inner portion of either the plurality of plates 90 and / or the single conical plate 91. This occurs, for example, when the sensor element / pyramid 20 is supported from the outer portion, creating a void 92 in the center. In one embodiment, the plurality of plates 90 of the sensor element / pyramid can approach each other but cannot touch each other. In other words, the conductive plates of the sensor element / pyramid can form gaps 94 (Figure 12). Similarly, a single conical plate 91 can also have an upper opening or gap 95. Gaps 94, 95 can exist between plates and / or between plates and the support of a fixture that contains or holds the plates of the DSA sensor element / pyramid. In some embodiments, the sensor element / pyramid 20 can be formed from a solid material. The surfaces of the plates 90, 91 forming the sensor element / pyramid can be used for conductivity (e.g., deep in the skin). In other words, the surface of the sensor element / pyramid 20 can be used to transmit current from, for example, wavelength or RF signals, and the resistance of the sensor element / pyramid can be used to increase the result from the current on the surface of the sensor element / pyramid (i.e., attenuation). The plates 90, 91 can be formed from any highly conductive material. In some embodiments, the sensor element / pyramidal plates 90, 91 may be formed from any material other than a conductive material, for example, a conductive material may be printed or wrapped onto a dielectric plate, as shown in Figure 6-10.For example, a conductive material can be spray-coated onto a plate forming a sensor element / pyramid. The thickness of the coating can be varied to achieve a desired skin depth. Embodiments in Figures 11 and 12 further include a conductor or electronic component 96 on the front side 12 of the circuit board 10. Embodiment in Figure 12 further includes a bend 97 defined at the intersection of the lower end of the plate 90 and the conductor or electronic component 96.

[0067] Continuing with Figures 11 and 12, in some embodiments, it is conceivable to utilize the voids 92 defined by hollow conductive tapered projections 20 to accommodate one or more electronic components 100 located on the front side 12 of the printed circuit board 10. Electrical vias, i.e., feedthroughs 102, passing through the i-PCB 10 provide electrical communication between the front-side electronics 100 and the electronic / electrical network located on the back side of the i-PCB 10, and / or single-ended feedthroughs 52 electrically interconnect the i-PCB 10 and the SC-PCB 50 (see Figure 3). The embodiment in Figure 12 further includes optional recesses or holes 104 in the surface 12 of the i-PCB 10 that receive the electronic components 100. Other electronic component mounting arrangements, such as sockets for integrated circuits (ICs), are also / alternatively conceivable. Advantageously, the hollow conductive tapered projections 20 act as Faraday boxes protecting the internal electronic components 100 from RF interference. Placing the electronic device 100 inside the hollow conductive tapered projection 20 also provides a smaller design (for example, perhaps providing sufficient footprint to eliminate the need for a second PCB 50 as shown in Figure 3).

[0068] Referring to Figure 13, in another illustrative RF aperture embodiment, a radio frequency (RF) transparent material 110 covers a sensor element / pyramid (i.e., a conductive tapered projection 20 in other embodiments described herein). The RF transparent material 110 acts as a support / fixture for containing / holding a plate 112 of the DSA element / pyramid that is trapped within the cover. The plate 112 can be trapped within the cover using or with the help of an adhesive 114. In some embodiments, a circuit board can be configured to be mounted on a plate (e.g., i-PCB 10). The circuit board can receive legs or a base of the plate, and the plate can optionally be electrically mounted (e.g., soldered) to the circuit board. In alternative embodiments, the conductive plate 112 can be formed from a printed circuit board. As mentioned above, together, the printed circuit board forming the conductive plate can generate or include voids (e.g., voids 92 in embodiments of Figures 11 and 12). In some embodiments, the electronic components 110 (see Figures 11 and 12) or sensor elements / pyramids of the DSA are housed within a void and can be coupled, for example, in differential mode. Alternatively, the electronic components may be attached to the DSA substrate via screws 116 or holes 118, and the sensor elements / pyramids may be attached directly to each other or to others. In some embodiments, the RF-permeable material cover 110 includes an optional filler 120 filled with a variable dielectric.

[0069] Referring to Figures 14-17, a DSA (e.g., an expandable modular substrate) can include multiple sensor elements / pyramids 20 formed from a conductive plate. Figure 14 shows a top view of an example where the conductive tapered projections 20 are of equal size and distributed across the i-PCB 10 as a linear array. Figures 15 and 16 show top and side views, respectively, of an example where the conductive tapered projections 20 are of equal size and distributed across the i-PCB 10 as a linear array, and smaller, determined-size conductive tapered projections 20s are scattered in the space between the linear arrays. Figure 17 shows an example where the conductive tapered projections 20 are of equal size but distributed across the i-PCB 10 as something other than a linear array, with, for example, unequal spacing between neighboring conductive tapered projections 20. The sensor elements / pyramids 20, 20s can be formed on the i-PCB 10 as, for example, an array and function as a radiation interface. In some embodiments, the signal acquisition area of ​​the sensor elements / pyramids 20 can be uniformly distributed across the entire area of ​​the array or radiating interface. This can be achieved, for example, by positioning the center points of the sensor elements / pyramids 20 at equal distances from one another (Figure 14). In alternative embodiments shown in Figures 15 and 16, the center points of a first set of sensor elements / pyramids 20 with a first height H1 (Figure 16) can be positioned at equal distances from one another to uniformly distribute the signal acquisition area across the entire area of ​​the array or radiating interface, and a second set of sensor elements / pyramids 20s with variable second (or even different) heights H2, H3 can be positioned randomly or to achieve desired propagation or signal acquisition within the signal acquisition area defined by the first set of sensor elements / pyramids 20. In other words, the second sets of sensor elements / pyramids 20s do not need to be uniformly spaced from one another. In yet another embodiment shown in Figure 17, the (first) set 20 of sensor elements / pyramids with a first height H1 can be positioned at random distances from each other to achieve desired propagation or signal acquisition.A (first) set 20 of sensor elements / pyramids with a first height H1 can also be positioned to achieve a desired signal acquisition area. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the first set of sensor elements / pyramids may include a first height H1 that varies to achieve a desired propagation or signal acquisition within the signal acquisition area. The first set of sensor elements / pyramids, either randomly or organized to achieve a desired propagation or signal acquisition within the signal acquisition area, can also be scattered together with a second set of sensor elements / pyramids, as shown in Figures 15 and 16.

[0070] Referring to Figures 18-20, in some embodiments, the DSA (e.g., an expandable modular substrate) may include a plurality of sensor elements / pyramids 20 formed from conductive plates (or otherwise formed using a metal coating on dielectric protrusions, for example, as described in other embodiments herein). In some embodiments, each of the plurality of sensor elements / pyramids 20 may be formed from a single plate wound to produce a cone-shaped sensor element / pyramid, with the plurality of conductive plates configured to form voids (Figures 18 and 20), or each of the plurality of sensor elements / pyramids 20 may be formed as a solid (Figure 19). As mentioned above, in alternative embodiments, the electronic components of the DSA or sensor elements / pyramids may be housed in the voids in Figures 18 and 20 and coupled, for example, in differential mode. Alternatively, the electronic components may be mounted directly to the DSA substrate, and the sensor elements / pyramids may be mounted directly to each other or to one another. In some embodiments shown in Figures 18-20, the dielectric material can be configured to surround or otherwise create gaps between the sensor elements / pyramids 20 of the DSA. In other words, the dielectric material can fill gaps created between the sensor elements / pyramids. The dielectric material can form different layers, as in the embodiments of Figures 18-20. The layers can be formed from different materials, each with a different dielectric constant value. Alternatively, the layers can be formed from the same material, and the dielectric constant of a single material can be varied. For example, as shown in Figure 20, air pores or other dielectric voids can be formed within the dielectric material (e.g., air spaces can be subdivided). The density of air pores or other dielectric voids determines the overall dielectric constant. In one embodiment shown in Figure 20, many air pores or other dielectric voids are formed within the top layer of the dielectric material, which results in a greater free-space match with respect to the dielectric material within the top layer. The second thickest layer has reduced air pores or other dielectric voids, which decrease the ratio of air pores or dielectric voids to dielectric material.For each layer of dielectric material, the ratio of air pores or dielectric gaps to dielectric material is reduced (i.e., dielectric lens effect). The ratio of dielectric material to air pores or dielectric gaps can be selected based on the desired propagation of the RF signal through the dielectric material embedded between the sensor elements / pyramids of the DSA. When a signal or wavelength strikes the dielectric material, the propagation changes. In other words, the wavelength of the incoming signal becomes shorter. For example, when measuring a voltage difference, if the wavelength becomes shorter, there is an increase in the voltage difference.

[0071] Referring to Figures 21-23, in some embodiments, the dielectric material can be configured to surround or arise around the sensor elements / pyramids 20 of the DSA. In other words, the dielectric material can fill the gaps created between the sensor elements / pyramids. In the exemplary embodiments of Figures 21-23, the dielectric material is formed from a single material or from multiple materials that together form a gradient refractive index (e.g., discontinuous). In other words, there is a gradient refractive index dielectric material. As shown in Figure 23, air holes or other dielectric voids can be formed within the gradient refractive index dielectric material. The density of air holes or other dielectric voids in the gradient refractive index dielectric material can be varied, for example, based on desired signal propagation through the gradient refractive index dielectric material.

[0072] Referring to Figure 24, an enlarged view of the gradient dielectric embodiment of Figure 23 is shown with additional explanatory notation. As shown in Figure 24, the volume fraction of air holes or other dielectric voids relative to the dielectric material results in the overall dielectric constant. By changing the permeability of the gradient dielectric material, or by changing the dielectric constant of the gradient dielectric material filled between the sensor elements / pyramids 20 of the DSA, the propagation of a signal or wavelength when it strikes the gradient dielectric material changes. For example, as shown in Figure 24, a signal may propagate within the first dielectric. In the uppermost portion of the gradient dielectric material, the volume fraction of the dielectric material and the air holes or other dielectric voids have the same dielectric constant (e.g., based on the volume fraction of the material with openings). As the number or volume of air holes or other dielectric voids relative to the dielectric material decreases, the dielectric constant decreases. Each dielectric constant has a real part and a complex part. In the complex part, there is a dielectric loss tangent, which is also the dissipation coefficient. This causes attenuation. The goal is to limit the damping by minimizing the complex number component in the dielectric material. This is where the choice of dielectric material or composite material comes in.

[0073] In some embodiments, the sensor element / pyramid of the DSA may include a conductive plate formed from a dielectric material and configured to support the dielectric material. Holes or other dielectric voids may be formed within the dielectric material supported by the conductive plate. Holes or other dielectric voids may be used to vary the effective dielectric constant. The resistivity determines the amount of loss.

[0074] Figure 18-24 shows dielectric material that terminates before the apex of the DSA sensor element / pyramid 20, but dielectric material may extend beyond the apex of the DSA sensor element / pyramid and / or completely enclose the DSA sensor element / pyramid.

[0075] In some embodiments, the RF aperture (e.g., DSA) is a modular plate. Multiple DSAs can be selectively combined to form a larger DSA.

[0076] In further variations, DSA could be acoustic or magnetic. Magnetic DSA would allow for efficient magnetic field capture at frequencies as low as tens of hertz, which would potentially minimize propagation. Acoustics would allow DSA to be deployed on submarines and operate in the presence of water.

[0077] Referring to Figure 25, the DSA (e.g., an expandable modular substrate) may include a plurality of sensor elements / pyramids 20 formed from a conductive plate (or otherwise formed as described in various embodiments herein). In one embodiment, the base 10 of the DSA may be formed from a printed circuit board (e.g., the i-PCB described) configured to support the sensor elements / pyramids 20. The circuit board may include a plurality of openings into which baluns (i.e., sensor elements / pyramids 20) are loaded. The circuit board with openings generates a shape factor that can be slidably received onto, for example, a 3D printed shape factor (e.g., a block). In other words, the circuit board, together with the baluns, can form a “smart board” configured to store the intelligence of the DSA (e.g., using a processing node 900 (see Figure 28)). The smart board may be injection molded, for example. This smart board can be slidably received onto any shape factor. The smart board can be manufactured efficiently.

[0078] As shown in Figure 26, a DSA (e.g., an expandable modular substrate) may include a plurality of sensor elements / pyramids 20 formed from a conductive plate (or may be formed otherwise as described in various embodiments herein). While the embodiments described above employ a flat i-PCB 10, in the embodiment of Figure 26, the DSA is formed in a dome shape (or, more generally, having a non-flat or curved surface 130 with a fixed curvature radius, for example, in some more specific embodiments). The dome-shaped DSA of Figure 26 (including sensor elements / pyramids 20 formed along the curved surface 130) can assist in beamforming and beam steering. For example, the DSA may be configured to be mounted on a curved surface, such as the exterior of an aircraft. Using beamforming, a set of amplitudes may be applied to the sensor elements / pyramids 20 of the DSA to remove lateral loads and generate a focused, directional beam that is directed toward the DSA. In other words, the amplitudes of different elements can be varied, and the phase shift between adjacent elements can be used to direct the focused beam towards the sensor element / pyramid 20 of the DSA. The illustrative DSA in Figure 26 also includes an optional dielectric material 132 placed between the sensor element / pyramid 20, as described with reference to Figures 18-24, for example.

[0079] Referring to Figure 27, a network 200 is shown, which includes an access node 208 (e.g., a signal source / node for detecting signals, etc.) that communicates directly with one DSA 206, and a relay node 204 (e.g., an expandable modular substrate, for example, formed as an array and including multiple elements that can function as electromagnetic radiation interfaces or other conductive materials) that communicates with another DSA 202 (e.g., a relay node, for example, which may be an interference node, used to relay signal information, etc.).

[0080] Figure 28 shows a schematic representation of a processing node 900, which includes a communication interface 902, a user interface 904, and a processing system 906 with a storage device 908 for storing software 910. The processing node 900 may be used, for example, with the DSA shown in Figure 25.

[0081] Several further possible optional aspects and / or extensions are listed below: Antennas containing a single port; Cable transmission lines or transmission lines not formed as an integrated component of the sensor element; Inner conductors and / or dielectric materials formed with conductive tapered projections and / or sensors without plates (e.g., the sensor is formed as part of a bristle structure); Conductive tapered projections formed from non-metallic materials or formed from multiple antennas; Transmission lines corresponding to multiple conductive tapered projections or antennas; Random signal capture areas; Conductive tapered projections shorter in length compared to the wavelength; Not terminating folicles in resistive elements that match the impedance of the folicles (e.g., finding another way to "electrically black" the signal); Not digitally converting the signal and generating a digital replica of the incident electromagnetic energy; Not using electronic modules and generating active surfaces that control the amplitude of reflected signals (e.g., amplifying the signal by a coefficient relevant to the actual scale); Pixel partition elements (conductive tapered projections) not corresponding to a single horizontal / vertical circuit board. Use of something other than RF waves (e.g., an acoustic or magnetic aperture designed equivalently to the RF aperture embodiments described herein). Providing partition elements, each having a frequency-dependent effective area. Forming a circuit board as part of a partition element. In other words, forming a partition element of some material that holds or supports a circuit board. The partition element can also be considered a circuit board. A printed partition element including a printed circuit board formed as part thereof. Using a printed circuit board on or formed using a partition element to induce and / or disperse an RF signal on the remainder of the partition element, etc. In some possible embodiments, the circuit board is terminated in a balanced transmission line. The support substrate (e.g., illustrative i-PCB10) may, alternatively, be formed as a conductive tapered projection or as part of a partition element.Conductive "seats" or "pads" that are not positioned on the substrate or that surround conductive tapered projections or partition elements. This refers to "conductive" seats or pads such as copper. Non-conductive seats or pads may use materials that affect the acoustic response, such as polymers (in the case of acoustic apertures). Similarly, different properties may also be provided for converting RF waves.

[0082] The following describes some further illustrative implementations of conductive tapered projections. In some embodiments, these are solid elements, as shown in the following examples.

[0083] The protrusion should be firmly mounted on a (flat or curved) surface, and separate electrical contacts should be fabricated along each face of the protrusion. The protrusion may be a non-rounded protrusion having at least three faces and three edges connecting the faces. Excessive "play" or unconnected movement between the interface substrate and the protrusion may result in reduced RF performance.

[0084] Referring to Figures 29-31, one embodiment employs a conductive tapered projection 300 and an interface substrate 302, the interface substrate 302 including a conductive trace 304. The projection 300 is made from a solid conductive material, such as a readily available, high-performance, and cost-effective copper or aluminum metal rod. An illustrative conductive tapered projection 300 has a square pyramidal shape. The projection 300 is held to the substrate 302 using a screw or other threaded fastener 306, which creates a consistent pressure along the base edge. This pressure ensures electrical contact, as the conductive trace 304 is slightly higher than the non-conductive elements of the circuit board 302, as seen in Figure 29, and the conductive trace 304 is exposed. A top view of the configuration with the mounted projection 300 is shown in Figure 30, while Figure 31 shows a top view of the interface substrate 302 alone. In this design, the projection 300 has at least one small protrusion (two small protrusions 308 in the illustrative embodiment) that maintains the proper orientation of the projection 300 relative to the conductive surface. The projection 300 has a central hole 310, which is threaded to receive the screw 306 after the screw has passed through a through hole 312 in the interface substrate 302. This mounting method is independent of the length of the projection 300, and therefore the height of the projection 300 above the surface of the substrate 302 is a free-design parameter.

[0085] Referring to Figures 32-35, an embodiment is shown that enables the mounting of a projection in cooperation with a non-PCB interface board (i.e., an interface board that does not contain a printed circuit network). This mounting method uses a sheet product for electrically connecting the pyramidal projection to a vertical board (not shown in Figures 32-36) below the interface board. Figures 32 and 33 show a side view and a bottom view of a suitable conductive tapered projection 300, which may be the same design as the one in Figures 29-31, for example, having the shape of a square pyramidal projection. Here, the projection 300 is located on a conductive (e.g., metallic) mounting portion 320. The mounting portion 320 is shown alone in Figure 34, and the projection 308 is captured within a hole 322 of the mounting portion 320. The tab 324 of the mounting portion (labeled in Figure 34) is then inserted through the interface board 330 and protrudes, as shown in the exploded perspective view of Figure 35. The screw 306 then passes through each mounting section 320 from the back side of the interface board 330 and enters the central hole 310 of each projection 300. Again, the mounting section can be used with projections 300 of different heights. In this configuration, the mounting section 320 can also be designed so that the size of the base is interchangeable. As long as the tab 324 passing through the interface board 330 remains in the same location, the size of the mounting section can be freely changed. As shown in Figure 35, this design allows the interface board 330 to be a non-conductive housing, which may include an electrical network for operating the array of conductive tapered projections 300 in RF transmission mode and / or RF reception mode.

[0086] Referring to Figure 36, another embodiment employs a conductive tapered projection 340 in which the projection 308 of the embodiment in Figures 29-35 is replaced by a recess 348. In this embodiment, the interface substrate 330 of the embodiment in Figures 29-35 is replaced by an interface substrate 350 that includes a projection 352 that interlocks with the recess 348. In other words, the convex projection 308 is replaced by a hole 348, which in some manufacturing processes results in reduced machining time, and therefore cost, and less material waste. To do so, the interface substrate 350 is designed to supply the projection 352 within itself. The interface substrate 350 may be produced, for example, by injection molding or by additive manufacturing, and in both cases, the inclusion of the projection 352 incurs little or no material or molding cost. For the same strength as the metal protrusion 308 on the solid metal projection 300, the protrusion 352 on the non-metallic interface substrate 350 should be larger due to its material composition, but this does not cause any damage as the enlargement of the hole sizes in the mounting portion 320 and the projection 340 does not affect cost or performance.

[0087] In the unconventional approach, the use of the protrusion is eliminated by using a second screw, and both screws, offset from the center of the protrusion, are used for fastening. Using two screws requires two threading steps, doubling the number of screws and doubling the time spent fastening.

[0088] Referring to Figures 37-39, in some designs, the conductive tapered projection is faceted in various geometric shapes. As noted, the conductive tapered projection 300, as shown in Figures 30 and 35, is a square pyramid with four-fold rotational symmetry. Figure 37 also shows an embodiment that is a square pyramid but with only two-fold rotational symmetry. This design can accommodate different sensitivities and signal chain complexities along opposite orthogonal polarizations. Figure 38 shows an embodiment in which the conductive tapered projection is a hexahedral (i.e., six-sided) pyramid with six-fold rotational symmetry. The hexagonal structure provides three different polarizations. This is useful when it is necessary to precisely measure or transmit polarization, or when there is a large number of signal chains per surface area, thus increasing the transmission power for that same area and reducing noise. Figure 39 shows an embodiment in which the conductive tapered projection is a trihedral (i.e., three-sided) pyramid with three-fold rotational symmetry. These have characteristics similar to the hexagonal design in Figure 38. More generally, any configuration in which a geometric shape can be mosaic-like is possible, and the simplest of these is a geometric shape that can be mosaic-like by itself.

[0089] The following describes several further illustrative implementations of conductive tapered projections. In these embodiments, the projection is a hollow element formed by a plate, for example, as in the following example.

[0090] The manufacture of solid conductive tapered projections uses a considerable amount of internal material that does not affect RF performance, such that the electromotive force flows only to a depth equal to the skin depth of the specific frequency of the coupled RF radiation on the outer surface of the projection. Adopting hollow conductive tapered projections can reduce weight, material costs, and processing costs. Hollow projections can be fabricated from sheet products such as conductive plates. In the various embodiments discussed below, the conductive plate may have a convex support, or it may be a freestanding or self-supporting plate, or it may have a concave support. Key attributes for market acceptance of DSAs include size, weight, power, and cost per equivalent performance (SWAP-C). The use of faceted conductive tapered projections (such as those in Figures 30, 35, and 37-39, in contrast to conical projections) facilitates the machining of faceted projections from solid aluminum or copper materials. For convenience, a considerable amount of material is used within the solid projection, and the significant tooling time increases both the cost and weight of the DSA. Since electromagnetic waves only penetrate to a small depth (i.e., skin depth) within the projection, only the first few micrometers of the outer surface need to be conductive. The calculation for skin depth is as follows:

number

[0091] In the formula, δ is the skin depth, ρ is the resistivity of the material, f0 is the frequency of interest, and μ r μ0 is the relative permeability of the material (approximately 1 for copper and aluminum), and μ0 is the permeability in free space. For the frequency of interest for current generation in the DSA design, i.e., above 100 MHz, the skin depth is less than 10 micrometers. The result is that the conductive surface of the DSA projection requires only a small skin depth, e.g., 5-10 microns in thickness on each side, to help current flow from the projection into the signal chain.

[0092] Referring to Figures 40 and 41, the conductive tapered projection 400 is fabricated from a rod material by appropriate milling, and then processed by a finishing step in which excess material is removed. Figure 40 shows an example of this approach, in which a single threaded hole 402 is maintained at the center of the structure, and the remaining material is removed by milling, retaining a material thickness appropriate for mechanical rigidity. Figure 40 shows a central cylindrical support 404 positioned inside the hollow projection 400. The illustrative central cylindrical support 404 has a circular cross-section extending to the top of the projection, however, this cylindrical support could have a square or rectangular cross-section, which would be quicker to machine and would come with only a moderate cost in weight. This solution reduces the weight of the projection, but it increases tooling time and therefore cost compared to a solid projection, while maintaining the same material cost as a solid projection.

[0093] The conductive tapered projection 400 can be manufactured by casting or additive manufacturing rather than by subtractive milling. Casting reduces manufacturing costs and material waste and is only suitable for high-volume applications. A projection 400 manufactured by casting will likely have a rough surface and be thicker than necessary for mechanical rigidity. With respect to additive manufacturing, the material must be conductive, which limits the applicable techniques. Generally, additive manufacturing is the most expensive, followed by milling, which is the next most expensive and will result in a rough surface.

[0094] The following describes plate-based approaches for manufacturing conductive tapered projections. Three different plate-based approaches are described: an approach using a convex support, an independent, or self-supporting, approach, and an approach utilizing a concave support.

[0095] Referring to Figures 42-48, an embodiment employing a convex support is described. Here, individual conductive (e.g., metallic) tapered plates 420 (shown individually in Figure 42 and in the alternative perspective view) are internally supported by dielectric structures 422, shown in Figures 43 and 44 and in the alternative perspective view. Each conductive tapered plate 420 has a tab 424 at its bottom, which electrically extends the plate beyond the base of the projection, creating an electrical connection to an interface substrate (PCB or non-PCB), or a vertical substrate located below the interface substrate, or some other electronic equipment. Each plate 420 further has a bend 426 at the point where the projection ends within the plate. The bend 426 allows the plate 420 to advance through the interface substrate at a 90-degree angle. Optional, this bend configuration saves material and provides easier connection. A third feature is an angled extension 428 below the plane of the tapered projection. This angled extension 428 engages with the interface board, ensuring sliding into the board and active engagement. This also increases the strength at the bent portion 426.

[0096] The conductive tapered plate 420 is supported by a dielectric structure 422 shown in Figures 43 and 44. This structure has four tapered (e.g., "V" shaped) receptacles 430 (labeled in Figure 43), and each of the four conductive tapered plates 420 (with respect to the four faceted projections, as exemplifies) is enclosed within the receptacle 430. The enclosure by the "V" shaped (or more generally, tapered) receptacle 430 captures the edges of the conductive "V" shaped (more generally, tapered) plate 420, allowing the conductive tapered plate 420 to slide in as shown in the alternative perspective views of Figures 45 and 46. The conductive tapered plate 420 thus defines the facets of the conductive tapered projection 400. As seen in Figures 44 and 46, the bottom of the dielectric structure 422 has two projections 432, which, when mounted on the interface substrate 440 (shown separately in Figure 47) with a matched positioning hole 422, prevent rotation. In addition, at the center, there is a hole 444, which may be threaded to receive a screw or smooth for a rivet. Fasteners used in this hole proceed from the back of the interface substrate into the support structure, holding the entire assembly together tightly. When assembled, the system has the appearance of Figure 48 showing five conductive tapered projections 420, 422 mounted on the upper side, and Figure 49 showing the back side with a protruding tab 424.

[0097] The advantages of this plate-based approach include its interchangeability with solid projection designs, allowing for the selection of solid or plate-based projection types for each application. In addition, the plate design configuration is lighter and has significantly lower material costs than the solid or hollow projection approaches. The dielectric support 422 can be formed by injection molding processes for mass production or via additive manufacturing in small-volume production. Assembly time is slightly increased due to the step of inserting the plate into the support structure. One RF performance benefit is that electrically isolated plates can provide higher cross-polarization isolation compared to solid or hollow projections where conductive paths exist between facets.

[0098] In the aforementioned example, an internal structure (i.e., dielectric support 422) was required to support the plate 420. However, experiments have shown that complete isolation of the individual sides of the faceted conductive tapered projection can lead to mechanical resonances that can reduce RF performance. To address these challenges, several illustrative configurations for providing independent projections that do not require an internal structure are disclosed below. These conductive tapered projections are fabricated using sheet materials to further reduce costs. Any of the examples can be mounted along the entire edge or at points by applying soldering or by creating tab-type connections (tabs located on one surface slide into notches in adjacent space). Point-based soldering solutions may be ideal in that they still allow a considerable amount of cross-polarization isolation while eliminating mechanical resonances by rigidly mounting the surfaces.

[0099] The following illustrative examples show projections that, for simplification, lead to a single point. However, leading to a single point is not necessary, and for mechanical strength or ease of processing, the top of the projection can be molded to match the bottom of the projection, although it may be smaller in size.

[0100] An example is shown in Figures 50 and 51. In this example, Figure 51 shows a faceted conductive tapered projection 450 formed by bending a single-piece cutout 452 from a metal sheet, as shown in Figure 50. As seen in most detail prior to the bending step in Figure 50, the cutout 452 includes four facets 454 (in this example) that meet at a small square vertex facet 456 (or, alternatively, at the vertex as seen in the alternative embodiments of Figures 52-54). The facets 454 of the single-piece cutout 452 are bent at their junctions with the vertex facet 456 (or vertex) to form the faceted conductive tapered projection 450. Each facet 454 includes a tab 458 distal to its junction with the vertex facet 456 (or vertex), the tab 458, as seen in Figure 51, is embedded in the interface substrate 460 and electrically connected to the RF network. In the assembled projection 450 in Figure 51, the edges of neighboring facets 454 may optionally be connected by soldering or mating tabs (features not shown in Figures 50 and 51). As described above, the vertex facet 456 is optional but can add mechanical strength (if the vertex facet 456 is omitted, the four facets will be integrated at the vertex).

[0101] Referring to Figure 52, a variant embodiment is shown, comprising a faceted conductive tapered projection 470 shown in the lower part of Figure 52 and a corresponding single-piece cutout 472 shown in the upper part of Figure 52. This embodiment omits the vertex facet 456 of the embodiments in Figures 50 and 51, so that the four facets 474 of this embodiment converge to a single point. In addition, the tabs 458 of the embodiments in Figures 50 and 51 are omitted, and in their place, a bottom plate 476 is attached to one of the facets 474 in the cutout. The bottom plate 476 has an opening 477 for capturing fasteners 478 such as bolt heads or rivets. If bolts are used, the attachment is performed before the bending is complete, as the inside of the projection 470 will no longer be accessible once the bending is complete. Once bent, the projection 470 may be soldered at a point or along its entire edge, or tab-type connections may be used (features not shown). Alternatively, the bottom edge of facet 474 may be soldered to the interface board, or the bottom may be bent to create a tab that rests on the interface board. This variant is lightweight. It can provide good cross-polarization isolation. However, the nature of the bend can lead to variability in RF performance, as no mechanical connection exists. In addition, as shown in Figure 52 with a single screw, the pyramid can rotate if only a tight fit is used to electrically mount the facet. Having two screws fastened to the bottom plate 476 would double the number of mounting steps but would eliminate the rotation issue. In this embodiment, the PCB is appropriately used so that the interface board provides an electrical connection to the protrusion 470. Further modifications are conceivable, such as providing the bottom plate on two or more of the facets 474, and thus, when bent, the bottom is duplicated, adding rigidity and consistency at the expense of material weight and cost.

[0102] Referring to Figure 53, another illustrative faceted conductive tapered projection 480 is shown in the lower part of Figure 53, and a corresponding single-piece cutout 482 is shown in the upper part of Figure 53. This embodiment is similar to those in Figures 50 and 51 and includes four facets 454 with a tab 458, but the vertex facet 456 is omitted so that the four (side) facets converge to a single point. It should also be noted that further variations are possible, such as replacing the vertex facet 456 in the embodiments of Figures 50 and 51 with a rounded vertex (e.g., formed by a stretching operation). With respect to the tab 458 in the embodiments of Figures 50 and 51 and 53, the tab 458 is bent so that when the projection 480 is bent into its final shape (e.g., as shown in the lower part of Figures 51 and 53), it meets the interface substrate 460 at a 90-degree angle. Tabs 458 can be soldered to the electrical traces of the interface board 460 when the interface board 460 is a printed circuit board (PCB). This allows for strong mechanical and electrical connections of the conductive tapered projections 450, 480 to the interface board 460. Alternatively, tabs 458 can pass through the interface board and attach to the vertical board below. Optionally, neighboring edges of facets 454 can be joined using soldering or a tab and receiver arrangement (not shown). This method improves upon the flat-bottom version in that it reduces weight and does not require any mechanical connections other than the tabs being joined to the PCB. The use of tabs 458 reduces assembly time and overall system size, weight, and cost (SWAP-C) compared to an approach using a bottom plate 476, such as in the embodiment of Figure 52.

[0103] Referring to Figure 54, another illustrative faceted conductive tapered projection 490 is shown in the lower part of Figure 53, and a corresponding single-piece cutout 492 is shown in the upper part of Figure 53. This embodiment employs four facets 494, each with a tab 498 positioned offset at the corner of the facet 494. Here, the interface substrate 460 has a thickness of at least the depth of the triangular facets 494 added to the tab. The illustrative tab 498 is offset to one side, but it could alternatively be central with triangles added to both sides.

[0104] Referring to Figure 55, an embodiment is disclosed that employs a plate with a concave (i.e., external) support. The DSA may include a radome (i.e., a structural enclosure which may optionally be weather-resistant) to protect the conductive tapered projection and provide a safe surface for external contact. In this embodiment, the radome 500 includes (or defines) a form 502 with a recess 504 in the shape of the tapered projection. To construct the conductive tapered projection 506, a sheet of metal is laid on the form 502 (for example, at the position graphically indicated by the dashed line 508 in Figure 55), and then punched to press the sheet metal into the recess 504 in the shape of the tapered projection. Alternatively, a separate sheet may be punched to form each projection 506. The punch may be formed in the same cross-section as the projection 506. (In schematic Figure 55, a gap is shown between the surfaces of the recess 504 and projection 506 of the tapered projection shape to distinguish them; however, it should be noted that in actual fabrication, the tapered projection 506 will be pressed against and in contact with the corresponding surface of the recess 504 of the tapered projection shape.) This approach has certain advantages. It facilitates the automation of DSA assembly. It also provides support for the projection 506, thereby enabling thinner materials and a higher level of environmental robustness. The radome 500 should be made from a dielectric material such as plastic and can be fabricated by manufacturing approaches such as injection molding or three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. Injection molding can construct a strong, lightweight, and low-cost radome. It should be noted that the form 502 does not need to be solid and, alternatively, can be mostly empty.

[0105] The following describes several further illustrative implementations that address the recognized challenge in this specification, where the interface substrate being metal (e.g., a PCB with a ground surface) can adversely affect the RF performance of the DSA.

[0106] The DSA architecture functions best when there is no conductive material immediately behind the gap between the conductive tapered projections. On the other hand, most radio frequency components perform best when mounted in close proximity to a ground surface, for example, on a PCB with a ground surface. To address this challenge, some embodiments disclosed herein employ a PCB mounted perpendicular to the surface on which the projections are mounted.

[0107] In DSA designs such as that shown in Figure 2, the protrusion 20 is mounted directly onto a printed circuit board (PCB) 10, and the opposite side of the PCB 10 is used to mount an RF component (e.g., the chip balun 30 in the example in Figure 2). The PCB 10 has at least two layers, a conductive trace connecting the “upper” protrusion 20 to the balun 30, and either an inner layer (when there are more than two layers) or an outer layer as a filled ground surface. The filled ground surface provides a low-resistance surface for electrical flow by filling the surface with conductive material as much as possible. The ground surface is included to improve the performance of the RF component.

[0108] Referring to Figure 56, it is schematically illustrated by showing the conductive tapered projection 20 and the underlying grounding surface 510 (which is part of the PCB 10 in the embodiment of Figure 2). The grounding surface 510, which is integrated into the same substrate (i.e., PCB 10) on which the projection 20 is mounted, results in a conductive surface mounted less than one full wavelength away from the gap between the projections 20 at the base of the projection 20. Figure 56 schematically illustrates the RF interference resulting from the reflection of incoming radio frequency waves returning into the projection space. The interference can be both constructive and destructive, but the overall result is a reduction in broadband performance and an increased design complexity required to resolve such interference at multiple angles of arrival and frequencies.

[0109] One solution (not shown) is to replace the continuous grounding surface with a grounding surface that extends below the base of the protrusions but not between the protrusions. In such an approach, the RF component would be small enough to fit entirely below the base of the protrusions. However, this approach would require a complex "grid-like" grounding surface and very small RF components.

[0110] Referring to Figure 57, another solution is illustrated. By moving the conductive surface, i.e., the grounding surface 510, to a distance of more than one wavelength from the base of the projection 20, the PCB can be used in an orientation perpendicular to the incident electromagnetic wave (for example, as in Figure 2). This approach involves providing standoffs 520 from the projection 20 to the PCB, which provide rigid support, and conductive connections 522 for each face of the projection 20 (for example, four connections 522 when the projection 20 is square or rectangular). In a variant embodiment (not shown), the conductive connections 522 provide rigid support so that separate standoffs 522 can be optionally eliminated. The standoffs provide a gap 524 between the base of the projection 20 and the grounding surface 510. This approach is most suitable for higher RF operating frequencies, as at low frequencies the required gap 524 becomes larger, which can reduce rigidity and lead to failure under shock and vibration. For example, at 400 MHz, the spacing 524 provided by the standoffs would need to be approximately 0.75 meters. In contrast, at 10 GHz, the spacing 524 provided by the standoffs would only need to be 3 centimeters.

[0111] Referring to Figure 58, another solution is to mount the conductive tapered projections 20 on a non-conductive interface substrate 550 and the RF components 552 on a vertical printed circuit board (PCB) 560 oriented perpendicular to the interface substrate 550. That is, instead of mounting the projections 20 on the interface substrate, which is a PCB with a conductive ground surface, a dielectric substrate interface substrate 550 is used in the embodiment of Figure 58. The upper surface of the dielectric interface substrate 550 supports the projections 20, and a set of PCBs 560 for supporting the RF components 552 is oriented perpendicular to the surface 550. The vertical PCB 560 includes (or supports) the RF components 552 mounted on the ground surface of the PCB 560. In one embodiment (shown in Figure 58), there is a vertical PCB 560 located between each row of projections 20. In another embodiment (not shown), there is one vertical PCB below each row of projections. Placing the vertical PCB 560 between the rows of the protrusions 20 is very suitable for operating the DSA in differential mode.

[0112] The interface board 550 can be manufactured from any rigid or semi-rigid dielectric material such as plastic (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, i.e., ABS). Alternatively, the interface board 550 can be a printed circuit board (PCB) but without a continuous ground plane. Using a PCB without a ground plane but with conductive traces as the interface board 550 allows for easier connection of signals between the protrusions 20 to a connection with a vertical PCB 560 (which also lacks a ground plane). One approach is to employ card edge connectors for the connection to the vertical PCB 560. Using a PCB without a ground plane as the interface board 550 also allows the edge to be terminated with a load directly on the PCB, simplifying the design. However, using a PCB without a ground plane as the interface board 550 increases costs compared to using a sheet of dielectric material. Sheet dielectrics can be fabricated to capture the vertical PCB via various fastening configurations such as screw holes with corresponding square brackets, edge connectors, tenons, etc. Another option is to create a mounting section for the projection 20, which is attached to the projection 20 and the surface via screws, rivets, etc., and the mounting section is mechanically and electrically attached to the vertical PCB 560. The mounting section may be soldered or, optionally, a compression type assisted by screws.

[0113] In some embodiments, the interface board 550 forms part of the housing for the DSA, for example, the interface board 550 may be one side of a five-sided box enclosure. The front side has projections and an optional radome, while the bottom side has connection points for an optional rear cover (see Figures 64 and 65).

[0114] In some embodiments, the edges of the vertical PCB 560 are fixed to the interface board 550. In this arrangement, the vertical board 560 is subjected to stress when subjected to shock or vibration. These stresses can be relieved by fixed mounting to the interface board 550 and / or by the inclusion of a second support board 562, which is oriented parallel to the interface board 550 as shown in Figure 59 and fixes the edges of the vertical board 560 distal to the interface board 550. The second support board 562 should also not include a contact surface unless the vertical board 560 is large enough to position the second support board 562 two or more RF wavelengths away from the base of the projection 20.

[0115] Figure 60 shows a plan view of a DSA incorporating the concept described in Figure 58. Here, the upper surface of the interface board 550 is a PCB (without grounding surfaces) that allows for the interconnection 564 of vertical row boards 560 to the rows of projections 20 and optional edge terminations 566. The design of Figure 60 may also optionally include a second support board 562 (obscured from the view in Figure 60) which may improve the mechanical rigidity of the assembly to improve robustness against shock and vibration. If the second support board 562 is included, it may optionally include additional routing of electrical connections between vertical row boards 560 to simplify connections to further signal chain elements. As previously stated, if the vertical board 560 is large enough to position the second support board 562 at least 2 RF wavelengths away from the base of the projections 20, the second support board 562 may also include grounding surfaces and RF components.

[0116] Referring to Figures 61-63, in another embodiment, two orthogonal sets of vertical boards 560, 570 are provided. The set of vertical boards 560 (also referred to as “row boards”) is perpendicular to the interface board 550, while the other set of vertical boards 570 (also referred to as “column boards”) is perpendicular to both the interface board 550 and the row boards 560. In this embodiment, the row boards 560 and column boards 570 include cutouts 572, which allow the row boards and column boards 560, 570 to interlock together and form a two-dimensional grid of vertical boards 560, 570, all of which are perpendicular to the interface board 550. This facilitates the provision of electrical connections to both the row and column of the projection 20, and the grid of interlocking row and column boards 560, 570 provides additional rigidity to the assembly. The cutouts 572 allow the intersecting row PCBs and column PCBs 560, 570 to intersect and interlock with each other. If the cutouts 572 are mechanically mounted when assembled (e.g., by adhesive glue) or have interlocking fits, the assembly will be in the state of a self-supporting two-dimensional grid. Although not shown in Figures 61-63, a second support board 562 in the embodiment of Figure 59 is also included and can further improve rigidity. The benefit of the method of using intersecting row-vertical and column-vertical boards 560, 570 is that it simplifies the electrical connections of the protrusions 20 to both rows and columns, improves the rigidity of the assembly, and optionally allows for the omission of the second support board 562 (due to the improved rigidity provided by the interlocking row-vertical and column boards 560, 570). Again, the interface board 550 can be made from any non-conductive material or can be a PCB without fill-filling (i.e., without continuous grounding surfaces). However, the use of both column and row boards 560 and 570 alleviates the need for conductors on the interface board 550, and thus allows the interface board 550 to be a simple dielectric board without a printed circuit network.

[0117] Referring to Figures 64 and 65, a complete DSA assembly, including the embodiment shown in Figures 61-63, is shown. Figure 64 shows an exploded perspective view of the DSA assembly. This embodiment does not include the second support substrate 562. In the DSA assembly of Figure 64, the interface substrate 550 is the surface of the five-sided housing or enclosure 580, shown separately in Figure 65. The projections 20 are positioned on their respective mounting portions 320, which are secured by screws 306 (as previously illustrated and described in Figure 36). The mounting portions 320 are shown in Figure 34. The DSA assembly of Figure 64 further includes a radome 582 with an associated gasket 584. The radome 582 fits over the conductive tapered projections 20 and over part or all of the enclosure or housing 580 and is secured by fasteners 586. A rear cover or support 588 and associated gasket 590 are provided on the rear side of the enclosure or housing 580 and secured to the DSA assembly by fasteners 592. This design utilizes the interface substrate 550 as a dielectric surface, which also forms the front surface of the housing 580, which is fitted to five dimensions (see also Figure 65). The housing 580 includes grooves on its internal surface (not shown) that capture the edges of the vertical substrates 560, 570, thereby improving shock and vibration resistance. The interface substrate 550 (optionally, the entire housing 580) may be a single-piece plastic component manufactured, for example, by additive manufacturing or injection molding. As described, the protrusions 20 connect to their respective mounting sections 320, which are then mechanically and electrically mounted to the row and column substrates 560, 570. The mounting portion 320 can be made from stamped metal, which significantly reduces the material and processing costs of the protrusion 20.

[0118] The DSA designs disclosed herein can be employed with a wide range of RF component configurations. Several illustrative signal chains suitable for use with the disclosed DSAs are presented below.

[0119] A DSA interfaces with free space for electromagnetic capture and / or emission (depending on the application) in differential mode, meaning it eliminates the difference between RF signals between two points. Most commercial RF networks assume a single-ended mode of operation, where the signal is on a single conductor and referenced to ground. DSA architectures can be fabricated to work with single-ended networks through a converter called a balun (i.e., "balanced / unbalanced"). This is illustrated in Figure 66, which shows a side view (top view) and a top view (bottom view). Figure 66 shows an RF coupling, where a balun 600 connects a conductive tapered projection 20 and converts the differential signal to a single-ended signal. Figure 66 shows a 3×2 DSA configuration (which can be extended up to any M×N DSA configuration (where M and N are integers greater than or equal to 1)). In this case, the conductive tapered projection 20 is a pyramidal pyramid with four facets, and each facet is connected to an opposing facet of a neighboring projection 20 through the differential side of the balun 600. In this specification, this space is referred to as a pixel.

[0120] Generally, the balun is connected to a certain form of signal chain, and two specific embodiments are shown in Figure 67. The embodiment in Figure 67 relates to a transceiver, i.e., a DSA that provides both transmission (TX) and reception (RX) operations. If a DSA that provides only a transmitter, i.e., only transmission (TX) operation, or only a receiver, i.e., only reception (RX) operation, is desired, the switch 614 (upper time-division duplexed signal chain 610) or the circulator or duplexer 616 (lower frequency-division duplexed or fully duplexed signal chain 612) can be omitted, and the unnecessary paths (TX or RX) can also be omitted. Figure 67 also shows the direct mounting of signal chains 610, 612 to the balun 600, making the ratio between the number of opposing faces of the projection 20 and the number of signal chains equal 1:1.

[0121] The upper portion of Figure 67 shows an example of a signal chain 610 using an RX / TX switch 614. The design of the signal chain 610 does not directly power the receiving circuit along with the transmission circuit. The switch 614 serves to isolate the TX and RX paths. Circuit 610 cannot perform both transmission and reception simultaneously, often referred to as time-domain duplexing (TDD). However, a DSA electrical architecture may have several signal chains 610 operating in RX mode and several signal chains operating in TX mode simultaneously to provide both transmission and reception operations at the same time, although this comes with reduced aperture efficiency. The use of the switch 614 within the signal chain 610 has the advantages that the switch is low-cost, readily available, can handle high power, and can operate over a wide bandwidth.

[0122] The lower portion of Figure 67 shows an example of a signal chain 612 that can operate in either frequency division duplexing (FDD) or full duplexing (FD). FDD allows simultaneous transmission and reception by transmitting and receiving on separate frequencies and filtering out the transmission frequency from the received signal. Here, switch 614 is replaced by component 616 such as a diplexer or circulator. A diplexer divides transmission and reception by frequency, while a circulator acts like a series of gates that allow transmission energy to avoid reflections, primarily into the RX path. Diplexers are not adjustable and require a design-in approach to frequency operation (e.g., specified transmission and reception frequencies or frequency bands). Typical commercially available circulators do not exceed approximately 1 GHz (or 1 octave) in bandwidth. This imposes constraints on DSA when using signal chains such as the illustrative signal chain 612. FD means that the signal chain can operate in both transmission and reception modes on the same frequency at the same time while maintaining isolation of the RX path from the TX path. This is generally achieved by using different antennas or circulators coupled with a cancellation network, which connects the TX path to the RX path via an inverse signal. The DSA architecture has a TX path and an RX path on different sets of protrusions 20, and thus full duplex operation can be achieved by using different signal chains for each mode or by including a circulator.

[0123] In TDD mode, FDD mode, or FD mode, the signal chain can be varied to support a number of different electrical architectures, each with its own SWAP-C / performance trade-offs.

[0124] Referring to Figure 68, an illustrative 4x4 DSA supports up to 40 individual signal chains, which are graphically represented by circles 620 in Figure 68. The following benefits of this approach are: a low-power TX amplifier (often called a power amplifier, i.e., PA); a lower noise floor due to the averaged uncorrelated noise of the RX amplifier (often called a low-noise amplifier, i.e., LNA); increased signal dynamic range; sub-aggregation of apertures—parts of the aperture dedicated to one function, and different parts dedicated to different functions; and the ability to use dynamic and arbitrary beamforming and polarization generation, etc. However, this performance comes at a cost in SWAP-C, as each signal chain consumes space and power, increasing costs.

[0125] Referring to Figure 69, it is therefore desirable at times to combine signals so that one signal chain supports multiple pixels. One way to do this is to combine pixels in rows and columns, which maintains multiple polarization operations and beam steering and formation in azimuth and altitude. To combine pixels, a coupler or distributor (e.g., coupler 632 or coupler 634 in the illustrative signal chain 630 in Figure 69) is inserted into the signal chain at one or more locations in the TX / RX path. Couplers 632, 634 are bidirectional devices, meaning that current can flow in either direction or in both directions simultaneously. Figure 69 shows that coupler 632 may be placed between the duplexer and the balun, or alternatively, coupler 634 may be placed upstream of the power amplifier (PA) 636 in the TX path and downstream of the low-noise amplifier (LNA) 638 in the RX path. (Figure 69 shows a coupler 632 coupled to a single illustrative pixel via an illustrated balun 600, but more generally, a coupler 632 can be coupled to multiple pixels via the balun of each pixel. Similarly, an illustrative coupler 634 is coupled to a single illustrative pixel via the power amplifier 636 and low-noise amplifier 638 of the illustrative pixel, but more generally, a coupler 634 can be coupled to multiple pixels via the components 634, 636 of each pixel.) The first location (i.e., coupler 632) is less expensive because one coupler 632 is used for both the TX and RX paths, however, this arrangement comes at a performance cost because the coupler 632 typically has limited power handling capacity and introduces signal attenuation (loss) in the RX path. The second location (i.e., coupler 634) doubles the number of couplers required, but the thermal noise per pixel is uncorrelated and the system noise is

number

[0126] The signal chain 630 in Figure 69 assumes that there are a sufficient number of signal chains to perform beam steering and beamforming as desired. Some beamforming and steering can be performed using two signal chains, but four signal chains provide a better performance solution. The highest cost and highest power consumption portion of the signal chain is often the analog / digital conversion and digital signal processing required to perform the operations necessary for beam steering and beamforming.

[0127] Referring to Figure 70, signal chain 640 illustrates one method for reducing system cost. Signal chain 640 includes a phase shifter or time delay 642 downstream of the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 644 and a phase shifter or time delay 646 upstream of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 648. The method reduces the number of signal chains required, in some cases requiring only one signal chain. The trade-off is that the time shifters or delays 642 and 646 may limit wideband operation in some implementations.

[0128] It should be noted that in all signal chains described herein, a digital-to-analog converter may optionally be followed by a mixer that increases the signal frequency, and an analog-to-digital converter may optionally be preceded by a mixer that decreases the signal frequency.

[0129] Referring to Figure 71, several RF components can operate differentially with respect to the signal instead of single-ended. Using such “differential” RF components allows the DSA to operate with a complete differential signal chain 650 as shown in Figure 71, where the input is maintained as a balanced pair all the way from the digital word in the ADC 648 or DAC 644, or to its conversion thereto. Power amplifiers (PAs) 636 and low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) 638 process the differential signal in this embodiment. The illustrative embodiment in Figure 71 further includes a switch (or, alternatively, a duplexer or circulator) 652 for providing time-division or frequency-division duplexing of the TX and RX differential paths, and an optional filter 654 upstream of the LNA 638. Note that the switch, duplexer, or circulator is coupled to one or more aperture pixels without an intervening balun.

[0130] In one variant embodiment, a semi-differential signal chain (not shown) may be employed, in which the differential signal is maintained at a point not reaching the DAC and ADC, and a balun is used for conversion at that point.

[0131] Each coupler, which inserts losses, is limited in terms of the number of channels and increases SWAP-C. Various designs can be employed to mitigate these effects.

[0132] Referring to Figure 72, an example is shown in which the coupler 632 is included after the signal chain 660 (for example, it could be the signal chain 630 in Figure 69 or the signal chain 640 in Figure 70) and fans out to four pixels. These pixels are shown in rows, and the coupler 632 is a 4 / 1 coupler and is used in front of the signal chain 660. In this example, all four pixels receive the same signal, and pixel-level steering along the azimuth angle is not possible. An optional modification is to place a phase shifter between the coupler and the balun. This approach represents a low-power, low-cost configuration. Note that these examples can be easily extended to larger DSAs, e.g., 10 × 10 DSAs requiring 9 / 1 couplers.

[0133] Figure 73 shows an example of how coupler 632 may be constructed using multiple couplers 634 in series to produce a coupler with greater fan-out or to allow phase shifts across multiple pixels. Figure 73 shows two 2 / 1 couplers 634 stacked in series. This may be selected due to the SWAP-C or performance characteristics of 2 / 1 couplers versus 4 / 1 couplers, or the unavailability of the required coupler fan-out. Another reason may be that it is easier to make the total trace lengths per pixel equal so as not to induce unequal time delays on the signal lines. In addition, mixers may be placed between couplers 634 to allow beamforming and steering between groups.

[0134] Figure 74 illustrates that the coupler approach does not need to be homogeneous; that is, the use of couplers is not balanced between pixels. In the example in Figure 74, a 3 / 1 coupler 672 connects the first signal chain 670 to three pixels, while the fourth pixel has a direct connection to the second signal chain 680. This approach may be useful when the DSA is designed to process multiple signals of interest simultaneously with different power / sensitivity needs. In this case, the two signal chains 670 and 680 are coupled in the digital domain when full DSA performance is required.

[0135] Figure 75 shows yet another non-limiting illustrative example, which improves performance by separating the TX and RX paths from the opening via a duplexer 690 (which may be a switch, circulator, diplexer, etc.). As shown in Figure 75, the TX signal chain 700 is fed into a first 4 / 1 coupler 702, which drives a power amplifier (Pa) 704, which is transmitted through the pixels of the DSA. The RX signal chain 710 receives the signal via a second 4 / 1 coupler 712 after amplification by a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 714 (which may optionally include a pre-filter). Here, doubling the number of couplers is necessary, but the performance is thereby improved. The LNA 714 can neutralize the coupler losses, and since the Pa 704 is downstream, it is no longer limited by the power limit of the coupler.

[0136] Figures 76-81 present several further examples with various performance / SWAP-C trade space locations. Note that these examples use coupler 632 in Figure 69, which interfaces directly with balun 600. Note that all of these examples can be implemented with coupler 634 in the second location in Figure 69 as an alternative.

[0137] Figure 76 shows a 5x5 pixel DSA embodiment, using coupler 632, all of which are 5 / 1 couplers, to provide four signal chains in horizontal polarization and four signal chains in vertical polarization. This configuration is a good match for software-defined radio (SDR). 2 to the power of 2 (that is, 2 n An SDR having the number of channels, for example, 2 3 An SDR with 8 channels is commercially available. This design allows for simultaneous operation for both polarizations, the ability to measure incoming polarization, and the ability to perform beam steering and shaping in both azimuth and altitude. A drawback of this design in the context of an illustrative 5x5 pixel DSA is that it employs a 5 / 1 coupler, which is not a typical fan-out coupler.

[0138] Referring to Figure 77, to mitigate the need for an uncommon 5 / 1 coupler in the context of an illustrative 5x5 pixel DSA, the design in Figure 77 can be employed, in which pixels on one vertical periphery and one horizontal periphery are not brought into the signal chain, resulting in a slight reduction in the effective aperture area. Thus, only one face of the projection 20 is in use. Here, all couplers 632 are 4 / 1 couplers. This approach allows for the use of fan-out of more common 4x1 couplers, since powers of 2 are most commonly used. To better utilize the unused faces, the approach in Figure 74 can be applied, allowing for the investigation of additional signals of interest.

[0139] The approach in Figure 78 is useful when a single polarization is of interest, or when beam steering and shaping are required for only one polarization. Here, the rows are connected by a coupler 632 supplied by four signal chains 630, as already described with reference to Figure 76. However, in the embodiment of Figure 78, the rows are coupled to a single signal chain 720 by a 4 / 1 coupler 722 that fan out to four 5 / 1 couplers 724. This configuration is useful, for example, when two signals of interest are operating and shaping and steering are not required for one of those signals.

[0140] Figure 79 shows a DSA architecture that provides a single chain 730 without the capability to measure or control polarization or beamforming / direction. The single signal chain is coupled into rows and columns by 2 / 1 couplers 731, each of which then fan out into four 5 / 1 couplers 734. This architecture is useful, for example, to support existing single-channel radios that require efficient ultra-wideband performance.

[0141] Figure 80 shows a DSA in which each pixel has its combined horizontal and vertical polarizations and is connected to its own signal chain. This approach is useful when low noise and high power efficiency are required, robust beamforming is necessary, and the beam pattern and receiving pattern are symmetrical in polarization.

[0142] Referring to Figure 81, one advantage of DSA is its ultra-wide bandwidth and ability to support many signals simultaneously. However, a given DSA implementation may be limited by the bandwidth of the data converters. To mitigate this limitation, the architecture in Figure 81 can be used in any of the examples described above. As shown in Figure 81, after pixels are combined into rows, columns, or some other configuration, they are then distributed to multiple converters. With respect to the transmission (TX) path, multiple DAC converters 750 are coupled to a power amplifier (PA) 754 via a coupler 752. With respect to the reception (RX) path, multiple ADC converters 760 are coupled to a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 764, optionally with a pre-filter 766, via a coupler 762. Note that the converters are thought to include appropriate filtering and mixers. This architecture is suitable, for example, to reduce the effects of losses in the coupler when an LNA and PA are present.

[0143] According to some suitable embodiments disclosed herein, Figures 82–85 show an RF aperture 1000 provided with a plurality of conductive tapered elements 2000, where adjacent pairs of tapered elements 2000 define aperture pixels of the DSA. Specifically, Figure 82 is a schematic diagram showing a perspective view of the aperture 1000 with selected elements (e.g., housing or radome 1002 of the aperture 1000) drawn on dashed lines to show elements below and / or internal elements and / or components of the aperture 1000; Figure 83 is a cross-sectional view of the aperture 1000 obtained along cross-sectional line AA shown in Figure 82; Figure 84 is a schematic diagram showing a partial perspective view of selected internal elements and / or components of the aperture 1000 with, for example, housing or radome 1002 removed; and Figure 85 is a schematic diagram showing a partial exploded view of the aperture 1000 as depicted in Figure 84.

[0144] In some suitable embodiments, the housing or radome 1002 is constructed from and / or otherwise fabricated from a material that is permeable to and / or primarily permeable to RF signals and / or radiation. For example, in some embodiments, the housing or radome 1002 may be constructed from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or another polymer material. In some suitable alternative embodiments, the housing or radome 1002 may be constructed from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), polycarbonate (PC), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polypropylene (PP), nylon (e.g., nylon 12), or a combination thereof, or other suitable material. Optionally, the housing or radome 1002 does not include any metal parts or coatings that could potentially interfere with the transmission of RF signals and / or radiation. In practice, the housing or radome 1002 may be injection molded or otherwise formed and may have a wall thickness in the range of about 3 millimeters (mm) to about 4 mm (including them). In some suitable embodiments, the housing or radome 1002 is sized to include internal components and / or elements of the opening 1000 beneath the housing or radome 1002 such that a minimum distance of about 6 mm or more is maintained between the inner surface of the housing or radome 1002 and any tip or apex of the tapered element 2000.

[0145] As shown in Figure 82, the housing or radome 1002 and the base plate 1004 cooperate with each other to properly house and / or enclose the internal components and / or elements of the opening 1000. As shown in Figures 82 and 83, one or more vents 1006-1 and 1006-2 may be located on the housing or radome 1002. In some suitable embodiments, at least one of the vents 1006-1 may operate as an air supply vent, i.e., allowing outside air to be drawn through it into the internal cavity of the opening 1000 defined by the housing or radome 1002 and the base plate 1004, and at least one of the vents 1006-2 may operate as an exhaust vent, i.e., allowing air to be exhausted through it from the internal cavity of the opening 1000 defined by the housing or radome 1002 and the base plate 1004. Thus, cooling of the various elements and / or components housed within the housing of the opening 1000 or the radome 1002 and base plate 1004 can be facilitated by air inflow through the air supply vent 1006-1 and air outflow through the exhaust vent 1006-2.

[0146] As shown in Figure 83, in some embodiments, a suitable air filter 1008-1 may be positioned and / or placed in and / or adjacent to the air intake vent 1006-1 to capture and / or remove dust, dirt, and / or other unwanted airborne contaminants from the outside air being drawn into the interior of the opening 1000 through each air intake vent 1006-1. Thus, the air filter 1008-1 may prevent potential contamination of the internal components and / or elements of the opening 1000 by dust, dirt, and / or other airborne contaminants that could impede operation and / or cause unwanted damage to those internal components and / or elements of the opening 1000. Optionally, a suitable air filter 1008-2 may also be employed in association with and / or adjacent to the exhaust vent 1006-2.

[0147] In practice, the assembly of the opening 1000 may involve sequentially fastening various internal elements and / or components of the opening 1000 to the base plate 1004, followed by properly fastening the housing or radome 1002 to the base plate 1004, covering the various internal elements and / or components of the opening 1000. In some suitable embodiments, the housing 1002 may be fastened to the base plate 1004 using one or more screws, bolts, nuts, and / or other similar fasteners, combinations of various fasteners, and / or other suitable fastening mechanisms. In some suitable embodiments, the housing or radome 1002 can be fixed to the base plate 1004 by passing one or more suitable screws or bolts through it from the underside of the base plate 1004 and into mating screw or bolt receiving holes, etc., formed within the housing or radome 1002 (for example, the underside of the base plate 1004 is that side of the base plate 1004 opposite to the adjacent and / or near side of the base plate 1004 facing the housing or radome 1002). In some suitable embodiments, watertightness or other adequately sufficient seal between the housing or radome 1002 and the base plate 1004 can be achieved using an O-ring or suitable gasket, etc., positioned and / or compressed between the housing or radome 1002 and the base plate 1004.

[0148] In some suitable embodiments, as shown in Figure 84, the aperture 1000 generally includes a transmission (TX) assembly or module 1100 and a reception (RX) assembly or module 1200. In some embodiments, the TX module 1100 and the RX module 1200 are primarily separate and / or different from each other (i.e., including separate and / or different components and / or elements provided for them), while still sharing some common components and / or elements of the aperture 1000. In practice, the TX module 1100 is provided and / or employed to selectively transmit over-the-air (OTA) RF signals from the aperture 1000, while the RX module 1200 is provided and / or employed to selectively receive OTA RF signals by the aperture 1000. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the opening 1000 includes the following internal components and / or elements that may be shared by the TX and RX modules 1100 and 1200: a digital personality board (DPB) 1010; one or more standoffs 1012 that separate the DPB 1010 from the base plate 1004; and a cooling assembly 1300 which may include one or more first heatsink plates 1302, a second heatsink plate 1304, and an array of one or more fans 1306.

[0149] In some suitable embodiments, the TX module 1100 may further include a TX air interface plane (AIP) 1102 supporting a first matrix of tapered elements 2000, a TX AIP shield 1104, a TX adjustment board 1106, a power supply board 1108, a distribution board 1110, and a distribution board shield 1112. Similarly, the RX module 1200 may further include a second matrix of tapered elements 2000, an RX AIP shield 1204, an RX adjustment board 1206, an optional power supply board 1208, a coupling board 1210, and a coupling board shield 1212.

[0150] As shown, the TX AIP shield 1104 may be sandwiched between the TX AIP 1102 and the TX adjustment board 1106 and / or otherwise positioned; the first of the first heat sink plates 1302 may be sandwiched between the TX adjustment board 1106 and the power supply board 1108 and / or otherwise positioned; the first end of the second heat sink plate 1304 may be sandwiched between the power supply board 1108 and the distribution board 1110 and / or otherwise positioned; and the distribution board shield 1112 may be sandwiched between the distribution board 1110 and the first end of the DPB 1010 and / or otherwise positioned.

[0151] As shown, the RX AIP shield 1204 may be sandwiched between the RX AIP 1202 and the RX adjustment board 1206 and / or otherwise positioned; the second of the first heat sink plates 1302 may be sandwiched between the RX adjustment board 1206 and the power supply board 1208 and / or otherwise positioned; the second end of the second heat sink plate 1304 may be sandwiched between the power supply board 1208 and the distribution board 1210 and / or otherwise positioned; the distribution board shield 1212 may be sandwiched between the distribution board 1210 and the second end of the DPB 1010 and / or otherwise positioned.

[0152] In some suitable embodiments, the power supply board 1108 may be a circuit board comprising one or more suitable electronic components and / or assemblies of elements that cooperate to produce sufficient power for supplying and / or operating various other boards within the aperture 1000. In practice, the power supply board 1108 may be electronically connected to the TX regulating board 1106 and the TX distribution board 1110 and selectively supply power to them in order to operate them. Similarly, in some suitable embodiments, the power supply board 1208 may be a circuit board comprising one or more suitable electronic components and / or assemblies of elements that cooperate to produce sufficient power for supplying and / or operating various other boards within the aperture 1000. In practice, the power supply board 1208 may be electronically connected to the RX regulating board 1206 and the RX coupling board 1210 and selectively supply power to them in order to operate them. The DPB1010 may be electronically connected to either or both of the power supply boards 1108 and / or 1208, and may selectively receive power from them for the operation of the DPB1010. In some suitable embodiments, either or both of the power supply boards 1108 and / or 1208 may also be electronically connected to the fan 1306, and may selectively supply it with electrical operating power.

[0153] In some suitable embodiments, the power supply board 1208 may simply be a void or space-holding board or another inactive and / or passive board without, for example, suitable electronic components and / or elements for producing power, and / or the power supply board 1208 may be optionally omitted entirely. In the aforementioned case, the power supply board 1108 may be appropriately supplied to and / or electronically connected to the RX adjustment board 1206 and the RX coupling board 1210 and selectively supplied to them in order to operate them, and the DPB 1010 and the fan 1306 may be electronically connected to the power supply board 1108 and selectively receive power from it for their operation.

[0154] In practice, either or both of the respective power supply boards 1108 and / or 1208 may be provided and / or operate to receive a single power input at a given input voltage (e.g., on the scale of 48 volts (V), or approximately on that scale, etc.), whose input is appropriately tuned by the respective power supply board and / or converted to one or more desired output voltages (e.g., 12V, 9V, 6V, and 5V) for use by one or more different components and / or elements within the RF aperture 1000. Each power supply board 1108 and / or 1208 may further be provided and / or operate to protect one or more different components and / or elements within the RF aperture 1000 from transient voltages and / or power surges. In some suitable embodiments, either or both of the respective power supply boards 1108 and / or 1208 may be modular in nature, for example, so that they can maintain the same output voltage and shape factor while supporting different input voltages. For example, but not limited to, if a 120V alternating current (AC) system is manufactured in place of a -48V direct current (DC) system, or if a -48VDC system is converted to a 120VAC system (or vice versa), the appropriate power supply boards 1108 and / or 1208 for each system can be interchangeably replaced without making any other significant changes to the system in order to adapt to such power supply boards, which are provided and / or designed to receive different input voltages, for example.

[0155] In a suitable embodiment, the DPB1010 may be a digital circuit board including an RF system-on-chip (SoC) and / or other suitable electronic elements and / or components. Appropriately, the DPB1010 may be electronically connected to a distribution board 1110 and operate to process an emitting RF signal and / or control a TX module 1100 for its transmission. In practice, the RF SoC and / or DPB1010 may include a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for selectively performing digital beamforming processing and converting a digital representation of an RF signal into an analog signal (e.g., a modulated transmission signal), which is then supplied to the distribution board 1110, which is electronically connected to the DPB1010.

[0156] In some suitable embodiments, the distribution board 1110 may be an analog circuit board comprising one or more electronic components and / or assemblies of elements that cooperate to appropriately distribute and / or split the signal received from the DPB 1010. In practice, the distribution board 1110 distributes and / or splits the signal received from the DPB 1010 into appropriate components, for example, for each pixel of the TX AIP 1102. In a suitable embodiment, the distribution board is further electrically connected to the TX adjustment board 1106. In some suitable embodiments, the distribution board 1110 distributes and / or splits the signal received from the DPB 1010 into appropriate components and maps a number (N) of channels from the DPB 1010 to a number (M) of corresponding tapered elements, for example, the tapered element 2000 of the TX AIP 1102. Appropriately, the distribution board 1110 may be provided such that the mapping can be configured for different applications and / or system arrangements and / or can be easily modified. In one suitable embodiment, but not limited, the distribution board 1110 may operate to map eight channels from the DPB 1010 to eight columns of the tapered element 2000 in the TX AIP 1102. In another suitable embodiment, but not limited, the distribution board 1110 may operate to map eight channels from the DPB 1010 to four columns and two rows of the tapered element 2000 in the TX AIP 1102, for example, without other further significant modifications to the system. In yet another suitable embodiment, but not limited, the distribution board 1110 may operate to map sixteen channels from the DPB 1010 to four columns and four rows of the tapered element 2000 in the TX AIP 1102.

[0157] Appropriately, the TX adjustment board 1106 receives component signals from the distribution board 1110 and adjusts them for relay to the respective pixels of the TX AIP 1102. In practice, the TX adjustment board may be an analog circuit board comprising one or more electronic components and / or assemblies of components that cooperate to appropriately adjust the received component signals and relay them to the TX AIP 1102. For example, the TX adjustment board 1106 may include one or more amplifiers that appropriately amplify one or more of the component signals received from the distribution board 1110. The TX adjustment board 1106 may further include one or more low-pass, band-pass, or high-pass filters for appropriately filtering out noise and / or other selected or unwanted components from the various signals. As described hereafter in this specification, the TX adjustment board 1106 may also include one or more baluns that electrically interconnect the respective tapered elements 2000 of the TX AIP 1102. Next, according to the modulated signal components received thereby, the TX AIP1102 collectively produces, transmits, and / or outputs an OTA RF signal via the tapered element 2000 mounted and / or positioned on it, which functions as a DSA. Generally, in some suitable embodiments, the operation of the TX module 1100 involves the DPB1010 providing the modulated TX signal to the distribution board 1110, which then distributes it for transmission into individual signals for each of the pixels (e.g., 64) in the TX AIP1102.

[0158] As shown, the RX AIP1202 is provided with a matrix of tapered elements 2000 that cooperate to function as a DSA for selectively receiving OTA RF signals. Appropriately, the RX AIP1202 is electronically connected to the RX tuning board 1206 such that signals from each pixel of the RX AIP1202 are relayed to the RX tuning board. In practice, the RX tuning board 1206 may be an analog circuit board comprising one or more electronic components and / or assemblies of elements that cooperate to appropriately adjust the received signals and relay them to the coupling board 1210. For example, the RX tuning board 1206 may include one or more amplifiers that appropriately amplify one or more of the signals received from the RX AIP1202. The RX tuning board 1206 may further include one or more low-pass, band-pass, or high-pass filters for appropriately filtering out noise and / or other selected or unwanted components from the various signals. As appropriately described herein, the RX adjustment board 1206 may include one or more baluns that electrically interconnect each tapered element 2000 of the RX AIP 1202 and define each pixel of the RX AIP 1202.

[0159] In practice, the RX adjustment board 1206 may be further electronically interconnected with the coupling board 1210 to relay the received adjusted signals to the coupling board 1210. In some suitable embodiments, the coupling board 1210 may be an analog circuit board comprising one or more electronic components and / or assemblies of elements, which cooperate to appropriately combine selected received signals and then relay one or more of the combined signals to a DPB 1010 electronically connected to the coupling board 1210. Appropriately, the DPB 1010 may be provided as an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) which converts the received combined signals from analog format to their digital signals and / or representations and, as appropriate, further processes the digital signals and / or representations. In some suitable embodiments, the RX module 1200 operates to amplify the received RX signals (e.g., from 64 pixels in the RX AIP 1202), and the received RX signals can be grouped into a single, more powerful signal for, for example, processing and beam steering, and passed to the DPB 1010. In some suitable embodiments, the coupling substrate 1210 combines the signals received from each of a number (X) of tapered elements, such as the tapered elements 2000 of the RX AIP 1202, and maps the combined signals to a number (Y) of corresponding channels for relay to the DPB 1010. Appropriately, the coupling substrate 1210 may be provided so that the mapping can be configured and / or easily modified for different applications and / or system arrangements. In one suitable embodiment, but not limited to, the coupling substrate 1210 may operate to map from eight rows of tapered elements 2000 in the RX AIP 1202 to eight channels to the DPB 1010. In another suitable embodiment, but not limited to, the coupling substrate 1210 may operate to map eight channels from the four columns and two rows of the tapered element 2000 in the RX AIP1202 to the DPB1010, for example, without any other further significant modifications to the system.In yet another suitable embodiment, but not limited to, the coupling substrate 1210 may operate to map 16 channels from the four columns and four rows of the tapered element 2000 in the RX AIP1202 to the DPB1010.

[0160] The shields 1104, 1112, 1204, and 1212, appropriately inserted between each substrate of the aperture 1000, provide electromagnetic shielding to and / or between each substrate, thereby protecting them from electromagnetic interference from neighboring substrates and / or other substrates. In practice, the shields may be constructed of and / or formed from metals and / or other similar materials that are appropriately impermeable to RF and / or other electromagnetic radiation. Furthermore, various heat sink plates, such as heat sink plates 1302 and / or 1304, may provide additional electromagnetic shielding to and / or between the various substrates of the aperture 1000.

[0161] Figures 86-88 illustrate the various components of the cooling assembly 1300. Generally, the cooling assembly 1300 facilitates the cooling of various components of the opening 1000, such as amplifiers and / or other heat-generating electronic components on various substrates within the opening 1000.

[0162] Referring to Figure 86, the cooling assembly 1300 may include a central duct 1310 extending between supply and exhaust vents 1006-1 and 1006-2. The airflow through the duct 1310 is appropriately produced by an array of fans 1306 that draw cooler outside air into the duct 1310 through supply vent 1006-1 and exhaust hotter internal air out of the duct 1310 through exhaust vent 1006-2. A second heatsink plate 1304 (shown separately in Figure 88) may appropriately make thermal contact with and / or communicate with the underside of the duct 1310, drawing heat out of the second heatsink plate 1304 and / or transferring it via the cooling airflow generated within the duct 1310.

[0163] Referring to Figure 87, the first heat sink plate 1302 may also be in thermal contact with and / or in communication with the central duct 1310, for example, from each side of the central duct 1310. As shown, each of the first heat sink plates 1302 may include several channels 1302-1 extending laterally to the duct 1310. Each channel may appropriately include a heat transfer tube 1302-2. In practice, each tube 1302-2 may be sealed at both ends and contain a suitable thermally conductive liquid, such as ammonium. In some suitable embodiments, the tubes 1302-2 may be made of a thermally conductive material or metal, such as copper (Cu). In practice, heat may be naturally conducted through the contained liquid and / or along the heat transfer tube 1302-2 from the distal end away from the duct 1310 to the nearby end close to the duct 1310, without mechanical pressure or other similar external force being applied to the liquid in the tube 1302-2.

[0164] Referring here to Figure 87, one or more thermally conductive masses or heat sinks 1312 may be included in and / or housed within the duct 1310. For example, as shown, there are two such heat sinks 1312, however, in practice there may be more or fewer. In the illustrated embodiment, each heat sink 1312 may include an array of fins to increase the surface area over which the cooling air drawn in through the duct 1310 flows. In some suitable embodiments, the nearest end of each heat transfer tube 1302-2 is in thermal contact and / or communication with at least one of the heat sinks 1312. In this way, heat is efficiently drawn out of the tube 1302-2 through the heat sinks 1312 and the cooling air flowing over the heat sinks 1312 through the duct 1310.

[0165] In some suitable embodiments, each of the heat sink plates 1302 and 1304 may have one or more surfaces formed and / or molded to fit around various heat-generating electronic components on adjacent substrates within the TX module stack 1100 and / or RX module stack 1200 so as to be in close or near thermal contact with them. Appropriately, the heat sink plates 1302 and / or 1304 and / or heat sink 1312 may be fabricated from a suitable thermally conductive material or metal, such as Al or Cu. Advantageously, the central location and / or positioning of the cooling assembly 1300 and / or central duct 1310 between the TX module stack 1100 and the RX module stack 1200 facilitates efficient cooling of both stacks and / or heat conduction thereto at the same time.

[0166] In some alternative embodiments, a different liquid, passive, or hybrid cooling system may be used instead of the disclosed air cooling system 1300. In a suitable alternative embodiment, the air channels and / or central duct 1310 may be replaced by another suitable cooling mechanism, which may include, for example, liquid cooling, passive cooling, or a hybrid combination of the two.

[0167] Figure 89 illustrates partial divisions of an AIP according to several embodiments disclosed herein, such as either AIP1102 or AIP1202. As shown, each AIP may include several conductive tapered elements 2000, which may be mounted on and / or otherwise arranged on a substrate 3000 such as a printed circuit board (PCB) or other similar carrier or suitable substrate. In practice, multiple elements 2000 may be arranged in a matrix of rows and / or columns, i.e., a two-dimensional array, as fully shown by Figure 85, for example, where adjacent pairs of tapered elements 2000 define aperture pixels of a DSA. In the case of TX AIP1102, the matrix of tapered elements 2000 cooperates to transmit OTA RF signals, and in the case of RX AIP1202, the matrix of tapered elements 2000 cooperates to receive OTA RF signals.

[0168] Figures 90-93 illustrate perspective, side, top, and bottom views of the tapered element 2000 according to several embodiments disclosed herein, respectively. As shown, the tapered element 2000 includes a central hub 2002 extending along a central axis (CA) from the hub base 2004 to the apex 2006 of the tapered element 2000. The central or longitudinal axis CA is perpendicular to the substrate 3000 and passes through the apex 2006. When properly mounted on and / or positioned on the substrate 3000 of each AIP, the hub base 2004 may be close to the substrate 3000, while the apex 2006 is distal thereto.

[0169] In some suitable embodiments, multiple arms 2008 extend from the hub 2002. In the illustrated embodiments, four such arms 2008 are shown, however, in practice, more or fewer arms may be used. In particular, each arm 2008 may include a first portion 2008a that projects radially away from the central axis CA and / or the hub 2002, and a second portion 2008b that projects longitudinally in a direction parallel or substantially parallel to the central axis CA (for example, toward the substrate 3000 on which the tapered element 2000 is located). As shown, the arms 2008 may be orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to each other with respect to the central axis, as seen, for example, in Figure 92. In some non-limiting illustrative embodiments, the tapered element 2000 has S-degree rotational symmetry with respect to the central axis CA, where S is the number of arms. Therefore, in the illustrative examples, each illustrative tapered element 2000 has four arms and exhibits four-fold rotational symmetry with respect to the central axis CA.

[0170] Referring particularly to Figure 91, one advantage of the design of the tapered element 2000 is that there is a substantial open space 2011, or "missing" material 2011, between the arm 2008 and the central axis CA. This missing material improves the RF performance of the matrix of the tapered element 2000.

[0171] Typically, the downward extension of the central hub 2002 to the base 2004 is not an electrically active element. For example, in some embodiments, there may be no direct electrical connections made to or through the substrate 3000 from the hub base 2004. Therefore, in some embodiments (for example, as shown in Figure 97), the central hub 2002 may omit the downward extension of the hub base 2004. In other words, in such embodiments, the central hub 2002 comprises only the joint of several arms 2008. The omission of the downward extension of the central hub is advantageous in that it further increases the area or volume of the open space 2011.

[0172] As shown, the plurality of arms may include a first arm 2008 defining a first plane having both first and second portions 2008a and 2008b of a first arm 2008, and a second arm 2008 defining a second plane having both first and second portions 2008a and 2008b of a second arm 2008, with the longitudinal axis CA included in both the first and second planes. Preferably, the first and second planes are orthogonal to each other along the central axis CA. In some suitable embodiments, the plurality of arms may include a third arm 2008 and a fourth arm 2008, arranged such that the first and second portions 2008a and 2008b of a third arm 2008 are in the first plane and the first and second portions 2008a and 2008b of a fourth arm 2008 are in the second plane. That is, the multiple arms may include a first arm 2008 and a second arm 2008, wherein a first portion 2008a of the first arm 2008 projects radially away from the central axis CA in a first direction, and a first portion 2008a of the second arm 2008 projects radially away from the central axis CA in a second direction, the second direction being orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the first direction. In some suitable embodiments, the plurality of arms include a third arm 2008 and a fourth arm 2008, wherein a first portion 2008a of the third arm 2008 projects radially away from the central axis CA in a third direction, and a first portion 2008a of the fourth arm 2008 projects radially away from the central axis CA in a fourth direction, the third direction being opposite to the first direction, and the fourth direction being opposite to the second direction.

[0173] In some suitable embodiments, the tapered element 2000 may be a single, integrated structure and / or a single continuous element. For example, in practice, the tapered element 2000 may be milled and / or otherwise formed from a single block or mass of a suitable metal such as aluminum (Al) or an Al alloy, or another suitable conductive material. In some suitable embodiments, the tapered element 2000 may be injection molded and / or otherwise formed. In some suitable embodiments, the tapered element 2000 may generally be injection molded and / or otherwise formed from a non-conductive thermoplastic, thermosetting polymer, or other similar material, and the material thus molded or otherwise formed may then be metal-sprayed and / or coated with a layer of a suitable conductive material, etc.

[0174] Referring here to Figures 94 and 95, according to some alternative embodiments, the tapered element 2000 may be formed from a plurality of separate parts that are appropriately joined together. For example, as shown, the tapered element 2000 may include and / or be constructed from a pair of separate parts 2000a and 2000b, each part including a pair of opposite arms 2008 and a respective central part, the respective central parts cooperating to ultimately form a central hub 2002. In some suitable embodiments, each part 2000a and 2000b may be punched, cut, or otherwise formed from a planar or substantially planar sheet of a suitable metal such as Al or an Al alloy or another suitable conductive material (e.g., using a appropriately shaped die). It is worth noting that constructing the tapered element 2000 in this way can have several production and / or manufacturing advantages, including reduced manufacturing costs, compared to, for example, but not limited to, forming the tapered element 2000 as a single integrated element by milling and / or other means.

[0175] As shown, portion 2000a may include a slot 2010a formed within the central hub region adjacent to its vertex end. Preferably, the slot 2010a extends from the vertex 2006 toward the hub base 2004 to the midpoint and / or vicinity of the central hub 2002. Conversely, portion 2000b may include a slot 2010b formed within the central hub region adjacent to its base end. Preferably, the slot 2010b extends from the hub base 2004 toward the vertex 2006 to the midpoint and / or vicinity of the central hub 2002. In practice, the completed tapered element 2000 may be formed and / or constructed by interlocking parts 2000a and 2000b together such that the remaining central hub portion of part 2000a (i.e., not including slot 2010a) fits into slot 2010b, while the remaining central hub portion of part 2000b (i.e., not including slot 2010b) fits into slot 2010a. In some suitable embodiments, the thicknesses of the respective slots 2010a and 2010b and the respective parts 2000a and 2010b are sized to achieve a tight friction or pressure fit when the parts are interconnected as described above. In some suitable embodiments, parts 2000a and 2000b may be fastened to each other separately, for example, by suitable solder joints, welding, or another suitable metal fitting, or other similar fittings. In some suitable embodiments, portions 2000a and 2000b may be held or otherwise fixed to each other via their respective connections to a substrate 3000 on which the tapered element 2000 is mounted and / or positioned.

[0176] Returning attention to Figure 91 and further referring to Figure 96, the tapered elements 2000 may have a curvature or taper defined at their vertices 2006 and extending along the outer perimeter or edge 2020 of the side arms 2008. For example, Figure 96 schematically shows a suitable curvature or taper of the edge 2020 of the tapered element 2000. In some suitable embodiments, the curvature of the edge 2020 is given by y = Ae -bxDefined and / or so derived by +C, in the formula, y is a variable representing the distance obtained along the central axis CA, x is a variable representing the distance obtained along the radial direction perpendicular to the central axis CA, A is a non-zero proportionality constant, b is a non-zero exponential constant, and C is a constant. In some suitable embodiments, C may be zero or otherwise omitted.

[0177] Returning attention to Figure 89, in some suitable embodiments, adjacent arms (e.g., arms 2008' and 2008'') of adjacent tapered elements (e.g., tapered elements 2000' and 2000'') define an aperture pixel of the DSA between them. Appropriately, adjacent arms (e.g., arms 2008' and 2008'') of adjacent tapered elements (e.g., tapered elements 2000' and 2000'') may be electrically interconnected with one another via or through a balun, etc. (not shown in Figure 89). In some suitable embodiments, the balun may be mounted and / or positioned on the underside of the substrate 3000, i.e., on the side of the substrate 3000 opposite the tapered elements 2000, or alternatively, the balun may be mounted on and / or positioned on the respective TX and / or RX tuning substrates 1106 and / or 1206. In a suitable embodiment, electrical connections from each tapered element 2000 to their corresponding circuits (e.g., baluns) may be made at the terminal end of the arm portion 2008b, i.e., the end of the arm portion 2008b distal to the apex 2006. Appropriately, opposite pairs of adjacent tapered elements 2000 and / or their respective adjacent arms 2008 generate and / or define differential signals between them. In some suitable embodiments, the hub base 2004 is provided primarily for the mechanical support of the tapered elements 2000 to an underlying structure (e.g., a substrate 3000) and / or for the mechanical connection of the tapered elements 2000. Therefore, the hub base 2004 may not have electrical connections made to or directly to the substrate 3000. In some suitable embodiments, the central hub 2002 may not extend as far from the vertex 206 as the arm portion 2008b, and when the tapered element 2000 is mounted on and / or on the substrate 3000, it may hang down a certain distance but not reach the substrate 3000. In fact, in some suitable embodiments, as shown in Figure 97, for example, the distal end of the hub from the vertex 2006 may terminate at a point that is coplanar, or substantially coplanar, with the point where the arm portion 2008a stops extending radially from the hub.

[0178] Advantageously, the central hub 2002 (e.g., at or adjacent to the vertex 2006) provides a suitable location and / or structure for handling the tapered element 2000 during the manufacturing and / or assembly process. For example, the central hub 2002 and / or vertex 2006 provide a suitable location and / or structure for facilitating the handling of the tapered element 2000 by other standard assembly line equipment, such as a pick-and-place machine.

[0179] In practice, as described herein, the various different functions of the opening 1000 are distributed among multiple boards and / or components, such as the DPB 1010, power supply boards 1108 and / or 1208, TX and RX adjustment boards 1106 and / or 1206, distribution board 1110, coupling board 1210, and TX and RX AIPs 1102 and 1202. In addition, the aforementioned boards and / or components are modularly interconnected within the opening 1000. Thus, one or more of the aforementioned boards and / or components can be selectively removed and replaced without removing and replacing other boards and / or components. In this way, the opening 1000 can be easily maintained in the event of a failure of one of the boards or components without the need to replace other functioning components and / or boards. Alternatively, the opening 1000 can be easily upgraded and / or modified by replacing only selected substrates and / or components to produce the desired upgrade or modification, without the need to replace other components and / or substrates that are not affected by the desired upgrade or modification.

[0180] In another illustrative embodiment, the air interface planes (AIPs) 1102, 1202 of the RF aperture are a matrix of tapered elements 2000 arranged on a substrate 3000, the matrix of tapered elements comprising a matrix interconnected to perform at least one of receiving or transmitting over-the-air RF signals. Each tapered element 2000 of the matrix has four-fold symmetry and includes four arms 2008 positioned at 90-degree intervals around a central hub 2002 of the tapered element 2000.

[0181] In some embodiments, the central hub of each tapered element of the matrix defines the vertex 2006 of the tapered element distal to the substrate 3000, and four arms extend from the central hub at the vertex of the tapered element, each of the four arms including a first portion 2008a that projects radially away from a longitudinal axis CA perpendicular to the substrate 3000 and passing through the vertex, and a second portion 2008b that projects longitudinally toward the substrate 3000. In some embodiments, each tapered element of the matrix is ​​fixed to the substrate at the end of the second portion 2008b of the four arms 2008.

[0182] In some embodiments, the first two of the four arms of each tapered element of the matrix are oriented 180 degrees apart around the central hub, defining a first plane, and the second two of the four arms of each tapered element of the matrix are oriented 180 degrees apart around the central hub, defining a second plane, the second plane being lateral to the first plane, and the first and second planes intersect at the central hub.

[0183] In some embodiments, the central hub of each tapered element of the matrix defines the vertex 2006 of the tapered element distal to the substrate, and each arm has a smoothly curved outer perimeter 2020.

[0184] In some embodiments, the central hub of each tapered element of the matrix defines the vertex 2006 of the tapered element distal to the substrate, and each arm 2008 defines the profile y=Ae -bx It has a smoothly curved outer perimeter 2020 with +C, where y is a variable representing the distance along an axis perpendicular to the substrate, x is a variable representing the distance along an axis parallel to the substrate, A is a non-zero constant, b is a non-zero constant, and C is a constant.

[0185] In some embodiments, the central hub of each tapered element of the matrix defines the vertex 2006 of the tapered element distal to the substrate, and each of the four arms has a proximal end connected to the vertex and an arcuate portion that curves downward toward the substrate, terminating at the distal end of the arcuate portion that connects to the substrate.

[0186] In yet another illustrative embodiment, a method for fabricating radio frequency (RF) aperture air interface planes (AIPs) 1102, 1202 includes forming tapered elements 2000, each tapered element having S-rotational symmetry and including S-shaped arms 2008 spaced equally apart around a central hub 2002 of the tapered element; fixing the tapered elements 2002 on a substrate 3000 to form a matrix of tapered elements arranged on the substrate 3000; and electrically interconnecting neighboring pairs of tapered elements 2000 in the matrix of tapered elements to form RF receiving and / or transmitting pixels of differential segmented apertures (DSAs) 1100, 1200.

[0187] In some embodiments, each tapered element 2000 has four-fold symmetry and includes four arms 2008 spaced equally at 90-degree intervals around a central hub 2002 of the tapered element. In some such embodiments, the formation of each tapered element includes forming a first portion 2000a as a first planar sheet including the first two of the four arms of the tapered element, forming a second portion 2000b as a second planar sheet including the second two of the four arms of the tapered element, and fixing the first and second portions 2000a and 2000b together to form the tapered element 2000.

[0188] In some embodiments, the tapered elements are formed by injection molding.

[0189] 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. The present invention is intended to be construed as including all such modifications and alterations, insofar as they fall within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) aperture air interface plane (AIP), wherein the AIP is A circuit board having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, A matrix of tapered elements arranged on the first side of the circuit board and fixed to the circuit board, wherein the matrix of tapered elements cooperate to perform at least one of receiving or transmitting an over-the-air RF signal, and Equipped with, Each tapered element of the matrix is, A central hub defining the apex of the tapered element distal to the first side of the circuit board, A plurality of arms extending from the central hub at the apex of the tapered element, each of the plurality of arms including a first portion that projects radially toward the circuit board and away from the longitudinal axis passing through the apex, and a second portion that projects longitudinally toward the first side of the circuit board. AIP is equipped with this.

2. The AIP according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of arms include a first arm defining a first plane having both the first and second portions of the first arm, and a second arm defining a second plane having both the first and second portions of the second arm, and the vertical axis is included in both the first and second planes.

3. The AIP according to claim 2, wherein the first and second planes are orthogonal to each other along the vertical axis.

4. The AIP according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of arms include a first arm and a second arm, the first portion of the first arm projecting radially away from the vertical axis in a first direction, and the first portion of the second arm projecting radially away from the vertical axis in a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.

5. The plurality of arms include a third arm and a fourth arm, the first portion of the third arm projecting radially away from the longitudinal axis in a third direction, the first portion of the fourth arm projecting radially away from the longitudinal axis in a fourth direction, the third direction being opposite to the first direction, and the fourth direction being opposite to the second direction, according to claim 4.

6. The AIP according to claim 1, further comprising a balun electrically connected between a first matrix of tapered elements and a second matrix of tapered elements.

7. The AIP according to claim 6, wherein the balun is electrically connected between the second portion of adjacent arms of the first and second of the matrix of tapered elements.

8. Each tapered element of the matrix is, A first part including a first of the plurality of arms and a second of the plurality of arms, A second portion including the third of the plurality of arms and the fourth of the plurality of arms The AIP according to claim 1, comprising, wherein the first and second parts are fitted together to form the tapered element.

9. The AIP according to claim 8, wherein each of the first and second parts is a planar sheet of conductive material fitted together along the longitudinal axes perpendicular to each other.

10. An air interface plane (AIP), wherein the AIP is circuit board and A matrix of tapered elements arranged on the substrate, wherein the matrix of tapered elements is interconnected to perform at least one of receiving or transmitting an over-the-air RF signal. An AIP comprising, wherein each tapered element of the matrix has fourfold symmetry and includes four arms positioned at 90-degree intervals around the central hub of the tapered element.

11. The AIP according to claim 10, wherein the central hub of each tapered element of the matrix defines the vertex of the tapered element distal to the substrate, the four arms extend from the central hub at the vertex of the tapered element, and each of the four arms includes a first portion that projects radially toward the arm perpendicular to the substrate and away from a longitudinal axis passing through the vertex, and a second portion that projects longitudinally toward the substrate.

12. The AIP according to claim 11, wherein each tapered element of the matrix is ​​fixed to the substrate at the end of the second portion of the four arms.

13. The AIP according to claim 10, wherein the first two of the four arms of each tapered element of the matrix are directed 180 degrees apart around the central hub and define a first plane, and the second two of the four arms of each tapered element of the matrix are directed 180 degrees apart around the central hub and define a second plane, the second plane being lateral to the first plane, and the first and second planes intersect at the central hub.

14. The AIP according to claim 10, wherein the central hub of each tapered element of the matrix defines the vertex of the tapered element distal to the substrate, and each arm has a smoothly curved outer perimeter.

15. The central hub of each tapered element in the matrix defines the vertex of the tapered element distal to the substrate, and each arm is defined by the profile y = Ae －ｂｘ The AIP according to claim 10, having a smoothly curved outer perimeter with +C, wherein y is a variable representing the distance along an axis perpendicular to the substrate, x is a variable representing the distance along an axis parallel to the substrate, A is a non-zero constant, b is a non-zero constant, and C is a constant.

16. The AIP according to claim 10, wherein the central hub of each tapered element of the matrix defines the vertex of the tapered element distal to the substrate, and each of the four arms has a proximal end connected to the vertex and an arc-shaped portion that curves downward toward the substrate, and terminates at the distal end of the arc-shaped portion that connects to the substrate.

17. A method for manufacturing an air interface plane (AIP) with a radio frequency (RF) aperture, wherein the method is: The invention involves forming a tapered element, wherein each tapered element has S-fold rotational symmetry and includes S arms spaced equally apart around the central hub of the tapered element. The tapered elements are fixed onto a substrate, and a matrix of tapered elements is formed on the substrate. The tapered elements of the matrix are electrically interconnected to form RF receiving and / or transmission pixels of the differential segmented aperture (DSA). Methods that include...

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein each tapered element has fourfold symmetry and includes four arms spaced at equal 90-degree intervals around the central hub of the tapered element.

19. The formation of each tapered element is The first portion is formed as a first planar sheet including the first two of the four arms of the tapered element, The second portion is formed as a second first planar sheet including the second two of the four arms of the tapered element, The first and second parts are fixed together to form the tapered element. The method according to claim 18, including the method described in claim 18.

20. The tapered element is formed as described above. The method according to claim 17, comprising forming the tapered element by injection molding.

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