Phase-shift attenuation circuit, phase-shift attenuation network, and radio-frequency microwave system

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are a phase-shift attenuation circuit, a phase-shift attenuation network, and a radio-frequency microwave system. The phase shift attenuation circuit may comprise: a plurality of first differential circuits, which are electrically connected in sequence, wherein the electrical connection between two adjacent first differential circuits comprises a direct connection and / or a connection implemented by an attenuator unit. The phase-shift attenuation circuit implements 8-bit step attenuation by means of the attenuator unit, wherein the 7-bit step attenuation included in the 8-bit step attenuation is used for implementing a phase-shift function, and the 8-bit step attenuation is used for implementing phase-shift and attenuation functions. The phase-shift attenuation circuit disclosed in the present application is constructed on the basis of a differential circuit architecture, such that the phase-shift and attenuation functions can be simultaneously implemented by means of the same circuit.

Description

Phase-shifting attenuation circuits, phase-shifting attenuation networks, and radio frequency microwave systems Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication, and in particular to a high-precision, ultra-wideband phase-shift attenuation circuit, as well as a phase-shift attenuation network and a radio frequency microwave system having the phase-shift attenuation circuit. Background Technology

[0002] Modern communication systems (such as 5G MIMO communication and low-Earth orbit satellite communication) place high demands on numerically controlled phase shifters and numerically controlled attenuators. Numerically controlled attenuators require low in-band insertion loss and high attenuation accuracy, while numerically controlled phase shifters require low in-band insertion loss and high shifting accuracy, and also need to be small in size. Current implementations of numerically controlled phase shifters and attenuators cannot simultaneously meet the requirements of modern communication systems for these two types of devices. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems, this application discloses a phase-shifting attenuation circuit, a phase-shifting attenuation network incorporating the phase-shifting attenuation circuit, and an RF microwave system using the phase-shifting attenuation circuit or network. The phase-shifting attenuation circuit is based on a differential circuit architecture, featuring small size and high bandwidth. Phase shifting and attenuation functions are implemented through digital attenuator units, resulting in simple logic control. Furthermore, the differential circuit characteristics enable lower insertion loss, higher bandwidth, and better performance.

[0004] The first aspect of this application discloses a phase-shifting attenuation circuit, which may include: a plurality of first differential circuits connected in sequence; the electrical connection between two adjacent first differential circuits includes a direct connection and / or a connection through an attenuator unit; wherein, the phase-shifting attenuation circuit implements 8-bit step attenuation through the attenuator unit; the 7-bit step attenuation included in the 8-bit step attenuation is used to implement the phase-shifting function, and the 8-bit step attenuation is used to implement both phase-shifting and attenuation functions.

[0005] According to some embodiments of this application, the first differential circuit may include: one or more first differential input ports, one or more first differential output ports, and a plurality of switching chips; a switching chip is connected between the positive and negative interfaces of each first differential input port and the positive and negative interfaces of each first differential output port; the switching chips are used to turn on or off the first differential input port and the first differential output port to select the electrical connection mode between two adjacent first differential circuits.

[0006] According to some embodiments of this application, the plurality of first differential circuits are the same and / or different.

[0007] According to some embodiments of this application, the 7-bit step attenuation has an attenuation range of 31.75dB, used to achieve phase shift within the range of 0deg-90deg; the 8-bit attenuation has an attenuation range of 63.75dB, used to achieve phase shift and amplitude attenuation within the range of 0-90deg.

[0008] This application also provides a phase-shifting attenuation network, which may include the phase-shifting attenuation circuit described above.

[0009] According to some embodiments of this application, the phase-shifting attenuation network further includes: a first node circuit; a second node circuit; and a first signal channel and a second signal channel coupled between the first node circuit and the second node circuit; wherein the first node circuit and the second node circuit both include the phase-shifting attenuation circuit.

[0010] According to some embodiments of this application, both the first node circuit and the second node circuit further include a quadrant transformation circuit electrically connected to the phase shift attenuation circuit; the quadrant transformation circuit is constructed based on a second differential circuit, which realizes the phase quadrant transformation by turning on or off the positive and negative interfaces of the second differential input port and the positive and negative interfaces of the second differential output port, and together with the phase shift attenuation circuit, achieves a large-range phase shift.

[0011] According to some embodiments of this application, the phase shift range of the first node circuit or the second node circuit is 0deg-360deg.

[0012] According to some embodiments of this application, the second node circuit includes a third differential circuit, comprising: an input differential network including a first port and a second port; an input differential unit including an input differential coupling line; an output differential unit including a first coupling line and a second coupling line; and an output differential network including a first output differential port and a second output differential port; the positive input terminal of the input differential coupling line is connected to the first port, and the negative input terminal is connected to the second port; the positive input terminal of the first coupling line is connected to the positive output terminal of the input differential coupling line, and the negative input terminal of the second coupling line is connected to the input differential coupling line. The negative terminal of the first output differential port is connected to the negative terminal of the first coupling line; the negative terminal of the first input line is connected to the positive terminal of the second coupling line; the positive terminal of the first output differential port is connected to the positive terminal of the first output line, and the negative terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the second output line; the positive terminal of the second output differential port is connected to the positive terminal of the second output line, and the negative terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the first output line; the first and second output differential ports of the output differential network are used to receive the first phase shift signal and the second phase shift signal respectively, and the input differential network is used to output the synthesized signal.

[0013] In another aspect, this application provides a radio frequency microwave system, including the phase-shifting attenuation circuit or phase-shifting attenuation network described above.

[0014] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0015] This application will be further described by way of exemplary embodiments, which will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are not limiting; in these embodiments, the same reference numerals denote the same structures, wherein:

[0016] Figure 1 is an exemplary structural diagram of a phase-shifting attenuation circuit according to some embodiments of this application;

[0017] Figure 2 is an exemplary structural diagram of a differential circuit according to some embodiments of this application;

[0018] Figure 3 is another exemplary structural diagram of a differential circuit according to some embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 4 is another exemplary structural diagram of a phase-shifting attenuation circuit according to some embodiments of this application;

[0020] Figure 5 is an exemplary structural diagram of a phase-shifting attenuation network according to some embodiments of this application;

[0021] Figure 6 is an exemplary structural diagram of a first node circuit according to some embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 7 is an exemplary structural diagram of a quadrant selection circuit according to some embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 8 is an exemplary schematic diagram of the connection state of a differential circuit constituting a quadrant selection circuit according to some embodiments of this application.

[0024] Figure 9 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing the correspondence between quadrants and the connectivity states of differential circuits according to some embodiments of this application;

[0025] Figure 10 is an exemplary schematic diagram illustrating the amplitude-phase correspondence according to some embodiments of this application;

[0026] Figure 11 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing different amplitudes according to some embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 12 is an exemplary schematic diagram of S-parameters of different phases at the same amplitude according to some embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 13 is an exemplary schematic diagram of S-parameters with different phases at the same amplitude, according to some embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 14 is an exemplary schematic diagram of S-parameters with different phases at the same amplitude, according to some embodiments of this application;

[0030] Figure 15 is an exemplary schematic diagram of a second node circuit according to some embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 16 is another exemplary structural diagram of a differential circuit according to some embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 17 is an exemplary structural diagram of a radio frequency / microwave transmitting system according to some embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 18 is an exemplary structural diagram of a radio frequency / microwave receiving system according to some embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The terms “comprising” or “including” and similar terms used herein mean that an element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms “and / or” or “and / or” as used herein include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0036] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application are used to distinguish similar objects, not to describe or indicate a specific order or sequence, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. Furthermore, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" or "linked" should be interpreted broadly; for example, it can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can refer to the internal connection of two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] CNC phase shifters and CNC attenuators are widely used in wireless communication. CNC phase shifters modulate the phase of transmitted or received signals, while CNC attenuators modulate the amplitude of transmitted or received signals. Examples include 5G MIMO communication and low-Earth orbit satellite communication. The attenuation range of a CNC attenuator directly affects the dynamic range of the wireless communication signal, while the shift range of a CNC phase shifter directly affects the phase modulation accuracy of the wireless communication signal.

[0038] There are generally two main methods for implementing CNC phase shifters. The first method uses a single-ended switch to switch the transmission line and the shifting unit network. This type of CNC phase shifter exhibits significant performance degradation at high frequencies (greater than 8 GHz), mainly because the switching insertion loss and the shifting unit insertion loss increase with increasing frequency (especially in the millimeter-wave band), particularly at 180-degree phase. The second method uses inductors to achieve the shifting function. This method is also difficult to implement at high frequencies, mainly because the inductor loss increases with increasing frequency (especially in the millimeter-wave band), and parasitic capacitance has a significant impact on performance.

[0039] The existing numerically controlled attenuator implementation is roughly as follows: a single-ended switch is used to switch the resistor attenuation network. This type of numerically controlled attenuator exhibits significant performance degradation at high frequencies (frequency greater than 8GHz), mainly because the switching insertion loss is relatively large as the frequency increases (especially in the millimeter wave band). When encountering a large attenuation value (such as 16dB attenuation), it is necessary to increase the number of switch stacks to select the channel, which requires a larger size and further increases the switching insertion loss.

[0040] Existing digitally controlled phase shifters and digitally controlled attenuators use independent architectures, such as circuits that separately implement digitally controlled phase shifting and circuits that separately implement digitally controlled attenuation. For the system, the loss of the entire link is the sum of the losses of the two devices, and the number of control bits is also relatively large, making it more complex in application.

[0041] The phase-shifting attenuation circuit disclosed in this application is constructed based on a differential circuit architecture, which can simultaneously achieve phase shifting and attenuation functions. It also achieves miniaturization and high performance.

[0042] The following describes some preferred embodiments of this application. It should be noted that the following description is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The steps involved in this application may be performed precisely in sequence, or various steps may be processed in reverse order or simultaneously. Furthermore, other operations may be added to these processes, or one or more steps may be removed from these processes.

[0043] This application discloses a phase-shifting attenuation circuit, as shown in FIG1. ​​The phase-shifting attenuation circuit 100 may include a plurality of first differential circuits 110-1, 110-2, ..., and 110-n connected in sequence. Any two adjacent first differential circuits may be directly connected and / or connected through attenuator units (including 120-1, ..., 120-m).

[0044] The first differential circuit described above may include one or more first differential input ports, one or more first differential output ports, and several switching chips. A switching chip is connected between the positive and negative terminals of each first differential input port and the positive and negative terminals of each first differential output port. For ease of explanation, taking a first differential circuit with one first differential input port and one first differential output port as an example, the first differential input port may include a first positive interface and a first negative interface, and the first differential output port may include a second positive interface and a second negative interface. A switching chip is connected between the first positive interface and the second positive interface and the second negative interface, and a switching chip is also connected between the first negative interface and the second positive interface and the second negative interface, for a total of four switching chips. Of course, the number of switching chips changes as the number of first differential input ports and first differential output ports increases or decreases. The switching chips enable the first differential input port and the first differential output port to be turned on or off, thereby selecting the electrical connection mode between two adjacent first differential circuits. As shown in Figure 1, the first differential circuit 110-1 has one first differential input port and two first differential output ports. By switching the diodes on and off, the signal can be output from the upper first differential output port to enter the attenuator unit 120-1 for amplitude attenuation before being output to the second first differential circuit 120-2, or output from the lower first differential output port to be directly input to the second first differential circuit 120-2.

[0045] The first differential circuit is described below as an example.

[0046] As shown in Figure 2, the first differential circuit 200 provided in this application includes a first differential input port (composed of a positive interface IN1+ and a negative interface IN1-) and two first differential output ports, respectively composed of a positive interface OUT1+ and a negative interface OUT1-, and a positive interface OUT2+ and a negative interface OUT2-. Switching transistors are connected between the positive and negative interfaces of the first differential input port and the positive and negative interfaces of the first differential output port, including a first switch transistor T1, a second switch transistor T2, a third switch transistor T3, a fourth switch transistor T4, a fifth switch transistor T5, a sixth switch transistor T6, a seventh switch transistor T7, and an eighth switch transistor T8. The input terminals of the first switch transistors T1, T4, T5, and T8 are coupled and connected to interface IN1+; the input terminals of the second switch transistors T2, T3, T6, and T7 are coupled and connected to interface IN1-. The output terminals of the first switch die T1 and the second switch die T2 are coupled and connected to the interface OUT1+; the output terminals of the third switch die T3 and the fourth switch die T4 are coupled and connected to the interface OUT1-; the output terminals of the fifth switch die T5 and the sixth switch die T6 are coupled and connected to the interface OUT2+; the output terminals of the seventh switch die T7 and the eighth switch die T8 are coupled and connected to the interface OUT2-.

[0047] In the first differential circuit 200 described above, the positive and negative interfaces of the first differential input port and the first differential output port can be turned on or off by setting the supply voltage of each switch die, thereby selecting whether the electrical connection between adjacent differential circuits is direct or through an attenuator unit. For example, if the supply voltage of the first switch die T1 and the third switch die T3 is selected as V1, then the supply voltage of the second switch die T2, the fourth switch die T4, the fifth switch die T5, the sixth switch die T6, the seventh switch die T7, and the eighth switch die T8 is -V1; then, when V1 is a positive voltage (V1 > Vth, where Vth is the gate threshold voltage), the interface IN1+ to the interface OUT1+ is turned on, the interface IN1- to the interface OUT1- is turned on, the interface IN1+ to the interface OUT2+ is turned off, and the interface IN1- to the interface OUT2- is turned off. If the supply voltage of the fifth switch chip T5 and the seventh switch chip T7 is V1, then the supply voltage of the first switch chip T1, the second switch chip T2, the third switch chip T3, the fourth switch chip T4, the sixth switch chip T6, and the eighth switch chip T8 is -V1. When V1 is a positive voltage (V1 > Vth), the interface IN1+ to the interface OUT2+ is turned on, the interface IN1- to the interface OUT2- is turned on, the interface IN1+ to the interface OUT1+ is turned off, and the interface IN1- to the interface OUT11 is turned off.

[0048] Based on this, when an input signal (e.g., a differential signal) is input from interfaces IN1+ and IN1-, the signal can be output from interfaces OUT1+ and OUT1-, or OUT2+ and OUT2-, by setting the power supply voltage of the switching die. Assuming the first differential circuit 200 is the first first differential circuit 110-1 of the phase-shifting attenuation circuit 100, with attenuator unit 120-1 connected after interfaces OUT1+ and OUT1-, and the second first differential circuit 120-2 connected after interfaces OUT2+ and OUT2-, then providing the aforementioned voltage to the switching die can cause the differential signal to be output from interfaces OUT1+ and OUT1-, passing through attenuator unit 120-1 so that the electrical connection between the first differential circuit 110-1 and the adjacent second first differential circuit 110-2 is through the attenuator unit, or the signal can be directly input to the next differential circuit from interfaces OUT2+ and OUT2- so that the electrical connection between the first differential circuit 110-1 and the adjacent second first differential circuit 110-2 is a direct connection.

[0049] The first differential circuit 200 described above can also adjust insertion loss and isolation by adjusting the size of the switching die and the resistance of each electrode. Adjusting the size of the switching die can adjust R when the switching die is in the on-state. on The value (i.e., the on-resistance of the switching die). After the switching die is turned on, the insertion loss of the switching die is determined by R. on Value and R ds The value of the drain-to-source resistance is determined by both, i.e., R on Parallel R ds R gs The gate-to-source resistance affects the voltage of the switching MOSFET, meaning the insertion loss varies at different voltages. Therefore, by adjusting the size of the switching die and the resistances at each terminal, both insertion loss and device size can be addressed. Furthermore, a smaller switching turn-off capacitor results in a smaller overall size and better isolation. The isolation of the differential circuit can be adjusted by changing the size of the switching die. Therefore, the first differential circuit 200 described above can be configured to have both high isolation and low insertion loss characteristics, allowing the device to achieve the advantages of small size, high isolation, and low insertion loss, thereby resulting in higher phase shift accuracy.

[0050] The first differential circuit 200 can also reduce return loss by connecting a matching circuit. For example, this matching circuit may include an input matching circuit and an output matching circuit, which can be connected to the first differential input port and the first differential output port respectively via coupling lines. The return loss of the first differential input port and the first differential output port can be adjusted by regulating one or more of the even-mode impedance, odd-mode impedance, or electrical length of the coupling line. Adjusting the even-mode and odd-mode impedances essentially adjusts the differential impedance of the port; the port impedance affects the return loss, thus achieving the effect of regulating the return loss. At radio frequency and microwave frequencies, different electrical lengths exhibit different impedances; changing the electrical length can thus regulate the port impedance.

[0051] Referring to Figure 3, another first differential circuit 300 provided in this application may have two first differential input ports, each consisting of a positive interface IN2+ and a negative interface IN2-, and a positive interface IN3+ and a negative interface IN3-, respectively. The first differential output ports may also have two, each consisting of a positive interface OUT3+ and a negative interface OUT3-, and a positive interface OUT4+ and a negative interface OUT4-, respectively. Switching diodes are connected between the positive and negative interfaces of the first differential input port and the positive and negative interfaces of the first differential output port, including the ninth switch diode T9, the tenth switch diode T10, the eleventh switch diode T11, the twelfth switch diode T12, the thirteenth switch diode T13, the fourteenth switch diode T14, the fifteenth switch diode T15, the sixteenth switch diode T16, the seventeenth switch diode T17, the eighteenth switch diode T18, the nineteenth switch diode T19, the twentieth switch diode T20, the twenty-first switch diode T21, the twenty-second switch diode T22, the twenty-third switch diode T23, and the twenty-fourth switch diode T24. The input terminals of the ninth switch chip T9, the twelfth switch chip T12, the thirteenth switch chip T13, and the sixteenth switch chip T16 are coupled and connected to interface IN2+; the input terminals of the tenth switch chip T10, the eleventh switch chip T11, the fourteenth switch chip T14, and the fifteenth switch chip T15 are coupled and connected to interface IN2-; the input terminals of the seventeenth switch chip T17, the twentieth switch chip T20, the twenty-first switch chip T21, and the twenty-fourth switch chip T24 are coupled and connected to interface IN3+; the input terminals of the eighteenth switch chip T18, the nineteenth switch chip T19, the twenty-second switch chip T22, and the twenty-third switch chip T23 are coupled and connected to interface IN3-; The outputs of the nineth switch chip T9, the tenth switch chip T10, the seventeenth switch chip T17, and the eighteenth switch chip T18 are coupled and connected to the interface OUT3+; the outputs of the eleventh switch chip T11, the twelfth switch chip T12, the nineteenth switch chip T19, and the twentieth switch chip T20 are coupled and connected to the interface OUT3-; the outputs of the thirteenth switch chip T13, the fourteenth switch chip T14, the twenty-first switch chip T21, and the twenty-second switch chip T22 are coupled and connected to the interface OUT4+; the outputs of the fifteenth switch chip T15, the sixteenth switch chip T16, the twenty-third switch chip T23, and the twenty-fourth switch chip T24 are coupled and connected to the interface OUT4-.

[0052] In the first differential circuit 300 above, by setting the power supply voltage of each switch chip, the positive and negative interfaces of the first differential input port and the first differential output port can be turned on or off, thereby selecting whether the electrical connection between adjacent differential circuits is through or through the attenuator unit. For example, if the supply voltage of the ninth switch chip T9, the eleventh switch chip T11, the twenty-first switch chip T21, and the twenty-third switch chip T23 is V2, then the supply voltage of the tenth switch chip T10, the twelfth switch chip T12 to the twentieth switch chip T20, the twenty-second switch chip T22, and the twenty-fourth switch chip T24 is -V3. Then, when V3 is a positive voltage (V3 > Vth), the connection from IN2+ to OUT3+ is on, the connection from IN2- to OUT3- is on, the connection from IN3+ to OUT4+ is on, the connection from IN3- to OUT4- is on, the connection from IN2+ to OUT4+ is off, the connection from IN2- to OUT4- is off, the connection from IN3+ to OUT3+ is off, and the connection from IN3- to OUT3- is off. If the thirteenth switch chip T13 is selected... The supply voltage of the fifteenth switch chip T15, the seventeenth switch chip T17, and the nineteenth switch chip T19 is V3. Then the supply voltage of the tenth switch chip T10, the eleventh switch chip T11, the twelfth switch chip T12, the fourteenth switch chip T14, the sixteenth switch chip T16, the eighteenth switch chip T18, the twentieth switch chip T20 to the twenty-fourth switch chip T24 is -V3. When V3 is a positive voltage (V3 > Vth), the interface IN2+ to the interface OUT4+ is on, the interface IN2- to the interface OUT4- is on, the interface IN3+ to the interface OUT3+ is on, the interface IN3- to the interface OUT3- is on, the interface IN2+ to the interface OUT3+ is off, the interface IN2- to the interface OUT3- is off, the interface IN3+ to the interface OUT4+ is off, and the interface IN3- to the interface OUT4- is off.

[0053] Based on this, when an input signal (e.g., a differential signal) is input from interfaces IN2+ and IN2- or IN3+ and IN3- (e.g., after passing through from the previous first differential circuit or after attenuation by an attenuator unit), the signal can be output from interfaces OUT3+ and OUT3-, or OUT4+ and OUT4-, by setting the supply voltage of the switching die. Assuming the first differential circuit 300 is the second first differential circuit 110-2 of the phase-shifting attenuation circuit 100, interfaces IN2+ and IN2- can be connected to attenuator unit 120-1, and interfaces IN3+ and IN3- can be connected to the first first differential circuit 110-1 to receive the input differential signal. Which interface receives the differential signal is selected based on the output of the preceding first differential circuit 110-1, as described previously. The attenuator unit is connected after the interfaces OUT3+ and OUT3-, and the third first differential circuit is connected after the interfaces OUT4+ and OUT4-. Providing the aforementioned voltage to the switching die allows the differential signal to be output from the interfaces OUT3+ and OUT3- to pass through the attenuator unit, or output from the interfaces OUT4+ and OUT4- to be directly input to the next differential circuit.

[0054] Similarly, the isolation and insertion loss of the first differential circuit 300 described above can also be adjusted by changing the size of the included switching die and the resistance of each electrode. This achieves high isolation and low insertion loss for the first differential circuit 300. Devices using it can also combine the advantages of small size, high isolation, and low insertion loss, resulting in higher phase shift accuracy. Furthermore, the first differential circuit 300 can also reduce return loss by connecting a matching circuit. For details, please refer to the description of the first differential circuit 200; it will not be repeated here.

[0055] The phase-shifting attenuation circuit 100 can achieve 8-bit step attenuation through attenuator units. The lower 7 bits of step attenuation can achieve phase shifting. For example, by selecting pass-through with the 8th bit, the first 7 bits achieve phase shifting by controlling the attenuation value of the amplitude. The 8-bit step attenuation can be used to achieve both phase shifting and attenuation. For example, the first 7 bits achieve phase shifting by controlling the attenuation value of the amplitude, and the 8th bit can achieve amplitude attenuation while maintaining the phase. The attenuation range of 7-bit step attenuation is 0-31.75dB. Increasing the attenuation by one bit (e.g., 32dB) to achieve 8-bit step attenuation results in an attenuation range of 0-63.75dB. Referring to Figure 4, the phase-shifting attenuation circuit 400 provided in this application can include two first differential circuits 200 and seven first differential circuits 300. The seven first differential circuits 300 are sequentially connected between two first differential circuits 200. Attenuator units are disposed between adjacent first differential circuits, for a total of eight attenuator units. Depending on the signal transmission direction, attenuator unit D1 achieves 32dB attenuation, attenuator unit D2 achieves 16dB attenuation, attenuator unit D3 achieves 8dB attenuation, attenuator unit D4 achieves 4dB attenuation, attenuator unit D5 achieves 2dB attenuation, attenuator unit D6 achieves 1dB attenuation, attenuator unit D7 achieves 0.5dB attenuation, and attenuator unit D8 achieves 0.25dB attenuation. The 7th bit step attenuation (e.g., D2-D8) can achieve phase shift within the range of 0deg-90deg. For example, selecting the 8th bit (i.e., bypassing attenuator unit D1) and then achieving phase shift within the range of 0deg-90deg through an attenuation range of 0-31.75dB. The 8th bit step attenuation (e.g., D1-D8) can achieve both phase shift and amplitude attenuation within the range of 0deg-90deg. For example, selecting the 8th bit achieves an attenuation range of 0-63.75dB. The attenuation range of 0-31.75dB achieves phase shift from 0deg to 90deg, while the attenuation range of 31.75dB-63.75dB achieves amplitude attenuation.

[0056] The phase-shifting attenuation circuit disclosed in this application is based on a differential circuit architecture, featuring small size and high bandwidth. Phase shifting and attenuation functions are implemented through digital attenuator units, resulting in simple logic control. Furthermore, the differential circuit characteristics enable lower insertion loss, higher bandwidth, and better performance.

[0057] This application also discloses a phase-shifting attenuation network including the aforementioned phase-shifting attenuation circuit. As shown in FIG5, the phase-shifting attenuation network 500 according to some embodiments of this application may include a first node circuit 510, a second node circuit 540, and a first signal channel 520 and a second signal channel 530 coupled between the first node circuit 510 and the second node circuit 540. The input signal to the phase-shifting attenuation network 500 enters from the first node circuit 510 and is split into a pair of quadrature signals, for example, an in-phase signal I (or I-path signal) and a quadrature signal Q (or Q-path signal). The I / Q signals have the same frequency but a 90° phase difference. This pair of quadrature signals can be simultaneously output to the first signal channel 520 and the second signal channel 530 to perform signal attenuation and / or quadrant transformation to achieve attenuation and / or phase shift. For example, the I-path signal can be input to the first signal channel 520 for processing, and the Q-path signal can be input to the second signal channel 530 for processing.

[0058] The first signal channel 520 and the second signal channel 530 can be implemented based on a differential circuit architecture. Based on this, the aforementioned quadrature signals (i.e., the I-channel signal and the Q-channel signal) will be processed to generate a pair of differential signals. For example, the differential signal pair will be input to the first signal channel 520 for processing, and the second differential signal pair will be input to the second signal channel 530 for processing. In one feasible implementation, an exemplary circuit structure of this differential circuit can be a switching die connected between each positive and negative interface of the input and output ports. This circuit structure can reduce insertion loss, enhance anti-interference capability, and, through the switching die, meet the requirements of high performance and small size of the device. That is, devices using the first signal channel 520 and the second signal channel 530 constructed using this differential circuit can achieve high isolation while reducing device size and insertion loss. The first signal channel 520 and the second signal channel 530 can perform signal attenuation and / or quadrant transformation on the input differential signal pair to achieve phase shifting and amplitude attenuation of the input signal. For example, the first signal channel 520 and the second signal channel 530 may each include a phase-shift attenuation circuit and / or a quadrant transformation circuit. Exemplarily, the phase-shift attenuation circuit may be the phase-shift attenuation circuit 100 as described above. The quadrant transformation circuit achieves quadrant changes by switching the positive and negative interfaces between the input and output terminals of the differential circuit, for example, selecting one of the four quadrants, including the first quadrant (0deg–90deg), the second quadrant (90deg–180deg), the third quadrant (180deg–270deg), and the fourth quadrant (270deg–360deg). The phase shift achieved by the phase-shift attenuation circuit, combined with the starting phase obtained by the quadrant selection of the quadrant transformation circuit, achieves a phase shift of 0–360deg.

[0059] The second node circuit 540 can be used to vector synthesize the first phase-shifted signal output from the first signal channel 520 and the second phase-shifted signal output from the second signal channel 530. In one feasible implementation, the second node circuit 540 can be constructed using differential coupling. By designing the coupling line length and improving the input / output connection method, insertion loss can be reduced and isolation improved. The output signal of the second node circuit 540 can be a differential signal pair or a single-ended signal. For example, the differential signal can be converted into a single-ended signal and output using a device.

[0060] The following provides an exemplary description of the various components of the phase-shifting attenuation network 500. It should be noted that the following description is not restrictive.

[0061] As shown in Figure 6, the first node circuit 510 provided in this application may include a signal processor 610 and a first transformer 620 and a second transformer 630 electrically connected to the two output terminals of the signal processor 610, respectively. The signal processor 610 may be any electronic component capable of achieving signal splitting with a 90° phase difference, such as a hybrid coupler, quadrature coupler, or 90° bridge. Taking the signal processor 610 as a 90° bridge as an example, it includes a single-ended input port IN and two output ports. The port impedance of the single-ended input port may be 50 ohms. After the input signal enters from the single-ended input port IN, it is processed and outputs a pair of quadrature signals, namely the I-channel signal and the Q-channel signal. The pair of quadrature signals will be output from the two output ports to the first transformer 620 and the second transformer 630, respectively. The first transformer 620 and the second transformer 630 may utilize the coil induction characteristics (e.g., the coil middle section leading out) to convert the quadrature signals into differential signals and output them from the output terminals OUT1 and OUT2. For example, the first transformer 620 can be used to process the I-channel signal to output differential signals I1+ and I1- at the output terminal OUT1. The second transformer 630 can be used to process the Q-channel signal to output second differential signals Q1+ and Q1- at the output terminal OUT2.

[0062] The first signal channel 520 and the second signal channel 530 may include the phase-shifting attenuation circuit 100 / 400 as described above and a quadrant conversion circuit connected to the phase-shifting attenuation circuit 100. A description of the phase-shifting attenuation unit 100 / 400 can be found in the foregoing section. Referring to FIG7, the quadrant conversion circuit provided in this application includes a second differential circuit 700. As shown in FIG7, the second differential circuit 700 may include a second differential input port composed of a positive interface IN4+ and a negative interface I4-, and a second differential output port composed of a positive structure OUT5+ and a negative interface OUT5-. Switching chips, including a twenty-fifth switch chip T25, a twenty-sixth switch chip T26, a twenty-seventh switch chip T27, and a twenty-eighth switch chip T28, are connected between the positive and negative interfaces of the second differential input port and the second differential output port. The input terminals of the twenty-fifth switch chip T25 and the twenty-seventh switch chip T27 are coupled and connected together to the interface IN4+. The input terminal of the 26th switch chip T26 and the input terminal of the 28th switch chip T28 are coupled and connected together to interface IN4-. The output terminal of the 25th switch chip T28 and the output terminal of the 26th switch chip T26 are coupled and connected together to interface OUT5+. The output terminal of the 27th switch chip T27 and the output terminal of the 28th switch chip T28 are coupled and connected together to interface OUT5-.

[0063] Of course, the second differential circuit 700 can also achieve adjustments to isolation and insertion loss by adjusting the size of the switching die and the resistors at each stage, and reduce return loss by connecting a matching circuit. For specific implementation details, please refer to the aforementioned description of the first differential circuit.

[0064] In the second differential circuit 700 described above, the positive and negative interfaces of the second differential input port and the second differential output port can be switched on or off by setting the supply voltage of each switching die, thereby realizing the state change of the second differential circuit 700. Combinations of different states of the two second differential circuits 700 (e.g., included in the first signal channel 520 and the second channel signal 130, respectively) used to process the I-channel signal and the Q-channel signal can achieve quadrant switching, thereby changing the initial phase of the phase-shifted differential signal and the second differential signal output after processing by the phase-shift attenuation circuit 100 / 400. The phase shift achieved in the 0-90° range, combined with the initial phase change of the quadrant switching circuit, enables the phase-shift attenuation network 600 to achieve a phase shift within the 0-360° range.

[0065] For example, the second differential circuit 700 can have four states, as illustrated in Figure 8. Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the states of the third differential circuit 700 provided in this application, including a through state (thr, shown in Figure 8(a)), a differential state (diff, shown in Figure 8(b)), an open state (open, shown in Figure 8(c)), and a short state (short, shown in Figure 8(d)). Specifically, in the through state (thr), interfaces IN4+ to OUT5+ are on, interfaces IN4- to OUT5- are on, interfaces IN4+ to OUT5+ are off, and interfaces IN4- to OUT5+ are off. In the differential state (diff), interfaces IN4+ to OUT5+ are off, interfaces IN4- to OUT5- are off, interfaces IN4+ to OUT5+ are on, and interfaces IN4- to OUT5+ are on. In the open state, interfaces IN4+ to OUT5+ are off, interfaces IN4- to OUT5- are off, interfaces IN4+ to OUT5+ are off, and interfaces IN4- to OUT5+ are off. In the short state, interfaces IN4+ to OUT5+ are on, interfaces IN4- to OUT5- are on, interfaces IN4+ to OUT5+ are on, and interfaces IN4- to OUT5+ are on.

[0066] The selection of four quadrants can be achieved by combining the states of the two second differential circuits 700 included in the first signal channel 520 and the second channel signal 130. For example, when the state of the second differential circuit 700 in the first signal channel 520 processing the I-channel signal is the pass-through state (thr), and the state of the second differential circuit in the second signal channel 530 processing the Q-channel signal is the pass-through state (thr), it corresponds to the first quadrant Q1 (0deg-90deg). When the state of the second differential circuit 700 in the first signal channel 520 processing the I-channel signal is the pass-through state (thr), and the state of the second differential circuit in the second signal channel 530 processing the Q-channel signal is the differential state (diff), it corresponds to the second quadrant Q2 (90deg-180deg). When the state of the second differential circuit 700 in the first signal channel 520 processing the I-channel signal is the differential state (diff), and the state of the second differential circuit in the second signal channel 530 processing the Q-channel signal is the differential state (diff), it corresponds to the third quadrant Q3 (180deg-270deg). When the second differential circuit 700 in the first signal channel 520, which processes the I-channel signal, is in the differential state (diff), and the second differential circuit in the second signal channel 530, which processes the Q-channel signal, is in the through state (thr), it corresponds to the fourth quadrant Q4 (270°-360°). The open state (open) can be used to disconnect devices using it, such as phase shifters, and the short state (short) can be used to short-circuit devices using it, such as phase shifters. Referring to Figure 9, which shows an example diagram of the correspondence between the four quadrants and the connectivity states of the differential circuits provided in this application, the above can be understood more clearly.

[0067] The differential signals I1+ and I1-, or the second differential signals Q1+ and Q1-, output from the first node circuit 520, are input from the differential input ports of the phase-shifting attenuation circuits 100 / 400 included in the first signal channel 520 or the second signal channel 530 (e.g., from the first differential input ports of the first differential circuits 200 located at the beginning and end). After processing by the phase-shifting attenuation circuits 100 / 400, the output signals are differential signals I2+ and I2-, Q2+ and Q2- after amplitude attenuation and / or phase shift (e.g., within the range of 0-90 degrees). The differential signals I2+ and I2-, as well as Q2+ and Q2-, can be input to the second differential circuit 700, which serves as a quadrant conversion circuit, for example, from the interfaces IN4+ and IN4- of the second differential input ports. At the same time, the interfaces OUT5+ and OUT5- of the second differential output terminals will output the quadrant-converted differential signals I3+ and I3-, Q3+ and Q3-. After selecting the starting phase through quadrant changes, a phase shift from 0° to 90° is achieved by combining amplitude attenuation, thus realizing a phase shift within the 0-360° range. The differential signals I3+ and I3-, Q3+ and Q3- can be differential signals after amplitude attenuation and / or phase shifting, and are then input to the second node circuit 540 for further processing.

[0068] As shown in Figure 10, the second node circuit 540 provided in this application can be used to vector synthesize the input differential signals I3+ and I3-, and the second phase-shifting signals O3+ and O3-. The second node circuit 540 may include a combiner 1010 constructed based on the differential circuit. The combiner 1010 includes two third differential input ports, consisting of interfaces IN5+ and IN5-, and interfaces IN6+ and IN6-, respectively. These are used to receive the differential signals I3+ and I3-, and O3+ and O3-, respectively. That is, the differential signals I3+ and I3- will be input from interfaces IN5+ and IN5-, and the differential signals O3+ and O3- will be input from interfaces IN6+ and IN6-. The combiner 1010 will vector synthesize the input signals and output a pair of synthesized differential signals from the third differential output port (consisting of interfaces OUT6+ and OUT6-), which may be referred to as the synthesized signals in this application. If the phase-shifting attenuation network 500 is applied to a differential system (e.g., to differentially divide an input signal), the synthesized signal can be designated as the phase-shifted output signal. In some applications, the second node circuit 540 may also include a third transformer 1020. The third transformer 1020 can be electrically connected to the third differential output port of the combiner 1010 to convert the synthesized differential signal into a single-ended signal output from the single-ended output port OUT. This single-ended signal can be designated as the phase-shifted output signal.

[0069] Figure 11 shows that the third differential circuit 1100 provided in this application can be used as a combiner 1010. As shown in Figure 12, the third differential circuit 1100 may include an input differential network, an input differential unit, an output differential unit, and an output differential network. The input differential network may include an input port formed by a first port P+ and a second port P-. The input differential unit may include an input differential coupling line Ca. The positive terminal of the input differential coupling line Ca is connected to the first port P+, and the negative terminal is connected to the second port P-. The output differential unit may include a first coupling line C1 and a second coupling line C2. The positive terminal of the input of the first coupling line C1 is connected to the positive terminal of the output of the input differential coupling line Ca, and the negative terminal of the input of the second coupling line C2 is connected to the negative terminal of the output of the input differential coupling line Ca. Simultaneously, the negative terminal of the input of the first coupling line C1 is connected to the positive terminal of the input of the second coupling line C2. The output differential network may include a first output differential port and a second output differential port. The positive terminal D1+ of the first output differential port is connected to the positive terminal of the output of the first coupling line C1, and the negative terminal D1- is connected to the negative terminal of the output of the second coupling line C2. The positive terminal D2+ of the second output differential port is connected to the positive terminal of the output of the second coupling line C2, and the negative terminal D2- is connected to the negative terminal of the output of the first coupling line C1.

[0070] The third differential circuit 1100 described above has its first output differential port D1+ / D1- used as a third differential input port IN5+ / IN5- of the combiner 1010, and its second output differential port D2+ / D2- used as another third differential input port IN6+ / IN6- of the combiner 1010. Its input differential network P+ / P- can be used as the third differential output port OUT6+ / OUT6- of the combiner 1010. Differential signals I3+ and I3- will be input from the first output differential port D1+ / D1-, and differential signals O3+ and O3- will be input from the second output differential port D2+ / D2-. The third differential circuit 1200 will implement vector synthesis, outputting a pair of synthesized differential signals from the input differential network P+ / P-.

[0071] The combiner 1010 disclosed in this application, constructed using a third differential circuit 1100, can realize differential / combining functions. Isolation, broadband characteristics, insertion loss, and return loss can be adjusted by regulating the electrical length, odd-mode impedance, and even-mode impedance of the coupling lines. Designed using differential coupling lines, the adjustable electrical length of the coupling lines can be adjusted to a value much smaller than 1 / 4 wavelength of the center frequency, thereby achieving a small size, reduced insertion loss, and improved isolation. Furthermore, the use of differential coupling lines gives it strong anti-interference capabilities and high suppression performance against spurious signals and noise.

[0072] The present application will be further described below with reference to some embodiments. The circuit structure adopts the phase shifter / attenuator of the phase shifter / attenuator network shown in Figure 5. The operating frequency is 5GHz to 15GHz, the number of phase shifts is 7 bits, and the number of attenuation bits is 7 bits. The selection of the attenuator unit is realized by differential switching. A high level is marked as 1, indicating that the attenuator unit is passed; a low level is marked as 0, indicating that the attenuator unit is passed through.

[0073] Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of the amplitude-phase relationship. In the case of no attenuation (i.e., the initial amplitude state, marked ATT0), the amplitude-phase is controlled by the 7th bit of step attenuation (BIT7), and the 8th bit (BIT8) is always kept at a low level. Specifically, in the initial amplitude (ATT0) state, the insertion loss of the entire phase shifter / attenuator is -7dB, and it can achieve phase selection in the range of 0deg to 360deg. Taking typical phase values ​​of 0deg, 45deg, and 90deg in the first quadrant, the corresponding attenuation characteristics of the I and Q paths are: 0deg (I path: 31.75dB, Q path: 0dB), 45deg (I path: 3dB, Q path: 3dB), 90deg (I path: 0dB, Q path: 31.75dB). The simulation results of the phase and S-parameters in the three states are shown in Figure 14, and the corresponding logic control truth table is shown in Table 1 below.

[0074] Table 1: Truth values ​​of the logic control for phase shifting using 7-channel step attenuation

[0075] It should be noted that the above embodiments use the three phases of the first quadrant. As mentioned earlier, the other three quadrants can be switched arbitrarily through the quadrant selection circuit.

[0076] Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of different attenuation amplitudes. By combining the step attenuation of the 8th bit, the amplitude selection function from 0dB (initial amplitude ATT0) to -32dB (maximum attenuation ATT127) can be achieved. 0dB corresponds to the initial amplitude state ATT0, where ATT0 = -7dB, as shown by the insertion loss value in Figure 14. The 7-bit digitally controlled attenuator has a total of 128 amplitude states. ATT0 is defined as the through state or initial amplitude, ATT127 as the maximum attenuation state, and ATT63 as the intermediate attenuation state. Specifically, ATT0 = -7dB (corresponding to 0dB), ATT63 = -23dB (corresponding to -16dB), and ATT127 = -39dB (corresponding to -32dB).

[0077] Figure 15 shows a schematic diagram of the S-parameters and phase performance under different phases attenuation amplitudes, including the simulation results of the phase and S-parameters of the ATT63 under three phases. The corresponding logic control truth table is shown in Table 2 below. It can be seen that, compared with the results shown in Figure 14, the phase does not change when the amplitude changes from 0 to -16dB.

[0078] Table 2: Truth values ​​of logic control for attenuation implementation using 8-channel step attenuation

[0079] Figure 16 shows a schematic diagram of different phase S-parameters and phase performance under another attenuation amplitude, including the simulation results of the phase and S-parameters of the ATT127 under three phases. The corresponding logic control truth table is shown in Figure 3 below. It can be seen that, compared with the results shown in Figure 14, the phase does not change when the amplitude changes from 0 to -32dB.

[0080] Table 3: Truth values ​​of logic control for attenuation implementation using 8-channel step attenuation

[0081] The phase-shifting attenuation network disclosed in this application features simple logic control, achieving both phase shifting and amplitude attenuation simultaneously through multi-bit step attenuation control. The phase shifter / attenuator constructed using this network offers smaller size and better cost advantages compared to general design architectures. It also boasts lower insertion loss and higher performance; that is, the insertion loss performance of a standalone phase shifter and a phase shifter + attenuator is essentially the same, and adding attenuation circuitry does not cause a significant increase in insertion loss. Furthermore, phase shifting does not introduce additional attenuation, and attenuation does not introduce additional phase.

[0082] This application also discloses a radio frequency (RF) / microwave transmitting system. This RF / microwave transmitting system may include the phase-shifting attenuation circuit or phase-shifting attenuation network described above. For example, a digitally controlled phase shifter / attenuator constructed from the aforementioned phase-shifting attenuation circuit or phase-shifting attenuation network. Referring to FIG17, which shows an exemplary structural diagram of the RF / microwave transmitting system 1700 provided in this application, the RF / microwave transmitting system 1700 may include a 1-to-4 differential power divider for converting an input signal, which is a differential signal, into four equal-amplitude, in-phase differential signals. Four digitally controlled phase shifters / attenuators, whose input terminals are respectively connected to the four differential output ports of the 1-to-4 differential power divider, are used to attenuate and phase-shift the four differential signals output by the 1-to-4 differential power divider to achieve amplitude attenuation and / or phase shifting. Four baluns, whose differential ports are respectively connected to the output terminals of the four digitally controlled phase shifters, are used to convert the four differential signals output by the digitally controlled phase shifters / attenuators into four single-ended signals. Four amplifiers, each with its input connected to the matching ports of a balun, amplify the four single-ended signals output from the baluns. Four antennas, each with its receiver connected to the outputs of the four amplifiers, transmit the four single-ended signals output from the amplifiers. This four-channel RF / microwave transmitting system can be used in multi-beam power divider networks, 5G MIMO communication, low-Earth orbit satellite communication, and other systems. Of course, Figure 17 is merely an example; the number of digitally controlled phase shifters / attenuators, baluns, amplifiers, and antennas in the RF / microwave transmitting system is the same as the number of differential ports on the output of a differential power divider. For example, when using a 1-to-2 differential power divider, the number of these components can be two; when using a 1-to-8 differential power divider, the number of these components can be eight. Without differential division, the number of these components can be a single.

[0083] This application also discloses a radio frequency (RF) / microwave receiving system. This RF / microwave receiving system may include the phase-shifting circuit described above. For example, a digitally controlled phase shifter / attenuator constructed from the phase-shifting attenuation circuit or phase-shifting attenuation network described above. Referring to FIG18, which shows an exemplary structural diagram of the RF / microwave receiving system provided in this application, the RF / microwave receiving system 1800 may include four antennas for receiving four single-ended signals. Four low-noise amplifiers, with their inputs connected to the four antennas respectively, are used to amplify the four single-ended signals received by the antennas. Four baluns, with their matching ports connected to the outputs of the four low-noise amplifiers respectively, are used to convert the four single-ended signals output by the low-noise amplifiers into four differential signals. Four digitally controlled phase shifters / attenuators, with their inputs connected to the differential ports of the four baluns respectively, are used to perform phase shifting and attenuation processing on the four differential signals output by the baluns, to achieve amplitude attenuation and / or phase shifting. A 1-to-4 differential power divider connects its four differential output ports to the outputs of four digitally controlled attenuators (DCEs), converting four differential signals from the DCEs into a single differential signal. This four-channel RF / microwave receiver system can be used in multi-beam power divider networks, 5G MIMO communication, and low-Earth orbit satellite communication systems. Similarly, Figure 18 is merely an example; the number of DCEs, DCEs, baluns, amplifiers, and antennas in the RF / microwave receiver system is the same as the number of differential output ports in a differential power divider. For example, when using a 1-to-2 differential power divider, the number of these components can be two; when using a 1-to-8 differential power divider, the number of components can be eight. Without differential combining, the number of components can be a single.

[0084] The basic concepts have been described herein. It is obvious that the detailed disclosure above is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this application. Although not explicitly stated herein, various modifications, improvements, and corrections may be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are suggested in this application and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0085] Furthermore, this application uses specific terms to describe its embodiments. For example, "an embodiment," "one embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different locations in this application do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of this application can be appropriately combined.

[0086] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description of this application and thus aid in the understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention, the foregoing description of the embodiments of this application sometimes combines multiple features into one embodiment or its description. However, this disclosure method does not imply that the subject matter of this application requires more features than those mentioned in the claims. In fact, the embodiments have fewer features than all the features of the single embodiments disclosed above.

[0087] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this application are merely illustrative of the principles of the embodiments of this application. Other modifications may also fall within the scope of this application. Therefore, alternative configurations of the embodiments of this application are considered as examples and not limitations, and are regarded as consistent with the teachings of this application. Accordingly, the embodiments of this application are not limited to the embodiments explicitly described and illustrated in this application.

Claims

1. A phase-shifting attenuation circuit, characterized in that, The phase-shifting attenuation circuit includes: Multiple first differential circuits are electrically connected in sequence; the electrical connection between two adjacent first differential circuits includes a direct connection and / or a connection via an attenuator unit; wherein... The phase-shifting attenuation circuit achieves 8-bit step attenuation through the attenuator unit; the 7-bit step attenuation included in the 8-bit step attenuation is used to achieve phase shifting function, and the 8-bit step attenuation is used to achieve both phase shifting and attenuation functions.

2. The phase-shifting attenuation circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first differential circuit includes: One or more first differential input ports, one or more first differential output ports, and several switching chips; A switching die is connected between the positive and negative terminals of each first differential input port and the positive and negative terminals of each first differential output port. The switching die enables the switching on or off of the first differential input port and the first differential output port, thereby selecting the electrical connection method between two adjacent first differential circuits.

3. The phase-shifting attenuation circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The plurality of first differential circuits are the same and / or different.

4. The phase-shifting attenuation circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The 7-bit step attenuation has an attenuation range of 31.75dB and is used to achieve phase shift within the range of 0deg-90deg; the 8-bit attenuation has an attenuation range of 63.75dB and is used to achieve phase shift and amplitude attenuation within the range of 0-90deg.

5. A phase-shifting attenuation network, characterized in that, The phase-shifting attenuation network includes the phase-shifting attenuation circuit as described in any one of claims 1-4.

6. The phase-shifting attenuation network according to claim 5, characterized in that, The phase-shifting attenuation network also includes: First node circuit; The second node circuit; and A first signal channel and a second signal channel are coupled between the first node circuit and the second node circuit; wherein... Both the first node circuit and the second node circuit include the phase-shifting attenuation circuit.

7. The phase-shifting attenuation network according to claim 6, characterized in that, Both the first node circuit and the second node circuit further include a quadrant transformation circuit electrically connected to the phase shift attenuation circuit; the quadrant transformation circuit is constructed based on the second differential circuit, which realizes the phase quadrant transformation by turning on or off the positive and negative interfaces of the second differential input port and the second differential output port, and together with the phase shift attenuation circuit, achieves a large-range phase shift.

8. The phase-shifting attenuation network according to claim 7, characterized in that, The phase shift range of the first node circuit or the second node circuit is 0deg-360deg.

9. The phase-shifting circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second node circuit includes a third differential circuit, comprising: The input differential network includes: a first port and a second port; The input differential unit includes: an input differential coupling line; The output differential unit includes: a first coupling line and a second coupling line; and The output differential network includes: a first output differential port and a second output differential port; The positive terminal of the input differential coupling line is connected to the first port, and the negative terminal of the input line is connected to the second port. The positive terminal of the input end of the first coupling line is connected to the positive terminal of the output end of the input differential coupling line, and the negative terminal of the input end of the second coupling line is connected to the negative terminal of the output end of the input differential coupling line. The negative terminal of the first coupling line is connected to the positive terminal of the second coupling line; The positive terminal of the first output differential port is connected to the positive terminal of the first coupling line, and the negative terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the second coupling line. The positive terminal of the second output differential port is connected to the positive terminal of the output of the second coupling line, and the negative terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the output of the first coupling line. The first and second output differential ports of the output differential network are used to receive the first phase-shift signal and the second phase-shift signal, respectively, and the input differential network is used to output the synthesized signal.

10. A radio frequency microwave system, characterized in that, Includes the phase-shifting attenuation circuit as described in any one of claims 1-4 or the phase-shifting attenuation network as described in any one of claims 5-9.

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