Expandable RF Signal Matrix for Low Loss Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing analog manifolds for radio frequency (RF) signals suffer from unacceptable signal losses when used to route fewer inputs or outputs than their maximum capacity, as they are typically fixed in size and do not efficiently manage unused ports.
Innovation Solution
An expandable RF signal matrix formed by a tiered arrangement of two-to-one RF signal routing units, each with switching units that allow for bypassing or combining inputs to outputs, minimizing signal loss by isolating unused inputs and paths, thereby allowing any number of inputs to be used without loading the output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-size analog manifold is designed to accommodate n inputs, then it can route any combination of inputs to outputs, but it introduces unacceptable signal losses when employed to route less than n inputs
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold is divided into multiple stages, with each stage containing a subset of switching elements. This segmentation allows the system to process inputs in hierarchical groups, enabling efficient routing configurations that minimize signal loss by activating only the necessary switching paths for the current number of active inputs.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifold employs dynamically controllable switching elements that can be selectively activated or deactivated based on the current input configuration. This dynamic control allows the system to adapt its internal connectivity to match the actual number of active inputs, preventing signal loss that would occur with fixed, always-active switching paths.
2Adaptability or versatility
If unused inputs are connected in a fixed manifold, then the manifold maintains its maximum capacity, but the unused inputs load the output and cause power loss
Solution Approach 1:
Unused inputs are effectively extracted or removed from the active signal path through selective switching. The switching elements isolate deactivated input lines from the output, preventing them from presenting loading effects to the output while maintaining the physical infrastructure for future use.
Solution Approach 2:
Switching elements act as intermediaries between inputs and outputs, controlling the connection state based on input usage. When an input is unused, the switching intermediary disconnects it from the output path, preventing the unused input from loading the output while still allowing the input port to exist in the system.
3Loss of energy
If more switching elements are added to reduce signal loss, then routing efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The switching elements are organized into multiple stages with a logarithmic number of stages relative to the number of inputs. Each stage handles a portion of the routing decision, distributing the complexity across stages rather than requiring a single complex switching matrix, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining low insertion loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The routing function is transformed from a single-dimensional direct switching approach to a multi-dimensional staged approach. By adding the stage dimension, the system achieves efficient routing with fewer elements per stage, reducing overall complexity while maintaining performance.
Data Source
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AI summary
An n input, radio frequency (RF) signal matrix (100) is formed of a plurality of two-to-one RF signal routing units each including first, second, and third switching units (123, 126, 127) selectively connecting either (i) a first input (101a, 101c, 101e, 101g, 101i, 101k, 101m, 101o, 104a, 104c, 104e, 104g, 107a, 107c, 110a, 121a) to an output (102a-102h, 105a-105d, 109a-109b, 111, 122) via a bypass conductive path (103a-103h, 106a-106d, 108a-108b, 112, 124) while electrically isolating first and second signal combining conductive paths (125, 128) from the output or (ii) first and second (101b, 101d, 101f, 101h, 101j, 101l, 101n, 101p, 104b, 104d, 104f, 104h, 107b, 107d, 110b, 121b) inputs to the output via the first and second signal combining conductive paths while electrically isolating the bypass conductive path from the output. The RF signal routing units are connected in at least two levels with outputs from a first level connected to inputs for a second level to form the n inputs for the RF signal matrix. Any number of the n inputs may be employed without unused inputs loading the output.