ULTRA-COMPACT E/H HYBRID COMBINER, NOTABLY FOR A SINGLE-REFLECTOR MFB ANTENNA

Abstract

A 1:4 reciprocal compact E/H hybrid combiner-divider, includes at least one primary waveguide and two secondary waveguides forming a one-piece structure configured such that the primary guide has a first end forming an input/output port and a second end defining an aperture and that each secondary guide has two ends forming two input/output ports, and a side aperture formed on one of the small side faces. The secondary guides are arranged so as to have a common side wall. They are arranged facing the primary waveguide such that the side apertures are situated facing the aperture formed by one of the ends of the primary waveguide and that the common wall is aligned with the central axis of the aperture of the primary waveguide.

Claims

1. A reciprocal compact E/H hybrid combiner-divider for coupling or splitting electromagnetic waves, comprising at least one primary waveguide and two secondary waveguides, the primary waveguide and the secondary waveguides each having a parallelepipedal structure of rectangular cross section with two ends; wherein the primary waveguide and the secondary waveguides form a one-piece structure wherein: the primary waveguide has a first end configured so as to form an input/output port and a second end defining an aperture; the secondary waveguides having the same configuration and substantially identical dimensions, each secondary waveguide having two ends configured so as to form two input/output ports, and a side aperture formed on one of the small faces of the waveguide; the secondary waveguides are arranged facing one another and facing the primary waveguide so as to form, with one of their side faces, a common side wall; the secondary waveguides are arranged facing the primary waveguide such that the side apertures are situated facing the aperture formed by one of the ends of the primary waveguide and that the common wall is aligned with the central axis of the aperture of the primary waveguide

2. The E/H hybrid combiner-divider as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the secondary waveguides comprises an internal conductive element situated in the cavity of the waveguide and in electrical contact with the wall of the guide, said internal conductive element being arranged inside the waveguide so as to optimize the matching of the impedance of the guide and the combination or the division of the waves traveling through the guide.

3. The E/H hybrid combiner-divider as claimed in claim 2, wherein the internal conductive element is a pin fixed in a substantially central position on the inner face of the upper wall of the guide.

4. The E/H hybrid combiner-divider as claimed in claim 2, wherein the internal conductive element is formed by a wall projecting into the guide, situated transversely in a substantially central position on the inner face of the upper wall of the guide, the height of said projection being substantially less than the height of the guide.

5. The E/H hybrid combiner-divider as claimed in claim 1, further comprising two tertiary waveguides situated transversely with respect to each of the secondary waveguides and joined thereto, each tertiary waveguide having a parallelepipedal structure of rectangular cross section with two ends, a first end configured so as to form an input-output port and a second end forming an aperture situated facing an aperture formed in the side wall of each secondary waveguide opposite the common wall, in a substantially central position, said aperture being configured so as to put each secondary waveguide in communication with a tertiary waveguide situated transversely with respect thereto, so as to achieve H-plane coupling, the combiner-divider thus having an E/H hybrid tee structure.

6. A beam distribution network for a multiple feed per beam (MFB) antenna, comprises comprising a first group and a second group of hybrid combiner-dividers as claimed in claim 1, each combiner-divider of the first group acting as a combiner being connected, via its secondary ports, to the reception paths of four radiating sources and to a beam reception path via its primary port; each combiner-divider of the second group acting as a combiner being connected, via its secondary ports, to the transmission paths of four radiating sources and to a beam transmission path via its primary port.

7. The beam distribution network for a multiple feed per beam (MFB) antenna as claimed in claim 6, wherein the combiner-dividers of the first group are combiner-dividers having ancillary output ports connected to a deviation measurement device and further comprising two tertiary waveguides situated transversely with respect to each of the secondary waveguides and joined thereto, each tertiary waveguide having a parallelepipedal structure of rectangular cross section with two ends, a first end configured so as to form an input-output port and a second end forming an aperture situated facing an aperture formed in the side wall of each secondary waveguide opposite the common wall, in a substantially central position, said aperture being configured so as to put each secondary waveguide in communication with a tertiary waveguide situated transversely with respect thereto, so as to achieve H-plane coupling, the combiner-divider thus having an E/H hybrid tee structure.

8. An (MFB) beamforming array antenna, comprising a plurality of radiating sources combined into groups of four radiating sources, the reception paths and the transmission paths of the radiating sources belonging to one and the same group being connected, respectively, to the secondary ports of a combiner-divider whose primary port is connected to the reception path of a beam and to the secondary ports of a combiner-divider whose primary port is connected to the transmission path of the same beam.

Description

[0053] The features and advantages of the invention will be better appreciated by virtue of the following description, which description draws on the appended figures, in which:

[0054] FIG. 1 shows an illustration of one example of combining four radiating sources in a diamond-shaped arrangement so as to form a beam;

[0055] FIG. 2 shows an overview of the interconnection of the radiating elements forming the radiating source of an MFB antenna with a reflector by way of distribution module modules;

[0056] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a distribution module according to the prior art;

[0057] FIG. 4 shows an illustration showing an overall perspective view of the distribution module according to the invention, in a basic form;

[0058] FIG. 5 shows an illustration showing a partial view from below of the distribution module according to the invention illustrated by FIG. 4, along a plane passing through the open end of the primary waveguide;

[0059] FIG. 6 shows an illustration showing a partial view from above of the distribution module according to the invention illustrated by FIG. 4;

[0060] FIG. 7 shows an illustration showing an overall perspective view of the distribution module according to the invention, in a second embodiment taken as an example;

[0061] FIG. 8 shows an illustration showing a partial perspective and transparent view of the distribution module according to the invention in the embodiment of FIG. 7;

[0062] FIG. 9 shows an illustration showing a transparent view from above of the distribution module according to the invention, in the embodiment of FIG. 7;

[0063] FIG. 10 shows an illustration showing a partial perspective and transparent view of the distribution module according to the invention in a third embodiment allowing the creation of deviation measurement signals;

[0064] FIG. 11 shows an illustration showing a transparent view from above of the distribution module according to the invention illustrated by FIG. 10;

[0065] FIG. 12 shows an illustration showing a side view, in partial cross section, of the distribution module according to the invention in the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 108.

[0066] It should be noted that, in the appended figures, the same functional or structural element preferably bears the same reference symbol.

[0067] The remainder of the text presents the technical features of the invention with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, which show the device in its basic version; and then with reference firstly to FIGS. 6 to 9 and secondly to FIGS. 10 to 12, which show the device in two particular embodiments.

[0068] FIGS. 1 to 3, already commented upon in the preamble of the description, are not the subject of specific developments.

[0069] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 7, the device according to the invention, a hybrid combiner-divider, comprises a primary waveguide 41 and two secondary waveguides 42 and 43.

[0070] The primary waveguide 41 has two ends: a first end configured so as to form an input-output port 48, a primary input-output port, allowing the device to be connected to a signal distribution network, a beam distribution network for a multiple feed antenna such as the one described above and illustrated by FIG. 2 for example, and a second end forming an aperture 61, located at the other end of the guide 41.

[0071] The two secondary waveguides 42 and 43 each have two opposing ends that are configured so as to form two input-output ports, the ports 44 and 45 for the waveguide 42 and the ports 46 and 47 for the waveguide 43, respectively.

[0072] Each of the guides 42 and 43 also has an aperture 62 or 63, arranged on one of its small side faces, as illustrated more specifically in the schematic view from below in FIG. 5. These apertures make it possible to put the cavity of the primary guide 41 in communication with the cavity of the secondary guide 42 or 43 under consideration.

[0073] It should be noted here that the expression “small side face” refers to the fact that the secondary guides 42 and 43 are parallelepipedal guides with a rectangular cross section and that, as such, each guide has four side faces: [0074] two rectangular side faces (“large faces”) whose length is equal to the length of the guide and whose width is equal to the large side of the rectangle defining the cross section of the guide; [0075] two rectangular side faces (“small faces”) whose length is equal to the length of the guide and whose width is equal to the small side of the rectangle defining the cross section of the guide.

[0076] From a structural point of view, the device according to the invention takes the form of a one-piece element having three guides that are joined to one another 41, 42 and 43.

[0077] In this structure, the two secondary guides 42 and 43 are arranged against one another and joined to one another by one of their large faces, such that the two faces in contact form a common partition 51 separating the internal cavities of the two guides from one another.

[0078] Moreover, the two secondary guides are arranged facing one another such that the apertures 62 and 63 are situated side by side in one and the same plane, such that they form two contiguous apertures having a common edge formed by the edge of the partition 51.

[0079] According to the invention, the primary guide 41 is arranged facing the block formed by the two secondary guides 42 and 43, such that the aperture 61 formed by its open end is positioned facing the double aperture formed by the two contiguous openings 62 and 63 of the secondary guides 42 and 43. The two cavities of the guides 42 and 43 thereby open into the cavity of the guide 41.

[0080] Moreover, from a structural point of view, the wall of the primary guide 41 is joined, at the apertures 62 and 63, to the two secondary guides 42 and 43. The device according to the invention thereby has a one-piece structure with a primary input-output port 48 and four secondary input-output ports 44-45 and 46-47.

[0081] From a dimensional point of view, the respective dimensions of the primary waveguide 41 and of the secondary waveguides 42 and 43, the widths and heights primarily defining the cross sections of the guides, and the dimensions of the apertures 61, 62 and 63, are defined such that the primary waveguide 41 forms an E-plane coupler with each secondary waveguide, the sum of the waves traveling through each secondary guide being equal to the wave traveling through the primary waveguide 41. The common partition 51 that separates the two cavities 61 and 62 here advantageously acts as a divider-combiner.

[0082] From a functional point of view, when it is integrated into a transmission chain, the device according to the invention, a reciprocal device, advantageously acts as a hybrid device that distributes, in two integrated stages, an incident wave entering via the primary port 48 onto the four secondary ports. It thus advantageously behaves like an integrated divider (power splitter) with one input and four outputs.

[0083] Conversely, when it is integrated into a reception chain, the device according to the invention also advantageously acts as a hybrid device that recombines, in two integrated stages, four incident waves entering via each of the secondary input-output ports 44-45 and 46-47 into a single wave delivered by the primary input-output port 48.

[0084] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a second embodiment, which is a structural variant of the basic version of the device according to the invention described above.

[0085] It is also known that, in an E-plane coupler formed by a first waveguide having one end forming an aperture opening onto the side wall of a second waveguide and forming an E-plane divider, the wave transmitted by the first waveguide to the second waveguide is divided into two waves optimally in that the impedance matching of the second waveguide is good. However, in general, a conductive element of height h is for this purpose situated inside the second guide in a central position with respect to the length L of the guide, this conductive element being connected, via one of its ends, to the wall of the guide.

[0086] The embodiment in FIGS. 8 and 9 incorporates this consideration and integrates, into each of the secondary guides 42 and 43, a transversely oriented conductive partition whose height h is determined so as to achieve this impedance matching and thus to promote the division of the wave transmitted by the primary guide or, conversely, the phase recombination of the waves received via the secondary input-output ports.

[0087] It should be noted here that the conductive partitions 52 or 53 situated respectively in the secondary waveguides 42 and 43 have a height h substantially less than the height of the guides. They do not have a function of closing off the cross section of the guide in which each of them is situated. They may moreover be replaced with conductive elements having various shapes that project into the guide under consideration and are configured so as to ensure good impedance matching.

[0088] FIGS. 10 to 12 for their part illustrate a second embodiment of the device according to the invention, which incorporates the structural and dimensional features of the basic form illustrated by FIGS. 4 to 8.

[0089] However, in this more elaborate embodiment, the device according to the invention additionally integrates a structure for forming, at reception, “difference” paths that may be used in the context of deviation measurements.

[0090] This additional structure consists, as illustrated in particular in FIG. 10, of two complementary tertiary waveguides 81 and 82 that are rectangular and whose dimensions are matched to the frequency band of the electromagnetic waves intended to travel therethrough.

[0091] The guides 81 and 82 are situated transversely on each side of the device according to the invention at the secondary guides 42 and 43. In one preferred embodiment, these tertiary guides are situated in a central position, as illustrated by FIGS. 8 to 10.

[0092] Each guide has a first end configured so as to form an output port 83 or 84, and a second end via which it is joined to the secondary guide with which it is associated, which forms an aperture 91 or 92.

[0093] As illustrated by the sectional side view in FIG. 12, a cross section passing through the plane of the side face of the secondary guide 42, this aperture 91 (or 92 for the guide 82) is situated facing a similar aperture formed in the large face of the corresponding secondary waveguide 42 or 43 opposite the common face forming the partition 51.

[0094] Each tertiary waveguide 91 or 92 is also dimensioned (length, cross section) so as to form, with the secondary waveguide 42 or 43 to which it is attached, an H-plane coupler that makes it possible, at reception, to calculate the difference between the waves received via each of the input-output ports, 44-45 or 46-47 respectively, of the secondary waveguide to which it is joined.

[0095] This additional structure advantageously makes it possible, at reception, without altering the essential nature of the compactness of the device according to the invention, to form both a path, called sum path, for which the signals transmitted to the device via the secondary input-output ports 44-47 are combined in phase, the resulting signal being delivered via the primary input-output port 48, and two paths, called difference paths, for which the signals transmitted to the device via the secondary input-output ports 44-45, on the one hand, and 46-47, on the other hand, are combined in pairs in phase-to-phase opposition, the difference signals being respectively delivered via the input-output ports 83 and 84.

[0096] This thereby achieves a device constituting a compact structure forming a double magic tee (or hybrid tee), which structure, as is known, achieves dual E-plane and H-plane coupling.

[0097] In this last embodiment, the device according to the invention may thus advantageously perform two separate functions: [0098] a primary function of a hybrid combiner-divider with a primary input-output port and four secondary input-output ports, the compact combiner-divider thus formed being able to be integrated into a beam distribution network for an MFB antenna; [0099] a secondary function for forming what are called “difference” paths that are able to be used in the context of implementing a functionality called “RF Sensing” (deviation measurement), which makes it possible, in a known manner, to measure the pointing offset of the beam under consideration with respect to the axis of the antenna along which this beam travels.

[0100] By virtue of the one-piece structure of the device according to the invention, this second functionality may be implemented without adding hardware dedicated specifically thereto.

[0101] Generally speaking, the device according to the invention may be produced using various known methods, which are not presented here, in particular using methods for producing waveguides and hybrid couplers. It may in particular be produced by molding or machining in the form of two half-shells and assembling the half-shells thus produced.

[0102] It should moreover be noted that, as illustrated by the various views presented in the appended figures, the primary waveguide may be formed by a simple straight guide or else by a “twisted” guide, without this changing the operating principle of the device, the configuration of the primary guide being essentially linked to the arrangement of the various elements forming the distribution network in which it is integrated.