Including Variable Impedance Patents (Class 333/263)
  • Patent number: 11881633
    Abstract: This application provides a phase shifter and an electrically tunable antenna including the phase shifter, where the phase shifter includes a tuning accessory, and the tuning accessory includes a tuning portion for tuning input impedance of the phase shifter. One additional capacitance or inductance parameter is added in the phase shifter by using the tuning portion, to affect input impedance of a port, to further affect a port standing wave, thereby tuning the port standing wave by using the tuning accessory. In addition, the tuning accessory in this application is a molded part with a fixed structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Peng Liu, Xinming Liu, Hongzhi Zhang, Jiejun Zhou
  • Patent number: 11860206
    Abstract: A load-pull tuner is disclosed herein. The tuner comprises a transmission line network and dielectrics positionable above the transmission line network. The transmission line network comprising a main transmission line and two stubs connected to the main transmission line, the two stubs being transmission lines. The main transmission line and the two stubs being tunable transmission lines. The load-pull tuner directly connect to a Ground-Signal-Ground (GSG) probe. The load-pull tuner may be used at higher reflection coefficients for phased-array system characterization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: C-COM SATELLITE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Ardeshir Palizban, Suren Gigoyan, Soroush Rasti Boroujeni, Safieddin Safavi-Naeini
  • Patent number: 11742833
    Abstract: High power impedance tuners suffer from intense heating of the center conductor of the tuner airline (slabline), due to dissipated RF and DC power and, in addition to high electric field between the metallic tuning probe (slug) and the center conductor, also from associated thermal expansion causing sagging of the center conductor and possible electrical short. If the thermal expansion cannot be accommodated by structural means, the center conductor is cooled using forced air created by ventilators or re-circulating low loss dielectric liquid flowing through the slabline. Premature tuner aging through continuous airflow or cooling liquid circulation is avoided using real time monitoring of dissipated (heating) power and regulation of the cooling mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 11733280
    Abstract: A new load-pull tuner system using two-probe waveguide slide screw tuners of which the probes share the same waveguide section; they are inserted diametrically at fixed depth facing each other into slots on opposite broad walls of the waveguide. An adjustable broadband attenuator made using a resistive septum is inserted between the test port and the tuning probes. The tuner does not have cumbersome adjustable vertical axes controlling the penetration of the probes and its low profile is optimized for on-wafer operations. The carriages holding the probes are moved along the waveguide using electric stepper motors or linear actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 11733510
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of making the apparatus, the apparatus including an optical component; an electromagnetic microactuator configured to deflect the optical component; and a substrate configured to support the electromagnetic microactuator, wherein in an undeflected state the electromagnetic microactuator is configured to support the optical component above a plane of the substrate, and wherein the electromagnetic microactuator is configured to deflect from the undeflected state, to deflect at least a portion of the optical component towards the plane of the substrate without the portion of the optical component intersecting the plane of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventor: Flavio Pardo
  • Patent number: 11581623
    Abstract: A low-profile slide screw impedance tuner with rotating disc-shaped tuning probes uses a mechanical arrangement for correcting the skewing of the reflection factor response of the rotating tuning probes. As the axis of the control motor turns, a protruding pin pushes against a fixed limit stop block and shifts the motor and its axis, and by that the tuning probe, in the opposite direction of the rotation shift. This corrects for the skewing phase rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 11435385
    Abstract: A specific conductivity measurement method includes: performing first measurement to obtain a resonance frequency f1 that is outputted to a measuring device when the first and second dielectric flat plates each have a thickness t1, and an unloaded Qu1 that corresponds to the resonance frequency f1; performing second measurement to obtain a resonance frequency f2 that is outputted to the measuring device when the first and second dielectric flat plates each have a thickness t2 that is different from the thickness t1, and an unloaded Qu2 that corresponds to the resonance frequency f2; and calculating a specific conductivity ?r of the copper foil and the first and second conductor flat plates based on an arithmetic equation that includes the resonance frequency the unloaded Qu1, the resonance frequency f2, and the unloaded Qu2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuki Takahashi, Akiko Matsui, Kohei Choraku, Mitsunori Abe, Tetsuro Yamada, Yoshio Kobayashi, Sotaro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11428771
    Abstract: A load-pull test system uses controller, interface, calibration method and at least one low profile, two-probe, slide screw impedance tuner; the tuner probes share the same slabline; they are inserted anti-diametrical at fixed depth (distance from the center conductor) from both sides into the channel and move only horizontally along the slabline. The tuner does not have adjustable high precision vertical axes controlling the penetration of the probes and its low profile is optimized for on-wafer operations. The carriages holding the probes are moved at high speed along the slabline using linear electric actuators. An efficient de-embedding calibration method serves speeding up additionally the measurement procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 10979016
    Abstract: A multi-section probe and a tapered probe for impedance tuners to broaden the band width of the probes and hence the band width of the tuners. The multi-section probe and the tapered probe are configured to transform the characteristic impedance of the tuner transmission line step-by-step or continuously to a target impedance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Maury Microwave, Inc.
    Inventors: M. Tekamül Büber, Sathya Padmanabhan
  • Patent number: 10763798
    Abstract: An amplifier with switchable and tunable harmonic terminations and a variable impedance matching network is presented. The amplifier can adapt to different modes and different frequency bands of operation by appropriate switching and/or tuning of the harmonic terminations and/or the variable impedance matching network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: pSemi Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Frederick Kaatz, Chris Olson
  • Patent number: 10734697
    Abstract: Wideband coaxial low loss signal couplers use an electro-magnetic loop placed perpendicularly in a mantle hole of the external wall of the coaxial airline. The signal coupling factor increases with frequency thus favoring detection of harmonic components generated by the nonlinearly operated RF transistors. In order to adapt also to various power levels and associated harmonic receiver sensitivity the coupling factor can be adjusted either by controlling the penetration of the loop inside the airline cavity or by rotating the loop around its vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 10700402
    Abstract: A compact millimeter-wave slide screw impedance tuner allows reducing to a minimum the insertion loss between the tuner and the wafer-probe. The structure of the tuner uses a 1 mm slabline and adapters, an eccentrically rotating remotely controlled wideband tuning probe and a sliding rack on which the tuning-probe is attached; the position of the rack is controlled by a permanently anchored motorized pinion. The construction method allows for maximum compactness, needed in order to be able to attach the tuner directly on the wafer-probe and minimize the insertion loss, while maintaining key advantages of electro-mechanical tuners, such as robustness, linearity, simplicity, tuning resolution and calibration and compatibility with existing load pull software and technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 10177429
    Abstract: A hybrid harmonic slide screw tuner uses the forward injection technique, also called Gamma Boosting Unit (GBU) cascaded with two independent tuning probes in the same slabline and housing. The wave-probes used in the GBU sample a portion of the forward travelling signal, adjusts its phase, amplifies it, adjusts its amplitude (attenuation) and couples it back, in reverse direction into the main signal path. In the present active tuner technique as is herein implemented, the passive tuners and the signal couplers are mounted on the same double carriages which move each carriage horizontally and the wave- and tuning probes vertically, independently. Appropriate calibration and tuning algorithms ensure independent hybrid (active and passive) harmonic tuning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 10168362
    Abstract: An active slide screw tuner uses the forward injection technique, also called Gamma Boosting Unit (GBU) cascaded with a passive impedance tuner in the same slabline and housing. The GBU samples a portion of the forward travelling signal, adjusts its phase, amplifies it, adjusts its amplitude (attenuation) and couples it back, in reverse direction into the main signal path. In the present active tuner technique as is herein implemented, the horizontal and vertical movement of the forward coupler through remote control in a tuner-type carriage and vertical axis, eliminates the need of a separated phase shifter and attenuator, which makes the solution better, simpler and more effective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 9842674
    Abstract: Designs and methodologies related to attenuators having a thin-film resistor assembly are disclosed. In some embodiments, the thin-film assembly can include a first and second thin-film resistor, each having a main portion with an input end and an output end. The input end of the first thin-film resistor is interconnected to the input end of the second thin-film resistors, and the output end of the first thin-film resistor is interconnected to the output end of the second thin-film resistor. The first and second thin-film resistors are disposed relative to one another so as to define a separation. The separation region reduces the likelihood of hot spot regions forming at or near the center of the thin-film structure and improves power handling capability for a given resistor width. Also disclosed are examples of how the foregoing features can be implemented in different products and methods of fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Peter J. Zampardi, Jr., Kai Hay Kwok
  • Patent number: 9716483
    Abstract: Multi octave frequency-range electro-mechanical impedance tuners cover frequencies from the megahertz (FM range) to the high (millimeter-wave) gigahertz range, by combining a high frequency with one or two low frequency slide screw tuner modules. Special configurations allow for compact size. The low frequency module can be bypassed using SPDT remotely controlled millimeter wave switches. Appropriate calibration, control and tuning procedures allow for a fully integrated operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 9712134
    Abstract: A mechanical impedance tuner has at least two probe carriages mounted for movement along an axis parallel to the center conductor. The at least two probe carriages including a first probe carriage and a second probe carriage. Each probe carriage has at least N probes where N is an integer equal to or greater than one, and at least one of the N probes is mechanically different or of different nominal geometry from the probes on at least one of the other carriages so that each such probe has an non-identical frequency response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Maury Microwave, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Dudkiewicz, Gary R. Simpson
  • Patent number: 9413049
    Abstract: A rotary joint includes a contactless electrical connection that has an annular shape, not extending into a central region surrounded and defined by the annular contactless electrical connection. The annular shape of the electrical connection portions allows other uses for the central region, such as for passing an optical signal through the rotary joint. Feeds are coupled to annular waveguide structures in both halves of the rotary joint, for input and output of signals. The feeds may provide connections to the annular waveguide structures at regularly-spaced circumferential intervals around the waveguide structures, such as at about every half-wavelength of the incoming (and outgoing) signals. The annular waveguide structures propagate signals in an axial direction, parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary joint. The signals propagate contactlessly (non-electrically-conductively) across a gap in the axial direction between the two annular waveguides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: John J Wootan, Clifton Quan, Chad E Patterson, Michael D Runyan
  • Patent number: 9325289
    Abstract: The invention relates to a coaxial-impedance synthesizer, comprising: a longitudinal central (0x) conductor (1); an outer conductive tube (2) arranged coaxially to the conductor (1); and at least one probe (4) mounted so as to longitudinally translate around the conductor (1), the coaxial-impedance synthesizer being characterized in that the outer tube (2) includes two separable half-tubes, such that the probe (4) is permitted to move longitudinally, relative to the central conductor (1), to a desired position when the two half-tubes are spaced apart from each other, and when the two half-tubes are near each other, the outer periphery of the probe (4) and the inner wall of the outer tube are in contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Inventor: Arnaud Curutchet
  • Patent number: 9209786
    Abstract: An impedance tuner includes a controller, an RF transmission line, and a movable capacitive object configured for movement commanded by the controller relative to the transmission line to alter impedance. A position sensor is configured to provide feedback position data to the controller indicative of the actual position of the capacitive object after it is moved. The controller is configured to utilize the feedback position data in a closed loop to position the capacitive object at a desired position within a tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Maury Microwave, Inc.
    Inventors: Byung Lee, Gary R. Simpson, Sathya Padmanabhan
  • Patent number: 9196411
    Abstract: A system and method for heating a hydrocarbon resource in a subterranean formation having a wellbore extending therein, include the use of a radio frequency (RF) source, an RF antenna to be positioned within the wellbore and a transmission line coupling the RF source and the RF antenna. A tunable choke is positioned on the transmission line between the RF source and RF antenna, and a controller is coupled to the tunable choke. The controller may be configured to tune the tunable choke to reduce a common mode current from propagating on an outside of the transmission line toward the RF source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: HARRIS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Francis Eugene Parsche
  • Patent number: 9041498
    Abstract: Mechanically short multi-carriage impedance tuners use meandering slabline structures. The meandering structure reduces the overall tuner length by a factor of 2.5 at 0.4 GHz. The critical issue of slabline bends is addressed with several low loss, low reflection alternatives. A preferred configuration comprises a vertical-horizontal slabline transition. Cable connections are discarded because of reflections and insertion loss. Measured results show acceptable performance. The tuner is mostly interesting for relatively lower microwave frequencies, such as 1 GHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8975988
    Abstract: Mechanically short single and multi-carriage impedance tuners use a dielectrically filled slabline. The dielectric filling reduces the overall tuner length by a factor of 1/??r. The increase in loss, and associated reduction in reflection factor, is partly compensated by the shorter size and travel of the probes. A typical length reduction factor is 40%. Using dielectric low loss oil also reduces the electric field between probe and center conductor and increases Corona threshold; lubrication of sliding contact between probe and slabline walls and cooling of the center conductor are additional benefits. The method is most effective for wideband tuners with lowest frequency of operation between 100 and 200 MHz and harmonic tuners with lowest frequency between 200 and 400 MHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8907750
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of a multiple carriage tuner employs a carriage initialization technique, in which at least two of the carriages are initialized at fixed positions. This has the advantage of faster initialization, since multiple carriages can be moving simultaneously, if desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Maury Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary R. Simpson
  • Patent number: 8896401
    Abstract: A calibration and impedance synthesis method applies to automatic multi frequency-range electro-mechanical impedance tuner which cover frequencies from a low megahertz to a high gigahertz range; this is possible by cascading a high frequency tuner module with one or two low frequency tuner modules; the low frequency module(s) are made using either “variable phase shifter-capacitor” or “multi-capacitor-transmission line tuner” structures. The high frequency module is a single, double or triple probe slide screw tuner, with the individual probes covering adjacent frequency bands. Calibration is measuring S-parameters of each tuner module on a VNA, cascading in memory and saving in cal-files. Tuning employs search routines in calibration data base targeting the closest calibrated point versus a user defined impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8854162
    Abstract: Mechanical vertical stops, in form of metallic or plastic screws or dowel pins are introduced as permanent limits and attached on the tuning probes or the vertical axis of slide screw impedances tuners; the vertical stops are adjusted in order to prevent the probes from getting closer to the center conductor than a certain limit; this limit is calculated to prevent corona discharge at a specified maximum RF power and a required maximum reflection factor (Gamma). The adjustment method uses measured data of Gamma as a function of the vertical position of the probe to estimate and adjust for the requested gap to be maintained between the probes (at their lowest position) and the center conductor at any given RF power. The technique can be used in automatic, stepper controlled, as well as in manual, micrometer screw controlled, tuners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8680770
    Abstract: A power splitter and/or combiner is described. The power splitter may be provided as a broadband, passive, divide by N power splitter that may be advantageously employed in providing power to multiple electrodes within a plasma source. The power splitter comprises a transmission line and a plurality of N secondary windings arranged about the transmission lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Dublin City University
    Inventors: Albert Rogers Ellingboe, Tomasz Michna
  • Patent number: 8653905
    Abstract: Provided is a high voltage wideband pulse attenuator having an attenuation value self-correction function. The high voltage wideband pulse attenuator includes an input unit for receiving a pulse signal, a T-shaped attenuator circuit for attenuating the pulse signal, an output unit for outputting the pulse signal attenuated by the attenuator circuit, and a capacitive divider circuit for dividing a voltage of the pulse signal input through the input unit or the pulse signal attenuated by the attenuator circuit. Using the capacitive divider circuit, the high voltage wideband pulse attenuator can easily measure an error of an attenuation value caused by a change in the resistance of T-shaped array resistor units in a process of attenuating an input pulse signal of tens of kV or more. In particular, the pulse attenuator can measure its performance by itself without test assisting devices, and check a state of an attenuated pulse in real-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Seung Kab Ryu, Kyung Hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 8653825
    Abstract: A measuring system contains a signal generator and at least one power meter. A device under test is supplied with a signal from the signal generator. A signal output by the device under test can be measured by the first power meter. In this context, the signal generator and the power meter are connected by a bidirectional communications link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Braunstorfinger, Christian Benisch, Dieter Koehler
  • Patent number: 8629742
    Abstract: An impedance synthesis method for fundamental and harmonic frequencies using multi section tuners, because of the huge amount of possible tuning permutations, employs a search strategy based on the minimization of an ERROR FUNCTION (EF), in two steps: in a first step a coarse calibration grid is generated and the raw area is found which allows an approximate solution to the tuning task at the fundamental frequency; then a fine impedance grid is generated around the first solution using calibrated and interpolated points at all harmonic frequencies; a second search step, using the same EF, then allows fine tuning. Among the several, numerically found solutions, the most reliable one is selected based on a sensitivity criterion, which calculates the impedance change for a possible small error in repeatability of each tuning element and selects the one with the lowest sensitivity to element setting errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: FOCUSMW IP. Inc.
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8497689
    Abstract: A method and test setup for reducing the RF power requirement in active load pull uses impedance tuners between the output of the test transistor and the active RF power injection network. The active network uses either a closed loop (active load) configuration or an open loop network employing split or synchronized signal sources. The impedance tuners are wideband (fundamental) tuners, harmonic rejection tuners or multi-harmonic tuners. A 7:1 transforming ratio of the tuners represents the best compromise between power matching and tuner loss, yielding a reduction of 11dB in power requirements from the active load or the synchronized source(s); if only the fundamental signal is injected at the output of the DUT, a multi-harmonic tuner or a harmonic rejection tuner is used for independent harmonic tuning; if multiple harmonic signals are injected, a multi-harmonic tuner is used and creates passive harmonic loads while reducing at the same time the power requirements from the harmonic injection sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8466758
    Abstract: Single and multi-probe slide screw impedance tuners incorporate DC bias networks. The bias networks can be inserted at the test port, between DUT and first tuner probe/slug, or at the idle port, between tuner probe/slug and load or source. The bias networks are designed and optimized for different frequency and DC power (current, voltage) ranges and are insertable and exchangeable, depending on the application. The effects are short-circuit protection, higher compactness and shorter supply lines leading to: a) better control of spurious oscillations and IF impedance and b) improved sideband up-mixing behavior of the DUT in modulated-signal nonlinear applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8461946
    Abstract: Wideband and multi-section probes (slugs) for slide-screw impedance tuners use means for mechanical limitation of vertical movement towards the center conductor of the slablines, in form of cross bar structures and/or adjustable screws or dowel pins, in order to prevent the probes from having mechanical/galvanic contact with the center conductor of the slabline. The limiting screws or dowel pins can be mounted on the probes themselves or on the vertical tuner axis. Fine adjustment allows optimizing the maximum reflection factor at various frequency ranges and probe sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8447256
    Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure an attenuating circuit comprises a balun configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal at first and second input ports and configured to output the RF signal. The circuit further comprises an attenuator coupled in parallel with the first and second input ports. A power level of the RF signal output by the balun is based at least partially on an impedance of the attenuator. The attenuator comprises a resistor ladder configured to receive at least a portion of the RF signal and a plurality of switches coupled to the resistor ladder. The plurality of switches are configured to open and close such that the impedance of the attenuator is a function of which switches are open and closed. Therefore, the power of the RF signal is controlled based at least on the opening and closing of the switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Kurt B. Hausmann, Omid Oliaei
  • Patent number: 8427255
    Abstract: An automatic slide screw impedance tuner uses one or more adjustable RF probes, either independently movable or linked together, in order to generate high VSWR; precise alignment of two RF probes inside the same slabline is critical, since they must glide seamlessly inside the slabline slot, very closely to the center conductor over large horizontal displacements; a self-aligning link between the tuner axis and the probes is made using a flexible steel blade and allows one or both of them to be mounted on the tuner's vertical axis in a manner that allows lateral and tilting self-alignment of the probe with hysteresis-free movement in vertical and horizontal directions, as required for exact re-positioning of the probe in the slabline during measurement. In case of multiple probes mounted on the same tuner axis the steel blade link provides also for variable spacing for optimum frequency operation of the tuner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8416030
    Abstract: An impedance tuner may include a shunt stub located at a fixed location along the transmission media, and a phase shifter to control the reflection phase. Another embodiment includes an adjustable length shunt stub connected on the transmission media, a variable phase shifter connected between the DUT port and the adjustable length shunt stub, a probe arranged for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of signal propagation. Another embodiment includes a reflection magnitude control system mounted in a fixed position relative to a direction of signal propagation along the transmission media, and a phase shifter to control a reflection phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Maury Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary R. Simpson
  • Patent number: 8410862
    Abstract: An automatic multi frequency-range electro-mechanical impedance tuner covers frequencies from a low megahertz to a high gigahertz range, by combining a high frequency with one or two a low frequency tuner modules; the low frequency module is made using either variable phase shifter-capacitor or multi-capacitor-transmission line tuner structures. The high frequency module is a single, double or triple probe slide screw tuner covering up to 1.5 decades in frequency; the low frequency tuner is using cascades of three or more capacitor-coax cable tuning sections or a low frequency phase shifter combined with a variable shunt capacitor; the low frequency tuner can operate as low as a few megahertz whereas the high frequency tuner can operate up to several gigahertz. Depending on the application, low frequency parallel-blade capacitors or high frequency coaxial trimmers are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8405475
    Abstract: A method for calibrating multi carriage-multi probe impedance tuners for synthesizing distinct, user defined impedances at a number of harmonic frequencies, employs two-port s-parameter characterization of the tuning sections on a pre-calibrated vector network analyzer at a pre-selected number of probe positions. All tuner probes are wideband and capable of creating high reflection factor at all harmonic frequencies considered. The data are saved in memory and all permutations of the s-parameters at all harmonic frequencies are generated. Subsequently the data are organized blocks based on reflection factor values fitting in a number of segments of the Smith chart; this allows accelerated numeric search through a pre-selection of data block depending on the target reflection factor chosen. The method can be used for two three and four probe tuners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8400238
    Abstract: An impedance matching, harmonic electromagnetic tuner has an airline with multiple slots to reduce the overall length of the tuner. At least one RF probe is disposed within each slot so that it can be moved parallel to, towards and/or away from a center conductor. Each of the probes may be put in user selectable positions to create a user selectable impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8358186
    Abstract: Slide screw impedance tuners use resonant probes in order to avoid uncontrollable reflection factors at harmonic frequencies in high power load pull transistor testing. The tuners use either coaxial slotted airlines or slablines. The probes are coupled capacitively with the central conductor of the airline and are either slotted with associated spring loaded effect for better galvanic ground contact, or solid dielectrically coated or anodized and carefully machined for slide fitting into the slabline opening or the coaxial line slot, for capacitive contact with the ground plane. The probes allow for selective reflection behavior over a given frequency range, which does not include unwanted frequencies, such as harmonic or sub-harmonic frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8315378
    Abstract: A hybrid circuit without inductors is provided. Embodiments can be used in high-speed communication devices, including Cable modem and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) devices. In particular, embodiments can be used in Very High Speed DSL (VDSL) devices. Embodiments provide a cheap and compact solution to the echo rejection problem in high-speed communication devices. Furthermore, embodiments perform at least comparably to conventional solutions with respect to key performance measures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Fang Lin
  • Patent number: 8203348
    Abstract: An electro-mechanical microwave impedance tuner operates as a stand-alone instrument and includes on-board digital processor, firmware, memory, digital display and human control interface, in form of a joystick, mouse, keyboard or tactile (touch sensitive) screen in order to recognize and execute commands for moving the tuner motors and probes, generating required microwaves impedances and calculating losses and de-embedding to reference planes different than the tuner ports. Before being used in operations the tuner can also be controlled by a control computer in order to be calibrated on a network analyzer and the data can be uploaded into the on-board memory in order to be used in the above calculations. During measurement and tuning operations the tuner is therefore stand-alone and totally independent of a control computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8188816
    Abstract: Compact high reflection and harmonic frequency impedance tuners use the slide screw principle and new slabline structures, either with three slots arranged at 120° to each other or four slots arranged in a cross form 90° to each other. The tuners comprise up to three and up to four mobile carriages correspondingly, which slide horizontally across the length of the slabline(s), each carriage holding one or two stepper motors and one or two conductive RF probes, which can be inserted into the corresponding slots of the slabline(s) and create adjustable reflection factors through capacitive coupling with the center conductor of the slabline(s). The length of the tuners is considerably reduced, since the probes share the same sections of slabline. The tuners can be used for wideband, high reflection and multi-frequency (harmonic) tuning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8159317
    Abstract: A variable impedance adapter that has a value of characteristic impedance that is responsive to changes in the configuration of the adapter. In one embodiment, the variable impedance adapter includes an elongated section and a telescoping section that surround a center conductor that transmits an electrical signal across the adapter. A pair of tuning elements is disposed on a portion of the center conductor, one or more of the elements being shaped and configured to move along the center conductor amongst a plurality of positions in response to relative movement between the elongated section and the telescoping section. The first position and the second position correspond to different values of characteristic impedance of the variable impedance adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: John Mezzalingua Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Noah Montena
  • Patent number: 8098112
    Abstract: An impedance tuner may include a transmission media for propagating RF signals, a reflection magnitude control device mounted in a fixed position relative to a direction of signal propagation along said transmission media, and a phase shifter to control a reflection phase. A multi-section probe for an impedance tuner system may include a plurality of probe sections and a holder structure for mechanically supporting the plurality of probe sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Maury Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary R. Simpson
  • Patent number: 8067996
    Abstract: A vanadium dioxide front-end advanced shutter device. The electronic shutter device is designed to protect receiver front-ends and other sensitive circuits from HPM pulse events such as HPM weapons, directed energy weapons, or EMPs. The shutter incorporates a transition material such as thin-film vanadium oxide (VOX) materials that exhibit a dramatic change in resistivity as their temperature is varied over a narrow range near a known critical temperature. A high-energy pulse causes ohmic heating in the shutter device, resulting in a state change in the VOX material when the critical temperature is exceeded. During the state change the VOX material transitions from an insulating state (high resistance) to a reflective state (low resistance). In the insulating state, the shutter device transmits the majority of the signal. In the reflective state, most of the signal is reflected and prevented from passing into electronics on the output side of the shutter device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher E. Hillman, Jeffrey F. De Natale, Jonathan B. Hacker, J. Aiden Higgins, Paul H. Kobrin
  • Publication number: 20110241806
    Abstract: A variable impedance adapter that has a value of characteristic impedance that is responsive to changes in the configuration of the adapter. In one embodiment, the variable impedance adapter includes an elongated section and a telescoping section that surround a center conductor that transmits an electrical signal across the adapter. A pair of tuning elements is disposed on a portion of the center conductor, one or more of the elements being shaped and configured to move along the center conductor amongst a plurality of positions in response to relative movement between the elongated section and the telescoping section. The first position and the second position correspond to different values of characteristic impedance of the variable impedance adapter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: JOHN MEZZALINGUA ASSOCIATES, INC.
    Inventor: Noah Montena
  • Patent number: 8022795
    Abstract: A variable impedance adapter that has a value of characteristic impedance that is responsive to changes in the configuration of the adapter. In one embodiment, the variable impedance adapter includes an elongated section and a telescoping section that surround a center conductor that transmits an electrical signal across the adapter. A pair of tuning elements is disposed on a portion of the center conductor, one or more of the elements being shaped and configured to move along the center conductor amongst a plurality of positions in response to relative movement between the elongated section and the telescoping section. The first position and the second position correspond to different values of characteristic impedance of the variable impedance adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: John Mezzalingua Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Noah Montena
  • Publication number: 20110115582
    Abstract: An impedance tuner may include a transmission media for propagating RF signals, a reflection magnitude control device mounted in a fixed position relative to a direction of signal propagation along said transmission media, and a phase shifter to control a reflection phase. A multi-section probe for an impedance tuner system may include a plurality of probe sections and a holder structure for mechanically supporting the plurality of probe sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventor: Gary R. Simpson
  • Patent number: 7936233
    Abstract: The invention concerns a coaxial automatic impedance adaptor characterized in that it comprises two slugs and has only a lateral translational movement along an axis Ox. The double slug tuner principle is based on the movement of two line segments of different characteristics of 50 O inside a closed cylinder on either side of standard connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignees: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CRNS, Universite des Sciences et Technologies de Lille - USTL
    Inventors: Nicolas Vellas, Christophe Gaquière, Frédéric Bue, Damien Ducatteau