Patents Assigned to M/A-Com, Inc.
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Publication number: 20040182598Abstract: Stabilization of dielectrics used in transmission lines is described. In one implementation, the transmission line includes an outer conductor, a center conductor, and a dielectric material. The dielectric material separates the outer conductor from the center conductor. The center conductor has a conductive surface with a pattern distributed thereon. The pattern is configured to prevent the dielectric material from moving when the transmission line is exposed to an extreme temperature fluctuation. The pattern increases a coefficient of friction between the center conductor and dielectric material sufficient enough to prevent undesired motion of the dielectric material. In one implementation, the pattern includes indentations that are generally, but not necessarily limited to between 0.001 and 0.004 of an inch deep.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2003Publication date: September 23, 2004Applicant: M/A COM, Inc.Inventor: Peter Michael Waltz
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Publication number: 20040178952Abstract: A method for transmitting a radar signal comprises the step of transmitting a series of pulses, each of the pulses being separated in time by an interpulse period, and each of the pulses in the series being modulated in accordance with a different character of a first codeType: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2003Publication date: September 16, 2004Applicant: M/A Com, Inc.Inventor: Alan Jenkins
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Patent number: 6784768Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for coupling energy into or out of a dielectric resonator circuit by means of a coupling loop. More particularly, the invention is a method and apparatus for adjustably mounting a coupling loop relative to a resonator, the method and apparatus particularly adapted for use with conical and similar resonators in which the field of interest, typically the TE mode, varies as a function of longitudinal position relative to the resonator.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2003Date of Patent: August 31, 2004Assignee: M/A - Com, Inc.Inventors: Kristi Dhimiter Pance, Eswarappa Channabasappa, Adil Khalil
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Publication number: 20040140851Abstract: An apparatus for electromagnetic processing comprises a controller and a processor for receiving an input signal. The processor comprises one or more stages in communication with the controller. The controller is capable of regulating the input signal and the one or more stages to generate an output signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2003Publication date: July 22, 2004Applicant: M/A COM, Inc.Inventor: Radwan M.R. Husseini
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Publication number: 20040141470Abstract: The invention is directed to a multi-band switch having a transmitter switching section with a plurality of transmission ports, and a receiver switching section with a plurality of receiver ports, each having associated switching topologies to switch one of the ports to an antenna port. The switching topologies may use a plurality of series-connected FETs, such as insulated gate n-channel FETs, where the transmitter port switching elements may have larger switching transistors than the receiver port switching elements. The main signal path transistors of the transmitter and receiver switching elements be interdigitated FETs, in which source region fingers and drain region fingers alternate within the transistor area. These interdigitated source and drain regions may be spaced apart from each other by a sinuous channel region, over which is a gate metallization.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2003Publication date: July 22, 2004Applicant: M/A COM, Inc.Inventors: Mark F. Kelcourse, Christopher N. Brindle
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Publication number: 20040113746Abstract: A switch includes at least two signal ports in series with a series FET connected therebetween, and a shunt path having an FET, whereby an input bias is applied to a gate on the series FET and to a drain on the shunt FET. In one embodiment, the switch includes a control signal input, an FET connected in series across the first port and the second port, the series FET having a gate coupled to the control signal input, and a shunt path provided by an FET, the shunt FET having a drain coupled to the control signal input and to the gate of the series FET, whereby a single control signal is applied to both the series FET and the shunt FET, via the control signal input, in order to turn the series FET on and simultaneously turn the shunt FET off and, conversely, in order to turn the series FET off and simultaneously turn the shunt FET on.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2003Publication date: June 17, 2004Applicant: M/A-COM, Inc.Inventor: Christopher N. Brindle
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Publication number: 20040113747Abstract: A single-die multi-band switch includes a plurality of transmitter ports and a plurality of receiver ports, any one of which is selected to be connected to an antenna port. At least some of these switching topologies use a branched or cascaded switching system in order to reduce signal insertion loss. It is preferred that the individual switching elements be field effect transistors. The switching topologies employed include series-connected groups of transistors and interdigitated FETs.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2003Publication date: June 17, 2004Applicant: M/A-COM, Inc.Inventor: Mark F. Kelcourse
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Publication number: 20040109572Abstract: Apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for modifying electromagnetic waves by reducing noise in those waves. A transfer function for a plurality of segments is derived through identifying a desired output parameter. That transfer function is then applied, via a plurality of filters or other devices, to a wave, in order to achieve said transfer function.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2002Publication date: June 10, 2004Applicant: M/A-COM, Inc.Inventor: Walid K.M. Ahmed
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Publication number: 20040105502Abstract: An apparatus for electromagnetic processing comprises a modulator for generating one or more elements representative of an input signal; a divider controlled by the one or more elements and receiving an electromagnetic wave to generate a modified signal; a comparator for comparing the modified signal to a reference signal and for generating a processed signal based upon the comparison; and a channel number calculator for selecting a channel for the processed signal, wherein the input signal incorporated the channel selection.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2002Publication date: June 3, 2004Applicant: M/A-COM, Inc.Inventor: David Bengtson
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Publication number: 20040104768Abstract: Apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture for multiband transmitter power amplification are provided wherein one or more amplifying devices, of which at least one may be one or more current sources, have impedances matched for different input and output frequencies by way of various impedance matching circuits.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2002Publication date: June 3, 2004Applicants: M/A-COM Eurotec, M/A-COM, Inc.Inventors: Finbarr J. McGrath, Eugene Heaney, Pierce J. Nagle, Andrei V. Grebennikov
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Publication number: 20040077120Abstract: A high-speed cross-point switch is built on a preferably silicon substrate and uses bipolar transistor switching elements. Preferably, the bipolar transistors are SiGe bipolar junction transistors. Intersecting conductive input and output microstrips are preferably thinned at their intersections to reduce shunt capacitance between the coupled lines. It is also preferred that the input buffer be connected in cascode fashion with the switching transistors in order to create an amplification stage. The signal and its inverse are carried on balanced microstrip pairs in order to reduce electromagnetic field strength at the center of the balanced line pairs thereby improving isolation between two crossing balanced pairs.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2003Publication date: April 22, 2004Applicant: M/A-COM, Inc.Inventor: Noyan Kinayman
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Patent number: 6720908Abstract: A method for measuring range and bearing of an object. At least a portion of a first signal is transmitted from a sensor. The transmitted signal is reflected from an object and received by the sensor. At least a portion of the first signal is applied a first mixer and a second mixer. The received signal is applied to the first mixer and the second mixer. A second signal is generated from the first mixer, and a third signal is generated from the second mixer when the portion of the first signal that was transmitted overlaps the reflected signal at least partially. Bearing angle, degree on or off boresight and object range may be determined from the second and third signals, or a combination thereof. Also disclosed is a sensor for object range and bearing measurement.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2002Date of Patent: April 13, 2004Assignee: M/A-Com, Inc.Inventor: Kenneth V. Puglia
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Publication number: 20040051114Abstract: A low control voltage switch utilizing a plurality of field effect transistors (FETs) having a total of six gates to allow the switch to operate at a low control voltage without the need to increase device periphery or die size. Feed-forward capacitors connected between the gate and source of an uppermost FET and the gate and drain of a lowermost FET are used to reduce signal distortion and improve the linearity and harmonic noise rejection characteristics of the FETs within the switch and thus lower the harmonics of the switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2003Publication date: March 18, 2004Applicant: M/A Com, Inc.Inventors: Christopher N. Brindle, Mark F. Kelcourse
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Publication number: 20040051395Abstract: A sharp control voltage switch utilizing a plurality of field effect transistors (FETs) having and a bypass resistance topology to sharpen the control voltage. Utilizing a total of six gates allows the switch to operate at a low control voltage without the need to increase device periphery or die size. Feed-forward capacitors connected between the gate and source of an uppermost FET and the gate and drain of a lowermost FET are used to reduce signal distortion and improve the linearity and harmonic noise rejection characteristics of the FETs within the switch and thus lower the harmonics of the switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2003Publication date: March 18, 2004Applicant: M/A Com, Inc.Inventors: Christopher N. Brindle, Mark F. Kelcourse
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Patent number: 6667672Abstract: A high power ferrite microwave phase shifter that is both compact and low cost. The ferrite phase shifter includes a waveguide having a first cylinder and a second cylinder, the radius of the second cylinder being less than the radius of the first cylinder. The second cylinder is disposed within the first cylinder such that the two cylinders have a common axis of symmetry. The waveguide includes a first septum formed as a disk and disposed within the second cylinder. The disk has a pie-shaped aperture formed therethrough and is centrally disposed within the second cylinder so that the two cylinders and the disk share the same axis of symmetry. The second cylinder has an opening formed therethrough that is aligned with the pie-shaped aperture. The waveguide further includes a second septum that extends from the first cylinder to the disk center while bisecting the pie-shaped aperture, thereby separating an input from an output of the ferrite phase shifter.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2002Date of Patent: December 23, 2003Assignee: M/A-Com, Inc.Inventor: Wayne Dean Fowler
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Patent number: 6646526Abstract: A surface-mountable millimeter-wave waveguide filter is constructed using irises in a rectangular waveguide formed in a dielectric material such as glass. The filter structure is surface-mountable, has a single dielectric layer, and can be manufactured using a suitable monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) process. The filter has potential applications in millimeter-wave systems such as Local Multipoint Distribution System (LMDS) and Autonomous Cruise Control (ACC) radar for automobiles.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2002Date of Patent: November 11, 2003Assignee: M/A-Com, Inc.Inventors: Noyan Kinayman, Eswarappa Channabasappa, Allan Buckle, Nitin Jain
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Publication number: 20030186674Abstract: A cable television diplexer and telephony module that can be employed in CATV data transmission systems to enhance performance levels and reduce manufacturing costs. The cable television diplexer and telephony module includes a printed circuit board substrate, and a diplexer having a low pass filter section and a high pass filter section, each of which has components mounted on the substrate. The respective low pass and high pass filter sections of the diplexer include one or more high Q value planar spiral inductors. Each spiral inductor includes a narrow track of metal disposed on the substrate and wound around a center to form a circular spiral curve having a plurality of turns. The spiral inductor may be fabricated on the substrate of the cable television diplexer and telephony module, or on a separate substrate, using a standard PCB fabrication process.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2002Publication date: October 2, 2003Applicant: M/A-COM, Inc.Inventors: Bill Allen Keeney, Deirdre Anne Wallace
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Patent number: 6621385Abstract: A circuit configuration for introducing bias in balanced lines capable of high frequency operation includes top and bottom layers formed on a semiconductor substrate. The circuit includes two balanced metallized lines positioned on the substrate. Each metallized line has a serpentine line configuration connected thereto. The space between the lines is a virtual ground. The serpentine line configurations are congruent with the elements on the substrate layers to provide a completed circuit. The elements are coupled to a central metallic area, which in turn is coupled to a bias line through an open-line stub, which extends beyond the virtual ground and which provides equal capacitive coupling to the balanced lines on the top surface. In this manner, the balanced line configuration includes capacitors and inductors which are symmetrically distributed and which provide resonance at the designed operating frequency.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2002Date of Patent: September 16, 2003Assignee: M/A-Com, Inc.Inventor: Nitin Jain
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Patent number: 6600179Abstract: A semiconductor amplifier includes collector straps that form air bridges over a set of transistors and make parallel electrical connections between the collectors of the transistor and collector contact pad. Base straps establish base bias and electrically connect a dc current source with bases of the transistors through resistive elements.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2001Date of Patent: July 29, 2003Assignee: M/A-Com, Inc.Inventors: Anthony Francis Quaglietta, Allen William Hanson, Thomas Aaron Winslow
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Patent number: 6587072Abstract: A radar based sensor detection system comprises a microwave source operative to provide a continuous wave signal at an output. A pulse-former is coupled to the output of the source and is operative to provide at an output a variable length pulse that increases the transmitted energy of the radar system according to the range of object detection. A modulator is coupled to the output of the pulse-former for providing a modulated pulse signal. A transmit receive switch coupled to the output of the modulator is selectively operative between a first transmit position and a second receive position. A transmit channel coupled to the transmit receive switch transmits the pulse signal when the switch is operated in the transmit position. A receiving channel coupled to the transmit receive switch receives the modulator signal when the switch is operated in the receive position.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2002Date of Patent: July 1, 2003Assignee: M/A-Com, Inc.Inventors: Robert Ian Gresham, Robert Egri