Abstract: A novel junction design was developed for use with in-line combiner networks to minimize electrical length between the resonators being combined and to optimize coupling. It consists of a combiner comprising a plurality of cavity resonators coupled to a combining mechanism. The combining mechanism is placed outside of each resonator a prescribed distance above the ground plane. Combiner pairs are created by connecting two cavities to each other using quarter-wave lines. The central combiner pair is directly connected to the output connector through a common port. The quarter-wave junctions not directly connected to the output connector are then connected to the output port through half-wavelength lines. Iris or aperture coupling is controlled by a sliding cover that is adjusted using a free-rotating screw and is secured with locking screws to ensure good electrical and RF grounding.

Abstract: The invention is related to the field of tunable multiplexers. It consists of a tunable microwave multiplexer comprising a plurality of channel filters coupled to a combining/dividing mechanism. The plurality of channel filters can be either dielectric loaded resonators or combline resonators, while the combining/dividing mechanism can be a common resonator. In one embodiment, the common resonator is a multiple half-wavelength coaxial resonator.

Abstract: A polarized antenna for sending and receiving polarized radio frequency signals is disclosed which includes a dipole and a reflector plate. The dipole is formed as a single part including the radiating arms and feeding structures, thereby requiring minimum assembly. This dipole can be formed by molding conventional materials, such as copper, aluminum, and plastic, which can then be plated. The feeding structure through which the cable passes features a slotted aperture. The impedance of the dipole is based on the width of these apertures and the size of the cable conductor. By having a single-body construction, the dipole of the present invention provides, good impedance, low intermodulation distortion, good port-to-port isolation, and good pattern purity.

Abstract: A waveguide structure that has two rotating parts changes the polarization of a radio frequency signal in two steps or one step. The waveguide structure includes input and output waveguides and a polarization rotator. The output waveguide includes two cavities corresponding to two polarizations. The rotator includes cut-away portions of a rectangular shape which are rotated with respect to each other and the first wave guide by predetermined angles. When the second waveguide is rotated from one cavity to another, the rotator is also rotated, thereby changing the polarization of the signals passing through the waveguide. In addition, if the rotator and the second waveguide are interlocked, then the number of steps required to accomplish the polarization change can be reduced to one, because rotation of the second waveguide will cause the rotation of the polarization rotator.

Abstract: A novel locking mechanism for mounting a radio to an antenna. The mounting face of a radio is secured to the mounting portion of an antenna. The mounting portion of the radio has a locking ring on which a plurality of radio locking tabs are located at equally spaced positions. The ring can be fixed to the radio, or in another embodiment, is still secured to the radio but can rotate independently. The mounting portion of the antenna has a corresponding number of equidistantly spaced tension springs, which have a plurality of spring fingers. To mount the radio to the antenna, the radio locking ring with radio locking tabs is twisted so that each antenna tension spring is deflected by a corresponding radio locking tab. The engagement of the radio locking ring to the antenna spring fingers secures the radio to the antenna. The deflection force also produces a friction force.

Abstract: An antenna control system is connected to an antenna in order to control the position of the antenna. The system includes a motor connected to the antenna for adjusting the position or vertical tilt angle of the antenna. A driver is provided for operating the motor. A sensor is also provided to detect the position of the antenna. In addition, an antenna controller is connected to an antenna memory, the driver, and the sensor, for reading the detected position of the antenna and for controlling the driver to adjust the antenna's position. A main controller is connected to the antenna controller for sending commands to and reading data from the antenna controller. In this manner, the main controller can interface with any number of antennas at a base station and control the position or down-tilt of each antenna. According to one embodiment of the control system, a user interface is also provided for entering commands to and reading data from the main controller.

Abstract: A system for inductively cross coupling resonators. Two resonators are interconnected by a cross coupler with the two ends, each end having a hole. The holes secures each end of the cross coupler to one of the resonators. The use of a stamped piece as a cross coupler results in a repeatable placement between resonators that minimizes any variation in coupling between resonators due to human error during assembly. This repeatability reduces assembly time and assembly cost.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved coaxial cable preparation tool (1) that is used to prepare a coaxial cable terminal end for connector installation. The tool comprises two stages. The first stage, the jacket stripper, is used to trim the cable jacket. The second stage (20), the cable trimmer, is used to trim the remaining center, the outer conductors and the foam insulation of the coaxial cable. The first stage (10) consists of a cup or cylinder (11) with an outer cylindrical wall (12). In addition, it also comprises a blade (13) and a scrap port (14). In addition, the first stage cylinder (11) has a bore (16) extending axially down its center. The diameter of the bore (16) is set to receive a coaxial cable. The second stage consists of a hub (21) (or cutter head), a collet bearing (22) and a body (23). In addition, like the first stage, it also contains blades (13) and scrap ports (14). The scrap ports or debris ports (14) allow trimmed cable media to escape from the bores in the tool.

Abstract: A microwave coupler has a planar form with a transmission line segment oriented at an angle relative to a main transmission line. The planar form of the transmission line, such as in a printed circuit board, helps reduce the size and manufacturing costs for the coupler. When placed a prescribed distance from the main transmission line and oriented at an appropriate angle, the directivity and coupling factor requirements can be met precisely with minimal tuning. Where fine tuning is required, a tuning screw and resistor disposed adjacent to the transmission line segment are provided.

Abstract: A multi-channel multiplexer has a substantially square shape and includes an N×N matrix with a common resonator. A plurality of input/output ports are connected to a common input/output port via respective resonators of the N×N matrix and the common resonator. The multiplexer provides a compact size, with balanced insertion losses and simple configuration to minimize phase difference of inter-resonator transitions.

Abstract: A tunable, temperature compensated, thermal and mechanical stable, dielectric loaded cavity resonator and filter assembly has high unloaded Q, wide frequency tuning range and simple structure suitable for high volume production. The cavity resonator consists of a conductive housing, a substantially cylindrical ring shape dielectric body with a low loss, low thermal expansion coefficient support, a tuning mechanism and a plastic support at the opposite side of the main cylindrical dielectric body, which holds the main cylindrical dielectric body in place. The tuning mechanism further includes a substantially cylindrical dielectric tuning element positioned in or near the hole of the main cylindrical dielectric body and a self-locked or equivalent nut locked rotor with a support using the same material as that of the main cylindrical body support.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tapered slot antenna with broadband characteristics whose beamwidth is stable over both the PCS (1850-1990 MHz) and the cellular bands (824-894 MHz). In a first preferred embodiment, a dual band antenna is disclosed which uses a single column elliptically shaped Vivaldi notches as the radiating elements. In a second preferred embodiment, a dual band antenna comprising elliptically shaped Vivaldi notches and sub-reflector positioned between a main reflector and the dipoles is disclosed. This resultant antenna produces a stable, ninety-degree beamwidth with a bandwidth broad enough to cover the PCS and the cellular bands.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved coaxial cable preparation tool (1) that is used to prepare a coaxial cable terminal end for connector installation. The tool comprises two stages. The first stage, the jacket stripper, is used to trim the cable jacket. The second stage (20), the cable trimmer, is used to trim the remaining center, the outer conductors and the foam insulation of the coaxial cable. The first stage (10) consists of a cup or cylinder (11) with an outer cylindrical wall (12). In addition, it also comprises a blade (13) and a scrap port (14). In addition, the first stage cylinder (11) has a bore (16) extending axially down its center. The diameter of the bore (16) is set to receive a coaxial cable. The second stage consists of a hub (21) (or cutter head), a collet bearing (22) and a body (23). In addition, like the first stage, it also contains blades (13) and scrap ports (14). The scrap ports or debris ports (14) allow trimmed cable media to escape from the bores in the tool.

Abstract: An RF connector of a coaxial cable having an inner conductor, an outer conductor surrounding the inner conductor, a dielectric cylinder located between the inner and outer conductors, an outer radial barb projecting radially inwardly from the outer conductor into the cylinder, and an axial barb projecting axially from the outer conductor into the cylinder. The outer radial barb and axial barb work in cooperation to decrease the effect of contraction in the dielectric cylinder during colder temperatures, thereby providing a seal which prevents water and moisture from entering the connector.

Abstract: This invention relates to a one step coaxial connector for an annular corrugated coaxial cable. The components of the connector include an outer conductor clamping back nut, a collet and a body. The collet (1) enhances electrical performance by providing a full 360 degree contact with the outer conductor. In addition, an O-ring is used to provide a seal between the back nut and outer conductor of the cable. When the back nut (2) is screwed into the body (5), the collet (1) is forced further into the interior portion (11) of the connector body (5). The resilient fingers of the (1) collet are forced to close radially around the first corrugation groove (3) of the cable's outer conductor. In addition, an O ring (4), that initially resides in a cavity (12) created by the collet (1) and the back nut (2), is forced into a corrugation groove of the cable's outer conductor. A bore (6) on the back nut (2) provides the proper diameter to compress the O-ring (4) to provide a tight seal.

Abstract: The invention provides a power sharing amplifier system having an N by N transform matrix circuit, N amplifiers and an N by N inverse transform matrix circuit. The N by N transform matrix circuit has N input ports that respond to M input signals and provide N transform matrix input signals, where M is less than N. The N by N transform matrix circuit features at least one input port that does not receive an input signal but instead is coupled to ground. The N amplifiers respond to the transform matrix input signals and provide N amplified transform matrix input signals. The N by N inverse transform matrix circuit responds to the N amplified transform matrix input signals and provides N inverse transform matrix amplified output signals to output ports. Moreover, the N by N inverse transform matrix circuit features at least one output dissipation port that is coupled to ground to dissipate the intermodulation products contain thereon.

Abstract: A space-tapered antenna has a collinear array of radiating elements coupled via a cable feeding system to a Butler matrix feed system. Either the collinear array has compressed rows spaced in a range of ⅜ to ¼ &lgr;, where &lgr; is the operating wavelength of the antenna, the cable feeding system is a phase progression cable feeding system, or both. One 120° space-tapered antenna has eight compressed rows spaced at ⅜ &lgr; for providing six 20° degree beams with −10 dB side lobe suppression. Another 120° space-tapered antenna has eight compressed rows spaced at ¼ wavelength for providing four 30° beams with −15 dB side lobe suppression. A 60° space-tapered antenna has eight compressed rows spaced at ⅜ &lgr; in combination with a 22 ½° phase progression cable feeding system for providing three 20° beams with −14 dB side lobe suppression.

Abstract: An antenna arrangement is provide with a variable parasitic element whose position is varied as a function of the scan angle. According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a variable scanning array dual polarized antenna provides different scan angles by varying phase elements of the array. According to this embodiment an adjustable phase shift mechanism is used to modify the phase of the antenna array. The adjustable phase shift mechanism is used changes the antenna's phase as a function of a moveable dielectric slab. The dielectric slab slides over a microstrip line that results in a phase change that is a function of line coverage. A parasitic element is also connected to the dielectric slab such that the position of the parasitic element is varied in response to a change in the phase shift mechanism thereby varying the canceling signal of the parasitic element to optimize port isolation for the dual polarized antenna.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating an antenna apparatus and testing an antenna connected thereto is provided. The calibration is conducted without an antenna connected to establish a baseline return loss calibration coefficient. Thereafter, after an antenna is connected, a test may be conducted to measure the performance of the antenna on the antenna site apparatus. The calibration process includes measuring a leakage signal, measuring an average of the magnitude of a ripple output of the reflection signal over a frequency range to determine the baseline return loss calibration. Thereafter, if the antenna is connected and the test signal is again swept over frequency, then a new ripple factor is determined for the antenna and a new mean output voltage for Vant is determined. By comparing the new average output voltage for Vant and the baseline return loss calibration, one can determine information about the performance of the antenna.

Abstract: An apparatus for communicating, over a single transmission medium, two signals of substantially the same center frequency. The apparatus offsets in frequency one of the signals by combining the signal with the signal from a local oscillator. The apparatus then transmits the two signals, one offset from the other, as well as the signal from the local oscillator to allow for recovery of the two signals with a precise correction for the offset. In particular, the transmission medium is an optical fiber and the two signals are a main RF signal and a diversity RF signal received, respectively, by a main element and a diversity element of a diversity antenna system. The invention is of use, for example, in providing to a microbase station a main RF signal and its diversity RF signal received at a diversity antenna system remote from the microbase station and connected to the microbase station by an optical fiber.