Abstract: A stand-alone circuit board (3), a packaged surface mount PIN diode (1) and a metal ribbon (9) are mounted together in a new tented diode configuration. The flat end surface of the diode end terminal (4) is attached to a metal trace (5) on the circuit board, positioning the diode in an upstanding position, overlying the metal trace and leaving the other diode end terminal (2) in an elevated position over the circuit board. The metal ribbon wraps over the diode symmetrically extending along opposed sides of the diode to complete an electrical connect on the circuit board. In performance, the configuration emulates that prior configuration employing a thick metal plate backed circuit board. An improved RF switch incorporates the foregoing tented diode configuration.

Abstract: A structure for a passive microwave device. The structure includes a housing having circumferential side portions and selectively located openings in the side portions. In addition, electrical conductors for the passive device extend from the openings. The structure further includes substantially rigid supports which provide structural support for the conductors. The conductors are positioned above the supports and are electrically connected to contacts which are secured in apertures formed in the supports. A dielectric material is disposed on a perimeter of each of the contacts which serves to isolate each of the contacts from the support when the contact is positioned within the aperture.

Abstract: A data transmission system generally comprising a bus with transmission lines, and a signal driver that applies a first signal to a first one of the transmission lines, and applies one or more signals to at least one other of the transmission lines which is adjacent the first transmission line, wherein the second signal has an amplitude proportional to an amplitude of the first signal such that crosstalk between the first and second transmission lines is substantially reduced. The signal driver may take the form of a current mode driver, which provides the compensating (second) signal with a current which is k/c times smaller than the current of the first signal, wherein k is the mutual capacitance between the first and second transmission lines, and c is the capacitance between either of the first or second transmission lines and a ground plane. If the first and second transmission lines are orthogonal, the current mode driver preferably includes differential input lines.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficiently interconnecting a large number of high frequency high bandwidth signals includes two interface plates (100, 200), each having two substantially coplanar faces, a mating face (110, 210) and a non-mating face (120, 220). Each interface plate has waveguides (116, 216) disposed between the coplanar faces such that when the mating faces of the interface plates are brought together, a plurality of waveguide connections are made. An energy absorbing gasket (300) having a hole pattern matching the waveguide pattern is disposed between the mating faces of the interface plates so that reflections caused by misalignment and non-coplanarity of faces can be reduced.

Abstract: A microwave element is described with a substantially trough-shaped housing part having a bottom portion and at least one wall portion merging into the circumference of the bottom portion. A lid part, together with the housing part, encloses an inner space in which a number of substantially disc-shaped components are present in a stacked arrangement between the bottom portion and the lid part. The microwave element renders possible an inexpensive manufacture without sacrificing any operational properties. The housing part and the lid part are each formed as an integral part without any cutting operation from a magnetically permeable material. The lid part is directly connected to the housing part by matching and mutually retaining shapes. A magnetically impermeable spacer element is arranged adjacent to the stacked arrangement of the disc-shaped components.

Abstract: A divider/combiner circuit for dividing or combining radio frequency power applicable to communication units utilizing a microwave band or the like. The divider/combiner circuit includes first, second and third nodes with a first transmission line electrically coupled to the first node and to the second node. In addition, the divider/combiner circuit includes a second transmission line electrically coupled to the first node and to the third node. An adjusting circuit is electrically coupled to the second node and to the third node. The adjusting circuit includes a resistance and a phase shifter. The resistance is located between points having substantially equal phases with respect to the second node and to the third node, respectively.

Abstract: A transition is provided for interfacing a coplanar waveguide with a three dimensional microwave waveguide. The transition includes three coplanar conductors that are formed integrally with and extend from the coplanar waveguide. The transition extends into the microwave waveguide through a slot, with the plane of the transition being perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the electric field in the waveguide. The center conductor of the transition is a patch whose width increases. The other two conductors are attached to the side conductors of the coplanar waveguide and to the exterior of the waveguide. They flank the patch and have curved edges complementary to those of the patch. The gaps are initially narrow, and become wider gradually. Further, as each guide steers the electric field while changing direction by 90.degree., it rotates the orientation of the electric field vector by the same amount.

Abstract: A rigid, coaxial transmission line is provided which includes a plurality of sections joined by connector assemblies. The transmission line includes a plurality of ordered groups. Each of the ordered groups includes a plurality of equal-length sections. The length of the equal-length sections in each ordered group is selected to reduce the VSWR spikes caused by the connector assemblies. The length of the equal-length sections progressively changes between each of the ordered groups.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system for using the ductwork of a building for transmitting electromagnetic radiation. The system includes a device for introducing electromagnetic radiation into the ductwork such that the ductwork acts as a waveguide for the electromagnetic radiation. The system also includes a bi-directional coupler positioned to re-radiate the electromagnetic radiation around an obstacle. The system further includes a device for enabling the electromagnetic radiation to propagate beyond the ductwork. The present invention is also directed to a method for transmitting electromagnetic radiation using the ductwork of a building and a method for designing a system for transmitting electromagnetic radiation in the ductwork of a building.

Abstract: The intersection angle formed by the central conductor connected to an input port and the central conductor connected to an output port is set to more than 120 degrees, preferably about 130 to 150 degrees, for example 140 degrees. The central conductor connected to a terminating port preferably bisects the above-described intersection angle and may be set to either 110 degrees or 70 degrees, for example. The resistance of a terminating resistor connected to the terminating port is set to about 200 to 500 .OMEGA., for example 300 .OMEGA..

Abstract: A multi-tap is described having two compartments, a microstrip in each compartment for conducting RF signals and AC power from an input at one end of the multi-tap to a first output port at the other end, a cover for each compartment having a circuit thereon that is substituted for the microstrip in a compartment when the cover closes that compartment, a device near the first output port that can be adjusted to direct RF signals and AC power passing through the microstrips to a point other than the first output port and additional microstrips for conducting RF signals and AC power from that point, when the RF signals and AC power are present thereat, to a second output port located near the input port. Grounding shields are provided for shorting the additional microstrips when the device is adjusted to deliver RF signals and AC power to the first output port. When the cover of a compartment is closed, it activates a switches formed in part by ends of the microstrips.

Abstract: A high frequency signal line facilitates the adjustment of the strength of branched output or inductively coupled leakage field depending on the particular requirement of operation. In the preferred embodiment, a transmission line consists of a central conductor and a cylindrical outer conductor formed with a longitudinally extending opening, the transmission line being covered with a cylindrical shielding shutter formed with a longitudinally extending opening. The high frequency signal line also includes an induction line including a trough-shaped shielding cover formed with a longitudinally extending opening and which is adapted to be detachably attached to the shielding shutter. The induction line also includes a directional coupling conductor for high frequency coupling which extends within the shielding cover generally parallel to the central conductor.

Abstract: A high-performance integrable tunable inductor includes a "primary" coil and a "drive" coil placed in close proximity to each other and simultaneously driven with primary and drive currents, respectively. The drive current induces mutual components of inductance in the primary coil which vary with the phase and amplitude relationship between the two currents. These relationships are controlled to precisely establish the impedance of the primary coil, allowing the inductor to be "tuned" to provide a desired inductance or resistance by simply varying the phase and amplitude relationships appropriately. Inductance values tunable over ranges of about 2:1 and Q values of nearly 2000 have been demonstrated. The primary coil can also be made to operate as a relatively large integrated capacitance by setting the phase and amplitude relationships appropriately.

Abstract: A durable, broad-band low insertion loss RF feedthrough is formed of a straight conductor (5) centrally supported by, hermetically sealed to and axially extending through the center of a strong, rigid, impervious ceramic disk (3). The ceramic disk is hermetically sealed, directly or indirectly, to the metal barrier (11) through which the feedthrough is to propagate RF energy. The new ferrule and ferrule-less ceramic metal RF feedthroughs avoid the use of glass, conventional in existing feedthroughs. The novel feedthrough serves as the principal element of a microwave microstrip line to waveguide transition.

Abstract: Flip chip monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) devices formed on gallium arsenide substrates and use thermally bumped diodes and field effect transistor devices to achieve improved heat dissipation and power protection. Flip chip limiter MMIC devices and transmit/receive switch MMIC devices are specifically provided by the present invention. The flip chip gallium arsenide limiter and transmit/receive switch MMIC devices use plated metallized bumps for both I/O connections and for thermal connections to a host substrate (aluminum nitride). The present invention also incorporates coplanar waveguide transmission line, thereby eliminating backside processing of the gallium arsenide substrates. The transmit/receive switch device provides power protection in both transmit and receive modes.

Abstract: A high-frequency signal branching device comprises a main body having an input terminal and an output terminal for connecting trunk cables on an input and an output side, respectively, and a branch body having a branch terminal for connecting a branch cable. This construction allows the number of branch terminals to be increased by replacing the branch body while keeping the main body intact. A branching circuit for branching a high-frequency signal from the trunk cable is provided in the branch body. Accordingly, the branching circuit also can be replaced by replacing the branch body.

Abstract: An arrangement for transferring high frequency microwave signals between a cable and a microstrip printed circuit on a dielectric substrate is disclosed wherein a first microstrip track on a first substrate reactively couples with a second microstrip track on a second substrate, which second substrate is connected to an inner conductor of a coaxial cable and a ground plane associated with the first microstrip track is connected to the ground shielding of the coaxial cable. Since the microwave signals are reactively coupled by means of printed circuit tracks on a first dielectric substrate to printed circuit tracks on a second dielectric substrate, a non-contacting RF connection is established. This avoids the potential formation of intermodulation products which occur in metal--metal (galvanic) junctions. A further, advantage arises in that a d.c. block is automatically incorporated within the arrangement, reducing the need for separate coupled lines, capacitors and the like.

Abstract: A microstrip switch includes N-input switch arms and an output port formed from a microstrip transmission line. Each input switch arm includes one or more p-i-n diodes. The input switch arms as well as the output port are connected at a radially combined center patch. In order to improve the insertion losses at millimeter wave frequencies, the center patch is air suspended in order to reduce the parasitic shunt capacitance in order to extend the low pass frequency response of the switch.

Abstract: A small and inexpensive planar dielectric line that can be easily connected to electronic parts, such as ICs, and has smaller conduction losses. The planar dielectric line includes a dielectric substrate having first and second surfaces opposedly facing each other. A first slot having a predetermined width is interposed between first and second electrodes on the first surface of the dielectric substrate. A second slot having the same width as the first slot is disposed between third and fourth electrodes on the second surface of the dielectric substrate. The first and second slots opposedly face each other. The permittivity and the thickness of the dielectric substrate are determined so that a planar electromagnetic wave can propagate in a propagation region of the substrate interposed between the first and second slots while being substantially totally reflected on the first surface of the substrate adjacent to the first slot and the second surface of the substrate near the second slot.

Abstract: A microwave circuit including a rectangular coaxial transmission line, a microstrip transmission line and a wideband transition section for transitioning between the rectangular coaxial and microstrip lines. The transition section includes a capacitive section which cancels inductive reactance caused by physical discontinuities at the transition junction. The transition section includes a conductive tab extending from the rectangular coaxial center conductor which is electrically connected to the microstrip conductor line. The capacitive section can take the form of a dielectric disk of greater dielectric constant than that of the rectangular coaxial dielectric section, or an area of increased cross-sectional dimension of the rectangular coaxial center conductor.