Abstract: The present invention relates to circulators for microwave frequencies and higher frequencies. The circulator (100;200;300) of the invention comprises a waveguide system, the waveguide system being situated in a waveguide house. A hole (111,211,311) is arranged in a first waveguide wall (171;271;371) of the waveguide system. A tubular piston (114;214;314) is arranged so that it can slide in the hole. A package, comprising ferrite material (132,135;235,235;332,335) in the shape of pucks, is arranged between a second waveguide wall (174;274;374) and the tubular piston, the second waveguide wall being opposite to the first waveguide wall. The tubular piston is pressed in the direction of the package. That end (117;217;317) of the tubular piston that faces away from the second waveguide wall is open, and slits (120;220;320) are arranged at this end, the slits stretching mainly in the direction of the tubular piston.

Abstract: Variable reactances of a matching network connected between an r.f. source and a plasma load of a vacuum plasma chamber processing a workpiece are varied so a tendency of the plasma to change in an unstable manner which can adversely affect processing of the workpiece is avoided while matching is approached. The plasma tendency to change in an unstable manner is detected by monitoring an electrical parameter resulting from r.f. current flowing between the source and load via the network. The parameter can be (1) statistically based, e.g. variance of percent delivered power, or (2) amplitude modulation in one or both of the 2-20 kHz and 50-200 kHz ranges.

Abstract: An adjustable directional coupler including a housing, a first connector and a second connector secured to the housing, and a main transmission line extending through the housing and between the first and the second connectors. The main transmission line has a center conductor coaxially surrounded by an insulator. A circuit board is secured within the housing, with a first edge of the circuit board being generally parallel to the main transmission line and the circuit board being transversely adjustable with respect to the main transmission line. At least one auxiliary line is mounted on the circuit board and includes a pick-up link extending from a network juncture. The pick-up link is adjacent to and parallel with the first edge of the circuit board. A third connector is also secured to the housing.

Abstract: A nonreciprocal circuit device with a simplified manufacturing process and a reduced manufacturing cost, without any increase in the magnetic material loss in a matching circuit. The nonreciprocal circuit device has an integrally fired ferromagnetic body formed of a first ferromagnetic body and a second ferromagnetic body. In the first ferromagnetic body, central conductors are arranged to cross each other in an electrically isolated state. In the second ferromagnetic body having lower saturation magnetization than that of the first ferromagnetic body, capacity electrodes and earth electrodes are formed to form the matching circuit.

Abstract: A nonreciprocal circuit device with a plurality of central conductors each formed of a respective plurality of laminated strip conductors extending in the same direction. The central conductors overlap with each other at a specified angle. A ferrite is disposed where the central conductors overlap, and a DC magnetic field is applied to the overlapping portion. The strip conductors constituting two central conductors among the plurality of central conductors may be alternately laminated. Or, the strip conductors constituting one central conductor may sandwich those of another central conductor, to achieve strong electromagnetic coupling.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic equalizer which can automatically equalize distortion including a precursor component with a small amount of calculation and a small circuit scale.

Abstract: One or two inductor electrodes formed of hairpin-bent or curved electrode patterns are made on one main surface of a component member of a nonreciprocal circuit device, and connection electrodes are formed on the other main surface at positions corresponding to both ends of each inductor electrode. The component member may be a spacer member or a terminal board. Both ends of each inductor electrode are connected to the connection electrodes by through holes. The port sections of central conductors at the signal input and output side are connected to input and output terminal electrodes through the inductor electrodes, formed on the component member of the nonreciprocal circuit device. Each inductor electrode forms a low-pass filter in combination with capacitances in the nonreciprocal circuit device.

Abstract: Active electronic circuits are immersed in photonic bandgap crystals (PBC's) that form part of transmission lines for propagation of output signals of the electronic circuits. The output signals of the electronic circuits are accompanied by noise signals that result from spontaneous emission in emission frequency bands which are associated with the active electronic circuits. The PBC's are configured to have photonic bandgaps that include at least a portion of the emission frequency bands. Because the active electronic circuits are immersed in the photonic bandgap crystal, the launch of at least a portion of the noise signals into the transmission line is thereby inhibited. Consequently, the output signal and less than all of the noise signals are propagated along the transmission line, i.e., the noise content of the circuit output is reduced.

Abstract: An integrated OMT/filter assembly is small, low cost and not easily susceptible to mechanical or environmental damage. The integrated OMT/filter assembly has a body formed at least in part of conductive material, the body including a first port for receiving a transmit signal, a second port for feeding the transmit signal to an antenna and for receiving a receive signal, and a third port for receiving the receive signal. A first waveguide segment joins the first and second ports, and a second waveguide segment joins second and third ports, the first and second waveguide segments having a portion in common. A filter element is disposed within at least one of the first and second waveguide segments.

Abstract: A non-linear dispersive transmission line includes a plurality of substantially block-like shaped capacitor elements (4) arranged in sequence in at least two arrays. The even numbered elements (4b, 4d etc) extend side by side to form a first array and the odd numbered elements (4a, 4c) etc extend side by side to form the second array. Each element (4) in one array is connected via inductors (3) to two immediately adjacent elements in the other array. Facing surfaces (5) of each two immediately adjacent elements (4a, 4c) in each array form cross link capacitors.

Abstract: A split power control circuit includes a solid state switch and a circuit or circuit element, such as a relatively large resistance or reactance connected between an RF signal line and ground. In order to provide relatively more precise control and thus relatively finer adjustment of the RF signal line, the RF signal line is split into a plurality of branches, with the switched control circuit or element connected to one or more of the branches. In another embodiment of the present invention, a solid state switch and serially connected circuit or circuit element, such as a resistance or reactance, are connected between an RF signal line and ground. The gate terminal of the solid state switch is capacitively coupled to the switch terminal (i.e. drain or source) connected to the RF signal line, forcing the gate bias element to become a fixed, rather than switched, load, thereby minimizing errors due to the gate biasing element and enabling tuning reactances to be used to compensate for such gate loads.

Abstract: A microwave window is made as a flat layer of dielectric material having opposite first and second surfaces. Between these surfaces, the window is formed with a plurality of parallel coolant channels which, in cross-section, have racetrack configurations with flat sides and curved ends. The channels are distanced from each other in the window to establish parallel plate waveguides between the flat sides of adjacent channels. A plurality of cylindrical lenses are formed on the first surface of the dielectric layer to focus incident microwaves into convergence in a respective waveguide. Additionally, a plurality of cylindrical lenses are formed on the second surface of the dielectric layer to refocus microwaves emerging from the parallel plate waveguides back into a substantially parallel relationship as the microwaves radiate from the window.

Abstract: The invention provides a microwave module including a plurality of stacked elementary structures forming a unit, each elementary structure comprising a bottom dielectric layer on a top surface of which an integrated circuit (20, 21) is disposed, and a top dielectric layer covering the circuit (20, 21). The module is characterized by a connection line (20a, 30, 21a) between two respective circuits belonging to first and second elementary structures, the connection line being constituted by an input coplanar line (21a) disposed on the top surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the first structure, by an output coplanar line (20a) disposed on the top surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the second structure, and a by link coplanar line (30) connecting one end of the input coplanar line to one end of the output coplanar line.

Abstract: A printed circuit board capable of suppressing radiation noise efficiently includes a first conductive layer where a plurality of power lines are provided at predetermined spacing along one direction, a second conductive layer where a plurality of power lines are provided at predetermined spacing along a direction orthogonal to the one direction, and a plurality of plated through holes for connecting the power lines on the first conductive layer and the power lines on the second conductive layer at the overlapping points of those lines. The power lines contain thin lines and thick lines spaced between a plurality of the thin lines. The predetermined spacing is determined based on a rising time or falling time of the output signal of the IC to be mounted on the circuit board.

Abstract: A bandwidth compensated switched bridged-tee attenuator having an attenuation state and a reference state. In order to cause the overall bit attenuation .DELTA.A to be frequency independent over a relatively wide range of frequencies, one or more additional switches are provided to cause the attenuation state to essentially track the frequency dependence of the reference state. Since the overall attenuation .DELTA.A is the difference between the attenuation in the attenuation state and the attenuation in the reference state, the overall attenuation .DELTA.A, is virtually frequency independent over a relatively wide range of frequencies.

Abstract: A continuity bridge in a broadband signal tap for providing a make-before-break connection of an input terminal to an output terminal of the tap. The broadband signal tap comprises a housing and a cover that is removably connected to the housing. The interior of the housing has an input terminal for receiving a signal from the feeder cable and an output terminal for returning the signal to the feeder cable. The cover includes circuitry for splitting the signal and delivering a portion thereof to at least one subscriber port on the cover. The cover has an input socket and an output socket, each being removably engaged with and electrically connected to the input and output terminals, respectively, of the housing. The continuity bridge in the housing connects the input terminal to the output terminal upon the removal of the cover from the housing prior to the disengagement of the sockets from the terminals.

Abstract: A splitter/combiner module for radio frequency signal circuits includes an electrically conductive housing. Coax connectors are secured to the rear face of the housing. A circuit board is contained within the interior spaced between sidewalls of the housing. A ground side of the circuit board includes a layer of electrically conductive material which is electrically connected to the housing. Components on the circuit board include splitter/combiners for splitting a signal into a plurality of branch signals each having an individual attenuator component.

Abstract: A directional coupler designed to operate in a predetermined frequency range which includes a first electrical conductor of predetermined length and width, a second electrical conductor having the same length as the first electrical conductor, which is narrower than the first electrical conductor and fully underlies or overlies the first conductor. A dielectric is disposed between the first and second conductors. The width of the first electrical conductor is selected to be 2.DELTA.1 wider than the second electrical conductor, where .DELTA.1 is wider than the layer to layer alignment tolerance of the fabrication process being used. The length of each conductor is less than .gamma./8.epsilon..sub.r.sup.1/2, where .gamma. is the free space wavelength at the designed frequency of the coupler. The coupler can further include a slot disposed within the first electrical conductor for reduced coupling values.

Abstract: An inexpensive high-frequency circuit device and its electronic component which allows two traces or lines to cross on the same surface without affecting other circuits characteristics. At least one of the lines is a high-frequency signal line.

Abstract: In a planar gyrator, parallel transmission lines are positioned proximal to a magnetized gyrotropic substrate. Input and output transducers couple the ends of the transmission lines to corresponding input and output ports. The input and output transducers are configured to excite first and second partial wave fields on the transmission lines of similar or different phases respectively. The wave fields, in turn, interact gyromagnetically with the substrate, such that the resultant difference in phase change for a first wave propagating from the first to the second port and a second wave propagating from the second to the first port is an odd-integer multiple of 180 degrees. Alternatively, if the magnetization of the substrate is reversed, the phase of a wave propagating from the first to the second port is changed by 180 degrees.