Abstract: A non-linear charge pump for phased lock loops. Furthermore, an auxiliary charge pump apparatus, comprising a positive switch electrically connected to a current source configured to supplement power to a charge pump, a negative switch electrically connected to a current sink configured to discharge power from the charge pump, a windowing comparator, further comprising an input signal received from a phase-locked loop, a first comparator configured to compare the input signal against a high voltage threshold, a second comparator configured to compare the input signal against a low voltage threshold, an AND logic gate configured to provide a window signal and an activation circuit electrically connected to the positive switch and negative switch. Additionally, a non-linear charge pump system and method for reacquiring frequency lock of a phase lock loop.

Abstract: A non-linear charge pump for phased lock loops. Furthermore, an auxiliary charge pump apparatus, comprising a positive switch electrically connected to a current source configured to supplement power to a charge pump, a negative switch electrically connected to a current sink configured to discharge power from the charge pump, a windowing comparator, further comprising an input signal received from a phase-locked loop, a first comparator configured to compare the input signal against a high voltage threshold, a second comparator configured to compare the input signal against a low voltage threshold, an AND logic gate configured to provide a window signal and an activation circuit electrically connected to the positive switch and negative switch. Additionally, a non-linear charge pump system and method for reacquiring frequency lock of a phase lock loop.

Abstract: A method for radiating a co-located antenna including radiating the co-located antenna using a dual mode, where the co-located antenna has an inter-element spacing of about 1? and the dual mode includes a TM11 mode and a TM21 mode. The TM11 mode is radiated to generate a TM11 far field pattern, where the TM11 mode has a broadside pattern characterized with a beam peak at broadside and the TM11 mode produces grating lobes in addition to the beam peak at broadside. The TM21 mode is radiated to generate a TM21 far field pattern orthogonal to the TM11 far field pattern, thereby causing the TM21 mode to produce a null at broadside to suppress the grating lobes produced by the TM11 mode.

Abstract: A need exists for a method to do monopulse tracking with a single beam phased array antenna. With a monopulse tracker antenna, the satellite, or moving target, will have a beacon signal that the tracker can acquire. The beacon signal may be a preamble in the transmitted signal from the satellite. The monopulse tracker antennas are scanned over the volume, minimizing the error signal. When the error signal is minimal, the antenna is pointed in the direction of the satellite or moving target. Because the tracker needs to know direction offsets in both azimuth and elevation planes, error signals from both planes are needed. The monopulse tracker antenna maintains a radio frequency link to the beacon signal, causing the antenna to lock in the direction of the satellite when the error signal is minimized to zero.

Abstract: A method for radiating a co-located antenna including radiating the co-located antenna using a dual mode, where the co-located antenna has an inter-element spacing of about 1?, and the dual mode includes a TM11 mode and a TM21 mode. The TM11 mode is radiated to generate a TM11 far field pattern, where the TM11 mode has a broadside pattern characterized with a beam peak at broadside and the TM11 mode produces grating lobes in addition to the beam peak at broadside. The TM21 mode is radiated to generate a TM21 far field pattern orthogonal to the TM11 far field pattern, thereby causing the TM21 mode to produce a null at broadside to suppress the grating lobes produced by the TM11 mode.

Abstract: A phased array antenna comprising: a substrate; a plurality of circular polarized wideband antenna elements disposed on the substrate, wherein each element comprises two orthogonal feeds; wherein the plurality of elements are organized into subarrays and physically oriented such that constituent elements of each subarray are sequentially rotated with respect to each other about respective axes that are perpendicular to a surface of the substrate so as to allow RHCP and LHCP transmission and reception; a phase shifter communicatively coupled to the feeds of all the elements and configured to electronically any dynamically compensate for phase regression or progression introduced by the sequential rotation of the elements without relying on physical transmission lines of different dimensions, and further configured to introduce a progressive phase shift across a beam steering plane to enable beam steering of the phased array antenna.

Abstract: An antenna element transfers a radiofrequency signal and dissipates heat. The antenna element includes a periphery and first and second pairs of fins. The periphery has a length and a width with the length approximately equaling the width. The first and second pairs of fins extend in height from inside the periphery. The first pair of fins are separated by a shared gap for transferring a first polarization of the radiofrequency signal, and the second pair of fins are separated by the shared gap for transferring a second polarization of the radiofrequency signal that is orthogonal to the first polarization. An antenna array includes multiple instances of the antenna element for transferring the radiofrequency signal and for dissipating the heat.

Abstract: A phased array antenna comprising: a substrate; a plurality of circular polarized wideband antenna elements disposed on the substrate, wherein each element comprises two orthogonal feeds; wherein the plurality of elements are organized into subarrays and physically oriented such that constituent elements of each subarray are sequentially rotated with respect to each other about respective axes that are perpendicular to a surface of the substrate so as to allow RHCP and LHCP transmission and reception; a phase shifter communicatively coupled to the feeds of all the elements and configured to electronically any dynamically compensate for phase regression or progression introduced by the sequential rotation of the elements without relying on physical transmission lines of different dimensions, and further configured to introduce a progressive phase shift across a beam steering plane to enable beam steering of the phased array antenna.

Abstract: An analog lock detector for a phase lock loop includes a detector, a logic gate, a delay circuit, and a guard gate inverter. The detector outputs up and down signals relating synthesized and reference frequencies. The logic gate outputs an initial lock signal combining the up and down signals. While the synthesized and reference frequencies are locked, the initial lock signal has a steady state except during brief intervals. The delay circuit outputs a delayed lock signal that time delays the initial lock signal by a delay amount, which matches a maximum allowed duration of the brief intervals while locked. A guard gate inverter outputs a final lock signal that combines the initial lock signal and the delayed lock signal. The final lock signal has the steady state indicating when the synthesized frequency is locked to the reference frequency, but without the brief intervals of deviation from the steady state.

Abstract: A wideband antenna transmits and/or receives electromagnetic radiation. The wideband antenna includes a feedline, a first dielectric layer, a via, a driven patch, a second dielectric layer, and a parasitic patch. The feedline couples a radiofrequency signal and an element of the wideband antenna. The first dielectric layer is between the feedline and the driven patch. The via couples the radiofrequency signal of the feedline through the first dielectric layer. The driven patch couples between the electromagnetic radiation and the radiofrequency signal of the via. The second dielectric layer has a low dielectric constant of less than 1.3. The parasitic patch is electrically isolated from the driven patch by the second dielectric layer between the driven patch and the parasitic patch. The parasitic patch electromagnetically couples with the driven patch and the electromagnetic radiation to produce a wideband frequency response of the wideband antenna.

Abstract: A method for connecting an integrated circuit (IC) to a printed circuit board (PCB) can include the steps of fixing the IC and the PCB to a dielectric substrate. A single wire bond can be used to bond the IC to the PCB, and a ground plane can be established for the PCB. To minimize inductance losses at high frequency operation, a ground plane defect can be intentionally established by forming at least one opening in the ground plane. The opening can be rectangular when viewed in top plan, although the number of openings formed and opening geometry can be chosen according to the desired operating frequency of the device. The defect can allow for single wire bonding of the IC to the PCB in a manner which allows for high frequency operation without requiring the integration of additional matching network components on the IC and PCB.

Abstract: An antenna comprising: a driven element; an input feed coupled to the driven element wherein the input feed is configured to be connected to a receiver; a non-Foster circuit having a negative impedance, wherein the non-Foster circuit is configured to actively load the antenna at a location on the antenna other than at the input feed; and wherein the antenna fits within an imaginary sphere having a radius a, and wherein the product ka is less than 0.5, where k is a wave number.

Abstract: A system includes a first low noise amplifier, a second low noise amplifier, a local analog oscillator signal, a signal splitter, a mixer, a mixer, an analog to digital converter and a digital channelizer. The first low noise amplifier outputs a first amplified analog signal based on a received analog antenna signal at a time t0. The second low noise amplifier outputs a second amplified analog signal based on the received analog antenna signal at a time t1. The local analog oscillator signal outputs a local analog oscillator signal. The signal splitter outputs a split analog oscillator signal and a split analog oscillator signal. The mixer outputs a first mixed signal. The mixer outputs a second mixed signal. The analog to digital converter outputs a combined digital signal. The digital channelizer outputs a received signal based on the combined digital signal.

Abstract: A phased array receiver for use with a first received analog signal and a second received analog signal, the phased array receiver including: a first analog to digital converter to generate a first received digital signal; a second analog to digital converter to generate a second received digital signal; a first down-sampler to generate a first down-sampled digital signal; a second down-sampler to generate a second down-sampled digital signal; a first polyphase low pass filter to generate a first filtered down-sampled received digital signal; a second polyphase low pass filter to generate a second filtered down-sampled received digital signal; and a beamforming core to generate a beamformed signal, wherein the first received signal is related to the first filtered down-sampled received digital signal, and wherein the second received signal is related to the second filtered down-sampled received digital signal.

Abstract: A method for connecting an integrated circuit (IC) to a printed circuit board (PCB) can include the steps of fixing the IC and the PCB to a dielectric substrate. A single wire bond can be used to bond the IC to the PCB, and a ground plane can be established for the PCB. To minimize inductance losses at high frequency operation, a ground plane defect can be intentionally established by forming at least one opening in the ground plane. The opening can be rectangular when viewed in top plan, although the number of openings formed and opening geometry can be chosen according to the desired operating frequency of the device. The defect can allow for single wire bonding of the IC to the PCB in a manner which allows for high frequency operation without requiring the integration of additional matching network components on the IC and PCB.

Abstract: An antenna comprising: a driven element; an input feed coupled to the driven element wherein the input feed is configured to be connected to a receiver; a non-Foster circuit having a negative impedance, wherein the non-Foster circuit is configured to actively load the antenna at a location on the antenna other than at the input feed; and wherein the antenna may be contained within an imaginary sphere having a radius a, and wherein the product ka is less than 0.5, where k is a wave number.