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US 10,116,029 B2Granted
Ultra-wide band circulators with sequentially-switched delay line (SSDL)
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorYuanxun Ethan Wang
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Abstract
A passive circulator utilizing sequentially-switched delay lines (SSDL) in which delay line sections are sequentially turned on and off to achieve non-reciprocity to provide rejection/separations between different signals at the same/similar frequency, such as between a transmitted and received signal. The circulator is well-suited for on-chip integration and can be utilized across a wide frequency range. Various embodiments are described for separating signal waveforms.
Claims26
An ultra-wide band circulator apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of delay line segments;
- and
- (b) a switch coupled between each of said plurality of delay line segments to form a sequentially-switched delay line (SSDL);
- (c) wherein each said switch in said sequentially-switched delay line (SSDL) is configured for being sequentially turned on and off to connect and disconnect, or connect different paths, along adjoining delay line segments;
- and
- (d) wherein said switches are sequentially switched for synchronicity with first and second transient signals, for either (i) passing the first transient signal and blocking the second transient signal, or alternatively passing the second transient signal and blocking the first transient signal, to thus separate the first and second transient signals, or (ii) redirecting the first and second transient signals along different paths to separate the signals.
3 more elements
An ultra-wide band circulator apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of delay line segments;
- and
- (b) a switch coupled between each of said plurality of delay line segments to form a sequentially-switched delay line (SSDL);
- (c) wherein each said switch in said sequentially-switched delay line (SSDL) is configured for being sequentially turned on and off to connect and disconnect adjoining delay line segments;
- and
- (d) wherein said switches are sequentially switched for synchronicity with transient signals passing in a first direction so that these signals pass through said apparatus, while signals attempting to traverse in the opposite direction are blocked.
3 more elements
An ultra-wide band circulator apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a first pair of switches each coupling a single delay line section to a selected first or second path;
- (b) a second pair of switches each coupling either a first or second path to a single delay line section;
- (c) four delay lines sections coupled between said first and second pair of switches, with a first pair of delay line sections coupling directly from the first pair of switches to the second pair of switches, and a second pair of delay line sections crossing over from said first pair of delay line sections to the second pair of delay line sections;
- (d) wherein said first and second pairs of switches allow selectively routing signals to, or from, either of the first pair of switches or the second pair of switches, depending on the direction of signal travel;
- (e) an antenna switch configured for connection to an antenna on its common input;
- (f) a first and second antenna delay line coupled between poles of said antenna switch to the common input of said second pair of switches, for selectively directing signals to, and from, said second pair of switches to said antenna switch which selects a signal to couple onto or from the antenna;
- (g) wherein said four delay line sections and said first and second antenna delay lines comprise sequentially-switched delay lines (SSDLs) configured for breaking space-time symmetry of wave propagation;
- (h) a control circuit configured for generating control signals for switching said first and second pairs of switches and said antenna switch to split transmitted and received waves into two pulses synchronized with the switching of the switches and thus separating the transmit and receive signals.
5 more elements
An ultra-wide band circulator apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a transmitter demultiplexor having an input node configured for coupling to a transmitter, and having a first and second pole output;
- (b) a first delay line segment along a first transmitter signal path having a proximal end coupled to the first pole output of said transmitter demultiplexor;
- (c) a second delay line segment along a second transmitter signal path having a proximal end coupled to the second pole output of said transmitter demultiplexor;
- (d) a receiver multiplexor having a first and second pole input and an output configured for coupling to a receiver;
- (e) a third delay line segment along a first receiver signal path having a proximal end coupled to the first pole input of said receiver multiplexor;
- (f) a fourth delay line segment along a second receiver signal path having a proximal end coupled to the second pole input of said receiver multiplexor;
- (g) a transmit/receive switch having two poles and a common node, with said first pole coupled to a distal end of said first delay line segment along said first transmitter signal path, with said second pole coupled to a distal end of said third delay line segment along said first receiver signal path;
- (h) a fifth delay line segment having a proximal end coupled to the common node of said transmit/receive switch;
- (j) a receive/transmit switch having two poles and a common node, with said first pole coupled to a distal end of said second delay line segment along said first transmitter signal path, with said second pole coupled to a distal end of said fourth delay line segment along said second receiver signal path;
- (k) a sixth delay line segment having a proximal end coupled to the common node of said receive/transmit switch;
- and
- (l) an antenna multiplexor/demultiplexor switch having a first pole coupled to the distal end of said fifth delay line, and a second pole coupled to the distal end of said sixth delay line, with said antenna multiplexor/demultiplexor switch having a common node configured for coupling to an antenna;
- (m) wherein a control circuit generates control signals for switching said transmitter demultiplexor, said receiver multiplexor, said transmit/receive switch, said receive/transmit switch, and said antenna multiplexor/demultiplexor switch to split transmitted and received waves into two pulses synchronized with the switching of the switches and thus separating the transmit and receive signals.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.