Low profile millimeterwave load pull tuner
OwnerChristos Tsironisinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A low-profile impedance tuner uses a cam-driven piston-like vertical movement of a metallic tuning probe inside a low loss slabline, controlled by an eccentrically centered disc (cam), which is attached to the axis of a stepper motor and rotates parallel to the slabline walls. The structure combines the benefits of low profile rotating tuning probe control with the benign reflection factor phase trajectory of block tuning probes; this is critical for accurate interpolation and impedance synthesis (tuning) strategies using a limited number of calibration points, especially at high microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies.
Claims6
A method for precisely controlling a vertical penetration of a tuning probe into a slabline of a slide screw impedance tuner,
- wherein the slide screw tuner comprises:
- the slabline with a center conductor,
- a mobile carriage, sliding along the slabline, being controlled by a first stepper motor and carrying a second stepper motor, both stepper motors being remotely controlled,
- and wherein
- an axis of the second stepper motor is perpendicular to the slabline, and controls an eccentrically rotating disc, whose rotation plan is parallel to the slabline, and which said disc pushes a support block towards the center conductor, which said support block is linked with the mobile carriage and is spring-loaded away from the center conductor,
- and wherein
- a metallic tuning probe is attached to the support block and is insertable, piston-like into the slabline, perpendicularly to the center conductor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.