Method and apparatus for fast-switching dual-toroid microwave phase shifter

A method for switching of a dual toroid microwave ferrite phase shifter wherein the ferrite of at least one of said toroids is maintained in a saturated state at any given time;

• said method comprising:
• switching the ferrite of said saturated toroid to a predetermined partially saturated state;
• and
• switching said other ferrite of said other toroid to a saturated state such that any desired change in phase shift may be achieved with only one switching operation for each ferrite of each toroid.

A fast-switching dual toroid microwave transmit/receive mode phase shifter, comprising:

• first and second toroids having ferrite cores disposed in a microwave waveguide;
• first means for switching one of the ferrites in one of the toroids to a partially saturated state;
• second means for switching the other of the ferrites in the other of the toroids to a partially saturated state;
• third means for switching both of said ferrites to a saturated state;
• and
• control means for controlling said first, second and third means such that when said switch is in a transmit mode, at least a first one of said ferrites is maintained in the saturated state and wherein a receive mode is achieved by switching the other ferrite to a saturated state while simultaneously switching the first ferrite to a partially saturated state such that the opposite mode of operation is achieved in a minimum time corresponding to only one simultaneous switching operation for each ferrite.

A method for switching a dual toroid microwave transmit/receive mode ferrite phase shifter, comprising:

• initially setting said phase shifter in one of said transmit and receive modes wherein at least a first one of said toroids is maintained in a saturated state;
• switching the other toroid to a saturated state;
• and
• simultaneously switching the first toroid to a partially saturated state such that the opposite mode is achieved in a minimum time corresponding to only one simultaneous switching operation for each toroid.

A reciprocal, constant amplitude, four port microwave switch, comprising:

• a first input port;
• output means having two output ports;
• a first microwave path extending between said first input port and said output means and including two toroids with ferrite cores disposed in said path;
• a second microwave path extending between said first input port and said output means in parallel with said first path and including two toroids with ferrite cores disposed in said path;
• a set driver for switching the ferrite in said toroids to partially saturated states;
• a reset driver for switching the ferrite in said toroids to saturated states;
• and
• control means for controlling said set and reset drivers such that at least one of the ferrites of said toroids within each pair is maintained in the saturated state at any given time such that the reciprocal mode may be achieved with only one switching operation for each toroid.

A method of switching a reciprocal constant amplitude four port microwave switch having two dual toroid ferrite phase shifters, comprising:

• maintaining, at any given time, the ferrite of at least one of the toroids in each of the dual toroid ferrite phase shifters in a saturated state;
• driving each of said saturated toroids to predetermined partially saturated states complementary of the states of the remaining toroid in the other phase shifter;
• and
• simultaneously driving said remaining toroids to saturated states complementary of the states of the previously saturated toroids such that the reciprocal mode is achieved with only one simultaneous switching operation for each toroid.

An anti-reciprocal, four port microwave switch, comprising:

• an input port;
• a sidewall hybrid;
• a first microwave path extending between said input port and said sidewall hybrid and including two toroids with ferrite cores disposed in said path;
• a second microwave path extending between said input port and said sidewall hybrid in parallel with said first path and including two toroids with ferrite cores disposed in said path;
• first means for switching the ferrite of said toroids to partially saturated states;
• second means for switching the ferrite of said toroids to saturated states;
• and
• control means for controlling said first and second means such that at least one of said ferrites within each pair is maintained in the saturated state, at any given time, such that any subsequently desired phase shift may be achieved with only one simultaneous switching operation for each ferrite.

A method of switching an anti-reciprocal, four port, microwave switch having two dual toroid ferrite phase shifters, comprising:

• maintaining, at any given time, the ferrite of at least one of the toroids in each of the dual toroid phase shifters in a saturated state;
• driving said saturated ferrites to predetermined partially saturated states;
• and
• simultaneously driving the remaining ferrites of the other toroids to saturated states such that any desired phase change may be achieved with only one simultaneous switching operation for each ferrite.