Microwave diode tuning circuit
AssigneeAllied-Signal Inc.
InventorsRonald L. Chilluffo, Ellis J. Gottlieb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microwave diode tuning circuit including am IMPATT diode holder of coaxial form and an adjustable capacitor connected in a parallel resonant circuit by microstrip transmission line. The tuning circuit includes a stabilization network and a bias insertion network. Optionally, the tuning circuit may include a hybrid junction for coupling two such diode tuning circuits together. the diode holder includes an internally-externally threaded sleeve providing means for continuously adjusting, through a limited range, the inductance of the resonant circuit.
Claims13
A tuner for combining a microwave diode, a variable inductor and a variable capacitor into a resonant circuit, the impedance of which is matched to the impedance of a microwave transmission line, comprising
- a microstrip transmission line including an insulating substrate, a conductive circuit track on one surface of said substrate and a ground plane on the surface of said substrate opposite said one surface thereof;
- a microwave diode holder of coaxial form including an outer conductor, a center conductor and a sleeve extending partially over the length of said center conductor and supporting said center conductor axially within said outer conductor, said outer conductor being conductively connected to said ground plane,
- said sleeve being conductively connected to said center conductor and said outer conductor and being longitudinally adjustable along the length of said center conductor;
- a microwave diode having anode and cathode electrodes, one of said electrodes being conductively connected to that end of said center conductor within said outer conductor and extending beyond said sleeve;
- impedance matching means having an impedance value intermediate between the impedance value of said diode and the characteristic impedance value of said circuit track for conductively connecting the other electrode of said diode to said circuit track;
- and
- an adjustable capacitor connected between said ground plane and said circuit track at a point on said circuit track beyond said impedance matching means.
A tuner for combining a microwave diode, a variable inductor and a capacitor into a resonant circuit, the impedance of which is matched to the characteristic impedance of a microwave transmission line, comprising:
- a microstrip transmission line including a planar insulating substrate and a linear conductive circuit track on one surface of said substrate;
- a conductive housing having one surface thereof coextensive with said substrate, said substrate being supported by said housing with the surface of said substrate opposite said one surface thereof being adjacent to said one surface of said housing;
- a second threaded aperture extending through said housing concentrically with said first aperture of said substrate;
- an impedance transformer seated in said second aperture, said transformer being insulated from electrical contact with the wall of said second aperture, a portion of said transformer extending through said first aperture and electrically contacting said one end of said circuit track;
- an internally-externally threaded conductive sleeve threaded into said aperture above said impedance transformer;
- a first threaded conductive rod threaded through said sleeve and extending into said said second aperture;
- a microwave diode mounted on the end of said first rod extending into said second aperture with one electrode of said diode in electrical contact with said first rod and with the other electrode of said diode in contact with said transformer whereby the portion of said first rod extending beyond said sleeve into said second aperture constitutes an inductor connected in series with said diode, the inductance of which is variable in accordance with the depth to which said sleeve is threaded into said second aperture;
- and
- a capacitor for resonating with said inductor, said capacitor being connected to a first point on said circuit track at a first location beyond said one end of said circuit track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.