Dielectric resonator demultiplexer with MIC circulators located within the support structure

A dielectric resonator demultiplexer, including:

• at least four dielectric resonator filters, each filter including:
• at least five cascaded dielectric resonators each having a cavity therein;
• isolation means for preventing internal microwave energy coupling between one of the five cascaded dielectric resonators, which is located at a free end of the dielectric resonator filter, and the dielectric resonator located adjacent thereto;
• internal microwave energy coupling means interposed between adjacent ones of the other four dielectric resonators of each of said filters;
• microwave energy output means for the other four dielectric resonators;
• and
• external equalization coupling means connected between the one of the cascaded dielectric resonators located at the free end of the dielectric resonator filter and the microwave energy output means of the other four dielectric resonators;
• and
• a support member having a mounting surface for said filters, said filters being located side-by-side and perpendicularly mounted on the mounting surface of the support member, the longitudinal axis of each of said filters being substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface;
• wherein one of the other four dielectric resonators includes input coupling means for coupling external microwave energy from an external source into the cavity of the resonators, and
• wherein another of the other four dielectric resonators includes said microwave energy output means for coupling microwave energy transmitted by said filter to said external equalization coupling means.

A communications satellite payload including a dielectric resonator demultiplexer, said dielectric resonator demultiplexer including:

• a plurality of dielectric resonator filters each including an input, and each including a plurality of cascaded dielectric resonators each having a cavity therein;
• a support member having a mounting surface and a plurality of coaxial output connectors, each of said filters being perpendicularly mounted on the mounting surface with a respective longitudinal axis of said filters being substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface;
• a plurality of channel dropping circulators, each comprising a planar MIC compatible circulator housed within said support member and operatively connected to a respective coaxial output connector;
• and
• a plurality of flexible coaxial cables, each connected to a respective filter input and to a respective coaxial output connector, so that each channel dropping circulator is in communication with a respective filter.

A dielectric resonator demultiplexer, including:

• a plurality of dielectric resonator filters, each having at least three cascaded dielectric resonators, each dielectric resonator comprising:
• a housing member having a cylindrical conductive cavity symmetrically disposed about a longitudinal axis of said filter;
• a cylindrical dielectric resonator element;
• and
• a dielectric support member for supporting said resonator element at a peripheral surface thereof in a spacial central position within the cavity, the cavity and said resonator element each having a coaxial longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface of said support member, said support member having a coefficient of thermal expansion matching that of said resonator element;
• wherein a central dielectric resonator includes a plurality of equi-spaced screw-threaded holes on a first side thereof, and a plurality of equi-spaced screw-threaded holes on a second side thereof;
• wherein said housing of the other dielectric support members includes a plurality of through holes in registration with the screw-threaded holes for accommodating respective bolts for fixedly mounting said cascaded dielectric elements in alignment to said central dielectric resonator so that the through holes of the dielectric support member attached to the first side of the central dielectric support member are displaced by 45.degree. relative to the through holes of the dielectric support member attached to the second side of the central dielectric support member;
• and
• a support member having a mounting surface, said plurality of filters being mounted on the mounting surface with the longitudinal axis of each said filter being substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface.