Transverse-electric mode filters and methods
AssigneeHughes Electronics Corporation
InventorRalf R. Ihmels
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transverse-electric waveguide filter is provided for transmitting a fundamental transverse-electric mode in a first frequency band while attenuating an associated higher-order transverse-electric mode in a second frequency band. The filter includes transverse corrugations between input and output waveguide ports to attenuate the higher-order transverse-electric mode. The input and output waveguide ports have a characteristic impedance and the filter also incudes a ridge system that is coupled between the first and second waveguide ports and is configured to provide a signal-path impedance that substantially matches the characteristic impedance to thereby support transmission of the fundamental transverse-electric mode from the input port to the output port.
Claims18
A waveguide filter for transmitting along a signal path between input and output filter ports, a fundamental transverse-electric mode in a first frequency band while attenuating an associated higher-order transverse-electric mode in a second frequency band, comprising:
- a corrugated waveguide filter which includes corrugations that are arranged transversely to said signal path to attenuate said higher-order transverse-electric mode;
- and
- at least one ridge system that includes ridge members arranged along said signal path with each abutting at least one of said corrugations to support transmission of said fundamental transverse-electric mode from said input filter port to said output filter port.
A waveguide filter for transmitting along a signal path between input and output filter ports, a fundamental transverse-electric mode in a first frequency band while attenuating an associated higher-order transverse-electric mode in a second frequency band, comprising:
- a corrugated filter portion having input and output waveguide sections that form said input and output filter ports and further having first and second opposed walls coupled between said input and output waveguide sections with at least one of said first and second walls forming a plurality of corrugations which are arranged transversely to said signal path to attenuate said higher-order transverse-electric mode;
- and
- a ridge system carried on at least a selected one of said first and second walls and including ridge members arranged along said signal path with each abutting at least one of said corrugations to support transmission of said fundamental transverse-electric mode from said input waveguide section to said output waveguide section.
A spacecraft communication system, comprising:
- a spacecraft;
- and
- a transponder carried by said spacecraft, said transponder having:
- a) a receive antenna to receive input communication signals in a receive frequency band;
- b) a transmit antenna to radiate output communication signals in a transmit frequency band;
- c) a frequency converter coupled to said receive antenna to convert said receive frequency band to said transmit frequency band and to generate said output communication signals in a fundamental transverse-electric mode wherein nonlinear processes and waveguide discontinuities in said frequency converter also generate at least one higher-order transverse-electric mode that is not in said transmit frequency band;
- and
- d) a waveguide filter having:
- 1) a corrugated waveguide filter portion which forms an input filter port that is coupled to said frequency converter and an output filter port that is coupled to said transmit antenna wherein said corrugated waveguide filter is configured to attenuate said higher-order transverse-electric mode;
- and
- 2) at least one ridge system coupled between said input and output filter ports to support transmission of said fundamental transverse-electric mode from said input filter port to said output filter port.
A method of transmitting along a signal path between input and output ports a fundamental transverse-electric mode in a first frequency band while attenuating an associated higher-order transverse-electric mode in a second frequency band, comprising the steps of:
- structuring said input and output ports with a characteristic impedance;
- receiving said fundamental transverse-electric mode and said higher-order transverse-electric mode into said input port;
- positioning a plurality of corrugations transversely to said signal path to form low and high impedances at said higher-order transverse-electric mode in an alternating arrangement between said input and output ports to thereby attenuate said higher-order transverse-electric mode;
- and
- providing ridge members along said signal path that each abuts at least one of said corrugations and substantially matches said characteristic impedance to thereby support transmission of said fundamental transverse-electric mode from said input port to said output port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.