Switch assembly with a multi-pole switch for combining amplified RF signals to a single RF signal

Abstract

A switch assembly has a housing and a plurality of controllable switches. The housing has a plurality of input ports and an output port and the plurality of individually controllable switches is arranged within the housing. Each switch has an open position and a closed position and is coupled to one of a plurality of input ports of the housing and a common summing junction within the housing. Each input port receives a coherent radio frequency (RF) signal. The output port is coupled to the common summing junction and outputs a sum signal that includes at least one of the RF signals received at the common summing junction when a switch is in the closed position. The switch assembly may further include impedance matching lines that transform a reference impedance value to a higher value prior to switching and an impedance transformation line that provides for the reference impedance value at a distal end of the impedance transformation line. The impedance transformation lines may be located outside the housing, inside the housing or inside and outside the housing. Further, the switch assembly may include at least one matching stub associated with the output port.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.