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US 6,670,930 B2Granted
Antenna-integrated printed wiring board assembly for a phased array antenna system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorJulio A. Navarro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A phased array antenna system formed from an antenna-integrated printed wiring board for performing the functions of a waveguide impedance matching layer, a honeycomb support structure, RF antenna probes, DC logic and RF distribution. The printed wiring board construction of the present invention significantly reduces the number of component parts required to form a phased array antenna assembly, as well as simplifying the manufacturing process of the antenna assembly. The antenna-integrated printed wiring board is formed from an inexpensive, photolithographic process to create a single part (or optionally a two part) structure for performing the above-listed functions.
Claims12
A phased array antenna system, comprising:
- a multilayer printed wiring board including:
- a via forming at least one antenna element;
- a first plurality of layers for providing DC power, logic signals and RF power distribution;
- at least one layer forming a waveguide structure disposed adjacent said first plurality of layers, and including a plurality of vias extending adjacent a portion of said antenna element to form a can at least substantially circumscribing said antenna element;
- an uppermost layer forming a impedance matching layer for covering said layer forming said at least one waveguide structure;
- and
- an additional plurality of vias formed through selected ones of said layers for electrically communicating said DC power, said logic signals and said RF power distribution within said multilayer printed wiring board.
4 more elements
A phased array antenna system, comprising:
- a multilayer printed wiring board including:
- a probe-integrated, multi-layer wiring board assembly having a first plurality of layers and including circuits for providing DC power, logic signals and RF signal distribution functions, and for providing a plurality of RF radiating elements on one of said first plurality of layers thereof;
- and
- a waveguide, multi-layer wiring board assembly disposed adjacent said probe-integrated, multi-layer wiring board assembly, said waveguide, multi-layer wiring board assembly including:
- a second plurality of layers having a plurality of vias extending therethrough to form a plurality of cans;
- said cans functioning as waveguides and being aligned over said RF radiating elements,
- at least one of said second plurality of layers forming an impedance matching layer;
- wherein said RF radiating elements are arranged in pairs, with each said can being aligned over a single respective pair of said RF radiating elements.
5 more elements
A method for manufacturing a phased array antenna system comprising:
- using a sub-plurality of layers of a multi-layer printed wiring board to provide DC power signals and RF signal distribution functions;
- using a plurality of RF vias to form a plurality of RF radiating elements extending through a plurality of layers of said multi-layer printed wiring board;
- and
- using a plurality of vias formed to extend through a selected sub-plurality of said layers of said multi-layer printed wiring board to circumscribe each of said RF vias, to thereby form a plurality of cans, each said can circumscribing a respective pair of said RF vias to form a waveguide structure.
1 more element
A method for forming a phased array antenna system comprising:
- using a plurality of layers of a multi-layer printed wiring board to provide DC power signals, logic signals and RF signal distribution functions;
- using a plurality of RF vias to form a plurality of RF radiating elements extending through a plurality of layers of said multi-layer printed wiring board;
- using a plurality of vias formed to extend through a selected subplurality of layers of said multi-layer printed wiring board to circumscribe each of said RF vias, to thereby form a plurality of cans, each said can circumscribing a selected pair of said RF vias to form a waveguide structure for its associated said selected pair of RF vias;
- and
- using at least one layer of said multi-layer printed wiring board to form an impedance matching layer.
2 more elements
A phased array antenna system, comprising:
- a multilayer printed wiring board including:
- a probe-integrated, multi-layer wiring board assembly having a first plurality of layers and including circuits for providing DC power, logic signals and RF signal distribution functions, and for providing a plurality of RF radiating elements on one of said first plurality of layers thereof;
- and
- a waveguide, multi-layer wiring board assembly disposed adjacent said probe-integrated, multi-layer wiring board assembly, said waveguide, multi-layer wiring board assembly including:
- a second plurality of layers having a plurality of vias extending therethrough to form a plurality of cans;
- said cans functioning as waveguides and being aligned over said RF radiating elements,
- at least one of said second plurality of layers forming an impedance matching layer;
- and
- wherein said probe-integrated multi-layer wiring board assembly and said waveguide multi-layer wiring board assembly are formed as a single piece printed wiring board assembly.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.