1. Statement of the Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of delay lines, and more particularly to variable RF delay lines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Delay lines are used for a wide variety of signal processing applications. For example, broadband time delay circuits are used in beam-forming applications in phased array antennas. Typical fixed geometry, true time delay circuits used in phased array antennas are composed of switched lengths of transmission line. Despite the importance of broadband delay lines in such systems, the conventional approach to designing and implementing these components suffer from a number of drawbacks. For example, conventional delay line devices often require a relatively large number of RF switches that can result in signal losses. Also, conventional time delay circuits can be limited with regard to the delay resolution that can be achieved.
RF delay lines are often formed as ordinary transmission lines coupled to a dielectric. Depending upon the structure of the transmission line, the dielectric can be arranged in different ways. For example, microstrip and stripline circuits commonly are formed on a dielectric substrate. Two important characteristics of dielectric materials are permittivity (sometimes called the relative permittivity or εr) and permeability (sometimes referred to as relative permeability or μr). The relative permittivity and permeability determine the propagation velocity of a signal, which is approximately inversely proportional to
The propagation velocity directly affects the electrical length of a transmission line and therefore the amount of delay introduced to signals that traverse the line.
Further, ignoring loss, the characteristic impedance of a transmission line, such as stripline or microstrip, is equal to
where Ll is the inductance per unit length and Cl is the capacitance per unit length. The values of Ll and Cl are generally determined by the permittivity and the permeability of the dielectric material(s) used to separate the transmission line structures as well as the physical geometry and spacing of the line structures. For a given geometry, an increase in dielectric permittivity or permeability necessary for providing increased time delay will generally cause the characteristic impedance of the line to change. However, this is not a problem where only a fixed delay is needed, since the geometry of the transmission line can be readily designed and fabricated to achieve the proper characteristic impedance.
When a variable time delay is needed, however, such techniques have traditionally been viewed as impractical because of the obvious difficulties in dynamically varying the permittivity and/or permeability of a dielectric board substrate material and/or dynamically varying transmission line geometries. Variable length lines have been implemented using mechanical means to vary the length of a line. These generally have involved an arrangement of telescoping tubes to produce a variable length coaxial line. These devices were at one time commonly used in laboratories for tuning circuits. However, these arrangements suffered from certain drawbacks. For example, they were subject to wear, difficult to control electronically, and are not easily scalable to microwave frequencies. Accordingly, the only practical solution has been to design variable delay lines using conventional fixed length RF transmission lines with delay variability achieved using a series of electronically controlled switches.
The invention concerns a variable true time delay line which includes an RF transmission line and at least one fluidic delay unit. The fluidic delay unit includes a fluidic dielectric contained in a cavity and coupled to the RF transmission line along at least a portion of a length thereof. At least one pump is provided for adding and removing the fluid dielectric to the cavity in response to a time delay control signal. A propagation delay of the RF transmission line is selectively varied by adding and removing the fluid dielectric from the cavity.
Considered in a broader context, the invention can consist of an RF transmission line, a fluidic dielectric, and at least one fluid control system for moving the fluid dielectric between a first position where the fluid dielectric is coupled to the RF transmission line, and a second position where the fluid dielectric is at least partially decoupled from the RF transmission line such that a propagation delay of the RF transmission line is varied when the fluid dielectric is moved from the first position to the second position.
According to one aspect of the invention, a plurality of fluidic delay units can be spaced apart along a length of the RF transmission line. According to another aspect of the invention, each of the fluidic delay units can be independently operable for selectively adding and removing the fluidic dielectric from the cavity of each respective unit. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the value of the fluidic dielectric permittivity and permeability can be selected for maintaining a relatively constant characteristic impedance along an entire length of the RF transmission line.
The RF transmission line can also be coupled to a solid dielectric substrate material. Consequently, the effective index describing the velocity of a wave on the RF transmission line can be varied by adding and removing the fluidic dielectric from the cavity. The solid dielectric substrate can be formed from a ceramic material. For example the solid dielectric substrate can be a low temperature co-fired ceramic. The permittivity and permeability of the fluidic dielectric can be different or the same as compared to the solid dielectric substrate. For example, the fluidic dielectric can have a permeability and a permittivity selected for maintaining a relatively constant characteristic impedance along the length of the RF transmission line.
The fluidic dielectric can be comprised of an industrial solvent. If higher permeability is desired, the industrial solvent can have a suspension of magnetic particles contained therein. The magnetic particles can be formed of a wide variety of materials including those selected from the group consisting of ferrite, metallic salts, and organo-metallic particles.
According to yet another aspect, the invention can include a method for producing a variable delay for an RF signal. The method can include the steps of dynamically adding and removing a fluidic dielectric to at least one cavity coupled to the RF transmission line in response to a time delay control signal to vary a propagation delay of the transmission line.
a and 4b are cross-sectional views showing first and second alternative embodiments of the transmission line structure of
Referring now to
Embedded within the substrate 102 are one or more fluidic delay units 108. As best shown in
For the purpose of introducing time delay, the exact size, location and geometry of the cavity 109 is not critical. The important factor for the purpose of introducing time delay is that the fluidic dielectric contained in the cavity 109 is sufficiently coupled to the RF transmission line so as to locally vary the propagation velocity of RF signals traversing along a portion of the length of the transmission line. However, in some instances, it may be desirable to avoid significant variations in the transmission line characteristic impedance along the length of the line. In that case the size, location and geometry of the cavity structure must be considered together with the permittivity and permeability characteristics of the fluidic dielectric.
According to one embodiment of the invention shown in
The fluid control system can be any suitable arrangement of valves 119 and/or pumps 114 as may be necessary to independently adjust the relative amount of fluidic dielectric contained in the reservoir 112 and cavity 109. In
The fluid control system can cause the fluidic dielectric to completely or partially fill the cavity 109. The fluid control system can also cause the fluidic dielectric to be evacuated from cavity 109 into the reservoir 112. According to a preferred embodiment, each fluid control system 114 is preferably independently operable by controller 136 so that fluidic dielectric can be added or removed from selected ones of cavities 109 to produce the required amount of delay indicated by the control signal 137. Further, a sensor 107 can be provided for sensing a volume of fluid dielectric contained within the cavity 109. The sensor data 118 can be communicated back to the controller 136 to provide feedback information regarding the volume of fluid contained within the cavity 109.
Propagation delay of signals on transmission line 110 can also be controlled by selectively controlling the presence and removal of fluidic dielectric from the cavities 109 of selected ones of the fluidic delay unit 108. Since the propagation velocity of a signal is approximately inversely proportional to √{square root over (με)}, the different permittivity and/or permeability of the fluidic dielectric as compared to an empty cavity 109 will cause the propagation velocity (and therefore the amount of delay introduced)) to be different for signals on the portion of the transmission line coupled to the fluidic dielectric 130. By selectively varying the portions of the transmission line conductor 111 that are coupled to the first dielectric and the second dielectric, the total time delay of the transmission line 110 can be varied. Fine adjustments of the delay can be facilitated by adjusting the volume of fluid dielectric contained in individual cavities 109.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, different ones of the fluidic delay units 108 can have different types of fluidic dielectric contained therein so as to produce different amounts of delay for RF signals traversing the transmission line 110. The different fluidic dielectrics can have differing electrical properties. For example, larger amounts of delay can be introduced by using fluidic dielectrics with proportionately higher values of permittivity and permeability. Using this technique, coarse and fine adjustments can be effected in the total amount of delay introduced.
According to a preferred embodiment, the permittivity and the permeability of the fluidic dielectric is selected so as to maintain a constant characteristic impedance for the transmission line 110 along its length. In general, this can be accomplished by maintaining an approximately constant ratio of permittivity to permeability. However, the invention is not so limited in that relatively small mismatches in impedance between portions of the line may be tolerable in certain applications.
As previously noted, the invention is not limited to any particular type of transmission line structure. For example, in
Composition of the Fluidic Dielectric
The fluidic dielectric can be comprised of any fluid composition having the required characteristics of permittivity and permeability as may be necessary for achieving a selected range of delay. Those skilled in the art will recognize that one or more component parts can be mixed together to produce a desired permeability and permittivity required for a particular time delay and transmission line characteristic impedance. In this regard, it will be readily appreciated that fluid miscibility is a key consideration to ensure proper mixing of the component parts of the fluidic dielectric.
The fluidic dielectric 130 also preferably has a relatively low loss tangent to minimize the amount of RF energy lost in the delay line device. However, devices with higher insertion loss may be acceptable in some instances so this may not be a critical factor. Many applications also require delay lines with a broadband response. Accordingly, it may be desirable in many instances to select fluidic dielectrics that have a relatively constant response over a broad range of frequencies.
Aside from the foregoing constraints, there are relatively few limits on the range of materials that can be used to form the fluidic dielectric. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that the examples of suitable fluidic dielectrics as shall be disclosed herein are merely by way of example and are not intended to limit in any way the scope of the invention. Also, while component materials can be mixed in order to produce the fluidic dielectric as described herein, it should be noted that the invention is not so limited. Instead, the composition of the fluidic dielectric could be formed in other ways. All such techniques will be understood to be included within the scope of the invention.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that a nominal value of permittivity (εr) for fluids is approximately 2.0. However, the fluidic dielectric 130 used herein can include fluids with higher values of permittivity. For example, the fluidic dielectric material could be selected to have a permittivity values of between 2.0 and about 58, depending upon the amount of delay required.
Similarly, the fluidic dielectric 130 can have a wide range of permeability values. High levels of magnetic permeability are commonly observed in magnetic metals such as Fe and Co. For example, solid alloys of these materials can exhibit levels of μr, in excess of one thousand. By comparison, the permeability of fluids is nominally about 1.0 and they generally do not exhibit high levels of permeability. However, high permeability can be achieved in a fluid by introducing metal particles/elements to the fluid. For example typical magnetic fluids comprise suspensions of ferro-magnetic particles in a conventional industrial solvent such as water, toluene, mineral oil, silicone, and so on. Other types of magnetic particles include metallic salts, organo-metallic compounds, and other derivatives, although Fe and Co particles are most common. The size of the magnetic particles found in such systems is known to vary to some extent. However, particles sizes in the range of 1 nm to 20 μm are common. The composition of particles can be selected as necessary to achieve the required permeability in the final fluidic dielectric. Magnetic fluid compositions are typically between about 50% to 90% particles by weight. Increasing the number of particles will generally increase the permeability.
More particularly, a hydrocarbon dielectric oil such as Vacuum Pump Oil MSDS-12602 could be used to realize a low permittivity, low permeability fluid, low electrical loss fluid. A low permittivity, high permeability fluid may be realized by mixing same hydrocarbon fluid with magnetic particles such as magnetite manufactured by FerroTec Corporation of Nashua, N.H., or iron-nickel metal powders manufactured by Lord Corporation of Cary, N.C. for use in ferrofluids and magnetoresrictive (MR) fluids. Additional ingredients such as surfactants may be included to promote uniform dispersion of the particle. Fluids containing electrically conductive magnetic particles require a mix ratio low enough to ensure that no electrical path can be created in the mixture. Solvents such as formamide inherently posses a relatively high permittivity.
Similar techniques could be used to produce fluidic dielectrics with higher permittivity. For example, fluid permittivity could be increased by adding high permittivity powders such as barium titanate manufactured by Ferro Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio. For broadband applications, the fluids would not have significant resonances over the frequency band of interest.
Controlling the Variable Displacement Processor
According to a preferred embodiment, each cavity 108 can be either made full or empty of fluidic dielectric in order to implement the required time delay. However, the invention is not so limited and it is also possible to only partially fill or partially drain the fluidic dielectric from one or more of the cavities 108.
In either case, once the controller has determined the updated configuration for each of the fluidic delay units necessary to implement the time delay, the controller can move on to step 506. In step 506, the controller operates individual fluid control system 114 of each fluidic delay unit to implement the required delay.
The required configuration of the fluidic delay units 108 can be determined by one of several means. One method would be to calculate the total time delay for the transmission line 110. Given the permittivity and permeability of the fluid dielectrics in cavities 109, and any surrounding solid dielectric 102, 142, the propagation velocity could be calculated for the portions of the transmission line. These values could be calculated each time a new delay time request is received or could be stored in a memory associated with controller 136.
As an alternative to calculating the required configuration of the fluidic delay units, the controller 136 could also make use of a look-up-table (LUT). The LUT can contain cross-reference information for determining control data for fluidic delay units necessary to achieve various different delay times. For example, a calibration process could be used to identify the specific digital control signal values communicated from controller 136 to the fluidic delay units that are necessary to achieve a specific delay value. These digital control signal values could then be stored in the LUT. Thereafter, when control signal 137 is updated to a new requested delay time, the controller 136 can immediately obtain the corresponding digital control signal for producing the required delay.
As an alternative, or in addition to the foregoing methods, the controller 136 could make use of an empirical approach that injects a signal at RF input port 104 and measures the delay to RF output port 106. Specifically, the controller 137 could check to see whether the updated time delay had been achieved. A feedback loop could then be employed to control the fluid control systems 114 to produce the desired delay characteristic.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of alternatives could be used to adjust the presence or absence of the fluid dielectric contained in each of the fluidic delay units 108. Accordingly, the specific implementations described herein are intended to be merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the invention.
RF Unit Structure, Materials and Fabrication
In theory, constant characteristic impedance can be obtained for a transmission line by maintaining a constant ratio of permittivity to permeability in the dielectric to which the line is coupled. Accordingly, in those instances where the transmission line is for all practical purposes coupled exclusively to the fluidic dielectric, then it is merely necessary to maintain a constant ratio of εr/μr, where εr is the permittivity of the fluidic dielectric, and μr is the permeability of the fluidic dielectric.
However, in the case where the transmission line is also partially coupled to a solid dielectric, then the permeability μr necessary to keep the characteristic impedance of the line constant can be expressed as follows:
μr=μr,sub(εr/εr,sub)
where μr,sub is the permeability of the solid dielectric substrate 142, εr is the permittivity of the fluidic dielectric 108 and εr,sub is the permittivity of the solid dielectric substrate 142. When this condition applies, the effective index describing the velocity of the wave neff, is approximately equal to nO,eff(εr/εr,sub) where nO,eff is the index in the solid dielectric substrate.
Note that when the dielectric properties of a transmission line are inhomogeneous along the direction of wave propagation, but the inhomogeneities are small relative to the wavelength in the medium, the line typically behaves like a homogenous line with dielectric properties between the extremes of the inhomogeneous line. Exceptions to this rule may occur when the inhomogeneities are periodic with a period harmonically related to the wavelength. In most other cases, however, inhomogeneous line will generally be characterized by an “effective permittivity” εr,eff and an “effective permeability” μr,eff which are merely the properties of the hypothetical equivalent homogeneous structure. This condition may apply to specific embodiments of the current invention if the fluid cavities illustrated in
At this point it should be noted that while the embodiment of the invention in
According to one aspect of the invention, the solid dielectric substrate 102, 142 can be formed from a ceramic material. For example, the solid dielectric substrate can be formed from a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC). Processing and fabrication of RF circuits on LTCC is well known to those skilled in the art. LTCC is particularly well suited for the present application because of its compatibility and resistance to attack from a wide range of fluids. The material also has superior properties of wetability and absorption as compared to other types of solid dielectric material. These factors, plus LTCC's proven suitability for manufacturing miniaturized RF circuits, make it a natural choice for use in the present invention.
The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. NRO000-02-C-0388 between the National Reconnaissance Office and Harris Corporation.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20040155727 A1 | Aug 2004 | US |