Patent Grant
11303005
Available signal combiner and divider technologies cannot efficiently combine harmonic signals onto a common transmission line or efficiently divide an arbitrary waveform into its harmonic constituents. Waveguide combiners, hybrid combiners, Wilkinson divider/combiners and tapered line combiners to are only efficient when they are used to combine or divide signals that have the same power and frequency.
A new combiner technology is needed to efficiently combine multiple harmonic signals onto a common transmission line.
A new dividing technology is needed to efficiently divide arbitrary waveforms into their harmonic constituents.
The harmonic combiner and divider efficiently combines multiple harmonic signals onto a common transmission line.
The harmonic combiner and divider efficiently divides an arbitrary waveform its harmonic constituents.
Combined harmonic signals can be used to generate fast, high-fidelity arbitrary waveforms by superimposing the harmonics described in their Fourier series. Fast arbitrary waveforms have applications in communications, radar, and can be used for manipulating and controlling charged particle beams.
Dividing fast arbitrary waveforms into their constituent harmonics provides an efficient mechanism for waveform analysis and for multi-channel communications.
1. Harmonic Frequency Port
2. Bandpass Filter
3. Transmission Line Loop
4. Input/Output Port
An embodiment of the harmonic combiner and divider using stripline type transmission lines is illustrated in
The locations of the ports (1,4) along the transmission line loop (3), the loops length, and the loops impedance, are selected so that signals presented at the harmonic frequency ports (1) are evenly split into two paths along the transmission line loop (3), and constructively recombine at the loops input/output port (4). Conversely, harmonic signals presented at the input/output port (4), constructively recombine at the location of their corresponding bandpass filters (2).
The top left frame of
Because the impedance of two parallel 100 Ohm transmission lines is 50 Ohms, a signal from a 50 Ohm port is evenly divided onto the transmission line loop.
The location of the first harmonic frequency port in this embodiment is equidistant from the input/output port. This location ensures that the relative phasing of the split signals constructively recombine at the input/output port. Conversely, a first harmonic signal at the input port constructively recombines at its corresponding bandpass filter, and transmits to the harmonic frequency port.
The small triangles inside the illustrated transmission line loops represent locations of standing wave nulls if the loop were disconnected from its ports and resonantly excited. These points are imaginary because the loop is connected to ports, but are useful to identify locations of constructive phasing between the input/output port and the harmonic frequency ports.
The second frame of
The third through fifth frames similarly show locations for efficient two way transmission of individual harmonics between the input/output port and their corresponding bandpass filters.
The final frame in
When in use as a harmonic combiner, multiple phase and amplitude controlled harmonic signals are input into their corresponding harmonic frequency ports (1), pass through their corresponding bandpass filters (2), travel along the transmission line loop (3) and constructively combine at the input/output port (4) as a controllable arbitrary waveform.
When in use as a harmonic divider, an arbitrary waveform presented at the input/output port 4), is split onto the transmission line loop (3) and each harmonic of the input constructively recombines at the connection of its corresponding band pass filter (2) and transmits to its corresponding harmonic frequency port (1).
From the description above, several advantages of some embodiments become evident.
When used as a harmonic combiner, the arbitrary waveform is efficiently created. The band pass filters isolate multiple sources from one another and prevent unwanted signals generated within the input amplifiers to reduce the fidelity of the resulting arbitrary waveform.
When used as a harmonic divider, an input arbitrary waveform is efficiently divided into its harmonic constituents. Phase and amplitude detection of each harmonic of the input waveform provides a real time Fourier series of the input. If the input arbitrary waveforms harmonic constituents were modulated, the harmonic combiner and divider provides a method for multi-channel communication.
Accordingly, the reader will see that the harmonic combiner and divider can efficiently combine harmonics to create arbitrary waveforms and efficiently divide an arbitrary waveform into its constituent harmonics.
Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but as merely providing illustration of one. For example, the transmission lines can be of many types including co-axial, twin line, microstrip, optical fiber etc. The 50 Ohm port impedance was selected for its popularity but could be changed. The transmission line loops are shown to be circular for clarity but could be any loop shape. The bandpass filters could be tunable to change the frequency of the arbitrary waveform to be combined or divided. Any transmission line loop length could be used with the constraint that it supports constructive interference between the harmonic frequency ports and the input/output port. While five harmonics are described, any number is possible.
The Department of Energy's Office of Science, Nuclear Physics program, and the Small Business Innovative Research program, grant number DE-SC0018510.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3988679 | Clarke | Oct 1976 | A |
| 7616058 | Nezakati | Nov 2009 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210226311 A1 | Jul 2021 | US |
