The present invention relates to a microwave oscillator stabilized in frequency by using a dielectric resonator, and a low-noise converter (International Patent Classification H01P1/17) incorporated in a radio wave receiving antenna of broadcast or communication satellite.
Recently, along with progress in digital signal compression technology of moving picture or integrated circuit for digital signal processing, in the television broadcast by broadcast satellite or communication satellite, the analog transmission system is being replaced by the digital transmission system which is capable of presenting broadcast and communication services of higher picture quality in multiple channels, and its spread in the general household is highly expected. In this background, there is an increasing demand not only for smaller size and lower cost of low-noise converter used in the receiving antenna of broadcast or communication satellite radio waves, but also for further improvement of phase noise characteristics of the microwave oscillator incorporated in the low-noise converter which has a serious effect on the quality of bit error rate (BER) of decoded signals in the receiver when the quadrature phase shift keying or octantal phase shift keying is employed as the digital transmission system.
The MSL 4b is connected to the collector of transistor 1, and in this line 4b, a choke circuit of HIL 6b and MSL 4f and a dc resistance 3a are connected as shown in the diagram, and one end of the resistance 3a is connected to a bias supply terminal 2a of the transistor, and a bias voltage is applied to the collector terminal therefrom. A capacitor 7b for grounding the microwave component leaking out from the HIL 6b is connected serially to the resistance 3a, and one end is grounded.
A hollow circular dielectric resonator (DR) 5 couples the MSL 4a and 4b electromagnetically, and is arranged so that the distance from its release end to the closest position to the center of the DR 5 may be λg/4 on the MSL 4b.
In this configuration, by feeding back from the collector to the base of the transistor 1 through the DR 5, the oscillation frequency and oscillation power are stabilized at the frequency determined by the resonance frequency of the DR 5, and the oscillation power is delivered from an output terminal 8 through an impedance matching circuit 9 and a dc blocking capacitor 7a connected to the emitter of the transistor 1.
Meanwhile, the HIL 6c and MSL 4e connected to the matching circuit 9 form a choke circuit, and are used for preventing leak of microwave oscillation power and grounding the emitter of the transistor 1 in direct current.
This conventional configuration, however, requires choke circuits composed of HIL 6a, 6b, 6c and MSL 4d, 4f, 4e which are connected for applying a dc bias to the MSL 4a, 4b connected to the corresponding terminals of the transistor 1 and connected to the impedance matching circuit 9, and these choke circuits make it difficult to reduce the size of the microwave oscillator or induce deterioration of phase noise characteristics, generation of spurious oscillation, or other unstable oscillation.
A microwave oscillator is characterized by the configuration in which MSL A released at one end is connected to the base terminal of a transistor, MSL B is connected to the collector terminal, a DR is disposed closely to the MSL A and MSL B to couple them electromagnetically, and a stabilized oscillation output is obtained by inducing parallel feedback from the collector to the base, and further the center of the DR is set closest to the position at which the distance from the released end on the MSL A is λg1/4, and HIL is merely connected to this position as a bias supply line to the base terminal, and therefore without using choke circuits which occupied a relatively wide area on the conventional circuit board, a small and stable microwave oscillator having excellent phase noise characteristics may be realized.
In other configuration, the MSL B connected to the collector terminal of the transistor is also released at one end, and the center of the DR is set closest to the position at which the distance from the released end on the MSL B is λg2/4, and merely the HIL is connected as a bias supply line to the collector terminal, and therefore without using choke circuits conventionally added to the bias supply lines to both base and collector terminals, the size may be further reduced. Herein, λg2 is the guide wavelength in the MSL B.
Further, using the FET instead of the transistor, MSL A with a released end is connected to its gate terminal, and MSL B is connected to the drain terminal, and a DR is disposed closely to the MSL A and B to couple them electromagnetically, and a stabilized oscillation output is obtained by inducing a parallel feedback from the drain to the gate, and the center of the DR is set closest to the position at which the distance from the released end on the MSL A is λg1/4, and HIL is merely connected as a bias supply line to the gate terminal, and therefore without using choke circuits which occupied a relatively wide area on the conventional circuit board, a small and stable microwave oscillator having excellent phase noise characteristics may be realized.
In a different configuration, the MSL B connected to the drain terminal of the FET is also released at one end, and the center of the DR is set closest to the position at which the distance from the released end on the MSL B is λg2/4, and merely the HIL is connected as a bias supply line to the drain terminal, and therefore without using choke circuits conventionally added to the bias supply lines to both gate and drain terminals, the size may be further reduced.
By using any one of such microwave oscillators in the local oscillator for the low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal composed of a probe for converting the satellite signal in the circular waveguide obtained from a satellite signal receiving antenna into MSL mode, a low-noise amplifier, a mixer, a local oscillator, and an IF amplifier, a small and stable low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal having excellent phase noise characteristics may be realized.
Thus, by connecting the MSL released at one end to the base and/or collector terminal of the transistor or to the gate and/or drain terminal of the FET, setting the center of the DR closest to the position at which the distance from the released end on the MSL is λg/4, and merely connecting the HIL as a bias supply line to each terminal of the transistor or FET, conventional choke circuits are omitted, and a small and stable microwave oscillator having excellent phase noise characteristics and a low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal by using it are presented.
Referring now to the drawings, preferred embodiments of the invention are described below.
(Embodiment 1)
A circuit diagram of a microwave oscillator in embodiment 1 of the invention is shown in
At a base terminal of a transistor 1, MSL 4a with a released end is connected, and HIL 6a and dc resistance 3b are connected serially to the side of line 4a as shown in
Supposing the position on the line 4a closest to the center of the DR 5 from the released end of the MSL 4a to be Pa, and the distance from the released end of the line 4a to the HIL 6a to be x, the distance from the released end to Pa is λg1/4 (L1=λg1/4), and hence the line 4a is in short-circuited state at Pa, and as seeing the released end of the line 4a from Pa, the impedance Z(Pa) is a sufficiently small value. Therefore, when the HIL 6a is connected at this position of Pa, that is, when set at x=L1, the impedance of seeing the HIL 6a from the position of Pa is a sufficiently large value as compared with Z(Pa) without using choke circuit with a stab 4d in the prior art shown in
In this embodiment, a voltage feedback system is used in the bias method of the transistor 1, but similar effects are obtained by other bias method such as current feedback system. Of course, same effects are obtained by using interdigital filter by MSL or the like in the dc blocking capacitor 7a.
(Embodiment 2)
A circuit diagram of a microwave oscillator of this embodiment is same as that of embodiment 1 shown in
In this embodiment, too, the bias method of the transistor 1 and dc blocking capacitor 7a may be varied same as in embodiment 1.
(Embodiment 3)
A circuit diagram of a microwave oscillator in embodiment 3 of the invention is shown in
Supposing the position on the line 4a closest to the center of the DR 5 from the released end of the MSL 4a to be Pa, and the distance from the released end of the line 4a to the HIL 6a to be x, the distance from the released end to Pa is λg1/4 (L1=λg1/4), and hence the line 4a is in short-circuited state at Pa, and as seeing the released end of the line 4a from Pa, the impedance Z(Pa) is a sufficiently small value. Therefore, when the HIL 6a is connected at this position of Pa, that is, when set at x=L1, the impedance of seeing the HIL 6a from the position of Pa is a sufficiently large value as compared with Z(Pa) without using choke circuit with a stab 4d in the prior art shown in
Of course, same effects are obtained by using interdigital filter by MSL or the like in the dc blocking capacitor 7a.
(Embodiment 4)
A circuit diagram of a microwave oscillator of this embodiment is same as that of embodiment 3 shown in
In this embodiment, too, the dc blocking capacitor 7a may be varied same as in embodiment 3.
(Embodiment 5)
A block diagram of a low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal in embodiment 5 of the invention is shown in
A satellite signal received by a receiving antenna is led into a circular waveguide 20, converted into MSL mode by a probe 11 provided in the guide, and amplified by a low-noise amplifier, and sent into a mixer 13 to be converted down to an intermediate frequency. As a local oscillator for feeding a local oscillation signal into the mixer 13, the microwave oscillator in embodiment 1 is used. That is, by connecting the HIL 6a for bias voltage supply to be applied to the base terminal of the transistor 1 from the released end of the MSL 4a to the position Pa of λg1/4 (x=λg1/4 ), this microwave oscillator does not require a choke circuit. In
Thus, in this embodiment, since the microwave oscillator in embodiment 1 is used in the low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal as the local oscillator, a small and stable low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal having excellent phase noise characteristics is realized.
(Embodiment 6)
A block diagram of a low-noise converter of this embodiment is same as that of embodiment 5 shown in
In this embodiment, the microwave oscillator in embodiment 2 is used as the local oscillator for generating local oscillation signal. That is, by connecting the HIL 6b for bias voltage supply to be applied to the collector terminal of the transistor 1 from the released end of the MSL 4b to the position Pb of λg2/4 (y=λg2/4), this microwave oscillator does not require a choke circuit. Thus, in this embodiment, since the microwave oscillator in embodiment 2 is used in the low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal as the local oscillator, a small and stable low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal having excellent phase noise characteristics is realized.
(Embodiment 7)
A block diagram of a low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal in embodiment 7 of the invention is shown in
A satellite signal received by a receiving antenna is led into a circular waveguide 20, converted into MSL mode by a probe 11 provided in the guide, and amplified by a low-noise amplifier, and sent into a mixer 13 to be converted down to an intermediate frequency. As a local oscillator for feeding a local oscillation signal into the mixer 13, the microwave oscillator in embodiment 3 is used. That is, by connecting the HIL 6a for bias voltage supply to be applied to the gate terminal of the FET 9 from the released end of the MSL 4a to the position Pa of λ/4 (x=λg1/4), this microwave oscillator does not require a choke circuit. In
Thus, in this embodiment, since the microwave oscillator in embodiment 3 is used in the low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal as the local oscillator, a small and stable low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal having excellent phase noise characteristics is realized.
(Embodiment 8)
A block diagram of a low-noise converter of this embodiment is same as that of embodiment 7 shown in
In this embodiment, the microwave oscillator in embodiment 4 is used as the local oscillator for generating local oscillation signal. That is, by connecting the HIL 6b for bias voltage supply to be applied to the drain terminal of the FET 9 from the released end of the MSL 4b to the position Pb of λg2/4 (y=λg2/4), this microwave oscillator does not require a choke circuit. Thus, in this embodiment, since the microwave oscillator in embodiment 4 is used in the low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal as the local oscillator, a small and stable low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal having excellent phase noise characteristics is realized.
Thus, by connecting the MSL released at one end to the base and/or collector terminal of the transistor or to the gate and/or drain terminal of the FET, setting the center of the DR closest to the position at which the distance from the released end on the MSL is λg/4, and merely connecting the HIL as a bias supply line to each terminal of the transistor or FET, conventional choke circuits are omitted, and a small and stable microwave oscillator having excellent phase noise characteristics and a low-noise converter for receiving satellite signal by using it are presented.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2000-107545 | Apr 2000 | JP | national |
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4713632 | Nishikawa et al. | Dec 1987 | A |
5752180 | Guo et al. | May 1998 | A |
5834981 | Trier et al. | Nov 1998 | A |
5940750 | Wang | Aug 1999 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20010055958 A1 | Dec 2001 | US |