Trw Limited

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Northrup Grumman Corp.

Barry Ross Allen

David Joseph Brunone

Andrew Donovan Smith

Mark Kintis

Vincent C Moretti

Donald R Martin

William Marvin Skones

Shimen K Claxton

Craig R Talbott

Gee Samuel Dow

Chun-Hong Harry Chen

Paul S Lee

Bert K Oyama

Duncan M Smith

Randy J Duprey

Chung-Wen Dennis Lo

Kenneth T Yano

Eric W Lin

Kevin Wesley Kobayashi

Eric L Upton

Matthew D Ferris

Robert Bruce Stokes

Aaron K Oki

Ronald P Smith

Gregory A Shreve

William L Jones

Marshall Y Huang

Rahul Dixit

George G Pinneo

Steven S Kuo

Arvind K Sharma

Edwin D Dair

Juan C Carillo

Bradford L Nelson

Huei Wang

Dennis C Lo

Daniel T Moriarty

Randall J DuPrey

Daniel Kwok-hung Ko

Yun H Chung

Multiple sensor signals are used to modulate an equal number of frequency-spaced carrier signals in a directional parametric upconverting amplifier. Basically, the carrier signals are separated in a cascaded or parallel configuration of narrow frequency passbands, which also modulate the carrier signals with low-frequency sensor signals. The modulated carrier signals are multiplexed and output over a single signal path, thereby reducing power dissipation. Preferably implemented in superconducting circuitry, the multiplexed amplifier facilitates multiplexing of as many as hundreds of sensor signals and achieves both amplification and upconverting with minimal dissipation of power.

Multiplexed amplifier

A low loss suspended substrate coupler includes a substrate having a first transmission line disposed on a topside of the substrate and a second transmission line disposed on the bottom side of the substrate, thereby providing broadside transmission line coupling. To provide closer mode velocity matching, the coupler has capacitive loading or coupling to ground at discrete intervals between the two transmission lines. The capacitive loading is formed by integrating stubs in each transmission line at pre-determined intervals, each of which is opposite a corresponding one of a plurality of ground stubs on the other side of the substrate. The ground stubs are connected to ground at the outer edge of the coupler area with substrate vias or directly to the coupler housing.

Suspended substrate low loss coupler

A receiver ( ) for a wireless telecommunications system that provides relatively wideband signal processing of received signals without increased signal distortion so that multiple received signals can be simultaneously processed. The receiver ( ) includes a specialized LNA ( ), frequency down-converter ( ) and ADC ( ) to perform the wideband signal processing while maintaining receiver performance. The frequency down-converter ( ) employs a suitable mixer ( ), BPA ( ), attenuator ( ), and transformer ( ) that are tuned to provide the desired frequency down-conversion and amplitude control over the desired wideband. The down-converter devices are selected depending on the particular performance criteria of the ADC ( ). A specialized digital channelizer ( ) is included in the receiver ( ) that receives the digital signal from the ADC ( ), and separates the signals into the multiple channels. In one embodiment, the frequency down-conversion is performed in a single down-conversion process, and the ADC ( ) employs delta-sigma processing to provide digital conversion over the complete frequency band. In an alternate embodiment, the frequency down-conversion is performed in a double down-conversion process so that a less complex ADC ( ) can be used.

Wireless telecommunications multi-carrier receiver architecture

A low noise amplifier topology includes a dual gate transistor device, such as a HEMT device and employs resistive feedback with a DC block associated with the amplifier output to a desired high voltage gain and a low noise figure over a desired range of frequencies.

Dual gate low noise amplifier

A voice-activated microphone and transceiver system includes an interrogator unit for transmitting a signal, receiving a modulated signal, and demodulating the modulated signal such that the difference between the transmitted signal and the modulated signal correspond to a unique sound wave signal. An acoustically driven microphone unit is also included for receiving the signal from the interrogator unit, modulating the signal with the sound wave signal, wherein the sound wave signal contains instructions for controlling an electronic device, and transmitting the modulated signal back to the interrogator unit for analysis by a signal processor.

Passive voice-activated microphone and transceiver system

Receiver including low noise amplifier and frequency down-converter for a wireless telecommunication system

An image reject sub-harmonic mixer that employs less components than known image reject mixers. The mixer includes a 90&deg; RF coupler, two high pass filters, two anti-parallel diode pairs, two low pass filters and a 90&deg; IF coupler. RF and LO signals are applied to isolated input ports of the 90&deg; coupler. In-phase and quadrature-phase copies of the RF and LO signals are provided at output ports of the coupler. The diode pairs mix the RF and LO signals to generate first and second intermediate frequency signals that are separated in-phase. The high pass filters reject the IF signals to prevent IF power from coupling to the RF and LO ports of the coupler. The low pass filters pass the IF signal and reject the LO and RF signals. Image rejection is obtained by combining the IF outputs of the two diode pair in the 90&deg; IF hybrid.

Compact, space efficient, sub-harmonic image reject mixer

Multi-carrier receiver for a wireless telecommunication system

A low noise amplifier ( ) for use in a wireless telecommunications system. The amplifier ( ) includes an amplifying device ( ), such as an FET, and a plurality of oscillation stabilization components monolithically integrated on a common substrate ( ). The stabilization components reduce the gain of the amplifying device ( ) at high frequencies to prevent high frequency oscillations. The substrate ( ) is on the order of 4 mils thick, so that the operation of the stabilization components are predictable at high frequencies.

High dynamic range low noise amplifier

A packaged electronic system is formed of a base having a surface and a plurality of discrete electronic components disposed on the base surface. An absorbing cover reduces the electromagnetic resonance produced by the discrete electronic components disposed within the packaged system. The entire cover is molded using a composite electromagnetic wave-absorbing plastic material. The cover is selectively plated to satisfy the shielding requirements of the packaged system.

Packaged electronic system having selectively plated microwave absorbing cover

An apparatus (,) and method (,) for forming a shapeable and directable composite beam (,) from a plurality of pixel beams (,). The apparatus (,) includes a front-end unit (,) which communicates element signals through antenna array elements (,). The apparatus (,) also includes a back-end unit (,) which forms the composite beam from a set of pixel beams by converting between a composite signal and a set of corresponding pixel signals. The back-end unit (,) further adjusts the amplitude and phase of the set of pixel signals to form the composite beam. The apparatus (,) further includes an interconnecting beamforming network (,) interposed between the back-end unit (,) and the front-end unit (,) which couples the back-end unit (,) to the front-end unit (,) by converting between the pixel signals of the back-end unit (,) and the element signals of the front-end unit (,). The method (,) includes determining a desired shape and direction for the composite beam (,). The method (,) then selects a set of pixel beams (,) with which to form the composite beam. The method (,) converts between the composite signal and a set of pixel signals corresponding to the set of pixel beams (,). The method forms the composite beam (,) by adjusting the amplitude and phase of the set of pixel signals.

Enhanced direct radiating array

An RF cable contains an coaxial inner conductor and a coaxial outer shield surrounding the inner conductor in a concentric arrangement. Quarter-wave series sections in the inner conductor and the outer shield severs a direct thermal path along the RF cable, providing low thermal loading for a cryogenic-to-ambient temperature interconnection. The resonant structure of the RF cable permits propagation alternating current and blocks direct current. A method of forming the RF cable comprises depositing metal on a substrate composed of a polymer film having very low thermal conductivity, and winding the metallized substrate into a tubular configuration. The inner conductor may extend laterally beyond the outer shield to provide points of electrical contact.

Low loss thermal block RF cable and method for forming RF cable

A quenchable VCO that is adapted to be used in switched band synthesizer applications. The VCO may be formed from a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) in a common collector configuration. A quenching circuit which includes a p-i-n diode, is electrically coupled in series with the collector of the HBT. The p-i-n diode is adapted to be monolithically integrated with the HBT. Since the p-i-n diode is electrically connected to the collector of the HBT, as opposed to the base and emitter terminals of the HBT, which forms the main oscillator feedback loop, the Q-factor of the p-i-n diode will have relatively less loading on the phase noise of the HBT oscillator. Moreover, since the p-i-n diode is isolated from the base-emitter junction, the configuration will result in reduced frequency pulling and generation of spurious oscillation and transient effects due to the switching of the p-i-n diode quenched circuit. The use of a p-i-n diode for quenching of VCO also provides other inherent advantages over other types of semi-conductor switches, such as FET, Schottky diodes, PN diodes for quenchable VCO applications because p-i-n diodes are relative insensitive to RF and noise modulation. Because the p-i-n diode can be constructed from existing HBT collector-base MBE epitaxy layers, the quenching circuit can be manufactured relatively inexpensively.

Quenchable VCO for switched band synthesizer applications

A direct detection receiver for a passive microwave and millimeter wave radiometric imaging system. The receiver includes a balanced switch low-noise amplifier (BSLNA). A front-end, low-noise amplifier (LNA) is inserted before the BSLNA to achieve a low-noise figure, as well as provide sufficient gain to minimize the input noise figure degradation due to loss of the BSLNA. A high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT) diode is used as a power detector. The front-end amplifier, BSLNA and diode are process compatible for monolithic integration.

Monolithic, low-noise, synchronous direct detection receiver for passive

A hermetic RF pin grid array package methodology is described that obviates the need for glass to metal feedthroughs, simplifying construction, improving reliability and reducing the cost of RF multi-chip modules. An array of cylindrical passages (13, 15) through the module's base plate (3) are aligned with and receive respective associated conductor pins (7, 9) depending from the module substrate (1). Cylindrical metal shrouds (11) are positioned within some passages (15) combine with associated pins (9) to define coaxial RF transmission lines and support for an external RF coax coupling. Unshrouded pins (7) serve to connect DC to the integrated circuit chips in the module. Waveguide interfaces, if required, are provided by conductive coupling structures patterned on the substrate, suspended over a waveguide (17) formed in or about the baseplate. The compartmentalized seal ring (5) attached to the top surface of the substrate provides a metal framework that divides the interior area, providing individual compartment for the distinct RF circuits in the module, including the integrated circuit chips associated with each such RF circuit.

RF pin grid array

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Redondo Beach, CA, United States of America

Barry Ross Allen