Aptiv Technologies Ag

Aptiv Technologies Limited

Biswadeep Das Gupta

Syed An Nazmus Saqueb

Sophie Macfarland

Ridhwan Khalid Mirza

David Wayne Zimmerman

Sara J Cavazos

Kurt E Gilbertson

Kevin Harnist

Warren Whithaus

This document describes techniques, apparatuses, and systems for a waveguide with slot antennas and reflectors. An apparatus may include a waveguide channel that includes a hollow channel containing a dielectric and an array of slot antennas through a surface that is operably connected with the dielectric. The apparatus also includes reflectors positioned adjacent to and offset from each longitudinal side of the waveguide channel. The reflectors and the waveguide channel are positioned to generate a particular radiation pattern for an antenna element electrically coupled to the dielectric. In this way, the described waveguide with slot antennas and reflectors can adjust the positioning of the reflectors to provide a radiation pattern with a wide or asymmetric beamwidth.

Waveguide with slot antennas and reflectors

This document describes techniques and systems for a vertical microstrip-to-waveguide transition. A radar system may include a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MIMIC) to generate electromagnetic signals and a printed circuit board (PCB) that includes a first surface, a microstrip, and a grounding pattern. The microstrip can be located on the first surface and operatively connect to the MIMIC. The grounding pattern is located on the first surface and made of conductive material. The radar system also includes a transition channel positioned over the grounding pattern, which includes a vertical taper between a bottom surface and a top surface. The transition channel defines a dielectric-filled portion formed by the grounding pattern and its interior surface. The described vertical transition can reduce manufacturing costs and support a wide bandwidth by tolerating an air gap at the transition-to-waveguide interface.

Vertical microstrip-to-waveguide transition

A test fixture for PCB components is described herein. The test fixture comprises a shim with an aperture configured to direct RF energy from a component of a PCB, via an end of the PCB, and to a top clamp of the test fixture. The end of the PCB may correspond to a cut line of a destructive test. The test fixture also comprises the top clamp with a test port and a taper configured to direct the RF energy from the aperture to the test port. The test fixture also comprises a bottom clamp attached to the top clamp to retain the PCB between the top and bottom clamps for testing. The test fixture allows for quick mounting of the PCB and testing of the component without modifying a design of the PCB or requiring specific drilling of the PCB.

Test fixture for printed circuit board components

Waveguide assemblies are described that utilize a surface-mount waveguide for vertical transitions of a printed circuit board (PCB). The surface-mount waveguide enables low transmission-loss (e.g., increased return-loss bandwidth) by utilizing a waveguide cavity positioned over a plated slot to efficiently transfer electromagnetic energy from one side of the PCB to another side. The waveguide cavity is designed to excite two resonant peaks of the EM energy to reduce a return-loss of power and increase power delivered to an antenna while supporting a high bandwidth of EM energy. Furthermore, the surface-mount waveguide does not require precise fabrication often required for vertical transitions, allowing the surface-mount waveguide to be compatible with low-cost PCB materials (e.g., hybrid PCB stack-ups).

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Noblesville, IN, United States of America

Biswadeep Das Gupta