Trw Limited

C Harry Chen

George H Simkins

John P Pacente

A travelling wave coupler autotracking system 10 controls the pointing of an antenna aboard an orbiting satellite by generating tracking signals covering a wideband frequency. The system 10 comprises a waveguide manifold 22 for exciting circular TE.sub.11 and TM.sub.01 modes covering a wideband frequency range, coupling arm waveguides 24, 26 for propagating signals having a phase velocity of TE.sub.10 mode that is the same as the phase velocity of TM.sub.01 mode, and couplers 30 for transforming microwave energy of the TM.sub.01 mode of the circularly polarized microwave signals into TE.sub.10 modes in the coupling waveguide. The system 10 can further comprise 180.degree.-hybrid 20 for combining the TE.sub.10 modes in the coupling waveguides in phase and for generating one or more error signals at different frequencies.

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Torrance, CA, United States of America

C Harry Chen