Raytheon Company

Gritters, Darin M.

Brown, Andrew K.

Darin M Gritters

Kenneth William Brown

Andrew Kent Brown

Michael John Sotelo

William Earl Dolash

Thomas Lee Obert

Travis B Feenstra

David D Crouch

Paul A Merems

James Stephen Mason

Michael A Moore

Reid F Lowell

Patrick J Kocurek

Thomas A Hanft

Domingo Cruz-Pagan

Thanh C Ta

Andrew W Chang

William E Dolash

Kenneth Brown

An encapsulation for electronics is provided. The encapsulation includes a circuit card assembly (CCA) on which a component of the electronics is operably disposed, a compliant thermal buffer coating (TBC), thermoset material and high-performance thermoplastic materials. The compliant TBC is layered over the component and a first area of the CCA, which extends about a periphery of the component. The thermoset material is cast over the compliant TBC and a second area of the CCA, which extends about a periphery of the compliant TBC. The high-performance thermoplastic material is injection molded over the thermoset material and a third area of the CCA, which extends about a periphery of the thermoset material.

Encapsulating electronics in high-performance thermoplastics

In one aspect, a Y-splitter includes a first arm having a first port, a second arm having a second port, a third arm having a third port, a fourth arm having a fourth port and a Y-split portion having a first end coupled to the first arm, a second end coupled to the second arm, a third end coupled to the third arm and a fourth end coupled to the fourth arm. The Y-split portion splits a signal from a first signal path from the first port into a second signal on a second signal path and a third signal on a third signal path. A first angle between the second signal path and the first signal path is greater than 90 degrees and a second angle between the third signal path and the first signal path is greater than 90 degrees.

Magic-Y splitter

A power amplifier uses a modular architecture in which each of the one or more modules spatially combines the power from multiple amplified channels. The individual modules are configured to operate in the EHF band and above at low loss. This entails reconfiguring the input and output splitters, the end-launched transitions between the amplifier chips and the input and output splitters and the packaging of the DC power and control board. The input splitter uses a split-block technology. The output splitter maps each amplified channel into a two-dimensional aperture.

Modular spatially combined EHF power amplifier

A waveguide mechanical phase adjuster includes at least one pair of dielectric rods nominally spaced &#xbc; wavelength apart and inserted through a corresponding pair of holes in the wall of a waveguide. The holes are dimensioned so that they are in 'cutoff' at the top end of the spectral band. An adjustment mechanism sets the insertion depth of the rods, which determines the amount of dielectric loading and, in turn, the insertion phase. Changing the insertion depth changes the dielectric loading, hence the insertion phase. The &#xbc; wavelength spacing of the rods serves to cancel reflected energy. Additional pairs of dielectric rods can be similarly configured and actuated to increase the range over which the insertion phase can be adjusted. The waveguide mechanical phase adjuster is well adapted for use with power combiners to maintain tight phase coherence between channels.

Waveguide mechanical phase adjuster

An apparatus for conveying an electrical signal includes: a conductive pathway having a conductive material. The conductive material has a first edge and a second edge and is configured to convey the electrical signal. The apparatus also includes a resistive material in contact with at least a portion of the conductive pathway, covering an edge of the conductive pathway, and extending beyond the edge. The resistive material has a conductivity less than the conductivity of the conductive material.

Radiofrequency absorptive filter

Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a novel printed antenna that provides a low-loss transition into waveguide. The antenna is integrated with a heat spreader and the interconnection between the antenna and the output device (such as a power amplifier) is a simple conductive connection, such as (but not limited to), a wirebond. Integrating the antenna with the heat spreader in accordance with the concepts, circuits, and techniques described herein drastically shortens the distance from the output device to the waveguide, thus reducing losses and increasing bandwidth. The transition and technique described herein may be easily scaled for both higher and lower frequencies. Embodiments of the present apparatus also eliminate the complexity of the prior art circuit boards and transitions and enable the use of a wider range of substrates while greatly simplifying assembly.

High frequency, high bandwidth, low loss microstrip to waveguide transition

A transition for coupling a microwave signal between a transmission line formed on a planar dielectric substrate and a hollow waveguide may include a half-notch antenna formed on a portion of the dielectric substrate extending into an open end of the hollow waveguide.

Low loss broadband planar transmission line to waveguide transition

A millimeter wave power source module may include N submodules, each of which includes M circuit devices, where M and N are greater than one. Each circuit device may have an output connected to a corresponding radiating element. Each submodule may include a power divider having K input ports and M output ports, where K is a factor of M. Each input port may be coupled to a corresponding receiving element, and each output port may be coupled to an input of a corresponding circuit device. Each submodule may include a heat spreader for removing heat from the circuit devices. The power source module may include a combination RF feed network and heat sink. The combination RF feed network and heat sink may include a wavefront expander to expand the RF input wavefront along at least one axis, and to direct the expanded wavefront to the receiving elements of the N submodules. The combination RF feed network and heat sink may also include a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the heat spreaders of the N submodules.

Lens array module

Modular MMW power source

A modular solid-state MMW power source based on a topology of the lens array amplifier provides both the flexibility to scale output power and effective thermal management. The modular power source includes a single submodule that uses one or more power dividers and one or more solid-state amplification stages to divide and amplify an RF input signal into R amplified RF signals. The submodule is mounted (suitably in the X-Y plane) on the surface of a heat sink, suitably coupled to a cold backplane, to remove heat. R 1:N low loss power dividers route the amplified RF signals to R*N radiating elements. Each of the 1:N power dividers suitably reside in the X-Z plane and are stacked in the Y direction to provide a planar output of the R*N radiating elements in the Y-Z plane. Placement of the amplifier chips on the single submodule decouples the number of amplifier chips, hence output power, from the number of radiating elements. Placement of the amplifier chips away from the radiating face provides a short path with large thermal cross-section through the heat sink to the backplane to remove heat. The topology can produce high output power combined with a high antenna gain to produce large power-aperture products previously only achievable with a Gyrotron. As amplifier chips become more powerful, the topology can be adapted to use fewer chips.

Modular solid-state millimeter wave (MMW) RF power source

There is disclosed an amplifier module which may include a plurality of N circuit devices, each of which may have at least two stages of amplification. Each circuit device may additionally have a DC input power terminal, a DC power return terminal, and at least one bias voltage terminal. The DC power terminals of the N circuit devices may be connected in series. A bias voltage network may have at least N taps, and each of the N taps may be connected to a bias voltage terminal of a corresponding one of the N circuit devices.

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Yucaipa, CA, United States of America

Darin M Gritters