Harris Corporation

Gary A Rief

Walter M Whybrew

Gregory M Jandzio

Anders P Pedersen

Brett A Pigon

James B Nichols

Douglas E Heckaman

Donald J Beck

Steven E Wilson

Kelly V Hillman

Jay D Warshowsky

Edward J Bajgrowicz

James A Sanborn

Randy Eugene Boozer

Hector Deju

Janet D Sadlon

Talmadge H Callahan

Decosta R Alewine

Greg Jandzio

Robert J Schrimpf

David M Holaday

Erik Granholm

Thomas K Buschor

A method is for making a structural printed wiring board panel that includes a multilayer printed wiring board having opposing, outer faces and interlayer interconnects that route RF, power and control signals. Connection areas are formed in or on at least on one face for connecting the interlayer interconnects and any electrical components. A metallic face sheet is secured onto at least one outer face, adding structural rigidity to the multilayer printed wiring board. A metallic face sheet can have apertures positioned to allow access to connection areas. RF components can be carried by a face sheet and operatively connected to connection areas. Antenna elements can be positioned on the same or an opposing face sheet and operatively connected to RF components to form a phased array printed wiring board (PWB) panel.

Method of making printed wiring board with enhanced structural integrity

A printed circuit board (PCB) is disclose such that the PCB has enhanced structural integrity. The PCB has opposing, outer faces and interlayer interconnects that route RF, power and control signals. Connection areas are formed in or on at least on one face for connecting the interlayer interconnects and any electrical components. A metallic face sheet is secured onto at least one outer face, adding structural rigidity to the multilayer printed wiring board. A metallic face sheet can have apertures positioned to allow access to connection areas. RF components can be carried by a face sheet and operatively connected to connection areas. Antenna elements can be positioned on the same or an opposing face sheet and operatively connected to RF components to form a phased array printed wiring board (PWB) panel.

Printed circuit board (PCB)with enhanced structural integrity

A structural printed wiring board panel includes a multilayer printed wiring board having opposing, outer faces and interlayer interconnects that route RF, power and control signals. Connection areas are formed in or on at least on one face for connecting the interlayer interconnects and any electrical components. A metallic face sheet is secured onto at least one outer face, adding structural rigidity to the multilayer printed wiring board. A metallic face sheet can have apertures positioned to allow access to connection areas. RF components can be carried by a face sheet and operatively connected to connection areas. Antenna elements can be positioned on the same or an opposing face sheet and operatively connected to RF components to form a phased array printed wiring board (PWB) panel.

Printed wiring board with enhanced structural integrity

A multi-beam phased array antenna architecture includes a plurality of antenna modules, stacked together in a side-by-side relationship. Mutually adjacent edges of the modules have antenna elements that form a two-dimensional antenna array as a result of the stacking of the antenna modules. Opposite sides of an antenna module are tray-configured and contain amplifier modules coupled to the antenna elements, and to 'vertical' microstrip layers on undersides of double-sided printed wiring boards. Outersides of the double-sided printed wiring boards contain 'horizontal' microstrip layers, one for each beam, to which multiple beam-associated phase shift circuit elements for each antenna element on the module are ported. The phase shift circuit elements are also coupled by conductive vias to the first microstrip layers. The second microstrip layers are coupled to connectors along second edges of the modules for engagement with beam signal network modules.

Spatially orthogonal signal distribution and support architecture for multi-beam phased array antenna

An antenna device includes a dual polarized quad-ridge antenna horn having an electrically conductive conduit with first and second opposite ends along a horn axis. Four electrically conductive ridges are carried on an inner side of the electrically conductive conduit. A printed wiring board including a dielectric substrate is connected across the first end of the dual polarized quad-ridge antenna horn and transversely to the horn axis. Furthermore, an electrically conductive pattern is formed on the dielectric substrate and defines feed elements for the dual polarized quad-ridge antenna horn.

Antenna horn and associated methods

A phased array antenna includes an antenna housing having a subarray assembly that supports beam forming network modules and an array face defining a ground plane substantially orthogonal to the subarray assembly. A plurality of millimeter wavelength patch antenna elements are positioned on the array face and each positioned adjacent a respective subarray assembly. The millimeter wavelength patch antenna elements each include a driven antenna element having a front and rear side and a parasitic antenna element positioned forward of the front side of the driven antenna element. A microstrip quadrature-to-circular polarization circuit is positioned rearward of the rear side of the driven antenna element and operatively connected to the driven antenna element. A single millimeter wavelength feed operatively connects the microstrip quadrature-to-circular polarization circuit with a respective adjacent beam forming network module supported on the orthogonal positioned subarray assembly.

Phased array antenna having stacked patch antenna element with single millimeter wavelength feed and microstrip quadrature-to-circular polarization circuit

A modular antenna architecture includes a plurality of joined-together flat, laminate-configured antenna sub-panels, in which RF signal processing (RF amplifier) modules are embedded within a very lightweight, honeycomb-configured support member, upon which respective antenna sub-array and control, power and beam steering signal distribution networks are respectively mounted. The thickness of the honeycomb-configured support member-embedded is sized relative to the lengths of the RF signal processing modules such that input/output ports at opposite ends of the RF modules are substantially coplanar with conductor traces on the front and rear facesheets, so that the RF modules provide the functionality of RF feed-throughs to provide RF signal coupling connections between the rear and front facesheets of the antenna sub-panel.

Lightweight antenna subpanel having RF amplifier modules embedded in

A thermosonic ribbon bonding process uses a combination of a relatively low temperature and a high frequency to bond a ribbon conductor to conductive bonding sites of a system level support structure, such as a space/airborne antenna, containing circuit components whose characteristics might otherwise be degraded at an elevated temperature customarily used in device-level thermosonic bonding processes. By relatively low temperature is meant a temperature no greater than the minimum temperature that would potentially cause a modification of the circuit parameters of at least one of the system's components. Such a minimum temperature may lie in a range on the order of 25-85.degree. C., while the ultrasonic bonding frequency preferably lies in a range of from 122 KHz to 140 KHz. For gold ribbon to gold pad bonds, this high frequency range achieves the requisite atomic diffusion bonding energy, without causing fracturing or destruction of the gold ribbon or its interface with the gold pad.

High frequency, low temperature thermosonic ribbon bonding process for

Materials having diverse coefficients of thermal expansion are joined together by means of an adhesive film, electrically insulative mesh structure that cures at room temperature. An adhesive film bonding technique is employed to mount a printed wiring board, having a relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion, to a thermally and electrically conductive aluminum stiffener having a relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion, while maintaining the printed wiring board electrically insulated from the aluminum stiffener. A non-adhesive plastic `release` film is initially attached to a flat support substrate. A layer of electrically insulative mesh (glass cloth) is taped onto the plastic release film. The glass cloth is then impregnated with an electrically insulative adhesive that cures at room temperature. The aluminum stiffener is then placed on the adhesive-impregnated cloth layer, which is then cut to fit, using the aluminum stiffener as a template. The release polyester film and the flat support substrate are removed, exposing the opposite side of the adhesive-impregnated cloth layer for attachment to the printed wiring board. The resulting laminate assembly of the printed wiring board, the adhesive-impregnated glass cloth, and the aluminum stiffener plate is placed in a vacuum bag and allowed to cure at room temperature. Because the laminate cures at room temperature, the physical configuration of the assembly will not have changed at cure.

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Melbourne, FL, United States of America

Gary A Rief