Thales

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Université De Rennes 1

Jean-Philippe Fraysse

Hervé Legay

Stéphane Vezain

Ségolène Tubau

Etienne Girard

Ronan Sauleau

Mauro Ettorre

Nelson Fonseca

Michel Maignan

Renaud Chiniard

Florian Vidal

François Doucet

Alain Chaix

Léonin Lassauce

Jean-Michel Denoual

Alain Peden

Charalampos Stoumpos

Anthony Delmas

An active-array multi-beam antenna includes radiating elements and a hybrid device for forming directive beams. The hybrid device comprises an analogue stage divided into a plurality of analogue beam-forming networks forming like regional beams, and a digital stage suitable for forming the directive beams from the regional beams. A first sub-array is associated with first radiating elements. A second sub-array is associated with second radiating elements. The second sub-array has the same dimensions as the first sub-array. The second sub-array partially overlaps the first sub-array.

Active-array multi-beam antenna comprising a hybrid device for forming directive beams

A quasi-optical beam former includes a set of beam ports, a set of network ports, a quasi-optical device and at least one parallel-plate waveguide extending between the beam ports and the network ports, the beam ports and/or the network ports being superposed in at least two stages, each of the at least two stages being separated by a conductive plane common to two adjacent stages, the quasi-optical beam former comprising a resistive film placed in the continuity of the conductive plane.

Quasi-optical beam former with superposed parallel-plate waveguide

A multibeam analogue former of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams of continuously variable sizes and/or aiming directions for a reconfigurable two-dimensional active array antenna, includes a first set of analogue multibeam formers of fixed one-dimensional beams, of identical structure, superposed and connected at the output to rows of elementary radiating feeds of a planar antenna array in a first axial direction X. The analogue multibeam former comprises a second set of second one-dimensional analogue formers of radiofrequency beams that are continuously variable in size and/or in aiming direction in second angular aiming directions By along a second axial direction Y. Each second analogue former is formed by a divider with a single input and R output branches in transmission mode, each output branch of the divider including an amplitude and phase control point. Each second analogue former of the second set is connected to at least one access column of the first set of first analogue formers, an access column being formed by R access terminals to the input channels of the same rank j of the first analogue formers.

Two-dimensional analogue multibeam former of reduced complexity for reconfigurable active array antennas

A radiating element includes at least two feeding guides and one horn common to at least two feeding guides and having an excitation interface, each feeding guide comprising a port guide and an excitation guide connected to the port guide by a port interface and connected to the common horn by the excitation interface, each excitation guide being flared in the direction from the port interface to the excitation interface, each excitation guide not having an axis of symmetry, the two feeding guides being disposed symmetrically relative to one another.

Multiple-port radiating element

A compact bipolarization is provided power dividers for a radiofrequency power source. The divider according to the invention includes four identical orthomode transducers, eight identical waveguides, each waveguide comprising two bends, four identical T-shaped junctions, four identical twists and two power distributors; the four orthomode transducers being of parallelepipedal shape with a square base, each transducer comprising, on each of two adjacent lateral faces, a waveguide connected to the lower face of the transducer; the four transducers being positioned so as to form a square, each transducer being connected to two junctions that are perpendicular to one another, the set of four junctions forming a Greek cross; each pair of junctions that are situated in one and the same plane being connected, by way of two twists, to the two outputs of a power distributor comprising a single input.

Power divider for an antenna comprising four identical orthomode transducers

A quasi-optical beamformer includes a power distributor composed of a succession of parallel-plate dividers extending in a YZ-plane from a first stage to a last stage, each parallel-plate divider comprising, in each of the stages of the corporate structure located under a higher stage, first and second parallel-plate waveguide branches leading to respective parallel-plate dividers of the following stage of the corporate structure, the beamformer furthermore including a plurality of lenses extending longitudinally along the X-axis in at least one stage of the power distributor, so as to apply a delay that is continuously variable along the X-axis, the lenses being placed in each of the branches of the dividers of at least one stage in the power distributor.

Antenna integrating delay lenses in the interior of a distributor based on parallel-plate waveguide dividers

An excitation assembly comprises a symmetrical OMT and two splitters respectively connected to two pathways of the OMT. The OMT comprises a cross junction comprising a central waveguide parallel to an axis Z and four lateral ports oriented in two directions X, Y, the first splitter consisting of an input waveguide and of two output ports coupled to two lateral ports, oriented in the direction X, by respective connection waveguides. The first splitter is located on a lateral side of the OMT, orthogonally to the direction X, and its two output ports are formed one above the other in a lateral wall of the input waveguide, the upper output port being placed facing a first lateral port of the OMT to which it is connected by the first connection waveguide. The difference in electrical length between the two connection waveguides is equal to &#x3bb;/2.

Compact bipolarization excitation assembly for a radiating antenna element and compact array comprising at least four compact excitation assemblies

A beamformer comprises a transmission line fed by at least one input feed source, the transmission line comprising two stacked metal plates extending, along two directions, longitudinal X and transverse Y. The transmission line further comprises at least one protuberance extending in the directions X, Y, and in a direction Z orthogonal to the plane XY, the protuberance comprising a metal insert extending in the directions X and Y and extending height-wise in the direction Z, the insert comprising a base fastened to one of the two metal plates and a free end and having a contour of variable length between the two lateral edges of the transmission line. In the protuberance, the transmission line is adjoining the insert and forms, in the direction Z, a circumvolution around the insert.

Quasi-optical beamformer with lens and plane antenna comprising such a beamformer

A compact Butler matrix consists a planar multilayer structure comprising N parallel metal plate waveguides PPW, stacked one on top of the other, two adjacent waveguides PPW comprising a common wall consisting of one of the metal plates. The couplers, the phase-shifters and the crossover devices of the Butler matrix consist of metasurfaces incorporated in the metal plates. The planar two-dimensional beam-former can comprise a Butler matrix with waveguides PPW associated with optical lenses incorporated in each waveguide PPW. Alternatively, the planar two-dimensional beam-former can comprise an upper stage consisting of a Butler matrix with waveguides PPW, and a lower stage comprising waveguides PPW equipped with incorporated reflectors, the two stages being connected in series.

Compact butler matrix, planar two-dimensional beam-former and planar antenna comprising such a butler matrix

An amplification device with reduced bulk including at least one plate parallel to a plane XY and at least two amplifier modules mounted on the plate, each amplifier module including an amplifier element, an input connection waveguide, and an output connection waveguide oriented in one and the same direction X corresponding to a direction of longitudinal propagation, the amplifier element having an input and output axis oriented in a direction Y perpendicular to the direction of propagation X, wherein the input connection waveguides of the amplifier modules are distinct, have different lengths and are mounted in parallel to one another, the output connection waveguides of the amplifier modules are distinct, have different lengths and are mounted in parallel to one another, and the sum of the lengths of the input and output guides of one and the same amplifier module is identical for each amplifier module.

Power amplifier device with reduced bulk

A radial power combination system is provided. The system comprises a radial divider comprising ports in the form of rectangular waveguides on the periphery, a radial combiner superposed on the radial divider, comprising ports in the form of rectangular waveguides on the periphery, a first, input transition transmitting a first signal to the center of the radial divider, a second, output transition capturing the first signal amplified to the output of the radial combiner, at least two amplifying channels comprising a third, input transition capable of interacting with the guides, a fourth, output transition capable of interacting with the guides and at least one amplifier, and means for adjusting the positioning of the amplifying channels, thus making it possible to adjust the phase shift of the various channels.

Radial power amplification device with phase dispersion compensation of the amplification paths

The invention concerns an amplifier comprising a specific number of N active elements (toN) coupled in parallel to a load impedance () via an adaptive device () including at least a specific number of N referenced susceptance compensating circuits (toN)&#x3e; The susceptance compensating circuits (toN) are connected respectively to the outputs of the N Active elements (toN) to compensate the output susceptance of the active elements to a conductance combining and adapting circuit () having N inputs connected respectively to the outputs of the N susceptance compensation circuits and an output connected to the load impedance () of the amplifier. The invention is applicable to microwave amplifiers with high output power dynamics.

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Toulouse, France

Jean-Philippe Fraysse