Hughes Aircraft Company

John E Mantele

Hui-Pin Hsu

Michael De La Chapelle

Gib F Lewis

A varactor controlled phase shifter device is disclosed wherein the phase velocities through the device are substantially equal at all frequencies, thus resulting in the phase constant of the phase shifter device being proportional to frequency. The magnitude of phase shift is selectable over a predetermined range by a continuously variable external control voltage, and this phase shift is linearly proportional to frequency. The device may also be used as a variable length transmission line, useful for such applications as frequency selective impedance matching.

Non-dispersive variable phase shifter and variable length transmission

The corporate feed network employs light emitting opto-electronic components, such as laser diodes (12), connected together in a string (14) for distributing RF, microwave, MMW, digital signals, and pulse modulated light. Each diode provides two ports or facets which are coupled to optical fibers (16, 18) to connect to an active phased array antenna, for example. The diodes are selected in number and impedance to provide a good wideband impedance match to the RF/microwave/MMW/digital driving source. Multiple series strings of diodes may be employed, connected in parallel for larger corporate feed structures.

Growing community of inventors

Laguna Niguel, CA, United States of America

John E Mantele