Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Michael C Meholensky

Adrian A Hill

Robert D Pond

Lee M Paulsen

Anders P Walker

Vadim Olen

James B West

Russell David Wyse

Michael L Hageman

Jeremiah Damien Wolf

Jiwon L Moran

Jonathan A Lovseth

Bryan S McCoy

Paul L Opsahl

Zachary Haralson

A radio frequency (RF) transmission line is described. The RF transmission line includes a first ground line, a second ground line, and a signal line disposed on a substrate and forming a coplanar waveguide. A plasma limiter feature is integrated into an internal surface of one or more of the first ground line, the second ground line, and the signal line. The plasma limiter decreases a gap distance between the signal line and the associated ground line. The gap distance is selected, together with a gas pressure, to control a voltage at which the gas within the gap breaks down, targeted at a breakdown power of 1 W across a wide bandwidth. The plasma limiter thus limits a power transmitted by way of the RF transmission line for protecting a sensitive integrated circuit.

Microscale plasma limiter integrated into thick film interconnect

A radio receiver system and a radio transmitter system are disclosed. The radio receiver system comprises a plurality of intermediate frequency (IF) shifting channels configured to shift incoming signals having a first frequency to an intermediate frequency in a first mixing stage, and to a second frequency in a second mixing stage. The radio transmitter system comprises a plurality of IF shifting channels configured to shift outgoing signals having a first frequency to an intermediate frequency in a first mixing stage, and to a second frequency in a second mixing stage. Since each intermediate frequency is different, the signals shifted to the second frequency combine by coherent addition, and any spurious signals combine by incoherent addition.

Spur dispersing mixer

Systems and methods relate to a configurable integrated circuit for beamforming. The integrated circuit includes a first beam transmit input, a first beam receive output, a second beam transmit input, a second beam receive output, a first antenna terminal, a second antenna terminal, a first switched combiner, and a second switched combiner. The first switched combiner includes a first combiner input/output coupled to the first antenna terminal, a first combiner output coupled to a first output path having a first branch coupled to the first beam output and a second branch coupled to the second beam output, and a first combiner input coupled a first input path having a third branch coupled to the first beam input and a fourth branch coupled to the second beam input.

Configurable beam former integrated circuit and method

Systems and methods of controlling signal polarization for an antenna system are provided herein. The antenna system includes an ultra wide band or greater array of dual linear polarization elements. The antenna system also includes polarization synthesis networks. Each of the polarization synthesis networks is coupled to the first differential interface of the first element of a respective dual linear polarization element of the dual linear polarization elements and the second differential interface of the second element of the respective the dual linear polarization element of the dual orthogonal linear polarization elements. Each of the polarization synthesis networks has a flat response for phase shift and amplitude over the ultra wide bandwidth.

Element level polarization synthesis network for electronically scanned arrays

A signal phase aligning system includes a signal generator configured to generate a signal. The system further includes a phase locked loop circuit configured to generate a phase locked loop signal based on the signal generated by the signal generator. The system includes a phase aligning circuit configured to align a phase of the phase locked loop signal with a phase of the signal generated by the signal generator.

Phase aligning phase locked loop (PLL) circuit

Systems and methods of controlling signal polarization are provided herein. An antenna array may include antenna elements each communicatively connected to a variable gain amplifier (VGA) with discrete amplitude control, and a phase shifter with discrete phase control, to provide discrete polarization states. A polarization controller may identify a target polarization state with a target amplitude and a target polarization angle. The polarization controller may identify a first polarization state and a second polarization state from the discrete polarization states, that are nearest in absolute amplitude to the target amplitude and nearest in polarization angle to the target polarization angle. The polarization controller may concurrently form a signal with the identified first polarization state using a first portion antenna elements, and a signal with the identified second polarization state using a second portion of antenna elements.

Polarization control for electronically scanned arrays

An Electronically Scanned Array (ESA) antenna is controlled via an optical domain without electrical conductors on the ESA Printed Wiring Board (PWB). Distribution of the control signal occurs over pulses of light through an optical medium separate from the ESA PWB. External to the ESA PWB are one or more optical wave guides functional as communications channels which connect the ESA optical receivers/transceivers with transmitters/transceivers interfaced to a system controller. The ESA is divided into groups of elements with serial busses and discrete signals driven by local controllers. The local controller for each group of elements may include one or more optical receivers (unidirectional) or transceivers (bidirectional). This concept offers a trade in electrical complexity associated with an ESA PWB for an additional manufactured medium redundantly supplying the control signal to the ESA as well as routing the RF data signal from the ESA to the system controller.

Optically controlled electronically scanned array

A timer for measuring a time lapsed during an acceleration is disclosed. The timer may include a piezoelectric sensor, an energy storage device and a measurement module. The piezoelectric sensor includes a piezoelectric material for generating an electric potential in response to the acceleration. The energy storage device is electrically coupled to the piezoelectric sensor and is configured for receiving the electric potential generated by the piezoelectric sensor. The measurement module is electrically coupled to the energy storage device. The measurement module measures the electric potential received at the energy storage device and determines the time lapsed during the acceleration based on the electric potential received at the energy storage device.

Piezoelectric acceleration timer

Disclosed are control systems, and more specifically control systems which benefit from a long-gate time for measurement and a rapid sample time to enhance responsiveness and methods and systems for utilizing multiple-staggered, overlapping gates where the gate time is an integer multiple of the time between ends of adjacent gates. The system continuously counts at the wavefronts or zero-crossings of a frequency reference signal and temporarily records them in registers and compares the contents of registers separated by a gate time and outputs a sample after every sample time.

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Marion, IA, United States of America

Michael C Meholensky