Composite digital logic microwave phase shifter

Claim 1

A latching multi-stage digital microwave phase shifter in which the microwave phase influencing ferrimagnetic material is also used to register the digital control signals, comprising: an electromagnetic energy transmission line associated with said ferrimagnetic material, said line being divided and arranged into a plurality of serial stages each including an independent operatively associated magnetically responsive region of said ferrimagnetic material, to introduce a phase shift of the microwave energy flowing in said transmission line which is the sum of the individual phase shifts provided by each of said stages, said stages each providing a discrete corresponding phase shift in accordance with one of first and second magnetic conditions of the corresponding magnetically responsive region; means for applying externally generated first control pulses to a first input of the first of said stages in a direction to produce said first magnetic condition in the corresponding region of said first stage; means comprising interstage coupling means for applying interstage control pulses delayed with respect to said first control pulses to each succeeding stage from each stage exhibiting said first magnetic condition at any time, thereby to provide for operation of said serial stages as a digital logic circuit, the magnetic conditions of the said stages providing a corresponding phase shift through said transmission line; and means for applying a magnetic flux transfer pulse at a second input to all of said stages substantially contemporaneously, said transfer pulses operating to transfer said first magnetic condition from each of said stages in said first condition at any time to the following stage.