Microwave phase correcting network utilizing waveguide coupler having mismatched ports caused by laterally displaced end section

Claim 2

A phase correcting network for improving the phase/frequency characteristic of a delay line including a 3dB coupler adapted to be inserted in the said delay line and terminated in a pair of short circuited waveguide stubs, each of said waveguide stubs being susceptance loaded by means of at least one mismatch achieved by laterally displacing sections of the waveguide relative to one another in the direction of the H-plane.

Claim 3

A phase correcting arrangement comprising a plurality of phase correcting networks as claimed in claim 1 connected in series with one another.

Claim 4

A phase correcting network for improving the phase/frequency characteristic of a delay line comprising in combination a 3dB coupler having two input ports and two output ports, said two input ports being connected into the delay line for the purpose of transporting signals to and from said delay line; and first and second waveguide means, each connected to one of said two output ports and each terminating in a common short circuit so that any signal arriving at one input port of said 3dB coupler is split equally between said two waveguide means and, upon deflection from the short circuit terminations of said waveguide means, the split signals recombine in said 3dB coupler so as to provide constructive interference at the second input port of said 3dB coupler, said waveguide means imposing on said recombined signal a phase delay which, without further modification to said waveguide means, is non-linear in relationship to the frequency; wherein said first and second waveguide means are adapted to be subjected to at least one mismatch caused by the lateral displacement in each waveguide means of one section of said waveguide means with respect to the other section of said waveguide means in the direction of the plane of the magnetic field of the signal, said mismatches having susceptances of such polarity and magnitude as to cause the phase-frequency characteristic of the delay line to become linear in nature.

Claim 5

A phase correcting network for improving the phase/frequency characteristic of a delay line comprising in combination a 3dB coupler having two input ports and two output ports, said two input ports being connected into the delay line for the purpose of transporting signals to and from said delay line; and first and second waveguide means, each connected to one of said two output ports and each terminating in a common short circuit so that any signal arriving at one input port of said 3dB coupler is split equally between said two waveguide means and, upon deflection from the short circuit terminations of said waveguide means, the split signals recombine in said 3dB coupler so as to provide constructive interference at the second input port of said 3dB coupler, said waveguide means imposing on said recombined signal a phase delay which, without further modification to said waveguide means, is non-linear in relationship to the frequency; wherein said first and second waveguide means are adapted to be subjected to at least one mismatch caused by the lateral displacement in each waveguide means of one section of said waveguide means with respect to the other section of said waveguide means in the direction of the plane of the magnetic field of the signal, said mismatches having susceptances of such polarity and magnitude as to cause the phase-frequency characteristic of the delay line to become linear in nature.

Claim 6

A phase correcting arrangement comprising a plurality of phase correcting networks as claimed in claim 3 connected in series with one another.

Claim 7

A phase correcting network as recited in claim 3 wherein said first and second waveguide means are rectangular in cross section and are formed by the mating of two copper blocks, into each of which there is machined a rectangular groove.

Claim 8

A phase correcting network as recited in claim 5 wherein the short circuiting termination of said waveguide means comprises a further copper block containing rectangular bores, one for each waveguide means and of the same dimension as said waveguide means, and so positioned at the opposite end of said waveguide means from said 3dB coupler that said waveguide means may be subjected to lateral mismatch by moving said further copper block in a direction perpendicular to said waveguide means.

Claim 9

In a commutating hybrid network which includes a first 3dB coupler having two input ports, one connected to a load and the other connected to receive a multifrequency signal, and two output ports; a second 3dB coupler having two input ports, a first input port connected directly to the first output port of said first coupler and a second input port connected indirectly to the second output port of said first coupler, and two output ports for transmitting two output signals; and a delay line means in the connection between the second output port of said first coupler and the second input port of said second coupler to form the indirect connection therebetween so that a multifrequency signal transmitted by the second output port of said first coupler and passing through said delay line means undergoes separation into component signals so as to introduce a phase delay between said component signals, with the relationship between the phase delay and the frequency being non-linear in nature; the improvement wherein said delay line means comprises a phase correcting network which includes a third 3dB coupler having two input ports, a first input port connected to the second output of said first coupler, and a second input port connected to the second input port of said second coupler, and two output ports; and first and second waveguide means, each connected to one of the output ports of said third 3dB coupler and terminated in a short circuit, and each adapted to be subjected to at least one mismatch caused by the lateral displacement in each waveguide means of at least one section of said waveguide means with respect to the other section of said waveguide means in the direction of the plane of the magnetic field of the signal, said mismatches having susceptances of such polarity and magnitude as to cause the phase-frequency characteristic of the delay line to become linear in nature.

Claim 10

In a commutating hybrid network which includes a first 3dB coupler having two input ports, one connected to a load and the other connected to receive a multifrequency signal, and two output ports; a second 3dB coupler having two input ports, a first input port connected directly to the first output port of said first coupler and a second input port connected indirectly to the second output port of said first coupler, and two output ports for transmitting two output signals; and a delay line means in the connection between the second output port of said first coupler and the second input port of said second coupler to form the indirect connection therebetween so that a multifrequency signal transmitted by the second output port of said first coupler and passing through said delay line means undergoes separation into component signals so as to introduce a phase delay between said component signals, with the relationship between the phase delay and the frequency being non-linear in nature; the improvement wherein said delay line means comprises a phase correcting network which includes a third 3dB coupler having two input ports, a first input port connected to the second output of said first coupler, and a second input port connected to the second input port of said second coupler, and two output ports; and first and second waveguide means, each connected to one of the output ports of said third 3dB coupler and terminated in a short circuit, and each adapted to be subjected to at least one mismatch caused by the lateral displacement in each waveguide means of at least one section of said waveguide means with respect to the other section of said waveguide means in the direction of the plane of the magnetic field of the signal, said mismatches having susceptances of such polarity and magnitude as to cause the phase-frequency characteristic of the delay line to become linear in nature.

Claim 11

Apparatus for combining and for separating a plurality of signals whose frequencies are distributed within a given range of frequencies, comprising in combination: an array of commutating hybrids, each hybrid comprising first and second waveguide means for defining a pair of ports at one end of the hybrid and a further pair of ports at the other end of the hybrid in which one of said ports defines a load termination, a first 3dB coupler connected between said first and second waveguide means at said one end of the hybrid and a second 3dB coupler connected between sAid first and second waveguide means at said other end of the hybrid to define a predetermined waveguide length between said couplers within said first waveguide means, said second waveguide means defining a delay line between said couplers having a length greater than said predetermined length; said second waveguide means comprising separate waveguide sections and a further 3dB coupler connecting such sections to provide a pair of waveguide stubs, and means terminating said waveguide stubs in short circuits whereby to provide susceptance loading of said stubs, at least one of said stubs having a mismatch along its length to provide susceptance loading which establishes a desired phase-frequency characteristic of the distribution of said frequencies within said range.

Claim 12

Apparatus for combining and for separating a plurality of signals whose frequencies are distributed within a given range of frequencies, comprising in combination: an array of commutating hybrids, each hybrid comprising first and second waveguide means for defining a pair of ports at one end of the hybrid and a further pair of ports at the other end of the hybrid in which one of said ports defines a load termination, a first 3dB coupler connected between said first and second waveguide means at said one end of the hybrid and a second 3dB coupler connected between sAid first and second waveguide means at said other end of the hybrid to define a predetermined waveguide length between said couplers within said first waveguide means, said second waveguide means defining a delay line between said couplers having a length greater than said predetermined length; said second waveguide means comprising separate waveguide sections and a further 3dB coupler connecting such sections to provide a pair of waveguide stubs, and means terminating said waveguide stubs in short circuits whereby to provide susceptance loading of said stubs, at least one of said stubs having a mismatch along its length to provide susceptance loading which establishes a desired phase-frequency characteristic of the distribution of said frequencies within said range.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said mismatch is effected by separating said one stub into two sections, one of which is displaced relatively to the other in the direction of the H-plane.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 including a second mismatch along the length of the other waveguide stub, one mismatch establishing positive susceptance loading and the second mismatch establishing negative susceptance loading, the two loadings being related so as to provide a linear phase-frequency characteristic for said frequencies.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said stubs are parallel and said mismatches are effected by separating said stubs into two sections which are displaced relatively to each other in the direction of the H-plane.