Signal repeater using shared amplification with selectable input/output connections

Claim 1

A signal repeater assembly for a spacecraft, including a channel selectivity network (CSN) having a plurality of first input ports connected by selectively operable filter circuits to a plurality of first output ports and operable to enable a signal at any selected first input port to be passed to any selected first output port, and a shared power amplification module (SPAM) having a plurality of second input ports for receiving signals from the first output ports, a plurality of second output ports and a network of balanced amplifier devices operable to couple the second input ports to the second output ports in a manner such that any amplification of a signal received at any one of the second input ports is shared by all the amplifier devices in a way such that a total available amplification power of said network of balanced amplifier devices is used by any one or a combination of second output ports, wherein the channel selectivity network has `n` of said selectively operable filter circuits (wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 2), each including one or more 2 pole 2 way on/off switches series connected via one pole of said one or more switches to an associated one of the first input ports and `m` output lines (wherein m is an integer greater than or equal to 2) each series connecting the other pole of one switch of one or more of the filter circuits to an associated one of the first output ports.