JP2000098020A - Transmission-reception module and array antenna system using it - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform the interfacing between transmission-reception modules and a feeding section with digital signals by eliminating the need of inputting high-frequency signals for transmission-reception from the outside by generating the high-frequency signals in the modules. SOLUTION: Transmission-reception modules 1a-1n have memories 9a-9n for storing digital data which become the original data of transmitting signals and local signals, D/A converters 11a-11n, and frequency converters 12a-12n and internally generate the transmitting signals and local signals. At the time of transmission, the modules 1a-1n transmit the transmitting signals and, at the time of reception, the modules 1a-1n convert received signals into video signals by means of mixers 6a-6n by using the local signals generated in the modules 1a-1n and further convert the video signals into digital signals by means of the A/D converters 7a-7n. Since the modules 1a-1n internally generate high-frequency signals, the interfacing with the outside is made by only using digital signals.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transmitting / receiving module of an array antenna for supplying a transmitting / receiving signal to each antenna element of an active phased array antenna, and an array antenna device using the same. Conventionally, this type of array antenna has been referred to as “revised radar technology” by Takashi Yoshida (19
96), as shown in FIG.
A power supply circuit is composed of a power supply unit for transmission, a low-power transmitter, and a power supply unit for reception, and the transmission / reception module is composed of an antenna element, an array receiver, a receiver, and an A / D converter. In this configuration, when a transmission signal is supplied to a transmission / reception module, a high-frequency signal is used. Also,
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a specific example of a feed circuit of a conventional array antenna. In feeding a transmission / reception signal to the transmission / reception modules 1a to 1n, a high-frequency signal is used as a transmission signal and a local signal. The operation will be described. At the time of transmission, a high-frequency signal is generated from the signal generator 18 as a transmission signal, and the power is amplified by the power amplifier 17.
The signal is transmitted to the transmission / reception modules 1a to 1n via the distributor 16. In the transmission / reception modules 1a to 1n, the transmission signal is shifted to a required phase by the phase data from the control circuit 14 via the switches 8a to 8n controlled by the transmission / reception switching signal from the control circuit 14. After being phase-shifted by the devices 15a to 15n, the signals are amplified by the power amplifiers 5a to 5n and emitted from the radiating elements 2a to 2n. At the time of reception, the received signals from the radiating elements 2a to 2n are amplified by the high-frequency amplifiers 4a to 4n, and are controlled by the mixers 6a to 6n by the transmission / reception signals from the control circuit 14 to the switching units 8a to 8n.
8n is converted to a video signal by the local signal. The video signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converters 7a to 7n and transmitted to the digital beam forming circuit 13. The control of the transmission / reception modules 1a to 1n is performed by the control circuit 14. Therefore, the control circuit 14 sends a digital signal transmission / reception switching signal, phase data for beam scanning of the array antenna, and an A / D converter. The clock is supplied to the transmission / reception modules 1a to 1n.

[0002]

A first problem of the prior art is that the structure of the power supply unit is complicated because a high frequency signal distributor is required in the power supply unit. The reason for this is that since it is intended for high-frequency signals, the distributor must be manufactured with a microstrip line or a waveguide. The second problem is that in the case of a transmission / reception module having a plug-in structure, strict dimensional accuracy is required for a connector at an input / output end, and an expensive connector is required. The reason is that the interface of the transmission / reception module targets high-frequency signals. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a transmitting / receiving module of an array antenna which does not require a circuit for feeding a high-frequency signal to a transmitting / receiving module of an active phased array antenna, and an array antenna device using the same. Another object of the present invention is to provide a transmitting / receiving module of an array antenna which does not require an expensive connector with strict dimensional accuracy in an input / output connector of the transmitting / receiving module by using a digital signal, and an array antenna device using the same. It is in.

[0003]

According to the present invention, there is provided a feeder circuit for an array antenna, which outputs digital data serving as a source signal of a transmission signal and a local signal to a transmission / reception module in synchronization with an external clock and a trigger, and transmits / receives the data. A memory for outputting different digital data between transmission and reception by a switching signal, a data converter for offsetting digital data by external phase data, and a D / A converter for converting digital data to an analog signal; And a frequency converter for converting the signal into a high-frequency signal of a frequency band of

In the present invention, since the high-frequency signal is generated inside the transmission / reception module, an external high-frequency signal for transmission / reception is not required, and an effect that the interface between the transmission / reception module and the power supply unit can be performed by a digital signal is obtained.

[0005]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, transmitting and receiving modules 1a to 1n are radiating elements 2a to 2e for transmitting and receiving radio waves.
2n, transmission / reception switches 3a to 3n for switching transmission / reception, power amplifiers 5a to 5n for amplifying transmission signals, high-frequency amplifiers 4a to 4n for amplifying reception signals, mixers 6a to 6n for phase detection from reception signals and local signals, A / D converters 7a to 7n for converting analog signals into digital signals, switching units 8a to 8n for transmitting transmission signals at power amplifiers 5a to 5n during transmission and transmitting local signals to mixers 6a to 6n at reception, transmission signals And memories 9a to 9n each having a digital signal as a source signal of a local signal, data converters 10a to 10n for offsetting digital data, and D / A converters 11a to 11d for converting digital data into analog signals.
11n, a frequency converter 12 for converting into a required high-frequency signal
a to 12n. Switching between transmission / reception to the transmission / reception modules 1a to 1n, generation of transmission signals, and generation of local signals are performed by the control circuit 1.
4 is controlled by a digital signal. The received signals from the transmitting / receiving modules 1a to 1n are sent to the digital beam forming circuit 13 as digital signals. next,
The operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. At the time of transmission, a memory 9 such as a ROM
a to 9n, output digital data as a source signal of the transmission signal as parallel data, offset the digital data by data converters 10a to 10n including shift registers and the like, and then D / A converters 11a to 11n. To convert the digital data into an analog signal, and the frequency converters 12a to 12n composed of frequency multipliers and the like convert the signal into a transmission signal of a required high frequency signal frequency. The transmission signal is transmitted to power amplifiers 5a to 5n through switches 8a to 8n, amplified in power in power amplifiers 5a to 5n, and emitted from radiating elements 2a to 2n through transmission and reception switches 3a to 3n. . When the transmission / reception switching signal from the control circuit 14 is a transmission, the transmission / reception switching devices 3a to 3n are connected to the power amplifiers 5a to 5n.
5n and radiating elements 2a to 2n, and switches 8a to 8n
Are power amplifiers 5a-5n and frequency converters 12a-12n
Connect. The memories 9a to 9n output waveform data such as a non-modulated high-frequency signal, an FM-modulated high-frequency signal, and a pulse-modulated high-frequency signal in accordance with a used waveform. Further, when beam scanning is performed as an array antenna, the data converters 10a to 10a
By offsetting the digital data by 10n, the phase of the original signal is offset. In this way, the phase of the transmission signal is changed and beam scanning is performed. At the time of reception, the transmission / reception modules 1a to 1n
The received signals received by the radiating elements 2a to 2n are passed to the mixers 6a to 6n. In the mixers 6a to 6n, the received signals are converted into video signals by local signals supplied via the switches 8a to 7n. This video signal is converted into a digital signal by A / D converters 7a to 7n and sent to a digital beam forming circuit. When the transmission / reception switching signal from the control circuit 14 is received, the transmission / reception switching units 3a to 3n connect the high-frequency amplifiers 4a to 4n to the radiating elements 2a to 2n, and the switching units 8a to 8n include the mixers 6a to 6n and the frequency converter. 12a to 12n are connected. And the memories 9a to 9n
Outputs unmodulated high-frequency signal waveform data. FIG.
As shown in FIG.
The reading of the memories 9a to 9n storing the digital data as the original signal of the transmission signal to be transmitted and the waveform data of the unmodulated high-frequency signal used at the time of reception is performed by the control circuit 14 together with the synchronization of the operating frequency of the memory itself with the clock. The synchronization is performed with the transmission / reception switching signal.

[0006]

A first effect of the present invention is that a high-frequency distributor in the power supply section is not required. The reason is that, since a high-frequency signal is generated inside the transmitting / receiving module, the interface between the transmitting / receiving module and the power supply unit is a digital signal. The second effect is that an inexpensive and small connector can be used at the input / output end of the transmitting / receiving module. The reason is that since the interface of the transmitting / receiving module is for digital signals, strict dimensional accuracy and mating accuracy are not required. Third
Is advantageous in that an expensive high-frequency band phase shifter is not required for the phase shifter of the transmission / reception module. The reason is that the phase of the transmission / reception module is changed by offsetting digital data which is the source of the high-frequency signal in the memory.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing operation timing in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a conventional array antenna transmission / reception module and an array antenna device using the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a to 1n: transmission / reception module, 2a to 2n: radiation element, 3a to 3n: transmission / reception switch, 4a to 4n: high frequency amplifier, 5a to 5n: power amplifier, 6a to 6n: mixer, 7a to 7n: A / D Converters, 8a to 8n: switchers, 9a to 9n: memories, 10a to 10n: data converters, 11a to 11n: D / A converters, 12a to 12n: frequency converters, 13: digital beam forming circuits, 14 : Control circuit, 15a to 15n: phase shifter, 16: distributor, 17: power amplifier, 18: signal generator

Claims (6)

[Claims] A memory for storing digital data serving as base data of a transmission signal and a local signal; phase control means for controlling a phase of digital data read from the memory; And a frequency converter for receiving an output of the D / A converter and converting the output to a required high-frequency signal frequency. 2. The base data of the transmission signal includes waveform data of an unmodulated high-frequency signal, an FM-modulated high-frequency signal, and a pulse-modulated high-frequency signal, and selects and reads out these waveform data during transmission and reception. The transmitting / receiving module for an array antenna according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The transmitting and receiving module for an array antenna according to claim 2, wherein the selection of the waveform data stored in said memory is selected by an external selection signal. 4. The phase control device according to claim 1, wherein the phase control means changes the phase of the transmission signal by supplementing the phase data with digital data from the memory, which is the base data of the transmission signal and the local signal. Array antenna transmission / reception module. 5. A transmission high-frequency signal is sent to an antenna element,
Alternatively, a transmission / reception switch that receives a reception high-frequency signal from an antenna element, a power amplifier that amplifies a transmission high-frequency signal and sends it to the transmission / reception switch, a reception amplifier that amplifies a reception high-frequency signal from the transmission / reception switch, and reception from the reception amplifier A mixer for converting a high-frequency signal and a local signal into a video signal, a switch for transmitting a transmission high-frequency signal to a transmission amplifier or a local signal for a mixer, and an A for converting the video signal from the mixer into a digital signal / D converter, a memory storing the base data of the transmission signal and the local signal, a D / A converter for converting the base data read from the memory into an analog signal, and a D / A converter. A transmission / reception module for an array antenna, comprising: a phase control means for controlling the phase of the base data; and a frequency converter for converting the output of the D / A converter into the transmission signal and the local signal. Yuru. 6. A plurality of transmission / reception modules of an array antenna, a control circuit for transmitting a transmission signal and a control signal for generating a local signal to the plurality of transmission / reception modules as digital signals, and a digital signal from the plurality of transmission / reception modules. 2. A digital beam forming circuit for performing beam forming by a signal, wherein the plurality of transmitting / receiving modules are provided.
6. An array antenna device, which is a transmission / reception module for an array antenna according to any one of claims 5 to 5.