Integrated split signal hybrid harmonic tuner
View Patent ↗An integrated hybrid (active-passive) harmonic impedance tuner uses a fixed and an adjustable directional coupler (wave-probe) and a number of independent wideband tuning probes, all mounted inside the same slabline and housing. The tuning probes are inserted between the fixed and the mobile wave-probes. The fixed wave-probe samples a portion of the forward travelling signal at the fundamental frequency, injects it into a power amplifier and the mobile wave-probe adjusts the phase and amplitude of the amplified signal and injects it back into the slabline towards the DUT. The mobile carriages and tuning probes are automated. The mobile wave-probe is either fully or partially (horizontal only) automated or fully manually controlled. Feedback signal phase and amplitude control is obtained through the horizontal and vertical movement of the mobile wave-probe.
1. A RF hybrid (active-passive) impedance tuner comprising
a) an active tuner section and
b) a passive tuner section,
both said tuner sections using a low loss slotted airline (slabline) as common transmission line, said slabline having an input (test) and an output (idle) port, a center conductor and two conductive side walls,
and wherein
a) the active tuner section comprises
i) a fixed forward (away from the test port) coupling directional coupler (wave-probe # 1 ), mounted on the slabline closest to the test port,
ii) an adjustable reverse (towards the test port) coupling directional coupler (wave-probe # 2 ), controlled by a mobile carriage # 2 sliding along the slabline closest to the idle port,
iii) each wave-probe having coupling and isolation ports and being inserted into the slot of the slabline;
iv) a power amplifier having an input port and an output port, and
v) characteristic impedance (Zo) terminations;
b) the passive tuner section comprises
at least one mobile carriage # 1 sliding horizontally along the axis of the slabline, between wave-probe # 1 and mobile carriage # 2 ,
wherein
all mobile carriages have at least one vertically movable axis, carriage # 2 carrying wave-probe # 2 on its vertical axis and all other carriages carrying reflective tuning probes on their vertical axes, said tuning probes being insertable into the slot of the slabline and capacitively coupled to the center conductor;
wherein
the forward coupled port of wave-probe # 1 is connected to the input port of the amplifier and the output port of the amplifier is connected to the reverse coupled port of wave-probe # 2 ;
and wherein
the isolated ports of wave-probes # 1 and # 2 are terminated with characteristic impedance Zo.
2. The hybrid tuner as in claim 1 , wherein
the passive tuner section comprises two mobile carriages # 1 and # 3 , each having at least one vertically movable axis, each axis carrying a reflective tuning probe, whereby said probe is insertable into the slot of the slabline and capacitively coupled to the center conductor;
and wherein
carriage # 1 is closest to the test port, carriage # 2 is closest to the idle port and carriage # 3 is inserted between carriage # 1 and carriage # 2 .
3. The hybrid tuner as in claim 1 ,
wherein
the passive tuner section comprises three mobile carriages # 1 , # 3 and # 4 , each having at least one vertically movable axis, each axis carrying a reflective tuning probe, whereby said probe is insertable into the slot of the slabline and capacitively coupled to the center conductor,
and wherein
carriage # 1 is closest to the test port, carriage # 2 is closest to the idle port and carriages # 3 and # 4 are inserted between carriage # 1 and carriage # 2 .
4. The hybrid tuner as in claim 1 or 2 or 3 ,
wherein
wave-probe # 2 is mounted on the vertical axis of mobile carriage # 2 , and is insertable into the slot of the slabline at adjustable proximity to the center conductor.
5. The hybrid tuner as in claim 4 , wherein
the horizontal movement of all carriages and the movement of their vertical axes are remotely controlled using stepper motors, appropriate gear, control electronics and control software.
6. The hybrid tuner as in claim 4 , wherein
the horizontal movement and vertical axis movements of all carriages which carry tuning probes are remotely controlled using stepper motors, appropriate gear, control electronics and control software;
and wherein
the horizontal movement of carriage # 2 and the vertical movement of the vertical axis of carriage # 2 , which said axis is carrying wave-probe # 2 , are manually controlled using micrometric screws and gear.
7. The hybrid tuner as in claim 4 , wherein
the horizontal and vertical axis movements of all carriages carrying tuning probes and the horizontal movement of carriage # 2 , which is carrying wave-probe # 2 , are remotely controlled using stepper motors, appropriate gear, control electronics and control software;
and wherein
the vertical axis movement of carriage # 2 , which said axis is carrying wave-probe # 2 , is manually controlled using micrometric screw and gear.