System with access point and directional antenna
Implementations of the present disclosure relate to a system comprising an access point (AP), an antenna module and a radio cable. The AP includes a modulator configured to receive a clock signal and a power voltage and modulate them into a modulated power. The radio cable is configured to transmit the modulated power. The antenna module comprises a directional antenna, a demodulator configured to demodulate the modulated power into a demodulated clock signal, and a sensor configured to receive the demodulated clock signal and the modulated power. With the system of the present disclosure, the compass/declinometer sensors can be deployed on the panel antenna, so as to obtain the location, the direction and the coverage of the panel antenna. Further, the radio frequency cables can be used to transmit the power and clock signal between the sensor and the AP, and there is no need to provide dedicated cables.
1 . A system, comprising:
an access point comprising:
a clock line configured to transmit a clock signal;
a power supply configured to output a power voltage, wherein the power supply comprises a first power supply having a first voltage and a second power supply having a second voltage lower than the first voltage; and
a modulator configured to receive the clock signal and the power voltage and modulate the clock signal and the power voltage into a modulated power, wherein the modulator is electrically connected to the first power supply and the second power supply so as to generate the modulated power having the first voltage and the second voltage alternated with each other;
a radio cable configured to transmit the modulated power; and
an antenna module comprising:
a directional antenna;
a demodulator connected to the radio cable and configured to demodulate the modulated power into a demodulated clock signal; and
a sensor configured to receive the demodulated clock signal and the modulated power.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the access point further comprises a data line, and
the radio cable is a first radio cable, and the system further comprises a second radio cable connected between the data line and the sensor and configured to transmit data between the data line and the sensor.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the first radio cable and the second radio cable are further configured to transmit a radio frequency signal between the access point and the antenna module; and
wherein the radio frequency signal has a frequency in a range from 2.4 GHz to 6 GHz, and
wherein the clock signal has a frequency in a range from 50 kHz to 500 KHz.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the modulator comprises:
a first switch connected between the first power supply and the radio cable, and configured to be turned on when a voltage of the clock signal is at one of a high voltage and a low voltage such that the modulated power is at the first voltage; and
a second switch connected between the second power supply and the radio cable, and configured to be turned on when the voltage of the clock signal is at the other of the high voltage and the low voltage such that the modulated power is at the second voltage.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the first switch comprises a transistor and a first triode,
wherein the transistor comprises:
a gate configured to receive the clock signal such that when the voltage of the clock signal is at one of the high voltage and the low voltage, the transistor is turned on;
a drain connected to another power supply through a first resistance; and
a source connected to ground; and
wherein the first triode comprises:
a first base electrode connected between the first resistance and the drain of the transistor such that when the transistor is turned on, the triode is turned on;
a first emitting electrode connected to the first power supply; and
a first collecting electrode connected to the radio cable; and
the second switch comprises a second triode,
wherein the second triode comprises:
a second base electrode configured to receive the clock signal such that when the voltage of the clock signal is at one of the high voltage and the low voltage, the second triode is turned off;
a second emitting electrode connected to the second power supply; and
a second collecting electrode connected to the radio cable.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the power supply comprises one power supply having a third voltage, and
the modulator is electrically connected to the one power supply so as to generate the modulated power having a fourth voltage and a fifth voltage alternated with each other, wherein the fourth voltage is less than the fifth voltage, and the fifth voltage is less than the third voltage.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the modulator comprises:
a diode connected between the one power supply and the radio cable, wherein an anode of the diode is connected to the one power supply and a cathode of the diode is connected to the radio cable; and
a voltage controller configured to control a voltage at the anode of the diode such that:
when a voltage of the clock signal is at one of the high voltage and the low voltage, the voltage at the anode of the diode is equal to the third voltage of the power supply and the voltage at the cathode of the diode is the fifth voltage, and
when the voltage of the clock signal is at the other of the high voltage and the low voltage, the voltage at the anode of the diode is less than the third voltage of the power supply and the voltage at the cathode of the diode is the fourth voltage.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the voltage controller comprises a second resistance, a third resistance and a further transistor, wherein the second resistance and the third resistance are connected between the further transistor and the power supply, and the anode of the diode is connected between the second resistance and the third resistance,
wherein the further transistor comprises:
a gate configured to receive the clock signal such that when the voltage of the clock signal is at the other of the high voltage and the low voltage, the further transistor is turned on;
a drain connected to the third resistance; and
a source connected to ground.
9 . They system of claim 1 , wherein the antenna module further comprises a Low Dropout Regulator (LDO) configured to receive the modulated power and transform modulated power having alternate high voltage and low voltage to a constant voltage so as to power the sensor.
10 . A circuit module for a system comprising an access point, an antenna module and a radio cable connected between the access point and the antenna module, comprising:
a modulator connected between the access point and the radio cable and configured to receive a clock signal and a power voltage from the access point and modulate the clock signal and the power voltage into a modulated power to be transmitted over the radio cable, wherein the power voltage comprises a first voltage generated from a first power supply and a second voltage generated from a second power supply, and wherein the modulator is electrically connected to the first power supply and the second power supply so as to generate the modulated power having the first voltage or the second voltage alternated with each other; and
a demodulator connected between the radio cable and the antenna module and configured to demodulate the modulated power into a demodulated clock signal,
wherein the antennal module is provided with at least one directional antenna and at least one sensor to sense the at least one directional antenna, and the at least one sensor is configured to receive the demodulated clock signal and the modulated power.
11 . The circuit module of claim 10 , wherein the radio cable is a first radio cable, and the system further comprises a second radio cable connected between the access point and the sensor and configured to transmit data between the access point and the sensor,
wherein the first radio cable and the second radio cable are further configured to transmit a radio frequency signal between the access point and the antenna module; and
wherein the radio frequency signal has a frequency in a range from 2.4 GHz to 6 GHz, and
wherein the clock signal has a frequency in a range from 50 kHz to 500 kHz.
12 . The circuit module of claim 10 , wherein the modulator comprises: a first switch connected between the first power supply and the radio cable and configured to be turned on when a voltage of the clock signal is at one of a high voltage and a low voltage such that the modulated power is at the first voltage; and a second switch connected between the second power supply and the radio cable and configured to be turned on when the voltage of the clock signal is at the other of the high voltage and the low voltage such that the modulated power is at the second voltage.
13 . The circuit module of claim 12 , wherein the first switch comprises a transistor and a first triode,
wherein the transistor comprises:
a gate configured to receive the clock signal such that when the voltage of the clock signal is at one of the high voltage and the low voltage, the transistor is turned on;
a drain connected to another power supply through a first resistance; and
a source connected to ground; and
wherein the first triode comprises:
a first base electrode connected between the first resistance and the drain of the transistor such that when the transistor is turned on, the triode is turned on;
a first emitting electrode connected to the first power supply; and
a first collecting electrode connected to the radio cable; and
the second switch comprises a second triode,
wherein the second triode comprises:
a second base electrode configured to receive the clock signal such that when the voltage of the clock signal is at one of high voltage and low voltage, the second triode is turned off;
a second emitting electrode connected to the second power supply; and
a second collecting electrode connected to the radio cable.
14 . The circuit module of claim 10 , wherein the power voltage is generated from a power supply, and
the modulator is electrically connected to the power supply so as to generate the modulated power having a fourth voltage or a fifth voltage alternated with each other, wherein the fourth voltage is less than the fifth voltage, and the fifth voltage is less than the third voltage.
15 . The circuit module of claim 14 , wherein the modulator comprises:
a diode connected between the power supply and the radio cable, wherein an anode of the diode is connected to the power supply and a cathode of the diode is connected to the radio cable; and
a voltage controller configured to control a voltage at the anode of the diode such that:
when a voltage of the clock signal is at one of the high voltage and the low voltage, the voltage at the anode of the diode is equal to the third voltage of the power supply and the voltage at the cathode of the diode is the fifth voltage, and
when the voltage of the clock signal is at the other of the high voltage and the low voltage, the voltage at the anode of the diode is less than the third voltage of the power supply and the voltage at the cathode of the diode is the fourth voltage.
16 . The circuit module of claim 15 , wherein the voltage controller comprises a second resistance, a third resistance and a further transistor, wherein the second resistance and the third resistance are connected between the further transistor and the power supply, and the anode of the diode is connected between the second resistance and the third resistance,
wherein the further transistor comprises:
a gate configured to receive the clock signal such that when the voltage of the clock signal is at the other of the high voltage and the low voltage, the further transistor is turned on;
a drain connected to the third resistance; and
a source connected to ground.
17 . The circuit module of claim 10 , wherein the antenna module further comprises a Low Dropout Regulator (LDO) configured to receive the modulated power and transform modulated power having alternate high and low voltages to a constant voltage so as to power the at least one sensor.
18 . A method of forming a system comprising an access point, an antenna module and a radio cable connected between the access point and the antenna module, the method comprising:
providing a sensor on the antenna module provided with a directional antenna;
connecting a modulator between the access point and the radio cable; and
connecting a demodulator between the radio cable and the sensor,
wherein the modulator is configured to receive a clock signal and a power voltage from the access point and modulate the clock signal and the power voltage into a modulated power to be transmitted over the radio cable, wherein the power voltage comprises a first voltage generated from a first power supply and a second voltage generated from a second power supply, and wherein the modulator is electrically connected to the first power supply and the second power supply so as to generate the modulated power having the first voltage or the second voltage alternated with each other; and
the demodulator is configured to demodulate the modulated power into a demodulated clock signal to be transmitted to the sensor; and
the sensor is configured to receive the demodulated clock signal and the modulated power.