Microstripline/Stripline Isolator/Circulator Having a Propeller Resonator

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an isolator/circulator which can be used for the component's protection and impedance matching of a system and terminal in a transport communication system, a personal communication system, CT (Cordless Telephone) and satellite communication systems and, more particularly, to a microstripline/stripline isolator/circulator with a propeller-type resonator.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Recently, it has been required that a isolator/circulator to be reduced in size, weight and manufacturing costs due to the miniaturization of transport communication systems, satellite communication systems and millimeter wave. Desirable characteristics include a low insertion loss, a high isolation and a wide bandwidth.

Generally, an "isolator" passing a propagation in the forward direction without attenuation is a device for absorbing a propagation in the reverse direction, a "circulator" is a circuit device circulatory arranged between terminals for input and output thereof. Such an isolator/circulator device is a directional device, a high value-added device which is used in a transport communication system, a satellite communication system and a millimeter wave because the frequency modulation control is easy.

The conventional art for such an isolator/circulator will be explained by means of the attached drawings as follows.

FIG. 1(a)(1) is a structural view of a conventional microstrip/stripline isolator/circulator.

FIG. 1(a)(2) is a sectional view of a conventional microstrip/stripline isolator/circulator, and FIG. 1b is a plane view of FIG. 1a.

As shown FIGS. 1(a)(1) and 1(a)(2), a conventional 3-terminal microstrip/stripline isolator/circulator includes a microstrip/stripline pattern 104 on the upper portion of a ferrite substrate 102 and on the lower portion of the ferrite substrate 102, an upper permanent magnet 103a over the upper portion of the ferrite substrate 102 and a lower permanent magnet 103b under the lower portion of the ferrite substrate 102, and a thin iron plate 108 between the upper permanent magnet 103a and a microstrip/stripline 104. In the case of microstrip 104, a thin dielectric is inserted between microstrip 104 and the thin iron plate 108.

As shown in FIG. 1b, an electrode pattern of the microstrip/stripline 104 comprises a circular resonator 104 resonating on a constant frequency in the central portion, a first electrode 105a and a second electrode 105b and a third electrode 105c being achieved symmetrically to each other in the circumference of the circular resonator 104 and 3 electrode terminals which connect an external circuit with the circular resonator 104 through the respective transfer tracks 106a, 106b, 106, and a 50.OMEGA. load resistence being connected to the third electrode 105c in the case of an isolator.

In such a microstrip/stripline isolator/circulator, a signal of the external circuit is transferred from the first electrode 105a composed of a first port to the second electrode 105b composed of a second port, similarly from the second electrode 105b to the third electrode 105c, and from the third electrode 105c to the first electrode 105a in a clockwise direction by means of non-reversible characteristic of the microstrip/stripline 104 formation on the ferrite substrate 102, the upper permanent magnet 103a and lower permanent magnet 103b. In the case of an isolator, the signal is transferred from the second electrode 105b to the third electrode 105c, and the signal is extinguished through the load resistance. That is, since the signal is transferred from the first electrode 105a to the second electrode 105b, and not from the second electrode 105b to the first electrode 105a, it performs the action of an isolator. Then, the signal transfer direction can be set in the counterclockwise direction.

However, in a conventional microstrip/stripline isolator/circulator using such a circular resonator 104, the size of the circular resonator 104 is inversely proportional to a resonator frequency, however, there is a problem that it is difficult to fabricate a miniature isolator/circulator due to limitations in reducing the size of the circular resonator 104 to be used for UHF for a transfer communication or personal communication.

Accordingly, there has been active pursuit of study for developing an isolator/circulator having a microstrip/stripline comprising a miniaturized isolator/circulator to be efficiently used for UHF for a transfer communication system or personal communication system according to the miniature trend and communicative system development. FIG. 2 illustrates a form of a typical conventional microstrip/stripline pattern related to this pursuit.

FIG. 2 illustrates another pattern form of a microstrip/stripline to a convention isolator/circulator.

As shown in FIG. 2, a microstrip/stripline of a conventional isolator/circulator is composed of a circular resonator 204 formed in the central portion as an electrode pattern, three slots 207 formed in the central direction from a circumference of the circular resonator 204 to control a magnet coupling quantity, a first electrode 205a, a second electrode 205b and a third electrode 205c constituting three symmetric ports which connect the resonator 204 with external circuit in the circumference thereof through the respective transfer tracks 206a, 206b, 206c, and a load resistence.

In a conventional microstrip/stripline isolator/circulator constructed as described above, since a magnet wall is formed in the slot 207 of the microstrip/stripline, the length of the slot 207 in the same frequency can be controlled compared to the microstrip/stripline shown in FIG. 1, and as a result, there can be performed a miniaturization of the isolator/circulator. However, the magnet wall formed on the resonator is used. The size of the magnet used is greater than that of the resonator. A circuit should be connected to the external in order to expand the bandwidth. Accordingly, if the bandwidth is expanded, the isolator/circulator size increases, thus prohibiting reduced size in fabrication thereof and increasing manufacture costs. In addition, there is a limit to reducing an insertion loss with regards to the characteristic thereof.

Since there is applied a magnet to the size of the resonator formed on the ferrite, ferromagnetic resonance line width (.DELTA.H) of loss portion of magnetic material is related by the resonator size, therefore, to minimize the low insertion loss.

FIG. 3 shows another pattern form of a microstrip/stripline for a conventional isolator/circulator.

As shown in FIG. 3, a microstrip/stripline of a conventional isolator/circulator is composed of a triangular resonator 304 formed in the central portion as an electrode pattern, three slots 307 formed in the central direction from the respective side of the triangular resonator 304 to control a magnetic coupling quantity, open .lambda./4 ring type coupling transfer tracks 306a, 306b and 306c, on a ring type dielectric material 308 around the resonator 304, a first electrode 305a, a second electrode 305b and a third electrode 305c constituting symmetric ports to connect the external circuit with open .lambda./4 ring type coupling transfer tracks, and a load resistence. The open .lambda./4 ring type coupling transfer tracks 306a, 306b, 306c, of each terminal case magnetic coupling, the groove of the triangular resonator 304 cause the magnetic coupling. Due to these magnetic couplings, in order to perform a miniaturization of an isolator/circulator, since the respective terminal of open .lambda./4 ring type coupling transfer tracks and the respective terminals 305a, 305b, 305c cause the magnetic coupling, the triangular resonator portion of open .lambda./4 ring type coupling transfer tracks 306a, 306b, 306c and the triangular resonator 304 cause the magnetic coupling, impedance matching is preferable. In addition, it is preferable to simplify manufacturing. However, there is a limit for reducing the size because of using the magnetic coupling as in FIG. 2.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an isolator/circulator of a microstrip/stripline which can be miniaturized, a low insertion loss, high isolation and bandwidth, and a low fabricating price by simplifying a fabrication process. There are required miniaturization of the apparatus and simplification thereof, including reduction in weight, and reduction in price of an isolator/circulator used in a transfer communication system, satellite communication system and millimeter wave. Further, there are required a low insertion loss, high isolation and an expanded bandwidth. To overcome conventional art problems as described above, the present invention provides a low insertion loss and a high isolation and bandwidth, miniaturization, simplification, and reduced weight, and a low price of an isolator/circulator of a microstrip/stripline.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a stripline isolator/circulator having a propeller resonator comprising a stripline isolator/circulator for a microwave composed of an upper ferrite substrate, a lower ferrite substrate, an upper grounded electrode having a hole formed therein, the hole whose four fixed screws are penetrated through and an upper permanent magnetic installed being positioned on the upper ferrite substrate, a lower grounded electrode having a groove formed therein, the groove having a fixed screw penetrated through the hole and a lower permanent magnet installed being positioned on the lower ferrite substrate, an upper cover and lower cover for protecting the magnetism, SMA connectors for connecting the stripline with the external circuit, and a load resistence, in which a stripline positioned between said upper ferrite substrate and lower ferrite substrate comprises: three magnetic wall coupling controlling slots having a resonator formed in the form of asymmetric propeller to control a magnetic coupling of the verge of said resonator for easily controlling the frequency; a 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator for transmitting a signal in a single direction in which said magnetic wall coupling controlling slots provided; three bandwidth controlling transmission lines for controlling the bandwidth by use of a ratio of length of the transmission line, formed in one side of the respective magnetic wall coupling controlling slots as one body; and three terminal electrodes for connecting said each bandwidth controlling transmission lines with an external circuit to transmit the signal as one body.

In another aspect of the present invention, the present invention comprises a microstripline isolator/circulator having a propeller resonator comprising a microstripline isolator/circulator for a microwave composed of a ferrite substrate, a thin Teflon dielectric, an upper grounded electrode having a hole formed therein, the hole having four fixed screws penetrated therethrough and an upper permanent magnet being positioned on the teflon dielectric, a lower grounded electrode having a groove formed therein, the groove having a fixed screw penetrated through the hole and a lower permanent magnet being positioned on the lower ferrite substrate, an upper cover and lower cover for protecting the magnetism thereof, SMA connectors for connecting the stripline with the external circuit, and a load resistance, in which a microstripline positioned between said ferrite substrate and thin Teflon dielectric comprises: first through third magnetic wall coupling controlling slots having a resonator formed in the shape of an asymmetric propeller to control a magnetic coupling on the verge of said resonator for easily controlling the frequency;

a 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator having an excellent signal transmission characteristic in a single direction having said magnetic wall coupling controlling slots provided thereof;

a first through third bandwidth controlling transmission lines for controlling the bandwidth by use of a ratio of length of the transmission line, formed in one side of the respective magnetic wall coupling controlling slots as one body; and

first through third terminal electrodes for connecting said each bandwidth controlling transmission lines with an external circuit to transfer the signal as one body.

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1(a)(1) is a structural view of a conventional microstrip/stripline isolator/circulator.

FIG. 1(a)(2) is a sectional view of a schematic isolator/circulator of a conventional general microstrip/stripline.

FIG. 1b is an electronic pattern and plane view of a microstrip/stripline according to FIGS. 1(a)(1) and 1(a)(2).

FIG. 2 is another pattern view of a microstrip/stripline for a conventional isolator/circulator.

FIG. 3 is another pattern view of a microstrip/stripline for a conventional isolator/circulator.

FIGS. 4a-4c, 5a and 5b are pattern views of an isolator/circulator having a propeller resonator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a stripline isolator/circulator having a propeller resonator according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a microstrip isolator/circulator having a propeller resonator according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a bandwidth characteristic view of a microstrip/stripline isolator/circulator having a propeller resonator according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 9a and 9b show an insertion loss view of a microstrip/stripline isolator/circulator having a propeller resonator according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 10a-10c are a frequency and pole point characteristic view of a microstrip/stripline isolator/circulator having a propeller resonator according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the preferable embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail by means of the drawings.

FIGS. 4a through 4c and FIGS. 5a and 5b show a microstrip/stripline pattern for an isolator/circulator according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention.

With reference to (a) through (c) of FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5a and 5b, a microstrip/stripline pattern is composed of first through third magnetic wall coupling controlling slots 407a, 407b, 407c each having a resonator formed therein in the shape of an asymmetric propeller to control a magnetic coupling of the edge of the resonator 404 so that the frequency can be controlled easily, a 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator 404 having excellent signal transmission characteristics in the single direction in which the magnetic wall coupling controlling slots are provided, first through third bandwidth controlling transmission lines 406a, 406b, 406c for controlling the bandwidth by use of the longitudinal ratio of the transmission line, being formed to one side of the respective magnetic wall coupling controlling slots as one body, and first through third terminal electrodes 405a, 405b, 405c which connect the external circuit with the respective bandwidth controlling transmission line to transmit the signal, formed in the shape of one body. The stripline having such three way asymmetric propeller resonator corresponds to 505 as the drawing numeric in FIG. 6, the microstripline corresponds to 605 in FIG. 7.

The first through third magnetic wall coupling controlling slots 407a, 407b, 407c are respectively formed to have the same random angle "A" as the 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator 404 as shown in FIG. 4a. Although formed in rectangular form in FIG. 4a, the angle "A" can be controlled according to the bandwidth control and insertion loss. There is formed the 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator 404 according to the form of such magnetic wall coupling controlling slots 407a, 407b, 407c.

The first through third bandwidth controlling transmission lines 406a, 406b, 406c are respectively connected to one side surface 20 in the respective magnetic wall coupling controlling slots 407a, 407b, 407c as one body, a connective structure which is not connected to other side surface 10 in approaching to the circumference of the 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator 404.

Each of the first through third bandwidth controlling transmission lines 406a, 406b, 406c are composed of a first transmission line 30 extensibly connected to one side surface 20 of the slot, a second transmission line 40 extending and being connected to the first transmission line 30, and a third transmission line 50 positioned between the first and second transmission lines 30, 40 and being in the central direction of the resonator 404. The transmission lines 406a, 406b, 406c are connected to one side surface 20 of each slot of propeller resonator 401. The electrical length of the second transmission line 40 is vulnerable to the choice of manufacturing material but it is easy to flexibly control the electrical length of the second transmission line 40.

The isolator/circulator using a microstrip/stripline having the 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator of the present invention can be miniaturized since a basic mode of the 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator 404 performing a single directional signal transmission geometrically is low.

When the respective magnetic wall coupling controlling slots 407a, 407b, 407c are formed in any angle "A", it is possible that the frequency control in the ratio of a half-diameter Ri of the resonator be inscribed to a radius Ro of the circumscribed resonator. This relation is that the frequency is high when the ratio thereof is low.

That is, there can be miniaturized a microstrip/stripline isolator/circulator using this ratio.

The transmission lines 406a, 406b and 406c which control frequencies and impedances, transmission lines 30, 40 and 50 having the length of .lambda./4 of the central frequency of the transmission lines 406a, 406b and 406c, as shown in FIG. 4b, can be bandwidth controlled using the ratio of the length of a first transmission line 30 and second transmission line 40. Since this effect extends the bandwidth, it can be reduced.

If the position of the third transmission line 50 reduces the first transmission line 30, the central frequency of the resonator is moved, the characteristic of a right symmetry does not happen. That is, if the length of the first transmission line 30 reduces, it is inclined to a low frequency, and there is suddenly formed a pole point (FIG. 10b) at the frequency lower than the resonator frequency. On the contrary, if the first transmission line 30 increases, the resonance occurs at a high frequency, and it is formed at the frequency whose pole point (FIG. 10b) is high. Using this effect, it is possible to prefer the attenuation characteristic of adjoining frequency as well as the attenuation characteristic of the resonance frequency (referring to FIGS. 10a-10c).

Furthermore, there can be reduced an uneven magnetic effect of a magnet because of the reduced size of the magnet 406 (corresponding to 508a, 508b in FIG. 6, corresponding to 608a, 608b in FIG. 7) having a low insertion loss controlling radius 408 in the characteristic of structure. There is used a miniature magnetic structure 403 (namely, the size thereof being smaller than the resonator 404) to have any form which embodies a low insertion loss characteristic due to reducing the usage region of ferrite. There should be no action taken for an even-sized magnet and a large magnet for forming the even-sized magnet. Further, there can be reduced any effect on the external circuit. Furthermore, it is preferable to transfer the signal because of reducing a ferromagnetic resonance resonance line width (.DELTA.H) effect of a loss of magnetic material occurred when using the magnetic material. That is, there can be fabricated an isolator/circulator having a low insertion loss characteristic due to reducing the usage region of ferrite.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a stripline isolator/circulator having an asymmetric propeller resonator, using FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 includes an upper ferrite substrate 504a, positioned above on the basis of a stripline 505 having the 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator, a lower ferrite substrate 504b positioned below the stripline, an upper grounded electrode 503a whose a hole 502b is formed, the hole whose four fixed screw 502a are penetrated therethrough and an upper permanent magnet 508a is installed being positioned on the upper ferrite substrate 504a, a lower grounded electrode 503b having a groove 502c formed therein, the groove 502c having a fixed screw 502a penetrated through the hole 502b and a lower permanent magnetic 508b installed on the lower ferrite substrate 504b, an upper cover 501a and lower cover 501b for protecting the magnetism, SMA connectors 506a, 506b, 506c for connection with the external circuit, and a load resistance 507.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a microstrip isolator/circulator having an asymmetric propeller resonator, using FIG. 4.

FIG. 7, a microstripline pattern 605 formed on the ferrite substrate 604, a thin Teflon dielectric 609 formed above on the microstripline pattern 605, an upper grounded electrode 610 having a hole 602b formed thereat, the hole having four fixed screws 602a being penetrated through and an upper permanent magnetic 608a which is longer than the length of the penetrating hole 602b on the central portion installed on the Teflon dielectric 609, a lower grounded electrode 603 having a groove 602c formed thereon, the fixed groove 602c having a fixed screw 602a being penetrated through the hole 602b and a lower permanent magnet 608b installed on the lower ferrite substrate 604, an upper cover 601a and lower cover 601b for protecting the magnetism, SMA connectors 606a, 606b, 606c for connection with the external circuit, and a load resistance 607.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it can be simplified by a simple fabrication process, miniaturized and reduced manufacture price by means of using the 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator, perform a high quality because of excellent characteristics, the fabricating price can be reduced because of adaptation to a large scale production.

FIG. 8 is a bandwidth characteristic due to controlling the transmission line 406a, 406b connected to the 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator. FIG. 9 is an insertion loss characteristic due to controlling the magnet size 408 formed in the 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator. FIGS. 10a-10c are a frequency and pole point characteristic illustrated in the group of slots 407a, 407b, 407c for controlling the magnetic coupling at the edge of the 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator.

The isolator/circulator of the present invention as described above can constantly maintain a size of the 3-way asymmetric propeller resonator and intensity of magnetism, control the preferred frequency, and improve the insertion loss and isolation characteristic due to reducing the ferrite usage region on the maximum, extend the bandwidth without external bandwidth extension, finally to miniaturize, reduce the fabricating price by means of simple fabrication. The microstrip/stripline isolator/circulator having the propeller resonator according to the present invention can be used for the device protection and impedance matching of the system and terminal in a transfer communication, personal communication, CT and satellite communication.

As described above, although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to illustrative embodiments, the invention is not limited thereto and various modifications and changes may be effected by one skilled in the art within the scope of the invention.