CN110828945B - Microwave switch - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a microwave switch comprising: an input port; a first output port; a second output port; and a switching conductive line configured to switch between a first position and a second position and having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the switching conductive line is coupled to the input port and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switching conductive line and the input port; when the switched conductive line is in the first position, a second portion of the switched conductive line is coupled to the first output port and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line and the first output port; and when the switched conductive line is in the second position, a second portion of the switched conductive line is coupled to the second output port and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line and the second output port. The microwave switch of the present disclosure has good PIM performance.

Description

Microwave switch

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to microwave technology, and more particularly, to a microwave switch capable of switching a transmission path of a microwave signal.

Background

Microwave switches exist that transmit signals through electrical contact between conductors.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a microwave switch exhibiting good Passive Intermodulation (PIM) performance.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a microwave switch comprising: an input port; a first output port; a second output port; and a switched conductive line configured to switch between a first position and a second position different from the first position, and having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the switched conductive line is coupled to the input port and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line and the input port; when the switched conductive line is in the first position, a second portion of the switched conductive line is coupled to the first output port and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line and the first output port; and when the switched conductive line is in the second position, a second portion of the switched conductive line is coupled to the second output port and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line and the second output port.

Other features of the present disclosure and advantages thereof will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating at least part of a microwave switch according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating at least part of a microwave switch according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating at least part of a microwave switch according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating at least part of a microwave switch according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating states of two microwave switches according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating an application using a microwave switch according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating yet another application using a microwave switch according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating at least part of a microwave switch according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating at least a portion of a microwave switch according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating at least part of a microwave switch according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Note that in the embodiments described below, the same reference numerals are used in common between different drawings to denote the same portions or portions having the same functions, and a repetitive description thereof will be omitted. In some cases, similar items are indicated using similar reference numbers and letters, and thus, once an item is defined in a figure, it need not be discussed further in subsequent figures.

For convenience of understanding, the positions, dimensions, ranges, and the like of the respective structures shown in the drawings and the like do not necessarily indicate actual positions, dimensions, ranges, and the like. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the positions, dimensions, ranges, and the like disclosed in the drawings and the like.

Detailed Description

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the invention. It should be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, the embodiments described below are intended to provide a more complete disclosure of the present invention and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments.

It is understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. All terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

When an element is referred to herein as being "on," attached to, "" connected to, "coupled to," or "contacting" another element, etc., it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled to or contacting the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly attached to," directly connected to, "directly coupled to," or "directly contacting" another element, there are no intervening elements present. In this document, one feature disposed "adjacent" to another feature may refer to one feature having a portion that overlaps or is above or below the adjacent feature.

In this document, spatial relationship terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "high", "low", and the like may describe one feature's relationship to another feature in the drawings. It will be understood that the terms "spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, features originally described as "below" other features may be described as "above" other features when the device in the figures is inverted. The device may also be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the relative spatial relationships may be interpreted accordingly.

Herein, the term "a or B" includes "a and B" and "a or B" rather than exclusively including only "a" or only "B" unless otherwise specifically stated.

In this document, the term "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and not as a "model" that is to be reproduced exactly. Any implementation exemplarily described herein is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the detailed description.

In this document, the term "substantially" is intended to encompass any minor variations due to design or manufacturing imperfections, tolerances of the devices or components, environmental influences and/or other factors. The term "substantially" also allows for differences from a perfect or ideal situation due to parasitics, noise, and other practical considerations that may exist in a practical implementation.

In addition, "first," "second," and like terms may also be used herein for reference purposes only, and thus are not intended to be limiting. For example, the terms "first," "second," and other such numerical terms referring to structures or elements do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.

It will be further understood that the terms "comprises/comprising," "includes" and/or "including," when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, and/or groups thereof.

Referring to fig. 1-3, at least a partial structure of a microwave switch according to some embodiments of the present invention is schematically illustrated. In these embodiments, the microwave switch is implemented by a microstrip transmission line. The microwave switch includes a first printed circuit board 100 and a second printed circuit board 200. A first surface of the second printed circuit board 200 (the lower surface of the second printed circuit board 520 or 620 in the orientation shown in fig. 5) faces a first surface of the first printed circuit board 100 (the upper surface of the first printed circuit board 510 or 610 in the orientation shown in fig. 5), and the second printed circuit board 200 is pivotably connected to the first printed circuit board 100 about a first axis (not shown, for example, an axis passing substantially through the center of the mounting hole 140 or 210 and substantially perpendicular to the first printed circuit board 100 or the second printed circuit board 200). In some embodiments, first printed circuit board 100 and second printed circuit board 200 are pivotably connected by mounting holes 140 and 210. The first printed circuit board 100 is separated from the second printed circuit board 200 in the vertical direction. Here, the vertical direction refers to a direction substantially perpendicular to the first and second printed circuit boards 100 and 200.

The first printed circuit board 100 includes at least a first conductive trace 110, a second conductive trace 120, and a third conductive trace 130 on a first surface thereof. Wherein the first conductive line 110 has a first portion 111 and a second portion 112, the second conductive line 120 has a first portion 121 and a second portion 122, and the third conductive line 130 has a first portion 131 and a second portion 132. The second printed circuit board 200 includes at least a switching conductor 240 on a first surface thereof. The switched conductive line 240 has a first portion 241 and a second portion 242.

The second printed circuit board 200 is rotatable about a first axis relative to the first printed circuit board 100, enabling the switching conductor 240 to be switched between a first position and a second position. The first portion 241 of the switched conductive trace 240 is coupled to the first portion 131 of the third conductive trace 130 at least when the switched conductive trace 240 is in a first position (not shown, for example, the position of the switched conductive trace 240 is when the second printed circuit board 200 of fig. 3 is rotated such that the second portion 242 of the switched conductive trace 240 overlaps the first portion 111 of the first conductive trace 110) and a second position (the position of the switched conductive trace 240 is shown in fig. 3). The first portion 241 of the switching conductive line 240 faces the first portion 131 of the third conductive line 130 and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switching conductive line 240 and the third conductive line 130. For example, the third conductive line 130 and the switching conductive line 240 may be separated by a layer of dielectric material overlying at least one of the third conductive line 130 and the switching conductive line 240 such that a signal may be transmitted by way of electromagnetic coupling (e.g., capacitive coupling and/or inductive coupling) between the first portion 241 of the switching conductive line 240 and the first portion 131 of the third conductive line 130.

The second portion 242 of the switched conductive line 240 is coupled with the first portion 111 of the first conductive line 110 when the switched conductive line 240 is in the first position and is coupled with the first portion 121 of the second conductive line 120 when the switched conductive line 240 is in the second position. The second portion 242 of the switched conductive line 240 faces the first portion 111 of the first conductive line 110 when the switched conductive line 240 is in the first position and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line 240 and the first conductive line 110 (e.g., the first conductive line 110 and the switched conductive line 240 may be separated by a layer of dielectric material overlying at least one of the first conductive line 110 and the switched conductive line 240). The second portion 242 of the switched conductive line 240 faces the first portion 121 of the second conductive line 120 when the switched conductive line 240 is in the second position and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line 240 and the second conductive line 120 (e.g., the second conductive line 120 and the switched conductive line 240 may be separated by a layer of dielectric material overlying at least one of the second conductive line 120 and the switched conductive line 240). As such, signals may be transmitted by way of electromagnetic coupling (e.g., capacitive coupling and/or inductive coupling) between the second portion 242 of the switched conductive line 240 and the first portion 111 of the first conductive line 110, and between the second portion 242 of the switched conductive line 240 and the first portion 121 of the second conductive line 120.

In some embodiments, the first portion 131 of the third conductive line 130 and the first portion 241 of the switching conductive line 240 are both disposed adjacent to the first axis, which may be, for example, a fan-shaped disc, a fan-shaped ring-shaped disc, a dome-shaped disc, or the like adjacent to the first axis, so long as the first portion 241 of the switching conductive line 240 is coupled with the first portion 131 of the third conductive line 130 at least when the switching conductive line 240 is in the first position and the second position. In some embodiments, the first portion 131 of the third electrically conductive line 130 and the first portion 241 of the switching electrically conductive line 240 are each configured as a substantially annular disc about the first axis.

In some embodiments, first portion 111 of first conductive line 110, first portion 121 of second conductive line 120, and second portion 242 of switched conductive line 240 are each configured as a substantially circular disk. In some embodiments, when the second printed circuit board 200 is rotated about the first axis such that the switching conductive trace 240 is in the first position, the center of the second portion 242 of the switching conductive trace 240 substantially vertically overlaps the center of the first portion 111 of the first conductive trace 110; and when second printed circuit board 200 is rotated about the first axis such that switching conductive trace 240 is in the second position, the center of second portion 242 of switching conductive trace 240 substantially vertically overlaps the center of first portion 121 of second conductive trace 120. The horizontal direction referred to herein means a direction substantially parallel to the first printed circuit board 100 and the second printed circuit board 200. Herein, a first element "vertically overlaps" a second element if a vertical axis extends through both the first and second elements.

Although in the example shown in fig. 3, the second portion 242 of the switched conductive line 240 completely overlaps the first portion 111 of the first conductive line 110 in the horizontal direction when the switched conductive line 240 is located in the first position, and the second portion 242 of the switched conductive line 240 completely overlaps the first portion 121 of the second conductive line 120 in the horizontal direction when the switched conductive line 240 is located in the second position, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the second portion 242 of the switched conductive line 240 may alternatively only partially overlap the first portion 111 of the first conductive line 110 and/or the first portion 121 of the second conductive line 120 in the horizontal direction. For example, the second portion 242 of the switched conductive line 240 and the first portion 111 of the first conductive line 110, and the second portion 242 of the switched conductive line 240 and the first portion 121 of the second conductive line 120 may be circular disks having substantially overlapping centers in a horizontal direction but different radii.

The second portion 112 of the first conductive line 110, the second portion 122 of the second conductive line 120, and the second portion 132 of the third conductive line 130 may serve as a first output port, a second output port, and an input port, respectively, and may be coupled to microwave connectors 910, 920, 930, respectively, as shown in fig. 3. Microwave connectors 910, 920, 930 may be used to connect the microwave switch of the present invention with other devices.

In contrast to microwave switches that transmit signals by conductors directly contacting each other, the microwave switches of the present invention transmit signals by conductors that are electromagnetically coupled to each other and that have no direct galvanic contact (e.g., signals are coupled from one conductor to another). This arrangement may provide stable and good PIM performance. Due to the good PIM performance, the microwave switch can be used for PIM performance test of a microwave antenna port.

In some applications, the third conductive line 130 couples at least a portion of a microwave signal input from the input port to the switched conductive line 240 to generate a first coupled signal on the switched conductive line 240. When the switched conductive line 240 is in the first position, the switched conductive line 240 couples a first portion of the first coupled signal to the first conductive line 110, the first conductive line 110 passing the signal coupled from the switched conductive line 240 to the first output port. When switched conductive line 240 is in the second position, switched conductive line 240 couples a second portion of the first coupled signal to second conductive line 120, and second conductive line 120 passes the signal coupled from switched conductive line 240 to the second output port.

For example, the second portion 132 of the third electrically conductive wire 130 is coupled (e.g., via the microwave connector 930, the microwave transmission cable, etc.) to a test port of the PIM tester, the second portion 112 of the first electrically conductive wire 110 is coupled (e.g., via the microwave connector 910, the microwave transmission cable, etc.) to a first microwave antenna port, and the second portion 122 of the second electrically conductive wire 120 is coupled (e.g., via the microwave connector 920, the microwave transmission cable, etc., respectively) to a second microwave antenna port. It should be noted that the first and second microwave antenna ports may be different ports of the same antenna, or different ports of different antennas. As such, by rotating the second printed circuit board 200 about the first axis such that the switch conductive trace 240 is in the first position and the second position, respectively, a PIM performance test may be performed on the first and second microwave antenna ports, respectively, using a PIM tester.

Specifically, when the second printed circuit board 200 is rotated about the first axis such that the switch conductive trace 240 is in the first position, the second portion 242 of the switch conductive trace 240 is coupled with the first portion 111 of the first conductive trace 110, thereby coupling the test port of the PIM tester to the first microwave antenna port (e.g., via the microwave connector 930, the third conductive trace 130, the switch conductive trace 240, the first conductive trace 110, and the microwave connector 910) for PIM performance testing of the first microwave antenna port. When the second printed circuit board 200 is rotated about the first axis such that the switch conductive trace 240 is in the second position, the second portion 242 of the switch conductive trace 240 is coupled to the first portion 121 of the second conductive trace 120 (as shown in the state of the microwave switch in fig. 3), such that the test port of the PIM tester is coupled to (e.g., via the microwave connector 930, the third conductive trace 130, the switch conductive trace 240, the second conductive trace 120, and the microwave connector 920) the second microwave antenna port for PIM performance testing of the second microwave antenna port.

In some applications, when switched conductive line 240 is in the first position, first conductive line 110 couples at least a portion of a microwave signal input at the first output port to switched conductive line 240 to generate a second coupled signal on switched conductive line 240. The switched conductive line 240 couples at least a portion of the second coupled signal to the third conductive line 130, the third conductive line 130 passing a signal coupled from the switched conductive line 240 to the input port. When switched conductive line 240 is in the second position, second conductive line 120 couples at least a portion of a microwave signal input at the second output port to switched conductive line 240 to generate a third coupled signal on switched conductive line 240. The switched conductive line 240 couples at least a portion of the third coupled signal to the third conductive line 130, the third conductive line 130 passing a signal coupled from the switched conductive line 240 to the input port.

For example, the second portion 132 of the third electrically conductive wire 130 is coupled (e.g., via the microwave connector 930, a microwave transmission cable, etc.) to one microwave antenna port, the second portion 112 of the first electrically conductive wire 110 is coupled (e.g., via the microwave connector 910, a microwave transmission cable, etc.) to a first PIM test port, and the second portion 122 of the second electrically conductive wire 120 is coupled (e.g., via the microwave connector 920, a microwave transmission cable, etc., respectively) to a second PIM test port. The first PIM test port and the second PIM test port may be different test ports of the same PIM tester, or different test ports of different PIM testers. As such, by rotating the second printed circuit board 200 about the first axis such that the switch conductive trace 240 is in the first position and the second position, respectively, the microwave antenna port may be tested for PIM performance using the first and second PIM test ports, respectively.

Specifically, when the second printed circuit board 200 is rotated about the first axis such that the switch conductive trace 240 is in the first position, the second portion 242 of the switch conductive trace 240 is coupled with the first portion 111 of the first conductive trace 110 such that the first PIM test port is coupled to (e.g., via the microwave connector 910, the first conductive trace 110, the switch conductive trace 240, the third conductive trace 130, and the microwave connector 930) the microwave antenna port for PIM performance testing of the microwave antenna port with the first PIM test port. When the second printed circuit board 200 is rotated about the first axis such that the switch conductive trace 240 is in the second position, the second portion 242 of the switch conductive trace 240 is coupled to the first portion 121 of the second conductive trace 120 (as shown in the state of the microwave switch in fig. 3), such that the second PIM test port is coupled to (e.g., via the microwave connector 910, the second conductive trace 120, the switch conductive trace 240, the third conductive trace 130, and the microwave connector 930) the microwave antenna port for PIM performance testing of the microwave antenna port using the second PIM test port.

In addition, the PIM performance of the microwave switch can be further improved by adopting circular arc-shaped bending at the bending part of each conductive wire, properly selecting conductor materials and dielectric materials for the microwave switch, properly designing the size of each conductive wire, improving the manufacturing process of the microwave switch and the like.

Although in the exemplary microwave switch shown in fig. 1 to 3, only two conductive lines, i.e., the first conductive line 110 and the second conductive line 120, can be coupled with the second portion 242 of the switching conductive line 240, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the microwave switch of the present invention may further include more conductive lines selectively coupled with the second portion 242 of the switching conductive line 240, which may have a similar structure to the first and second conductive lines 110 and 120. For example, a first portion of each additional conductive line may be configured to couple with the second portion 242 of the switched conductive line 240, and a second portion of each additional conductive line may be configured to couple to a respective microwave connector. When the second printed circuit board 200 is rotated about the first axis such that the switching conductive trace 240 is located at the corresponding position, the second portions 242 of the switching conductive trace 240 may be configured to couple with the first portions of these additional conductive traces, respectively.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 3, the first printed circuit board 100 further has a first positioning hole 150 formed thereon corresponding to the first position and a second positioning hole (not shown) formed thereon corresponding to the second position. The second printed circuit board 200 is further configured with a positioning portion 220 matching the first positioning hole 150 and the second positioning hole. The positioning portion 220 may include, for example, a protrusion. When the second printed circuit board 200 rotates around the first axis such that the switching conductive line 240 is located at the first position, the positioning portion 220 is engaged with the first positioning hole 150; and when the second printed circuit board 200 rotates around the first axis to make the switching conductive trace 240 located at the second position, the positioning portion 220 is matched with the second positioning hole. By the cooperation of the positioning portion 220 on the second printed circuit board 200 and the first positioning hole 150 and the second positioning hole on the first printed circuit board 100, the switching conductive trace 240 can be easily positioned at the first position and the second position when the second printed circuit board 200 rotates around the first axis. In some embodiments, in the case that the microwave switch further includes more conductive wires capable of being coupled with the second portion 242 of the switching conductive wire 240, the first printed circuit board 100 is further configured with more positioning holes, the positions of which correspond to more positions where the switching conductive wire 240 needs to be positioned, respectively, and the positioning holes can be matched with the positioning portions 220 on the second printed circuit board 200.

Referring now to fig. 4, there is schematically shown a partial structure of a microwave switch according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, the microwave switch comprises a first printed circuit board, a second printed circuit board and a third printed circuit board (in the case shown in fig. 4 a plurality of third printed circuit boards, none of which are shown). Wherein the first surface of the second printed circuit board is opposite to the first surface of the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board is pivotably connected to the first printed circuit board about a first axis (substantially through the center of the area 131 and substantially perpendicular to the axis of the first printed circuit board). The third printed circuit boards are a plurality, each third printed circuit board having a first surface opposite the first surface of the first printed circuit board and each third printed circuit board being pivotally connected to the first printed circuit board about a respective second axis (not shown, respectively an axis passing substantially through the center of the regions 114, 124, 164 and substantially perpendicular to the first printed circuit board). In the example shown in fig. 4, the structure as part of the first printed circuit board is shown in solid lines, and the structure as part of the second or third printed circuit board is shown in broken lines.

The first printed circuit board is provided with a conductive line (e.g., which may correspond to the third conductive line 130 in fig. 1) having a first end being a coupling region 131 and a second end (not shown) capable of being coupled to a microwave connector. For example, when the microwave switch is used for PIM performance testing, the second end of the conductive wire may be coupled to a test port of the PIM tester via a microwave connector. The first surface of the first printed circuit board is further configured with a conductive line 113 having a first end being a coupling region 111 and a second end being a coupling region 114 (e.g., may correspond to the first conductive line 110 in fig. 1, the coupling region 111 corresponds to the first portion 111 of the first conductive line 110, the coupling region 114 corresponds to the second portion 112 of the first conductive line 110), a first end being a coupling region 121, a second end being a conductive line 123 of a coupling region 124 (e.g., may correspond to the second conductive line 120 in fig. 1, the coupling region 121 corresponds to the first portion 121 of the second conductive line 120, the coupling region 124 corresponds to the second portion 122 of the second conductive line 120), a first end being a coupling region 161, a second end being a conductive line 163 of a coupling region 164, and other conductive lines having similar structures (not shown for simplicity, e.g., may be formed at the locations shown by the ellipses in the figure).

The second printed circuit board has conductive traces 240 (refer to the switching conductive traces 240 in fig. 2) formed on a first surface thereof. The first end of the conductive line 240 is a coupling region 241 and the second end is a coupling region 242. Wherein the coupling region 241 is configured to couple with the coupling region 131 when the second printed circuit board is rotated about the first axis. The coupling region 242 is coupled to the coupling region 111 when the second printed circuit board is rotated about the first axis to position the conductive trace 240 in the first position, coupled to the coupling region 121 when the conductive trace 240 is in the second position (as shown in fig. 4), coupled to the coupling region 161 when the conductive trace 240 is in the third position, and coupled to the coupling regions of other conductive traces when the conductive trace 240 is in other corresponding positions.

The first printed circuit board also has formed on the first surface thereof first ends being coupling areas 171, 172, 173, 181, 182, 183, 191, 192, 193, and second ends (not shown) being capable of being coupled to conductive lines of a microwave connector. When the microwave switch is used for PIM performance testing, the second end of each of these conductive wires may be coupled to a different antenna port or PIM test port, respectively, via a microwave connector. It should be noted that for the sake of simplicity, more conductive lines are not shown, and for example, more conductive lines with similar structures may also be configured on the first surface of the first printed circuit board and at the positions where the ellipses are located in the drawing.

A first one of the plurality of third printed circuit boards (see the lower left region of fig. 4) has a conductive line 310 formed on a first surface thereof. The first end of the conductive line 310 is a coupling region 311 and the second end is a coupling region 312. Wherein the coupling region 311 is configured to couple with the coupling region 114 when the first one of the third printed circuit boards is rotated about its respective second axis. Coupling areas 312 are configured to couple with coupling areas 171 when the first third printed circuit board is rotated about its respective second axis such that conductive line 310 is in the first sub-position, coupling areas 172 when conductive line 310 is in the second sub-position, coupling areas 173 when conductive line 310 is in the third sub-position (as shown in fig. 4), and coupling areas of other conductive lines configured at the location of the ellipses in the figure when conductive line 310 is in other positions. In some embodiments, coupling region 311 faces coupling region 114 vertically apart from each other (e.g., may be separated by a dielectric layer overlying a conductive line), and coupling region 312 faces coupling regions 171, 172, 173 vertically apart from each other (e.g., may be separated by a dielectric layer overlying a conductive line), so that signals may be electromagnetically coupled between coupling region 311 and coupling region 114, and between coupling region 312 and coupling regions 171, 172, 173.

A second one of the plurality of third printed circuit boards (see the middle upper region of fig. 4) has a conductive trace 320 formed on a first surface thereof. The first end of the conductive line 320 is a coupling region 321 and the second end is a coupling region 322. Wherein the coupling region 321 is configured to always couple with the coupling region 124 when the second third printed circuit board is rotated about its respective second axis. Coupling region 322 is configured to couple with coupling region 181 when the second third printed circuit board is rotated about its respective second axis such that conductive trace 320 is in the first sub-position, to couple with coupling region 182 when in the second sub-position (as shown in fig. 4), to couple with coupling region 183 when in the third sub-position, and to couple with coupling regions of other conductive traces configured at the location of the ellipses in the figure when in other positions. In some embodiments, coupling region 321 faces coupling region 124 in a vertical direction separately from each other (e.g., may be separated by a dielectric layer overlying the conductive line), and coupling region 322 faces coupling regions 181, 182, 183 in a vertical direction separately from each other (e.g., may be separated by a dielectric layer overlying the conductive line), such that signals may be electromagnetically coupled between coupling region 321 and coupling region 124, and between coupling region 322 and coupling regions 181, 182, 183.

A third one of the plurality of third printed circuit boards (see the lower right region of fig. 4) has a conductive line 330 formed on a first surface thereof. The first end of the conductive line 330 is a coupling region 331 and the second end is a coupling region 332. Wherein the coupling region 331 is configured to always couple with the coupling region 164 when the third printed circuit board is rotated about its respective second axis. Coupling region 332 is configured to couple with coupling region 191 when the third printed circuit board is rotated about its respective second axis such that conductive line 330 is in the first sub-position (as shown in fig. 4), to couple with coupling region 192 in the second sub-position, to couple with coupling region 193 in the third sub-position, and to couple with coupling regions of other conductive lines configured at the location of the ellipses in the figure in other positions. In some embodiments, coupling region 331 and coupling region 164 are vertically separately facing each other (e.g., may be separated by a dielectric layer overlying a conductive line), and coupling region 332 and coupling regions 191, 192, 193 are vertically separately facing each other (e.g., may be separated by a dielectric layer overlying a conductive line), such that signals may be electromagnetically coupled between coupling region 331 and coupling region 164, and coupling region 332 and coupling regions 191, 192, 193.

When the second printed circuit board is rotated about the first axis such that the conductive line 240 is in a first position coupled to the coupling region 111 (this state is not shown), and the first third printed circuit board (i.e., the third printed circuit board corresponding to the conductive line 310) is rotated about its corresponding second axis such that the conductive line 310 is in a third sub-position coupled to the coupling region 173 (as in the state shown in fig. 4), the input port of the microwave switch is coupled to (e.g., via the conductive line having the coupling region 131, the conductive line 240, the conductive line 113, the conductive line 310, and the conductive line having the coupling region 173) the second end, e.g., the first sub-output port, of the conductive line having the coupling region 173. When the second printed circuit board is rotated about the first axis such that conductive trace 240 is in the second position to couple with coupling region 121 (as shown in fig. 4), and a second third printed circuit board (i.e., the third printed circuit board corresponding to conductive trace 320) is rotated about its corresponding second axis such that conductive trace 320 is in the second sub-position to couple with coupling region 182 (as shown in fig. 4), the input port of the microwave switch is coupled to a second end of the conductive trace having coupling region 182 (e.g., via the conductive trace having coupling region 131, conductive trace 240, conductive trace 123, conductive trace 320, and the conductive trace having coupling region 182), such as a second sub-output port. When the second printed circuit board is rotated about the first axis such that conductive trace 240 is in a third position coupled to coupling region 161 (state not shown) and a third printed circuit board (i.e., the third printed circuit board corresponding to conductive trace 330) is rotated about its corresponding second axis such that conductive trace 330 is in a first sub-position coupled to coupling region 191 (state shown in fig. 4), the input port of the microwave switch is coupled to (e.g., via conductive trace with coupling region 131, conductive trace 240, conductive trace 163, conductive trace 330, and conductive trace with coupling region 191) a second end of the conductive trace with coupling region 191, e.g., a third sub-output port.

Although in the example shown in fig. 4, the coupling regions of each conductive line are shown as circular disks, those skilled in the art will appreciate that these coupling regions may also be formed as disks having other suitable shapes. For example, the coupling zones 131, 241 may be formed as substantially annular discs around the first axis and the coupling zones 311, 114, 321, 124, 331, 164 may be formed as substantially annular discs around the respective second axis.

Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that microwave switches according to some embodiments of the present invention may also include more printed circuit boards and more conductive traces. For example, the conductive line with the coupling region 171 may be configured similar to the conductive line 113 with the coupling region 111, and the microwave switch may further comprise one or more fourth printed circuit boards pivotably connected to the first printed circuit board around respective axes through the first end being the second end of the conductive line of the coupling region 171 and perpendicular to the first printed circuit board, whereby the microwave switch may be coupled to more microwave connectors.

Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings, it may be understood by those skilled in the art that the microwave switch according to some embodiments of the present invention may further include positioning holes on the first surface of the first printed circuit board corresponding to the sub-positions to which the third printed circuit board may be rotated, and accordingly, the first surface of the third printed circuit board may be further configured with positioning portions to be fitted with the positioning holes, so that the corresponding third printed circuit board may be easily rotated to and positioned at the sub-positions.

In the microwave switch according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention discussed above, the second printed circuit board 200 is configured to rotate about the first axis with respect to the first printed circuit board 100 such that the switching conductive line 240 is configured to switch between the first position and the second position, thereby enabling the input port to be selectively coupled to the first output port or the second output port. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other relative movements (e.g., linear movements) between first printed circuit board 100 and second printed circuit board 200 may be used to switch conductive trace 240 between the first position and the second position.

Referring to fig. 8 to 10, at least partial structures of microwave switches according to some embodiments of the present invention are schematically shown. In these embodiments, the microwave switch includes a first printed circuit board (not shown for simplicity) and a second printed circuit board 200. In fig. 9 and 10, the conductive lines formed on the first printed circuit board are shown by solid lines, and the conductive lines formed on the second printed circuit board 200 are shown by dotted lines. The conductive lines formed on the first printed circuit board are similar to those in the embodiments described with reference to fig. 1 to 3, and the description thereof will not be repeated. The second printed circuit board 200 includes at least a switching conductor 240 on a first surface thereof (the lower surface of the second printed circuit board 200 in the orientation shown in fig. 8 and 9). The switched conductive line 240 includes two separate conductive lines 247 and 248, wherein the conductive line 247 has a first portion 243 and a second portion 244 and the conductive line 248 has a first portion 245 and a second portion 246.

The second printed circuit board 200 is movably connected to the first printed circuit board. For example, as shown in fig. 9 and 10, second printed circuit board 200 is configured to move linearly such that switching conductive traces 240 are configured to switch between a first position and a second position. When second printed circuit board 200 is moved such that switching conductive trace 240 is in the first position, as shown in fig. 9, first portion 245 of conductive trace 248 overlaps (faces and is not in direct galvanic contact) with first portion 131 of third conductive trace 130, and second portion 246 of conductive trace 248 overlaps (faces and is not in direct galvanic contact) with first portion 111 of first conductive trace 110. As such, signals may electromagnetically couple between the conductive line 248 and the third conductive line 130, and between the conductive line 248 and the first conductive line 110, causing the input port 132 to be coupled to the first output port 112. When second printed circuit board 200 is moved such that switching trace 240 is in the second position, as shown in fig. 10, first portion 243 of trace 247 overlaps (faces and is not in direct galvanic contact) with first portion 131 of third trace 130, and second portion 244 of trace 247 overlaps (faces and is not in direct galvanic contact) with first portion 121 of second trace 120. As such, signals may be electromagnetically coupled between the conductive line 247 and the third conductive line 130, and between the conductive line 247 and the second conductive line 120, thereby causing the input port 132 to be coupled to the second output port 122.

The microwave switch of the present invention according to the above embodiments has good PIM, return loss, insertion loss, and the like. For example, when a microwave switch having the structure shown in fig. 3 is simulated in a range from 1695MHz to 2690MHz, the return loss of the input port and the first and second output ports is less than-20 dB, and the insertion loss of the microwave switch is close to 0dB. For the PIM performance test of the antenna port, the result of the test by using the microwave switch is compared with the result of the test without using the microwave switch, and the two results are very close to each other, which shows that the microwave switch has good PIM performance and can meet the requirement of the PIM performance test.

In the microwave switch of the present invention according to the above-described embodiments, the first and second conductor regions (e.g., the first portion 111 of the first conductive line 110 and the second portion 242 of the switching conductive line 240, the coupling region 312 and the coupling region 173, etc.) configured to be coupled to each other are disposed to face each other in the vertical direction and to be separated from each other, so as to achieve electromagnetic signal coupling between the first and second conductor regions. For example, a signal on a first conductor region is coupled to a second conductor region through opposing upper and lower surfaces of the two conductor regions. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the mutually coupled first and second conductor regions may also be disposed in horizontally spaced apart proximity to each other to enable signal coupling between the first and second conductor regions. For example, a signal on a first conductor region is coupled to a second conductor region via the adjacent sides and/or sides of the two conductor regions. In this case, the conductor region may not be formed as a substantially circular disk or a substantially annular disk as shown in the drawings, but may be formed as, for example, a strip disk or the like.

In this case, the first printed circuit board on which the first, second and third conductive lines are formed and the second printed circuit board on which the switching conductive line is formed may not face each other, but may be located substantially on the same plane. The second printed circuit board is rotatable about a first axis relative to the first printed circuit board to cause the switching conductive line to switch between the first position and the second position. The positions of the respective conductive lines are set appropriately so that the first portion of the third conductive line and the first portion of the switching conductive line are adjacent to each other separately in the horizontal direction; when the switching conductive line is located at the first position, the first part of the first conductive line and the second part of the switching conductive line are adjacent and separated from each other in the horizontal direction; and when the switching conductive line is located at the second position, the first portion of the second conductive line and the second portion of the switching conductive line are separately adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction.

Although the microwave switch according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been discussed above in which the first, second and third conductive traces are each formed on one first printed circuit board, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the first printed circuit board may be a plurality of independent printed circuit boards, and the first, second and third conductive traces may be formed on the respective first printed circuit boards.

Although the microwave switch according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention discussed above is implemented in the form of a microstrip line, it should be understood that embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the microwave switch may be implemented in the form of a strip line. As known to those skilled in the art, a stripline is a transmission line medium similar to a microstrip, but includes a first ground member disposed below each conductive line, a second ground member disposed above each conductive line, and a dielectric (e.g., comprising a gaseous, liquid, or solid dielectric) between the first ground member and the conductive line and between the conductive line and the second ground member. Similar to the microwave switch in the form of a microstrip line, the microwave switch in the form of a strip line can also have good performance such as PIM, return loss, insertion loss and the like; and the microstrip line type microwave switch can reduce radiation loss of a signal passing through the transmission line, compared to the microstrip line type microwave switch.

According to the microwave switch of the present invention, since the PIM performance is good, the microwave switch can be used for PIM performance test of the microwave antenna port. The method of using the microwave switch of the present invention for PIM performance test of the microwave antenna port according to the above embodiments is described below with reference to fig. 6 and 7.

Referring to fig. 6, microwave switch 710 may be similar to the microwave switches described in accordance with the various embodiments described above. The PIM performance test by using the microwave switch comprises the following steps: coupling one conductive wire (e.g., the second portion 132 of the third conductive wire 130) of the microwave switch 710 to the test port 720 of the PIM tester via a microwave connector, and the other conductive wires (e.g., the second portion 112 of the first conductive wire 110, the second portion 122 of the second conductive wire 120, etc.) to the microwave antenna ports 731, 732, 733, etc. via a microwave connector; and rotating the second printed circuit board of the microwave switch around the first axis to enable the conductive wire on the second printed circuit board to be coupled with each other conductive wire at each position, so as to perform a PIM performance test on each microwave antenna port. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the microwave antenna ports 731, 732, 733 may be transmit/receive ports belonging to the same microwave antenna or may be transmit/receive ports belonging to different microwave antennas.

In some applications, second printed circuit board 200 may be rotated by coupling an end of second printed circuit board 200 distal from the first axis (e.g., an end distal from mounting hole 210, or an upper end of second printed circuit board 200 in the orientation shown in fig. 2) to a movable lever (see lever 400 of fig. 5). For example, the lever may be moved by a Remote Electrical Tilt (RET) actuator to rotate second pcb 200 about the first axis to various positions. Similarly, the third and fourth printed circuit boards may be connected to the control lever (or to different control levers) so as to be rotated.

In some applications, multiple microwave switches may be used together for PIM performance testing. For example, PIM performance testing may be performed on the microwave antenna port using at least two microwave switches, wherein the respective second printed circuit boards of each microwave switch are connected to the same control rod. In the example shown in fig. 5, two microwave switches are placed together as shown, and the ends of the two second printed circuit boards 520, 620 remote from the first axis are connected to the same lever 400 by waveguides 530, 630, respectively. Thus, when the lever 400 is moved (e.g., along its length), the two second printed circuit boards 520 and 620 are rotated together, such that the second printed circuit boards 520 and 620 are rotated to respective positions. At the edges of the two first printed circuit boards 510 and 610 of the two microwave switches, at positions corresponding to the movement traces of the waveguides 530 and 630, there are further provided rails 540 and 640, respectively, to facilitate the movement of the waveguides 530 and 630, respectively.

In some applications, multiple microwave switches may be used together for PIM performance testing. For example, at least two microwave switches may be connected to perform PIM performance tests on the microwave antenna ports. For example, a first output port of a first microwave switch may be coupled to an input port of a second microwave switch, and an input port of the first microwave switch, a first output port of the second microwave switch, a second output port of the second microwave switch, and a second output port of the first microwave switch may be coupled to a test port of a PIM tester, a first microwave antenna port, a second microwave antenna port, and a third microwave antenna port, respectively. Thus, when the switching conductive wire of the first microwave switch is located at the first position and the switching conductive wire of the second microwave switch is located at the first position, when the switching conductive wire of the first microwave switch is located at the first position and the switching conductive wire of the second microwave switch is located at the second position, and when the switching conductive wire of the first microwave switch is located at the second position, the PIM performance test results of the first microwave antenna port, the second microwave antenna port, and the third microwave antenna port can be obtained respectively.

Although only two microwave switches are described as being connected, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that each input or output port of one microwave antenna may be coupled to an input or output port of another microwave antenna, thereby enabling coupling to more PIM test ports and/or more microwave antenna ports.

In some applications, multiple microwave switches may be used together for PIM performance testing. For example, at least two microwave switches may be connected to perform PIM performance tests on the microwave antenna ports. In the example shown in fig. 7, an input port of the first microwave switch 811 is coupled to an input port of the second microwave switch 812, and a plurality of output ports of the first microwave switch 811 are respectively coupled to a plurality of PIM test ports 821, 822, 823, etc., and a plurality of output ports of the second microwave switch 812 are respectively coupled to a plurality of microwave antenna ports 831, 832, 833, etc. By positioning the switching conductive line of the first microwave switch 811 at each position thereof and positioning the switching conductive line of the second microwave switch 812 at each position thereof, the PIM performance test result of each microwave antenna port 831, 832, 833 and the like under the test condition of each PIM test port 821, 822, 823 and the like can be obtained.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that each of the microwave antenna ports 831, 832, 833 etc. may be a transmit/receive port belonging to the same microwave antenna or a transmit/receive port belonging to a different microwave antenna. The respective test ports 821, 822, 823, etc. may be test ports belonging to the same PIM tester or test ports belonging to different PIM testers.

Although the method for using the microwave switch only describes the PIM performance test for the antenna port, the microwave switch can be applied to any situation that needs to switch the transmission path of the microwave signal. It should be understood that the term "microwave signal" is used broadly herein to include the full microwave band as well as the cellular communications band.

In addition, embodiments of the present invention may also include the following examples:

1. a microwave switch, comprising:

an input port;

a first output port;

a second output port; and

a switched conductive line configured to be switched between a first position and a second position different from the first position, and having a first portion and a second portion, wherein,

a first portion of the switched conductive line is coupled to the input port and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line and the input port;

when the switched conductive line is in the first position, a second portion of the switched conductive line is coupled to the first output port and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line and the first output port; and

when the switched conductive line is in the second position, a second portion of the switched conductive line is coupled to the second output port and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line and the second output port.

2. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a first conductive line having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the first conductive line is coupled to the second portion of the switched conductive line when the switched conductive line is in the first position, the second portion of the first conductive line is coupled to the first output port;

a second conductive line having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the second conductive line is coupled to the second portion of the switched conductive line when the switched conductive line is in the second position, the second portion of the second conductive line is coupled to the second output port; and

a third conductive line having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the third conductive line is coupled to the first portion of the switched conductive line and the second portion of the third conductive line is coupled to the input port.

3. A microwave switch according to claim 2,

a first portion of the first conductive line and a second portion of the switching conductive line face each other in a vertical direction and are separated from each other when the switching conductive line is located at the first position; and

the first portion of the second conductive line and the second portion of the switching conductive line face each other in a vertical direction and are separated from each other when the switching conductive line is located at the second position.

4. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 3, wherein each of the first portion of the first conductive line, the first portion of the second conductive line, and the second portion of the switching conductive line comprises a circular disk.

5. A microwave switch according to claim 4,

a center of a first portion of the first conductive line substantially overlaps a center of a second portion of the switched conductive line when the switched conductive line is in the first position; and

a center of the first portion of the second conductive line substantially overlaps a center of the second portion of the switched conductive line when the switched conductive line is in the second position.

6. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 2 wherein the first portion of the third conductive line and the first portion of the switching conductive line face each other in a vertical direction and are separated from each other.

7. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 6, wherein the switching conductive line is configured to rotate about a first axis to switch between the first position and the second position, each of the first portion of the third conductive line and the first portion of the switching conductive line comprising an annular disc about the first axis.

8. A microwave switch according to claim 2,

a first portion of the first conductive line and a second portion of the switching conductive line are adjacent to and separated from each other in a horizontal direction when the switching conductive line is located at the first position; and

the first portion of the second conductive line and the second portion of the switching conductive line are adjacent to and separated from each other in a horizontal direction when the switching conductive line is in the second position.

9. A microwave switch according to claim 2, characterized in that the first part of the third electrically conductive line and the first part of the switching electrically conductive line are adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction and separated from each other.

10. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 2, wherein at least one of the switching conductive line, the first conductive line, the second conductive line, and the third conductive line comprises a microstrip line.

11. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 2, wherein at least one of the switching conductive line, the first conductive line, the second conductive line, and the third conductive line comprises a strip line.

12. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 2, further comprising:

a first sub-output port;

a second sub-output port; and

a sub-switched conductive line configured to switch between a first sub-location and a second sub-location different from the first sub-location, and having a first portion and a second portion, wherein,

a first portion of the sub-switched conductive line is coupled to a second portion of the first conductive line and there is no direct galvanic contact between the sub-switched conductive line and the first conductive line;

when the sub-switched conductive line is in the first sub-position, a second portion of the sub-switched conductive line is coupled to the first sub-output port, and there is no direct galvanic contact between the sub-switched conductive line and the first sub-output port; and

when the sub-switched conductive line is in the second sub-position, a second portion of the sub-switched conductive line is coupled to the second sub-output port, and there is no direct galvanic contact between the sub-switched conductive line and the second sub-output port.

13. A microwave switch according to claim 2,

the first, second and third conductive lines are formed on a first printed circuit board; and

the switching conductor is formed on a second printed circuit board,

wherein the second printed circuit board is configured to rotate about a first axis relative to the first printed circuit board such that the switching conductive line is configured to switch between the first position and the second position.

14. A microwave switch according to claim 13,

the first printed circuit board is also provided with a first positioning hole corresponding to the first position and a second positioning hole corresponding to the second position,

the second printed circuit board is also provided with a positioning part,

wherein the content of the first and second substances,

the positioning portion is received in the first positioning hole when the second printed circuit board is rotated about the first axis such that the switching conductive line is located at the first position; and

the positioning portion is received in the second positioning hole when the second printed circuit board is rotated about the first axis such that the switching conductive line is located at the second position.

15. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input port, the first output port, and the second output port are coupled to respective microwave connectors.

16. A microwave switch according to claim 1,

the input port is configured to couple to a test port of a PIM tester;

the first output port is configured to be coupled to a first microwave antenna port; and

the second output port is configured to be coupled to a second microwave antenna port.

Although some specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail by way of illustration, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above illustration is only for the purpose of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The various embodiments of the invention herein may be combined in any combination without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims (16)

1. A microwave switch, comprising:

an input port;

a first output port;

a second output port; and

a switching conductive line configured to switch between a first position and a second position, and having a first portion and a second portion, wherein,

a first portion of the switched conductive line is coupled to the input port and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line and the input port;

when the switched conductive line is in the first position, a second portion of the switched conductive line is coupled to the first output port and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line and the first output port; and

a second portion of the switched conductive line is coupled to the second output port when the switched conductive line is in the second position different from the first position, and there is no direct galvanic contact between the switched conductive line and the second output port,

the input port, the first output port, and the second output port are on a first printed circuit board;

the switching conductive wire is arranged on the second printed circuit board; and

the second printed circuit board is atop the first printed circuit board such that the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board are parallel.

2. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a first conductive line having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the first conductive line is coupled to the second portion of the switched conductive line when the switched conductive line is in the first position, the second portion of the first conductive line is coupled to the first output port;

a second conductive line having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the second conductive line is coupled to the second portion of the switched conductive line when the switched conductive line is in the second position, the second portion of the second conductive line is coupled to the second output port; and

a third conductive line having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the third conductive line is coupled to the first portion of the switched conductive line and the second portion of the third conductive line is coupled to the input port.

3. A microwave switch according to claim 2,

a first portion of the first conductive line and a second portion of the switching conductive line face each other in a vertical direction and are separated from each other when the switching conductive line is located at the first position; and

the first portion of the second conductive line and the second portion of the switching conductive line face each other in a vertical direction and are separated from each other when the switching conductive line is located at the second position.

4. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 3, wherein each of the first portion of the first conductive line, the first portion of the second conductive line, and the second portion of the switching conductive line comprises a circular disk.

5. A microwave switch according to claim 4,

a center of a first portion of the first conductive line substantially overlaps a center of a second portion of the switched conductive line when the switched conductive line is in the first position; and

a center of the first portion of the second conductive line substantially overlaps a center of the second portion of the switched conductive line when the switched conductive line is in the second position.

6. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 2, wherein the first portion of the third electrically conductive line and the first portion of the switching electrically conductive line face each other in a vertical direction and are separated from each other.

7. A microwave switch according to claim 6, wherein the switching conductive line is configured to rotate about a first axis to switch between the first and second positions, each of the first portion of the third conductive line and the first portion of the switching conductive line comprising an annular disc about the first axis.

8. A microwave switch according to claim 2,

a first portion of the first conductive line and a second portion of the switching conductive line are adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction and separated from each other when the switching conductive line is located at the first position; and

the first portion of the second conductive line and the second portion of the switching conductive line are adjacent to and separated from each other in a horizontal direction when the switching conductive line is in the second position.

9. A microwave switch according to claim 2, wherein the first portion of the third electrically conductive line and the first portion of the switching electrically conductive line are adjacent to and separated from each other in a horizontal direction.

10. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 2, wherein at least one of the switching conductive line, the first conductive line, the second conductive line, and the third conductive line comprises a microstrip line.

11. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 2, wherein at least one of the switching conductive line, the first conductive line, the second conductive line, and the third conductive line comprises a stripline.

12. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 2, further comprising:

a first sub-output port;

a second sub-output port; and

a sub-switched conductive line switchable between a first sub-position and a second sub-position, and having a first portion and a second portion, wherein,

a first portion of the sub-switched conductive line is coupled to a second portion of the first conductive line and there is no direct galvanic contact between the sub-switched conductive line and the first conductive line;

when the sub-switched conductive line is in the first sub-position, a second portion of the sub-switched conductive line is coupled to the first sub-output port, and there is no direct galvanic contact between the sub-switched conductive line and the first sub-output port; and

when the sub-switched conductive line is in the second sub-position, a second portion of the sub-switched conductive line is coupled to the second sub-output port, and there is no direct galvanic contact between the sub-switched conductive line and the second sub-output port.

13. A microwave switch according to claim 2,

the first, second and third conductive traces are formed on a first printed circuit board; and

the switching conductor is formed on a second printed circuit board,

wherein the second printed circuit board is configured to rotate about a first axis relative to the first printed circuit board such that the switching conductive line is configured to switch between the first position and the second position.

14. A microwave switch according to claim 13,

the first printed circuit board is also provided with a first positioning hole corresponding to the first position and a second positioning hole corresponding to the second position,

the second printed circuit board is also provided with a positioning part,

wherein the content of the first and second substances,

the positioning portion is received in the first positioning hole when the second printed circuit board is rotated about the first axis such that the switching conductive line is located at the first position; and

the positioning portion is received in the second positioning hole when the second printed circuit board is rotated about the first axis such that the switching conductive line is located at the second position.

15. A microwave switch in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input port, the first output port, and the second output port are coupled to respective microwave connectors.

16. A microwave switch according to claim 1,

the input port is configured to couple to a test port of a PIM tester;

the first output port is configured to be coupled to a first microwave antenna port; and

the second output port is configured to be coupled to a second microwave antenna port.

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