JP2003218633A - Active phased array antenna and method for mounting its transmission/reception module - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an active phased array antenna (APAA) capable of attaining high density mount by decreasing the number of feeding lines to a transmission/ reception module, facilitating module assembling and replacement, and enhancing the mass-productivity and the maintainability. <P>SOLUTION: A wiring board 3 such as a flexible printed circuit board with a desirable wiring pattern 4 formed in advance is wound along an outer circumference of a circumferential face 20A of a carrier 2 made of a triangle cylinder 20 and joined and fixed by a conductive adhesive or the like. After fitting a distribution circuit board 6 to the carrier 2, a transmission/reception module mounting pad 4a and the transmission/reception module 5 are joined to one plane of the carrier 2, the carrier 2 is turned by a prescribed angle and the similar processing is applied also to succeeding planes. Thus, each transmission/reception module 5 is provided with a distribution circuit for distributing power and signals to the transmission/reception module 5, the number of external feeders can be reduced compared with a conventional antenna to attain the mount high density and enhance the maintainability. Further, since the mount face is directed in the same direction at all times, mass-production by an automated attaching machine can easily be made. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an active faced array antenna in which a plurality of element antennas are arranged in an array and a transmitting / receiving module having active elements such as a semiconductor amplifier and a phase shifter is attached to each element antenna. And a transmission / reception module mounting method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 11, an active phased array antenna (hereinafter referred to as APAA) has a plurality of element antennas 9 arranged in an array, and each element antenna 9 has a semiconductor amplifier, a phase shifter or the like. A transmission / reception module 5 having an active element is attached to control the amplitude and phase of the radio wave radiated from each element antenna 9 to radiate a synthetic beam of the entire antenna in an arbitrary direction. It is also used as an antenna for various radars for military use and for transmission. As a conventional transmission / reception module mounting structure of a general APAA, as shown in FIG. 12, the transmission / reception modules 5 attached to the respective element antennas 9 are mounted individually or in a row on a fixing plate 16, and the mounting surface is They were arranged and fixed in an array so that they were parallel to each other. In the figure, 17 is R
It is a power supply cable such as an F cable. The element antenna 9 and the transmission / reception module 5 do not have to be close to each other as shown in the figure, and an RF cable or the like may be arranged between them.

[0003]

In the conventional APAA configured as described above, an external power supply line such as the power supply cable 17 is required for each transmission / reception module 5, and each transmission / reception module 5 is mounted. Since they were arranged in an array so that the surfaces were the same or parallel to each other, there was a limit to the high density of module mounting, and mass productivity was poor. In the antenna pattern test, correction data may be calculated using a means for recording data such as the antenna pattern of each element antenna 9 in advance. However, a large number of ROMs are used to adjust the antenna pattern of the entire array. In addition, it takes time to adjust the antenna pattern of each element antenna 9 to form the optimum pattern for the entire array.
Further, when one transmitting / receiving module 5 fails, the antenna pattern as a whole changes by exchanging the modules, so it is necessary to adjust and test each time.
It took effort to maintain and manage.

On the other hand, as a method for efficiently mounting a large number of electric components in a small space, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-294.
In Japanese Patent Publication No. 790, a lens barrel 31 is formed in a state in which a flexible printed circuit board 30 on which a plurality of electric components 18a to 18h are mounted is bent into a polygonal ring as shown in FIG.
An apparatus of a photographing optical system that employs a mounting structure that is housed along the inner wall surface of the inside is presented. In this example, a plurality of electric components 18a are previously provided on the strip-shaped flexible printed circuit board 30.
A lens barrel 3 which is a housing is formed by automatically mounting and wiring ~ 18h by solder reflow or the like and bending it into a substantially polygonal shape.
It is stored along the inner wall surface of No. 1 and the outer peripheral portion of the pedestal 32. However, in this method, since the electric components 18a to 18h are mounted in a flexible state and then folded and inserted and housed, when a large-mass electric component is mounted, the joint between the electric component and the flexible printed board 30 is mounted. There was a problem that cracks tended to occur and the joint reliability was poor. Also, in order to bend and insert,
If there is an input / output connector in the electric component, its positional accuracy is low, and further, since the flexible printed circuit board 30 is not firmly fixed, there is a problem that sufficient connection strength cannot be obtained when connecting the RF connector. there were.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and in APAA, the mounting density is increased and the module is assembled and the module is easily replaced by reducing the power supply line to each transmitting and receiving module. The objective is to simplify the antenna pattern test and improve mass productivity and maintainability.

[0006]

An active phased array antenna according to the present invention has a plurality of element antennas arranged in an array and a radio wave radiated from each element antenna by a transmitting / receiving module attached to each element antenna. It is an active phased array antenna that controls the phase of the antenna and radiates a synthetic beam as an entire antenna in an arbitrary direction. The active phased array antenna includes a wiring board on which a transceiver module is mounted and a carrier to which the wiring board is fixed. , X (x ≧ 3) supporting surfaces have a peripheral surface connected in an annular shape, a wiring board is fixed to each of the supporting surfaces, and at least one transceiver module is mounted on each wiring board. There is something. In addition, a plurality of element antennas are arranged in an array, and the phase of the radio wave radiated from each element antenna is controlled by the transmission / reception module attached to each element antenna, and the combined beam of the entire antenna is directed in any direction. An active phased array antenna for radiating, comprising: a wiring board on which a transmission / reception module is mounted; and a carrier to which the wiring board is fixed. The carrier has a circumference in which x (x ≧ 3) support surfaces are annularly connected. A wiring board is fixed to each of the supporting surfaces, at least one element antenna is arranged for each wiring board, and each element antenna is connected to a transceiver module mounted on the wiring board. It has been done. The wiring board is a flexible printed board, which is wrapped around the outer circumference of the carrier and fixed by a conductive adhesive. Further, the carrier is provided with means for cooling the heat generated from the transmitting / receiving module.

Further, the plurality of transmission / reception modules are respectively supplied with the power supplied from one power supply connector distributed by the distribution circuit. Further, the carrier is composed of first and second carriers having the same number of support surfaces and the same carrier diameter, the first carrier having a transmitter / receiver module having a distribution circuit and a driver function, and the second carrier. Has a transmitting and receiving module with power amplification function and element antenna,
Furthermore, the first and second carriers are respectively provided with a plurality of power supply connectors that are fitted together by aligning their rotation center axes. Further, the plurality of transmission / reception modules are each supplied with electric power by a power supply connector provided on each surface of the wiring board on which the respective transmission / reception modules are mounted. The wiring board has a ROM for recording data, and the phase correction data and antenna pattern data obtained from the phases and gains of the antenna patterns of the plurality of element antennas are stored in the ROM.

Further, according to the method for mounting a transceiver module of an active phased array antenna according to the present invention, a plurality of element antennas are arranged in an array, and a radio wave radiated from each element antenna by the transceiver module attached to each element antenna. Is a method for mounting a transceiver module of an active phased array antenna that controls the phase of the antenna and radiates a combined beam of the entire antenna in an arbitrary direction, and includes x (x ≧ x) flexible printed circuit boards on which desired wiring patterns are formed in advance. 3) A step of winding and fixing along the outer periphery of the carrier having a peripheral surface in which the supporting surface is connected in an annular shape, a wiring pattern formed on the flexible printed circuit board with respect to one supporting surface of the carrier, and a transceiver module. The process of joining and rotating the carrier at a specified angle. It is obtained so as to implement include the step of performing bonding of a flexible printed wiring pattern formed on the substrate and the transceiver module to the next supporting surface is.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiment 1. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view showing a unit element module constituting an active phased array antenna (hereinafter referred to as APAA) according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The unit element module 1 according to the present embodiment is mainly controlled by a carrier 2 made of metal, a wiring board 3 fixed to the carrier 2, a plurality of transmission / reception modules 5 mounted on the wiring board 3 and each transmission / reception module 5. The element antenna 9 is used. The carrier 2 is composed of, for example, a triangular tubular body 20 in the shape of an equilateral triangle, and has three flat supporting surfaces, that is, rectangular flat surfaces 2 a, 2 b,
2c has a peripheral surface 20A connected in an annular shape. In addition, the peripheral surface 20A has apex portions 2d, 2e,
2f, the planes 2a, 2b, 2c have their respective tops 2d,
It is formed so as to connect them between 2e and 2f.
The wiring board 3 on which the wiring pattern 4 is formed in advance is fixed to each of the flat surfaces 2a, 2b, 2c on the outer circumference of the peripheral surface 20A. The tops 2d, 2e, 2f do not have to be sharp as shown in FIG. 1 and may be rounded. Furthermore, the inside of the carrier 2 is hollow, and its peripheral surface 2
The inner peripheral surface of 0A has radiating fins (not shown), and further has cooling water passages and ventilation ports (not shown) in the thickness direction of the peripheral surface 20A.

The wiring board 3 in the present embodiment is a flexible printed board sheet in which the portions corresponding to the three planes 2a, 2b, 2c of the carrier 2 are integrated,
It is wound around the outer periphery of the peripheral surface 20A of the carrier 2 and fixed by a conductive adhesive, solder or screws. However, the wiring board 3 may be divided for each plane and wired by a cable. At least one transmission / reception module 5 is mounted on each surface of the wiring board 3 fixed to each plane 2a, 2b, 2c of the carrier 2, and in this embodiment, a total of three transmission / reception modules 5 are mounted. Has been implemented. The transceiver module 5 has active elements such as a semiconductor amplifier and a phase shifter,
It is attached corresponding to each element antenna 9 and controls the amplitude and phase of the radio wave radiated from each element antenna 9 to radiate a synthetic beam as the entire antenna in an arbitrary direction. Switching between transmission and reception of the element antenna 9 is also performed by a switch inside the transmission / reception module 5. The heat generated from the transmission / reception module 5 is dissipated and cooled by the aforementioned cooling means provided on the carrier 2.

Further, in this embodiment, the three RF connectors 7 corresponding to the respective element antennas 9 also have the planes 2a,
They are mounted on the wiring boards 3 on 2b and 2c, respectively.
That is, one element antenna 9 is arranged for each wiring board 3, and a total of three element antennas 9 are arranged. Further, a distribution circuit board 6 is attached to the surface of the carrier 2 opposite to the element antenna 9. The distribution circuit board 6 is an equilateral triangular circuit board, and is attached to the triangular tube body 20 so as to close one opening end of the triangular tube body 20.
One RF connector 7 and one power supply / control terminal 8 are provided on the outer surface of the distribution circuit board 6, and a distribution circuit (not shown) is provided on the inner surface (inside the carrier 2). That is, the three transmission / reception modules 5 are respectively supplied with the power and signals supplied from one RF connector 7 and the power supply / control terminal 8 divided into three by the distribution circuit. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an APAA configured by regularly arranging the unit element modules 1 according to the present embodiment. In this arrangement example, each triangular cylinder 2
The unit element modules 1 are arranged so that the line connecting the centers of the equilateral triangles of 0 is a regular triangle.

Next, the spacing between the element antennas 9 and the beam formation will be described with reference to FIG. In order to direct the wavefront of the combined beam composed of the radio waves (single beam 21) radiated from each element antenna 9 to an arbitrary direction, the phase difference 22 is added to the individual beam 21 from each element antenna 9.
To form an equiphase surface 23 that faces in any direction.
In the figure, 24 indicates the direction of the combined beam. At this time, the phase difference 22 of the individual beams 21 emitted from the adjacent element antennas 9 needs to be 180 degrees or less (in the case of 180 degrees or more, the radio waves emitted from the adjacent element antennas 9 cancel each other out). Fit). Therefore, the distance 25 between the adjacent element antennas 9 is determined to be equal to or less than a half wavelength at a desired frequency, and the desired effective radiation power and radiation pattern can be obtained by the total number of antenna elements 9 and the output power. . Further, if it is attempted to reduce unnecessary side lobes other than the main lobe, the arrangement of the element antenna 9 is further restricted.

A method of assembling the unit element module 1 and a method of mounting the transmitting / receiving module 5 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the metal carrier 2
A single-layer or multi-layer wiring substrate 3 such as a flexible printed circuit board, on which a desired wiring pattern 4 is formed in advance, is wound along the outer circumference of the peripheral surface 20A, and wiring is performed with a conductive adhesive material or solder or the like that can obtain desired heat dissipation characteristics. The substrate 3 is bonded and fixed to the carrier 2 (in the figure). Note that FIG. 4 shows the multilayer wiring board 3. Next, the distribution circuit board 6 to which the RF connector 7 and the power supply / control terminal 8 are previously attached
Is attached to one opening end of the carrier 2 (in the figure). Then, one plane of the carrier 2 (eg plane 2
For a), the transmitter / receiver module mounting pad 4a formed on the wiring board 3 and the transmitter / receiver module 5 are joined (in the figure). Although FIG. 4 shows an example in which the transmitter / receiver module mounting pad 4a and the terminals of the transmitter / receiver module 5 are joined by flip chip mounting using gold bumps, the joining method is a general-purpose BGA (ball grid array) or PGA.
(Pin grid array) or ACF (anisotropic conductive film), gold wire or the like may be used. further,
When the fixing strength or the contact pressure for heat dissipation is required, the case of the transmission / reception module 5 is screwed or reinforcement by underfill is also used. When the mounting on one plane 2a is completed, the carrier 2 is rotated by a predetermined angle (in the figure), and similarly for the next plane (2b or 2c).
The transceiver module mounting pad 4a formed on the wiring board 3 and the transceiver module 5 are joined. According to this method, since the mounting surface is always in the same direction, mass production by a self-mounting machine can be easily performed. Furthermore, in this step, the wiring board 3 and the distribution circuit board 6 are electrically connected at the same time.

As described above, according to the unit element module 1 of this embodiment, the three planes 2a, 2b, 2
The carrier 2 includes a triangular cylindrical body 20 having a peripheral surface 20A in which c is connected in an annular shape, and the wiring board 3 is provided on each of the flat surfaces 2a, 2b, and 2c on the outer periphery of the peripheral surface 20A of the carrier 2.
By fixing at least one transmitting / receiving module 5 and each RF connector 7 for the element antenna 9 on each wiring board 3, the alignment between the element antennas 9 is performed when the array is arranged as a whole. And the array assembling work is simplified. In addition, maintenance work is improved because replacement work can be performed in units including the cooling structure. Furthermore, since the arrangement surfaces of the respective transmission / reception modules 5 are three-dimensionally different, stress such as heat when replacing the transmission / reception modules 5 for repair is reduced, and reliability can be ensured. Since a distribution circuit for supplying electric power and signals to a plurality of transmission / reception modules 5 from one external power supply line is provided, an RF connector 7 and a power supply / control terminal 8 are provided for each transmission / reception module 5. As compared with the conventional structure, the number of external power supply lines can be reduced, and the packaging density and the maintainability can be improved. In addition, since the flexible printed circuit board, which is the wiring board 3, is fixed to the carrier 2, electrical components such as the transmission / reception module 5 are mounted,
The reliability of joining the wiring board 3 and the electric component is high, the positional accuracy of the input / output connector is higher than that of the conventional example shown in FIG. 13, and sufficient connection strength can be obtained even when the RF connector is connected. Further, after mounting the transmitting / receiving module 5 on one plane 2a, the carrier 2 is rotated by a predetermined angle and similarly mounted on the next plane (2b or 2c), so that the mounting surface is always the same. Since this is the direction, mass production with a self-mounting machine can be easily performed.

Embodiment 2. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a unit element module constituting APAA according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. In the first embodiment,
Although the carrier 2 is composed of the triangular tubular body 20 having three planes 2a, 2b, and 2c, in the unit element module 1a according to the present embodiment, the carrier 200 has a hexagonal shape having six planes (reference numerals are omitted). It is composed of a cylindrical body (reference numeral is omitted). At least one transceiver module 5 is mounted on each surface of the wiring board 3 fixed to each plane of the carrier 200, and a total of six transceiver modules 5 are mounted in this embodiment. . Furthermore, one for each wiring board 3,
A total of 6 element antennas 9 are arranged. The distribution circuit board 6 is a regular hexagonal circuit board, and is attached to the hexagonal cylinder so as to close one end of the opening of the hexagonal cylinder. The other components of the unit element module 1a and the assembling method and the mounting method of the transmitting / receiving module 5 in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.
The description is omitted because it is similar to. By thus forming the carrier 2 in the shape of a polygonal cylinder, the number of external power supply lines can be further reduced, and the tact time for assembly and the replacement work in the array can be simplified. Further, by defining the specifications in terms of performance such as output power and gain as the unit element module 1a, it is possible to absorb variations in the performance of the transmission / reception module 5 alone by the combination, so that the yield of the transmission / reception module 5 is improved and the unit element is improved. Module 1
The variation in the performance as a can be reduced, and the performance of the entire APAA can be averaged. As a result, even when the unit element module 1a is replaced for repair, the effect on the entire APAA is reduced. Although the carrier 200 is a hexagonal cylinder in the present embodiment, the number of planes is not particularly limited.

Embodiment 3. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a unit element module constituting APAA according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 10 is a heat radiation fin provided on the inner peripheral surface of the carrier 2. Although it is provided on only one surface in the figure, it is actually provided on the other two surfaces as well. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. The unit element module 1b in the present embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, in which the distribution circuit board 6 (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 4) is not attached to the carrier 2 and the distribution circuit is provided in the surface layer or the inner layer of the wiring board 3. (Not shown). The RF connector 7 and the power supply / control terminal 8 are attached to the wiring board 3 fixed on any plane of the carrier 2. The RF connector 7
The power supply / control terminal 8 may be attached to the wiring board 3 in the vertical direction. In this way, the unit element module 1b is configured by adopting a structure in which the distribution circuit board 6 is not attached.
Assembly is simplified and workability is improved. Further, since the inside of the carrier 2 is completely hollow, it is possible to improve the air cooling performance by enlarging the heat radiation fins 10 or the like.

Embodiment 4. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a unit element module constituting APAA according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. The unit element module 1c in the present embodiment is a modified example of the third embodiment, in which the distribution circuit board 6 (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 4) is not attached to the carrier 2, and the distribution circuit is also provided in the wiring board 3. Not provided. That is, each transmitting / receiving module 5
Electric power and signals are supplied from an RF connector 7 and a power supply / control terminal 8 provided for each surface of the wiring board 3 on which they are mounted. With such a structure, it is not possible to reduce the number of external power supply lines, but since distribution is not required, a distribution circuit is unnecessary and the inside of the carrier 2 is completely hollow. Therefore, the air-cooling performance can be improved by, for example, enlarging the radiation fin 10. Further, since the RF connector 7 and the power supply / control terminal 8 are connected to each transmission / reception module 5, it becomes possible to control the input / output level for each transmission / reception module 5.

Embodiment 5. FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing a radiation pattern measurement state of the unit element module according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 11 is a ROM for storing data, 12 is an antenna pattern, and 13 is an antenna pattern measuring receiver. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. The unit element module 1 (or 1a, in the present embodiment,
1b, 1c. In the following, only 1 is representatively shown), and the ROM 11 for recording data is attached to the surface layer or the inner layer of the wiring board 3. The antenna pattern 13 radiated from the plurality of element antennas 9 of the unit element module 1 is measured by the antenna pattern measurement receiver 13, and the phase correction data and the antenna pattern data obtained from the phase and gain of the antenna pattern 13 are stored in the ROM 11. Store in. When using these unit element modules 1 as APAA, using the data recorded in the ROM 11,
Form an optimum radiation pattern for the entire array. According to the present embodiment, the unit element module 1 is a ROM
Since 11 is provided, it is possible to simplify the antenna pattern test for the entire array while reducing the number of ROMs used and the amount of correction data. Further, adjustment is easy even when the transmitting / receiving module 5 is repaired or replaced, and the influence on the entire APAA is reduced. Furthermore, not only the phase correction data but also the current consumption in the ROM 11,
You can use it for preventive maintenance by storing initial characteristics such as gain and monitoring them during operation.
Maintainability is improved.

Sixth Embodiment FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a unit element module constituting APAA according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. The unit element module 1d in this embodiment is composed of two carriers, a first carrier 201 and a second carrier 202, which have the same number of planes and the same carrier diameter. First carrier 20
1 has a distribution circuit board 6 having a distribution circuit (not shown) and a transmission / reception module 5a having a driver function,
The driver stage 14 is formed. The driver stage 14 is 1
The power and signals supplied from the one RF connector 7 and the power supply / control terminal 8 are distributed to each of the transmission / reception modules 5a by a distribution circuit. Also, the second carrier 2
An RF connector 7 and a power supply / control terminal 8 facing the carrier 202 side are provided on the respective planes for connection with 02. On the other hand, the second carrier 202 has a transmission / reception module 5b having a power amplification function and a plurality of element antennas 9 to form a power stage 15.
No power distribution circuit is provided in the power stage 15 and the driver stage 1 is directly connected.
The RF connector 7 facing the carrier 201 and the power supply / control terminal 8 are provided so that the RF connector 7 and the power supply / control terminal 8 of FIG. In this way, the RF connectors 7 and the power supply / control terminals 8 provided in the driver stage 14 and the power stage 15, respectively, are provided so that the center axes of rotation of the first carrier 201 and the second carrier 202 are aligned with each other. It is arranged to fit.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram for explaining the effect of the unit element module 1d in this embodiment. A
When a failure module occurs in both the driver stage 14 and the power stage 15 of the unit element module 1d during the operation of PAA, the combination is changed so that the failure modules are connected in series. In FIG. 10A, the driver (b) of the transceiver module 5a of the driver stage 14 has failed, and the power module (a) of the transceiver module 5b of the power stage 15 has failed.
As a result, the two element antennas 9a and 9b do not output. Therefore, the RF connector 7 and the power supply / control terminal 8 of the driver stage 14 and the power stage 15 which are fitted with each other are pulled out and rotated by a predetermined angle, and the drivers (a) to
Change the combination of (c) and the power modules (a) to (c) and insert and fit again. As a result, FIG.
As shown in (b), the driver (b), which is a defective module, and the power module (a) are connected in series, and only the element antenna 9a does not output. Thus, by dividing the unit element module 1d into the driver stage 14 and the power stage 15, it is possible to reduce the frequency of repairs and replacements with respect to the yield of the transceiver modules 5a and 5b. Further, only the driver stage 14 or the power stage 15 can be replaced or the unit element module 1d itself can be replaced depending on the required gain, output power, and amount of phase shift, and a flexible system configuration is possible. From the above, according to the present embodiment, the frequency of replacement of the transmission / reception modules 5a and 5b can be reduced, and the function of the system can be maintained immediately, so that maintainability is improved.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of element antennas are arranged in an array, and radio waves radiated from each of the element antennas are transmitted by a transmitting / receiving module attached to each of the element antennas. Control the phase,
In an active phased array antenna that radiates a synthetic beam as an entire antenna in an arbitrary direction, a wiring board is fixed to each support surface of a carrier having a peripheral surface in which x (x ≧ 3) support surfaces are annularly connected. By mounting at least one transmitting / receiving module and / or element antenna on each wiring board, it becomes easy to align the element antennas when arranging the array as a whole, and the array assembling work is simplified. To be done. Further, since the arrangement surfaces of the respective transmission / reception modules are three-dimensionally different, stress such as heat when replacing the transmission / reception modules for repair is reduced, and reliability can be ensured.

Further, since the wiring board is a flexible printed board and is wound around the outer periphery of the carrier and fixed by a conductive adhesive, it is fixed to the carrier rather than using a wiring board divided for each supporting surface. It is easy to electrically connect each other and the assembling work is simplified.

Further, since the carrier is provided with a means for cooling the heat generated from the transmission / reception module, replacement work can be performed in units including the cooling structure, and maintainability is improved.

Further, the power supplied from one power supply connector is distributed to the plurality of transmission / reception modules and supplied by the distribution circuit, so that the power supply connector is provided for each of the transmission / reception modules, compared to the conventional structure. It is possible to reduce the number of power supply lines, and it is possible to increase the packaging density and improve maintainability.

Further, the carrier is composed of first and second carriers having the same number of support surfaces and the same carrier diameter, and the first carrier has a transmission / reception module having a distribution circuit and a driver function. The second carrier has a transmission / reception module having a power amplification function and an element antenna, and further, each of the first and second carriers has a power supply connector which is fitted by aligning their rotation center axes. , If a failure module occurs in both the first and second carriers during APAA operation, the combination can be changed so that these failure modules are connected in series. Can be reduced and the function of the system can be maintained instantly, improving maintainability.

Further, since a power supply connector provided on each surface of a wiring board on which a plurality of transmission / reception modules are mounted respectively supplies electric power, a distribution circuit is not required and the inside of the carrier is completely hollow. The air cooling performance can be improved by, for example, expanding the cooling means such as the radiation fins. Further, since the power feeding connector is connected to each transmission / reception module, it becomes possible to control the input / output level for each transmission / reception module.

A ROM in which the wiring board records data
By storing the phase correction data and antenna pattern data obtained from the phases and gains of the antenna patterns of a plurality of element antennas in the ROM, an antenna pattern test for forming an optimum radiation pattern for the entire array can be performed. The simplification is possible, and the adjustment is easy even when the transceiver module is repaired or replaced.

Further, a flexible printed circuit board on which a desired wiring pattern is previously formed is wound and fixed along the outer periphery of the peripheral surface of the carrier, and transmission / reception with the wiring pattern formed on the flexible printed circuit board with respect to one supporting surface of the carrier. Since the module is joined and then the carrier is rotated by a predetermined angle and the wiring pattern formed on the flexible printed board and the transceiver module are joined to the next support surface, the mounting surface is always in the same direction. Easy mass production with a self-mounting machine. In addition, since the flexible printed circuit board is fixed to the carrier and then electrical parts such as the transceiver module are mounted, the bonding reliability is high, the positional accuracy of the mounted I / O connector is also high, and it is also sufficient when connecting the power supply connector. A strong connection strength can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a unit element module constituting APAA according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an APAA configured by regularly arranging unit element modules according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating element antenna spacing and formation of a combined beam.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of assembling a terminal element module and a method of mounting a transceiver module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a unit element module constituting APAA according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a unit element module constituting APAA according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a unit element module constituting APAA according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing a measurement state of a radiation pattern of a unit element module according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a unit element module constituting APAA in the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an effect of the unit element module according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a conventional APAA.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a conventional transmission / reception module mounting structure of a general APAA.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional flexible printed circuit board in which a large number of electric components are efficiently mounted in a small space.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d Unit element module, 2
Carriers 2a, 2b, 2c Planes, 2d, 2e, 2
f Top part, 3 wiring board, 4 wiring pattern, 4a transceiver pad mounting pad, 5 transceiver module,
5a Transmission / reception module having driver function, 5b
Transmitter / receiver module with power amplification function, 6 distribution circuit boards, 7 RF connectors, 8 power supply / control terminals, 9,
9a, 9b, 9c element antenna, 10 radiating fins,
11 ROM, 12 antenna pattern, 13 receiver for antenna pattern measurement, 14 driver stage, 15 power stage, 16 fixed plate, 17 feeding cable, 18a-
18h, electric parts, 20 triangular tubular body, 20A peripheral surface, 2
1 single beam, 22 phase difference, 23 equal phase plane, 24
Synthetic beam direction, 25 element antenna spacing, 30 flexible printed circuit board, 31 lens barrel, 32 pedestal, 200 carrier, 201 first carrier, 20
2 Second career.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A composite beam as a whole antenna, wherein a plurality of element antennas are arranged in an array, and a phase of radio waves radiated from each of the element antennas is controlled by a transmission / reception module attached to each of the element antennas. Is an active phased array antenna that radiates in an arbitrary direction, comprising: a wiring board on which the transceiver module is mounted; and a carrier to which the wiring board is fixed. The number of carriers is x (x ≧ 3). A supporting surface has a peripheral surface connected in an annular shape, the wiring board is fixed to each of the supporting surfaces, and at least one transceiver module is mounted on each of the wiring boards. Active phased array antenna. 2. A plurality of element antennas are arranged in an array, and a transmission / reception module attached to each of the element antennas controls the phase of a radio wave radiated from each of the element antennas, so that a combined beam of the entire antenna is obtained. Is an active phased array antenna that radiates in an arbitrary direction, comprising: a wiring board on which the transceiver module is mounted; and a carrier to which the wiring board is fixed. The number of carriers is x (x ≧ 3). A supporting surface has a peripheral surface connected in an annular shape, the wiring board is fixed to each of the supporting surfaces, and at least 1 is provided for each of the wiring boards.
An active phased array antenna, wherein a plurality of the element antennas are arranged, and each of the element antennas is connected to the transmission / reception module mounted on the wiring board. 3. The wiring board according to claim 1, wherein the wiring board is a flexible printed board, is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the carrier, and is fixed by a conductive adhesive. Active phased array antenna. 4. The active phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the carrier includes means for cooling the heat generated from the transceiver module. 5. The plurality of transmission / reception modules are each supplied with the power supplied from one power supply connector, which is distributed by a distribution circuit. An active phased array antenna according to the paragraph. 6. The transmission / reception module having the distribution circuit and the driver function, wherein the carrier is composed of first and second carriers having the same number of support surfaces and the same carrier diameter. And the second carrier has the transmission / reception module and the element antenna having a power amplification function, and the first and second carriers are fitted by aligning their rotation center axes with each other. The active phased array antenna according to claim 5, further comprising a plurality of power feeding connectors. 7. The plurality of transmission / reception modules are each supplied with electric power by the power supply connector provided for each surface of the wiring board on which each of the transmission / reception modules is mounted. The active phased array antenna according to any one of claims. 8. The wiring board is an RO for recording data.
8. The ROM has stored therein phase correction data, antenna pattern data, and the like obtained from the phases and gains of the antenna patterns of the plurality of element antennas. An active phased array antenna according to the paragraph. 9. A plurality of element antennas are arranged in an array, and a transmission / reception module attached to each of the element antennas controls a phase of a radio wave radiated from each of the element antennas to form a combined beam as an entire antenna. A method for mounting a transmitting / receiving module of an active phased array antenna, which radiates in an arbitrary direction, comprising: a flexible printed circuit board on which a desired wiring pattern is preliminarily formed; and a peripheral surface in which x (x ≧ 3) support surfaces are annularly connected. Winding and fixing the carrier along the outer circumference of the carrier, joining the wiring pattern formed on the flexible printed circuit board and the transceiver module to one of the supporting surfaces of the carrier, The flexible print is rotated to the next supporting surface by rotating it by a predetermined angle. A transmitter / receiver module mounting method for an active phased array antenna, comprising a step of joining a wiring pattern formed on a substrate and the transmitter / receiver module.