A DELAY ELEMENT AND A CORRESPONDING METHOD

摘要

A differential delay element (10) for use e.g. in selectively delaying RF signals in telecommunication systems includes a first microstrip circuit (12) and a second microstrip circuit (14) arranged side-by-side in a facing relationship. The first microstrip circuit (12) defines a first delayed travel path for a first signal from a first input port (IN1 ) to a first output port (OUT1 ) and the second microstrip circuit (14) defines a second delayed travel path for a second signal from a second input port (IN2) to a second output port (OUT2). A perturber (18) is arranged between the first (12) and second (14) microstrip circuits, displaceable (20) towards and away from the first (12) and second (14) microstrip circuits, so that when the distance of the perturber (18) to one (12 resp. 14) of the microstrip circuits increases, the distance of the perturber (18) to the other (14 resp. 12) of the microstrip circuits decreases and viceversa. The position of the perturber (18) between the first (12) and second (14) microstrip circuits defines the differential delay, namely the difference (?t=t1-t2) between the times (t1, t2) experienced by the two signals in travelling their travel paths through the delay device (10).