Electronically scanned ferrite line source

摘要

A ferrite scanning line source is formed of a ferrite toroid and one or more dielectric slabs mounted to a side of the toroid. A signal propagating through the waveguide is phase shifted by the magnetization of the toroid. The further down the toroid the signal propagates the greater the phase shift that is applied to the signal. Radiators or coupling ports are formed by slots cut in a wall of the waveguide. The phase of the signal radiating from each slot in the line source is shifted from the signals emanating from the preceding and following slot in the line source. By properly locating the slots along the line source, a composite beam formed by the energy radiating from each slot may be titled (scanned) to a desired direction. In addition, the amount of phase shift applied to the signal by the waveguide depends on the magnetic state of the phase shifter. By changing the magnetic state of the phase shifter, by using a latch wire, the direction of the beam emanating from the line source can be scanned, such as by +/-20 DEG . Phased array antenna systems are formed of groups of radiating elevation line sources that are fed signals by a group of azimuth line sources coupled by microstrips to the elevation line sources.