LOW COST, ONE-SHOT SWITCH WAVEGUIDE WINDOW

摘要

Apparatus (10) for blanking the signal path between an antenna (13) and a transmitter (11) or a receiver (12) to protect them from harmful radiation in the absence of power supplied thereto. The apparatus is preferably formed as a printed circuit waveguide switch window (10) having a plurality of parallel conductors (22), such as metal wires (22) or printed circuit traces (22), disposed on a dielectric substrate (16) and is secured between two sections of waveguide (14). A bias terminal (17) is coupled to the plurality of conductors. The lower portion of the grid array is grounded to the adjacent waveguide. When the waveguide switch window is in its protective, blanked state, it blocks undesired radiation from entering the antenna and destroying sensitive components in the receiver. When a predetermined voltage is supplied to the bias terminal, it vaporizes the grid array and opens the waveguide switch window to allow normal operation of the antenna and receiver.