| 摘要 |
A redundant microwave configuration providing a highly flexible routing of a plurality of inputs to a plurality of outputs is characterized by at least two switching layers wherein each switching layer comprises a plurality of four port switches and the switches in at least one of the switching layers are connected in a ring, corresponding switches in the layers being interconnected. This redundancy configuration is not limited to microwave applications only but could be implemented at all other frequencies. One microwave configuration employs 2N amplifiers between said switching layers as building blocks to provide N inputs to N antenna ports. This configuration allows any combination of (m-N) amplifier failures without loss of service, where N </= m </= 2N. In other configurations, only one type of switch is used and fewer than 2N amplifiers are used for N inputs and N outputs. Moreover, by properly choosing path lengths, the outputs of two or more amplifiers can be combined where greater power output is required than that provided by a single amplifier. In still other configuratons, the switching layers are directly connected, and one of the switching layers comprises a matrix of fast switching elements. |
