Electronic gain shaper and a method for storing parameters

Abstract

There is provided an electronic gain shaper for open loop adaptive optimising of broadband microwave circuits, the gain shaper comprising operating parameter selection means [ 100 ] adapted for providing one or more operating parameters; and a lossy tuning element operably coupled to the operating parameter selection means, wherein, in use, the gain shaper is adapted for receiving an operating mode; retrieving an operating parameter from the operating parameter selection means [ 100 ] in accordance with the operating mode; and configuring the lossy tuning element in accordance with the operating parameter.

1 . An electronic gain shaper for open loop adaptive optimising of broadband microwave circuits, the gain shaper comprising:
 operating parameter selection means adapted for providing one or more operating parameters; and   a lossy tuning element operably coupled to the operating parameter selection means, wherein, in use, the gain shaper is adapted for:   receiving an operating mode;   retrieving an operating parameter from the operating parameter selection means in accordance with the operating mode; and   configuring the lossy tuning element in accordance with the operating parameter.   
     
     
         2 . An electronic gain shaper as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a further tuning element operably coupled to the operating parameter selection means, wherein the lossy tuning element and the further lossy tuning element have centre frequencies at least substantially across an octave of bandwidth, wherein, in use, the gain shaper is further adapted for:
 retrieving a further operating parameter from the operating parameter selection means in accordance with the operating mode;   configuring the further lossy tuning element in accordance with the one or more operating parameters.   
     
     
         3 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the operating parameter selection means comprises storage means comprising a lookup table. 
     
     
         4 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the lookup table comprises one or more operating mode keys and one or more corresponding operating parameters, and wherein the lookup table is adapted for providing at least one of the one or more corresponding operating parameters in accordance with at least one of the one or more operating mode keys. 
     
     
         5 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the operating parameter selection means comprises a FPGA device and wherein the one or more operating parameters comprise a resistance parameter. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lossy tuning element comprise an electronically variable resistive element. 
     
     
         8 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the variable resistive element comprises a PIN diode. 
     
     
         9 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the gain shaper is adapted for configuring the resistance of the PIN diode in accordance with a bias current. 
     
     
         10 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising a variable analogue circuit for providing the bias current. 
     
     
         11 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising a digital to analogue converter coupled to the operating parameter selection means for providing the bias current. 
     
     
         12 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the operating parameter represents a gain parameter. 
     
     
         13 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising gain compensation means operably coupled to the operating parameter selection means, and wherein the gain shaper is adapted to configure the gain compensation means in accordance with gain parameter. 
     
     
         14 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lossy tuning element comprise at least one of a positive slope equalizer and a negative slope equalizer. 
     
     
         15 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the positive slope equalizer comprises a short circuit stub. 
     
     
         16 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the negative slope equalizer comprises an open circuit stub. 
     
     
         17 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lossy tuning element is connected to a high Q-value resonant circuit. 
     
     
         18 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit is tunable. 
     
     
         19 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the operating mode relates to temperature. 
     
     
         20 . An electronic gain shaper claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in use, the gain shaper is adapted for receiving a temperature reading, and wherein receiving the operating mode comprises selecting the operating mode in accordance with the temperature reading. 
     
     
         21 . A method for storing one or more operating parameters in relation to an operating mode, the method comprising:
 selecting a desired response in accordance with the operating mode;   coupling a tuning element network to a frequency analyser, the tuning element network comprising at least one lossy tuning element configurable in accordance with the at least one operating parameter;   measuring a response of the tuning element network using the frequency analyser,   configuring the at least one operating parameter in accordance with the response and the desired response; and   storing the at least one operating parameter in a lookup table in relation to the operating mode.