RF circuit module and chassis including amplifier

Abstract

An amplifier module for radio frequency signal circuits includes an electrically conductive housing. Two coax connectors are electrically linked to an amplifier circuit contained within the module. A separate transformer is external to the module. Both the module and the external transformer are mountable to a chassis frame. Other modules are usable in the system in addition to the amplifier module. The transformer can be wall mounted to the chassis frame, or the transformer can be internal to a module which also mounts to the chassis frame.

1. A chassis frame and module combination comprising:
 a) a plurality of modules including:
   1 ) an amplifier module having:  
   1 A ) a housing of electrically conductive material defining an enclosed interior; said housing having a front face and an opposite rear face separated by opposite sidewalls and opposite end walls, with each of said faces and sidewalls being of predetermined dimension and with said sidewalls being parallel to one another; each of said end walls having a projecting flange extending in a common plane generally parallel to said sidewalls and with said common plane offset from a central longitudinal axis of said housing; said front face including end portions extending beyond each of said end walls;  
   2 B ) two coax connectors secured to said rear face with an outer shield of said coax connectors electrically coupled to said housing;  
   3 C ) a circuit board contained within said interior and positioned generally parallel to and spaced between said sidewalls; said circuit board having a component side opposing a first of said sidewalls and a ground side opposing a second of said sidewalls, said ground side including a layer of electrically conductive material electrically connected to said housing; a plurality of connection locations on said circuit board, each of said connection locations including a ground connection for connecting ground shields of coax cables to said layer of electrically conductive material; a circuit component side of said circuit board including a circuit component interconnected with said connection locations through a circuit path; said circuit component including an amplifier circuit selected to amplify a radio frequency signal supplied to one of said coax connectors and to provide an amplified radio frequency signal to the other of said coax connectors; said coax connectors connected to said connection locations, each of said outer shields of said coax connectors connected to said ground connections of said connection locations;  
   4 D ) A power supply port located on said rear face; said power supply port interconnected to said amplifier circuit through a circuit path of said circuit board;  
   2 )  a transformer module having a transformer electrically coupled to said power supply port of said amplifier module for powering said amplifier circuit, the transformer module having a housing with a front face, a rear face, opposite sidewalls and end walls, each of the end walls having a projecting flange;   
 
 b) a chassis frame including a pair of spaced apart walls, said walls spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to a distance between said end walls of said amplifier and transformer ; module each of said walls including a grooves, each groove sized to slideably receive one of said projecting flanges modules, wherein said spaced apart walls define a plurality of pairs of aligned grooves for slidably receiving said projecting flanges on said modules, and wherein said transformer module is slidably receivable between each of said pairs of aligned grooves;  
 c) a lock member for locking at least one of said end portions on each of said plurality of modules to said chassis frame;  
 d) a transformer separate from said amplifier module, said transformer mounted to said chassis frame, said transformer electrically coupled to said power supply port of said amplifier module for powering said amplifier circuit .  
 
     
     
       2. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 1 , further comprising a first test coax connector secured to said front face of said amplifier module; said first test coax connector electrically coupled to a  said circuit path of said circuit board to monitor the radio frequency signal supplied to said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       3. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 2 , further comprising a second test coax connector secured to said front face of said amplifier module; said second test coax connector electrically coupled to a  said circuit path of said circuit board to monitor the radio frequency signal from said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       4. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 1 , further comprising a test coax connector secured to said front face of said amplifier module; said test coax connector electrically coupled to a  said circuit path of said circuit board to monitor the radio frequency signal from said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       5. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 1 , wherein said circuit component of said amplifier module further includes a tilt circuit. 
     
     
       6. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 1 , wherein said circuit component of said amplifier module further includes a power on indicator, said power on indicator including an LED positioned on said front face of said amplifier module. 
     
     
       7. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 1 , wherein said circuit component of said amplifier module further includes a gain potentiometer, and said front face of said amplifier module including an adjustment access point to adjust said gain potentiometer. 
     
     
       8. The chassis frame and module of  claim 1 , further comprising a transformer module for holding the transformer, the transformer module having a housing with a front face, a rear face, opposite sidewalls and end walls, each of the end walls having projecting flange, each projecting flange received in one of the pairs of aligned grooves of the walls of the chassis frame. 
     
     
       9. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of spaced apart walls is a first pair, and wherein the chassis frame includes a second pair of spaced apart walls spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the first pair, each wall of the second pair including a flange receiving groove for receiving an additional radio frequency module configured and arranged with a housing like the housing of the amplifier module. 
     
     
       10. A chassis frame and module combination comprising:
   a )  a plurality of modules including:        1   )  an amplifier module having:        A )  a housing defining an enclosed interior; said housing having a front face and an opposite rear face separated by opposite sidewalls and opposite end walls, each of said end walls having a projecting flange;        B )  two coax connectors secured to said rear face with an outer shield of said coax connectors electrically coupled to said housing;        C )  circuitry contained within said housing; said circuitry including an amplifier circuit selected to amplify a radio frequency signal supplied to one of said coax connectors and to provide an amplified radio frequency signal to the other of said connectors;        D )  a power supply port operatively coupled to said amplifier circuit;          2   )  a power downconverter module for holding a power downconverter, the power downconverter module having a housing with a front face, a rear face, opposite sidewalls and end walls, each of the end walls having a projecting flange, and wherein said power downconverter is electrically coupled to said power supply port of said amplifier module for powering said amplifier circuit;          b )  a chassis frame including a pair of spaced apart walls, said walls spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to a distance between said end walls of said modules, wherein said spaced apart walls define a plurality of pairs of aligned grooves for slidably receiving said projecting flanges on said modules, and wherein each of said plurality of modules can be slidably received in each of said pairs of aligned grooves.     
     
     
       11. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 10  wherein the power supply port is located on said rear face of said amplifier module housing. 
     
     
       12. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 10  wherein the power downconverter is a transformer. 
     
     
       13. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 10  wherein each of the plurality of modules further comprises a lock member for locking said housings to said chassis frame. 
     
     
       14. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 10  wherein said circuitry includes a circuit board having a component side and a ground side, said ground side including a layer of electrically conductive material electronically connected to said amplifier module housing and a plurality of connection locations on said circuit board, each of said connection locations including a ground connection for connecting ground shields of coax cables to said layer of electrically conductive material. 
     
     
       15. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 14  wherein said component side includes a circuit component interconnected with said connection locations through a circuit path and a circuit component operatively coupled to the component interconnect. 
     
     
       16. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 10  wherein said amplifier module housing is made of an electrically conductive material. 
     
     
       17. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 10  wherein said faces and sidewalls of said amplifier module housing being of predetermined dimension and said amplifier module side walls being parallel to one another and each amplifier module projecting flange extending in a common plane generally parallel to said amplifier module sidewalls with said common plane generally parallel to said amplifier module sidewalls and offset from a central longitudinal axis of said amplifier module housing. 
     
     
       18. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 13  wherein said front faces on said amplifier and power downconverter modules have end portions extending beyond each of said end walls on said modules and said lock members on said modules locking at least one of said end portions to said chassis frame. 
     
     
       19. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 14  wherein said coax connectors are connected to said connection locations, each of said outer shields of said coax connectors coupled to said ground connections of said connection locations. 
     
     
       20. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 10  further comprising a first test coax connector secured to said front face of said amplifier module; said first test coax connector electrically coupled to a circuit path of said circuitry to monitor the radio frequency signal supplied to said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       21. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 20  further comprising a second test coax connector secured to said front face of said amplifier module; said second test coax connector electrically coupled to said circuit path of said circuitry to monitor the radio frequency signal from said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       22. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 10  further comprising a test coax connector secured to said front face of said amplifier module; said test coax connector electrically coupled to a circuit path of said circuitry to monitor the radio frequency signal from said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       23. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 10  wherein said circuitry of said amplifier module further includes a tilt circuit. 
     
     
       24. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 10  wherein said circuitry of said amplifier module further includes a power on indicator, said power on indicator including an LED positioned on said front face of said amplifier module. 
     
     
       25. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 10  wherein said circuitry of said amplifier module further includes a gain potentiometer, and said front face of said amplifier module including an adjustment access point to adjust said gain potentiometer. 
     
     
       26. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 10  wherein the pair of spaced apart walls in a first pair, and wherein the chassis frame includes a second pair of spaced apart walls spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the first pair, each wall of the second pair including a flange receiving groove for receiving an additional radio frequency module configured and arranged with a housing like the housing of the amplifier module. 
     
     
       27. A chassis frame and module combination comprising:
   a )  a plurality of modules including:        1   )  an amplifier module having:        A )  a housing defining an enclosed interior; said housing having a front face and an opposite rear face separated by opposite sidewalls and opposite end walls;        B )  two coax connectors secured to said rear face with an outer shield of said coax connectors electrically coupled to said housing;        C )  circuitry contained within said housing; said circuitry including an amplifier circuit selected to amplify a radio frequency signal supplied to one of said coax connectors and to provide an amplified radio frequency signal to the other of said coax connectors;        D )  a power supply port operatively coupled to said amplifier circuit;          2   )  a power downconverter module for holding a power downconverter, the power downconverter module having a housing with a front face, a rear face, opposite sidewalls and end walls, said power downconverter electrically coupled to said power supply port of said amplifier module for powering said amplifier circuit;          b )  a chassis frame including a pair of spaced apart walls wherein said pair of spaced apart walls define a plurality of module attachment locations, and wherein each of said modules can be selectively received in each of said plurality of attachment locations;        c )  A retainer for retaining each of said plurality of modules in said chassis frame.     
     
     
       28. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 27  wherein each of the housings has end portions and each of the retainers is a lock member that locks at least one of said end portions on each of said module housings to said chassis frame. 
     
     
       29. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 27  wherein the power supply port is located on said rear face of said amplifier module housing. 
     
     
       30. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 27  wherein the power downconverter is a transformer. 
     
     
       31. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 27  wherein said circuitry includes a circuit board having a component side and a ground side, said ground side including a layer of electrically conductive material electronically connected to said amplifier module housing and a plurality of connection locations on said circuit board, each of said connection locations including a ground connection for connecting ground shields of coax cables to said layer of electrically conductive material. 
     
     
       32. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 31  wherein said component side includes a circuit component interconnected with said connection locations through a circuit path and a circuit component operatively coupled to the component interconnect. 
     
     
       33. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 27  wherein said amplifier module housing is made of an electrically conductive material. 
     
     
       34. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 31  wherein said coax connectors are connected to said connection locations, each of said outer shields of said coax connectors coupled to said ground connections of said connection locations. 
     
     
       35. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 27  further comprising a first test coax connector secured to said front face of said amplifier module; said first test coax connector electrically coupled to a circuit path of said circuitry to monitor the radio frequency signal supplied to said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       36. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 35  further comprising a second test coax connector secured to said front face of said amplifier module; said second test coax connector electrically coupled to said circuit path of said circuitry to monitor the radio frequency signal from said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       37. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 27  further comprising a test coax connector secured to said front face of said amplifier module; said test coax connector electrically coupled to a circuit path of said circuitry to monitor the radio frequency signal from said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       38. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 27  wherein said circuitry of said amplifier module further includes a tilt circuit. 
     
     
       39. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 27  wherein said circuitry of said amplifier module further includes a power on indicator, said power on indicator including an LED positioned on said amplifier module front face. 
     
     
       40. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 27  wherein said circuitry of said amplifier module further includes a gain potentiometer, and said amplifier module front face including an adjustment access point to adjust said gain potentiometer. 
     
     
       41. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 27  wherein the pair of spaced apart walls is a first pair, and wherein the chassis frame includes a second pair of spaced apart walls spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the first pair, each wall of the second pair including a flange receiving groove for receiving an additional radio frequency module configured and arranged with a housing like the housing of the amplifier module. 
     
     
       42. A chassis frame and module combination comprising:
   a )  a plurality of modules including:        1   )  an amplifier module having:        A )  a housing defining an enclosed interior; said housing having a front and a back;        B )  two coax connectors secured to said housing with an outer shield of said coax connectors electrically coupled to said housing;        C )  circuitry contained within said housing; said circuitry including an amplifier circuit selected to amplify a radio frequency signal supplied to one of said coax connectors and to provide an amplified radio frequency signal to the other of said connectors;        D )  a power supply port operatively coupled to said amplifier circuit;          2   )  a power downconverter module having a power downconverter electrically coupled to said power supply port of said amplifier module for powering said amplifier circuit;          b )  a chassis frame sized to receive said amplifier and power downconverter modules, wherein said power downconverter module is selectively receivable in a plurality of positions in said chassis.     
     
     
       43. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 42  wherein said coax connectors are secured to said back of said amplifier module housing. 
     
     
       44. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 42  wherein said downconverter is a transformer. 
     
     
       45. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 42  wherein said amplifier module housing has a front face and an opposite rear face separated by opposite sidewalls and opposite end walls, each of said end walls having a projecting flange, and wherein said chassis includes a pair of spaced apart walls, said spaced apart walls spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to a distance between said end walls of said module; each of said spaced apart walls including a groove sized to slidably receive one of said projecting flanges. 
     
     
       46. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 45  wherein the power supply port is located on said rear face of said amplifier module housing. 
     
     
       47. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 45  wherein said faces and sidewalls of said amplifier and power downconverter module housings being of predetermined dimension and said side walls of said amplifier and power downconverter modules being parallel to one another and each projecting flange on said modules extending in a common plane generally parallel to said sidewalls with said common plane generally parallel to said sidewalls of said modules and offset from a central longitudinal axis of said module housings. 
     
     
       48. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 45  further comprising a first test coax connector secured to said front face of said amplifier module; said first test coax connector electrically coupled to a circuit path of said circuitry to monitor the radio frequency signal supplied to said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       49. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 48  further comprising a second test coax connector secured to said front face of said amplifier module; said second test coax connector electrically coupled to said circuit path of said circuitry to monitor the radio frequency signal from said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       50. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 45  further comprising a test coax connector secured to said front face of said amplifier module; said test coax connector electrically coupled to a circuit path of said circuitry to monitor the radio frequency signal from said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       51. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 45  wherein the transformer module has a housing with a front face, a rear face, opposite sidewalls and end walls, each of the end walls having a projecting flange, and wherein each of said spaced apart walls of said chassis includes a second groove sized to slidably receive one of said projecting flanges of said transformer module. 
     
     
       52. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 45  wherein the pair of spaced apart walls is a first pair, and wherein the chassis frame includes a second pair of spaced apart walls spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the first pair, each wall of the second pair including a flange receiving groove for receiving an additional radio frequency module configured and arranged with a housing like the housing of the amplifier module. 
     
     
       53. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 42  wherein said circuitry includes a circuit board having a component side and a ground side, said ground side including a layer of electrically conductive material electronically connected to said amplifier module housing and a plurality of connection locations on said circuit board, each of said connection locations including a ground connection for connecting ground shields of coax cables to said layer of electrically conductive material. 
     
     
       54. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 53  wherein said component side includes a circuit component interconnected with said connection locations through a circuit path and a circuit component operatively coupled to the component interconnect. 
     
     
       55. The chassis frame and module combination of  claim 54  wherein said coax connectors are connected to said connection locations, each of said outer shields of said coax connectors coupled to said ground connections of said connection locations.