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) an amplifier module having:
 1) 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) two coax connectors secured to said rear face with an outer shield of said coax connectors electrically coupled to said housing; 
 3) 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; said 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) 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; 
   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 module; each of said walls including a groove, each groove sized to slideably receive one of said projecting flanges;   c) a lock member for locking at least one of said end portions 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 of  claim 1 , further comprising a first test coax connector secured to said front face; said first test coax connector electrically coupled to a circuit path of said circuit board to monitor the radio frequency signal supplied to said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       3. The chassis frame and module of  claim 2 , further comprising a second test coax connector secured to said front face; said second test coax connector electrically coupled to a circuit path of said circuit board to monitor the radio frequency signal from said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       4. The chassis frame and module of  claim 1 , further comprising a test coax connector secured to said front face; said test coax connector electrically coupled to a circuit path of said circuit board to monitor the radio frequency signal from said amplifier circuit. 
     
     
       5. The chassis frame and module of  claim 1 , wherein said circuit component of said amplifier module further includes a tilt circuit. 
     
     
       6. The chassis frame and module 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. 
     
     
       7. The chassis frame and module of  claim 1 , wherein said circuit component of said amplifier module further includes a gain potentiometer, and said front face 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 a 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 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; 
 B) two coax connectors accessible from a back of the 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 contact operatively coupled to said amplifier circuit; 
 
 2) a power downconverter module having a power downconverter electrically coupled to said power supply contact 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.   
     
     
       11. The chassis frame and module combination of claim 10, wherein said coax connectors are secured to the back of the housing. 
     
     
       12. The chassis frame and module combination of claim 10, wherein the back of the housing is an electrically conductive material, and wherein the outer shields of coax connectors are in direct physical contact with the back of the housing. 
     
     
       13. The chassis frame and module combination of claim 10, further comprising a printed circuit board positioned within the housing, the amplifier circuit being contained on the printed circuit board. 
     
     
       14. The chassis frame and module combination of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of each of the coax connectors is directly connected to the printed circuit board. 
     
     
       15. The chassis frame and module combination of claim 13, the housing further including a front and opposing sidewalls separating the front and the back of the housing, wherein the printed circuit board is positioned generally parallel to and between the sidewalls. 
     
     
       16. 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 a front of said amplifier module. 
     
     
       17. The chassis frame and module combination of claim 10, wherein the coax connectors are positioned adjacent the back of the module and electrically connected with the circuitry. 
     
     
       18. 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; 
 B) at least one RF signal input and at least one RF signal output, the RF signal input and output accessible from a back of the module; 
 C) circuitry contained within said housing; said circuitry including an amplifier circuit selected to amplify a radio frequency signal supplied to the at least one RF signal input and to provide an amplified radio frequency signal to the at least one RF signal output; 
 D) a power supply input operatively coupled to said amplifier circuit; 
 
 2) a power downconverter module having a power downconverter electrically coupled to said power supply input 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.   
     
     
       19. The chassis frame and module combination of claim 18, wherein the RF signal output and the RF signal input each include a coax connector positioned adjacent the back of the module and electrically connected with the circuitry. 
     
     
       20. The chassis frame and module combination of claim 19, wherein said coax connectors are secured to the back of the housing. 
     
     
       21. The chassis frame and module combination of claim 20, wherein the coax connectors include outer shields, and wherein the back of the housing is an electrically conductive material, the outer shields of the coax connectors being in direct physical contact with the back of the housing. 
     
     
       22. The chassis frame and module combination of claim 18, further comprising a printed circuit board positioned within the housing, the amplifier circuit being contained on the printed circuit board. 
     
     
       23. The chassis frame and module combination of claim 22, the housing further including a front and opposing sidewalls separating the front and the back of the housing, wherein the printed circuit board is positioned generally parallel to and between the sidewalls. 
     
     
       24. The chassis frame and module combination of claim 18, wherein said circuitry of said amplifier module further includes a power on indicator, said power on indicator including an LED positioned on a front of said amplifier module.