A single-structure, two-bit phase shifter useful for steering the beam of
an antenna such as an aeronautical antenna. The phase shifter includes an
input line, an output line, a plurality of switched lines such as
quarter-wavelength microstrip lines connected directly or indirectly
between the input line and the output line, and a plurality of switches
for selectively and controllably connecting one or more of the switched
lines between the input line and the output line. The phase shifter
controllably connects one or more of the switched lines in series between
the input line and the output line, thus providing phase shifts of an
input radio frequency (RF) signal between one of four discrete phase
shift amounts. Using up to three quarter-wavelength switched lines, the
phase shifter provides phase shifts in increments of ninety degrees,
e.g., phase shifts of zero, ninety, one hundred eighty, and two hundred
seventy degrees (0.degree., 90.degree., 180.degree., and 270.degree.).
The inventive phase shifter is formed as a single two-bit structure,
rather than two one-bit structures; thus it has a relatively smaller size
than conventional two-bit phase shifters. Also, the inventive two-bit
phase shifter may be configured such that the input signal passes through
only one closed switch in any phase shift configuration, which reduces
the overall insertion loss by reducing the insertion loss caused by
passing the input signal through multiple switches.