Waveguide switch

This invention discloses a high-speed waveguide switch for diverting energy among a plurality of waveguides. This switch is composed of a rotor, a rotor housing, biasing means, housing for the biasing means, and an electronic circuit to control the biasing means. The rotor and rotor housing are of conventional design. The biasing means is composed of two rotary solenoids mechanically linked through a geneva drive and wheel to the rotor. The electronic circuit is composed of a power supply circuit, a control circuit, and a motor circuit being the coils of the rotary solenoids. An external device such as a radar supplies a switching command signal to the control circuit. Various flip-flops are actuated based on the leading or trailing edge of the switching command signal. Signals from these flip-flops actuate switches in the power supply circuit so that a sequence of driving and braking currents is transmitted to the coils of the rotary solenoids. Upon receiving a driving current, a solenoid torques the rotor and causes it to rotate in a desired direction. Upon receiving a braking current, the other solenoid counter torques the rotor and brings it to a bounce-free stop. To return the rotor, the currents are applied to the opposite solenoids.