Design and analysis of a broadband 4‐way high power combiner in the VHF/UHF band

Abstract

In this study, a four-way power combiner using four equally designed 2-way power combiners is introduced. The physical structure of the combiner is such that the components and connections are symmetrically arranged. In the final section of the power combiner, two 2-way combiners are connected in parallel, which helps for easier circuit alignment and better electrical properties. The 2-way power combiner is the building block of the 4-way power combiner. The 2-way power combiner is analysed by even and odd method and its performance is verified by measurements. The analysis method can be extended to 4-way or N -way power combiners. The proposed 4-way power combiner is fabricated and its performance is measured. The amplitude imbalance of the 4-way power combiner is <;0.2 dB in the path between the input ports and the summing port. The attenuation above the theoretical 6 dB insertion loss is 0.5 dB from 30 to 500 MHz. The 4-way power combiner has the same performance as the 2-way power combiner, regarding the added insertion loss above the theoretical ideal value. Ease of fabrication, simple circuit connections and use of equally constructed 2-way power combiners result in repeatability and reduce electrical mismatch.