In-phase Power Divider Research Articles

Analysis and Design of Novel 180° Hybrid for U-Band Monolithic Subharmonic Mixer in 0.15-μm GaAs pHEMT Technology

In this brief, a novel reduced-size 1800 hybrid is presented to implement a U-band subharmonic mixer (SHM) via a 0.15-μm GaAs pHEMT process. The isolations between Σ-port and -port of the proposed 1800 hybrid are significantly enhanced by two structures: one is a compact multiconductor edge-coupled line balun with artificial transmission line and the other is an in-phase power divider composed of λLO/4 coupled line. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, a single balanced SHM with an antiparallel diode pair configuration is designed and fabricated, which exhibits a conversion gain of -12.25 dB 1 1.55 dB within the operating RF frequency of 40 to 60 GHz under 14 dBm LO pumping power. The improved isolations of LO-to-RF and 2LO-to-RF are 33 to 47 dB and 44 to 57 dB, respectively. The measured results surpass previously reported performance of SHMs.

Balanced-to-Unbalanced Filtering In-Phase Power Divider Based on 2-D Patch Resonator

In this letter, a new balanced-to-unbalanced (BTU) in-phase power divider with bandpass filtering response is proposed based on 2-D patch resonators. With resorting to the electric field distribution of the fundamental TM01 mode in a square patch cavity, the desired out-of-phase input signal and in-phase output signal can be generated and applied for BTU power divider design. In order to attain good bandpass filtering response, two coupled patch resonators with a proper coupling strength in a stacked form are adopted. As such, high isolation between two output ports can be well achieved with the help of two grounded isolation resistors. For verification, a prototype of BTU filtering in-phase power divider working at 4.0 GHz with a fractional bandwidth (FBW) of 13.7% is implemented. Measured results are in good agreement with the simulated ones, confirming the design concept experimentally.

A W-Band E-Plane Waveguide In-Phase Power Divider With Full Bandwidth and High Isolation

In this letter, a new two-way E-plane waveguide in-phase power divider (PD) with high port-port isolation operating in full W-band is proposed. This architecture is based on the classical six-port branch guide coupling principle, and consists of one input port, two output ports, and three isolation ports. To overcome the inherent tradeoff between fractional bandwidth and processing difficulty, a novel rectangular cavity coupling structure with greater waveguide width has been proposed. By analyzing, it is found that this novel layout allows broadband isolation and larger branch height which greatly eases the fabrication. Finally, an eight-branch prototype at W-band is designed, fabricated, and measured. In full W-band, the return loss is better than 20 dB and the isolation is better than 25 dB. The amplitude and phase imbalance between two output ports are less than ±0.4 dB and ±3.6°, respectively. The simulated and measured results are in good agreement.

Tunable Balanced-to-Unbalanced In-Phase Power Divider: Theoretical Analysis and Design

Tunable Balanced-to-Unbalanced In-Phase Power Divider: Theoretical Analysis and Design

The center-end-fed dipole-like antenna excited by the cross-like reentrant in-phase power divider

The modified center-end-fed dipole-like antenna, that is fed by a novel in-phase reentrant power divider/splitter, is dwelt on in this study. Two energized splitter ports provide appropriate radiation patterns. A whole antenna prototype was simulated through the full-wave solver ‘CST Studio Suite’ and successfully implemented. The measured results confirm the proposed approach. In particular, the input reflection coefficient is less than (−10)dB in the frequency range of 0.761–0.796 GHz. Contrary to the conventional dipole antenna design, the proposed one has additional degrees of freedom, and that paves the way for the next generation of linearly polarized radiators for communication systems.

Miniaturized Ultrawideband Reconfigurable Power Divider Based on Slotline and Double-Sided Parallel-Strip Line

A novel miniaturized ultrawideband reconfigurable power divider based on slotline and double-sided parallel-strip line (DSPSL) is presented in this article. The switch from the two-way out-of-phase power divider to the four-way in-phase power divider can be realized by using only two PIN diodes in the presented power divider, which will simplify greatly the circuit design and reduce the cost. Two working states in different transmission modes can be switched under the different bias conditions of the two PIN diodes. The equivalent-circuit model is developed to analyze the presented power divider. An ultrawideband reconfigurable power divider is designed and fabricated. At the four-way in-phase power-dividing mode, the measured insertion loss is less than 2.15 dB, the output isolation is greater than 15 dB, and the relative bandwidth is about 59.3%. At the two-way out-of-phase power-dividing mode, the measured insertion loss is less than 1.8 dB, and the relative bandwidth is about 57.1%.

H-Plane Waveguide In-Phase Power Divider/Combiner With High Isolation Over the WR-3 Band

A novel <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-plane waveguide in-phase power divider (also known as combiner) with high isolation working across full WR-3 band (220-330 GHz) is realized in this paper. This distinctive architecture is designed based on the sum-difference principle of Magic-T, whose <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$E$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-plane branch (difference port) is matched with an <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$E$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-plane T-junction. Both effects of processing and assembling uncertainties on this power divider/combiner performance are discussed in detail to display error sensitivity. The physical prototype is split into three blocks and processed by the state-of-the-art computer numerical control (CNC) milling technology. The absorbing materials are housed in the loaded T-junction arms to terminate return wave as well. Compared with the most reported terahertz waveguide power couplers, the meaningful measured results of this advanced in-phase power divider are delivered. The input and output matching as well as high isolation have been obtained over full WR-3 band, when an 11 dB reference level is considered. A total insertion loss of about 1.2 dB is achieved including three straight waveguides having a total length of 30 mm, which is also in good agreement with simulations. This module, which is fully compatible with the standard CNC-milling technique, can be directly integrated to terahertz detection systems.

180° hybrid using a novel planar balun on suspended substrate for beam forming network applications

In this paper, a 180° hybrid consisting of a broadband balun and a T-junction in-phase power divider is proposed. The 180° hybrid is intended for operation in the C-band. The balun resembles a center tapped magnetic transformer where the coils are replaced by broadside-coupled lines. This new technique allows magnetic couplers to be realized by planar structures at microwave frequencies. The planar balun is broadband, and the size reduction is considerable. The broadside-coupled lines are on a suspended substrate. The proposed structure can be used in the beam forming networks of the multiple-beam antennas. It also prevents cross connections in the conventional beam forming networks. The planar balun is analyzed by the signal flow graph method. The scattering parameters of the 180° hybrid are calculated by the multiport connection method. Some design formulas for the construction of the balun are presented. The 3-dimensional model of the planar 180° hybrid is simulated by a full-wave simulator. Measurement results of the fabricated hybrid approve the simulation results. The 180° hybrid exhibits a relative bandwidth of 45% centered at 4.5 GHz. In the operating band, the amplitude and phase imbalance of the output ports are <0.6 dB and <10°, respectively.

Tunable balanced to balanced filtering power divider with high common-mode suppression

Abstract In this paper, a tunable balanced-to-balanced in-phase filtering power divider (FPD) is designed, which can realize a two-way equal power division with high selectivity and isolation. A differential-mode (DM) passband with a steep filtering performance is realized by applying microstrip stub-loaded resonators (SLRs). Meanwhile, six varactors are loaded to the SLRs to achieve the center frequency (CF) and bandwidth adjustment, respectively. U-type microstrip lines integrated with stepped impedance slotline resonators are utilized as the differential feedlines, which suppress the common-mode (CM) intrinsically, making the DM responses independent of the CM ones. A tuning center frequency from 3.2 to 3.75 GHz and a fractional bandwidth (12.1–17.6%) with more than 10 dB return loss and less than 2.3 dB insertion loss can be achieved by changing the voltage across the varactors. A good agreement between the simulated and measured results is observed. To the best of authors' knowledge, the proposed balanced-to-balanced tunable FPD is first ever reported.

Planar In-Phase Filtering Power Divider With Tunable Power Division and Controllable Band for Wireless Communication Systems

A wideband in-phase power divider with tunable power division ratio (PDR) and filtering response is presented. The proposed design is quite compact and consists of a three-line coupled structure and loaded with a pair of varactor-loaded short-ended stubs at two output terminations. A variable power division is realized by tuning the coupling factors between the centerline and sidelines of the three-line coupled structure using a pair of varactors. A varactor at the center of the loaded short-ended stub and another one connecting the end of the stub to the ground is used to control the center frequency and band of operation. A prototype is modeled using the microstrip technique and then simulated and tested. The experimental result indicates a tunability of PDR from 0.5:1 to 2:1 across wideband range of 60% and a controllable band from 35% to 63.2%, with 13% center frequency tunability, sharp passband cutoff selectivity, as well as harmonic suppression to more than 6 GHz (4 times the center frequency). Moreover, the overall loss is around 1–1.2 dB; the isolation is more than 14 dB, whereas the differential phase is less than 7° in all the investigated cases.

A Miniature 200-GHz Subharmonic Mixer With a Folded 180° Hybrid Using Equal-Length Edge- and Broadside-Coupled Lines

A miniature 180° hybrid is proposed to demonstrate a 200-GHz subharmonic mixer (SHM) using a 0.18- $\mu \text{m}$ SiGe BiCMOS process. The reduced-size 180° hybrid is achieved by folding the shared coupled lines between the in-phase power divider and the out-of-phase Marchand balun. The shared coupled lines demand an equal length design for the coupled lines at both $\Delta $ and $\Sigma $ ports of an 180° hybrid. For the SHM, edge coupling for the $\Sigma $ section and broad-side coupling for the $\Delta $ section are employed to compensate the different input frequencies at $\Delta $ and $\Sigma $ ports. The SHM achieves a conversion gain around −21 dB from 175 to 200 GHz with 0-dBm LO pumping power. The LO-to-RF isolation is better than 32 dB within the operating bandwidth.

Wideband in-phase slot-coupled power dividers

A compact in-phase power divider is introduced. The proposed power divider consists of three metallic layers and two dielectric layers. The electromagnetic energy is coupled from a rectangular-shaped patch placed on the top layer of the structure to two one-half rectangular-shaped patches placed on the bottom layer of the structure through a rectangular-shaped slot cut into the common ground plane. It is shown that the bandwidth of the power divider can be controlled by the coupling value between the patches. Designing a sample of the proposed power divider for covering frequency range of 1–3.5GHz is done. The simulation and measurement results of the designed power divider indicate the effectiveness of the proposed power divider.

VHF/UHF broadband four‐way power combiner/divider using 0° hybrid and impedance transformer based on transmission lines

This study presents a broadband four-way power combiner/divider for very high frequency (VHF) to ultra-high frequency (UHF) bands using 0 ∘ hybrids and impedance transformers based on transmission lines. The 0 ∘ hybrids were used as in-phase power combiners or dividers, and 1 : 4 impedance transformers were adopted to transform the impedance so that all input and output ports had a 50 Ω impedance. Each component was analysed using equivalent circuits. The overall size of the implemented four-way power combiner/divider module was 110 × 163 m m 2 . Based on the measured S-parameters, an ultra-broad bandwidth from 8.0 to 600 MHz was achieved with an insertion loss <1.0 dB, reflection coefficients below −10.0 dB, isolation among the ports less than −15.0 dB, and magnitude and phase imbalances less than ±0.1 dB and 0.5 ∘ , respectively.

A wide-band gysel power divider/combiner based on a modified marchand balun

A wideband two-way Gysel power divider/combiner is presented based on a modified Marchand balun. With a −15 dB input and output return loss criteria, proposed method has a bandwidth of about 53%, while dimensions are still similar to the conventional Gysel power divider/combiner. The structure of the designed planar microstrip in-phase power divider is fairly simple, practical, and easily fabricated without requiring complex multiple metal or dielectric layers. In addition to CAD simulation and optimizations, with the aid of even- and odd-mode analysis, a mathematical designing framework is also established. To verify the design approach, the proposed divider/combiner is fabricated and measured at the S-band of frequency. There is a good agreement between simulation and experimental results. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:949–955, 2017

A Novel Balanced-to-Unbalanced Complex Impedance-Transforming In-Phase Power Divider

In this paper, a simple and compact planar balanced-to-unbalanced in-phase power divider with arbitrary terminated impedances is proposed based on the coupled-line structure and a single grounded resistor. By using the even-/odd-mode analysis and the traditional transmission-line theory, the complete design procedure and analytical equations are obtained to achieve good performances for differential-mode transmission, common-mode suppression, phase difference, arbitrary terminated impedances, and isolation. For demonstration, two different prototypes with 50-to- $50~\Omega $ matching and complex impedance transformation are designed, fabricated, and measured. Good agreement can be observed between simulated and measured results.

Wideband Tunable In-Phase Power Divider Using Three-Line Coupled Structure

An in-phase power divider (PD) with a wide tuning range for the power division ratio across one octave bandwidth is presented. The device uses a quarter-wavelength three-line coupled structure with controllable coupling factors using two centrally connected varactors. One terminal of the central coupled line is connected to the input port, whereas its other terminal is grounded. The two coupled side lines are connected to the output ports, whereas an isolation resistor connects their other ends. The mode theory is used to analyze the performance and predict the initial dimensions. To validate the design, a prototype of dimensions 30 $\times$ 20 is built on Rogers RO6010 substrate and tested. The results indicate a tunable power division ratio from 1:1 to 1:2.4 with less than 0.5 dB additional insertion loss across the frequency band 0.7–1.4 GHz. The device has more than 10 dB return loss at all the ports and more than 15 dB isolation between the output ports. The two output signals are in-phase across the whole band with less than 8 $^{\circ}$ differential phase imbalance.

Three‐octave band in‐phase power divider using loosely coupled microstrip lines and microstrip to slotline transitions

A planar microwave in-phase power divider operating over three-octave frequency band is presented. The proposed device is composed of two main parts. The first one is a pair of microstrip–slotline–microstrip transitions introduced to match the impedances at the input port. The second one is a pair of loosely coupled microstrip lines with two isolation resistors to provide improved isolation performance at the output ports over a wide range of frequency band. The device has a compact area of 40 × 40 mm using the substrate RO4003C (dielectric constant of 3.38 and thickness of 0.406 mm). The simulated and experimental results of the developed device show three-octave bandwidths (155% fractional bandwidth) with isolation >15 dB across the investigated band from 1 to 8 GHz. In addition, the device provides a <±2° differential phase between the in-phase output ports across the whole frequency band.

Design of Multilayer Microstrip-Slot In-Phase Power Divider with Tuning Stubs for Wideband Wireless Communication Applications

This article proposes the design of wideband multilayer microstrip-slot in-phase power implementing two different shapes of tuning stubs, which are rectangular and circular. The design and analysis are performed via the use of full-wave electromagnetic simulation software package, CST Microwave Studio. The designed power divider with optimal tuning stubs has been fabricated, and its wideband performance of 2---6 GHz is verified.

A Novel CMOS 24-GHz In-Phase Power Divider Using Synthetic Coupled Lines

A novel in-phase power divider using two synthetic coupled lines (CLs) and one isolation resistor is presented. The synthetic transmission lines (TLs) so-called the complementary-conducting-strip CL consists of periodical structures. By adopting the meandered and edge-coupled TLs the design reveals a two-way power divider and features a wideband behavior with a compact chip size. Moreover, the power divider also provides a 0° phase difference between input and output ports at 24 GHz. The chip is fabricated in a standard 0.18- $\mu \text{m}$ CMOS technology with a core area of 30 $\mu \textrm {m} \times 30\mu \text{m}$ . Measurements show that the minimum insertion losses ( $\vert S_{21}\vert $ and $\vert S_{31}\vert $ ) of the power divider are 5.38 and 5.43 dB at 23.5 GHz, respectively. Moreover, the power divider can operate from 15 to 28 GHz with superior RF performances on return losses and isolation.

The design of inphase power divider based on transversal signal interaction technique

A wideband inphase power divider based on signal interaction technique and slotline technique is proposed in this article. On the one hand, this power divider breaks conventional quarter-wavelength slotline configuration so that the lumped resistor can be soldered. On the other hand, quarter-wavelength short-ended coupled line and three quarters-wavelength transversal transmission line are introduced to obtain a bandpass filtering response. A prototype inphase power divider is designed and fabricated to demonstrate the performance of the proposed wideband power divider. The simulated and measured results show that there is a good performance in passband 3.9–10 GHz. In addition, the stopband (attenuation more than 20 dB) reach up to about 4.8 GHz (11.2–16 GHz) from the experimental data.