System and method for signal segmentation

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for signal segmentation. Broadband output isolation is provided. An apparatus includes a first output for a first radio frequency (RF) signal. The apparatus includes a second output for a second RF signal. The device includes a first transistor having a first source / drain. The device includes a second transistor having a first source / drain, where the first source / drain of the first transistor is coupled to the first source / drain of the second transistor, and where the first transistor and the second transistor are disposed between the first output and the second output.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] In general, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for signal splitting or splitting. The present disclosure also relates to circuits or methods employed to provide signal splitting, including but not limited to signal splitting with enhanced isolation while maintaining input / output impedance matching. Background Art

[0002] In the past few decades, due to the use of portable devices and the increased connectivity and data transmission between various devices, the market for wireless communication devices has grown at an order of magnitude. Digital switching technology has promoted the large-scale deployment of affordable, easy-to-use communication networks. In addition, improvements in digital and radio frequency (RF) circuit manufacturing and circuit integration and other aspects have made equipment smaller, cheaper and more reliable. Communications can utilize receivers that operate according to various standards such as IEEE 802.11x, Bluetooth, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). In some applications, the receiver may include a signal splitter or power splitter that receives a signal and provides two output signals for processing. This process can operate on the output signal across various standards, protocols, power levels, frequencies, etc. Summary of the invention

[0003] In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a power divider device, comprising: a first node, which is configured to receive a first signal; a second node, which is configured to provide a second signal; a third node, which is configured to provide a third signal; an inductive element, which is coupled between the first node and a power supply node or a ground node; a capacitive element, which is coupled between the first node and a fourth node; a first T network, which is coupled between the fourth node and the second node; and a second T network, which is coupled between the third node and the fourth node, wherein the first T network includes a first capacitor, the first capacitor having a capacitance and a first value related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a second capacitor, the second capacitor having a capacitance and the first value related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

[0004] In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a power divider device, comprising: a first node, which is configured to receive a first signal; a second node, which is configured to provide a second signal; a third node, which is configured to provide a third signal; an inductive element, which is coupled between the first node and a power supply node or a ground node; a capacitive element, which is coupled between the first node and a fourth node; a first network, which is coupled between the fourth node and the second node; a second network, which is coupled between the third node and the fourth node, wherein the second node is coupled to a first load and the third node is coupled to a second load, wherein the first load has an impedance and a first value related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second load has an impedance and the first value related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

[0005] In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method, comprising: receiving a first signal at a first node; providing the first signal to a second node, wherein the second node is coupled to a first network, the first network including a first capacitor and a first inductor, the first capacitor being between the first node and the second node; providing a second signal from a second network to a third node, the second network coupled to the first capacitor and the third node, the second network including a second capacitor and a third capacitor coupled in series and a second inductor coupled between the second capacitor and the third capacitor; and providing a third signal from a third network to a fourth node, the third network coupled to the first capacitor and the fourth node, the third network including a fourth capacitor and a fifth capacitor coupled in series and a third inductor coupled between the fourth capacitor and the fifth capacitor, wherein the second inductor has an inductance and a first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the third inductor has an inductance and the first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the third node. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The various objects, aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood and better understood by referring to the detailed description made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals always identify corresponding elements. In the drawings, like reference numerals generally indicate identical, functionally similar and / or structurally similar elements.

[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a radio frequency amplification circuit including a divider circuit according to some embodiments.

[0008] Figure 2 According to some embodiments Figure 1A more detailed schematic block diagram of a divider circuit used in the radio frequency amplification circuit illustrated in FIG.

[0009] Figure 3 According to some embodiments Figure 1 The radio frequency amplifier circuit illustrated in FIG. Figure 2 A more detailed schematic block diagram of a portion of the divider circuit illustrated in FIG.

[0010] Figure 4 According to some embodiments Figure 1 The radio frequency amplifier circuit illustrated in FIG. Figure 2 A more detailed schematic block diagram of the divider circuit illustrated in .

[0011] Figure 5 According to some embodiments Figure 1 The radio frequency amplifier circuit illustrated in FIG. Figure 2 A more detailed schematic block diagram of the divider circuit illustrated in .

[0012] Figure 6 According to some embodiments, Figure 5 A more detailed schematic block diagram of the branch circuits of the splitter circuit illustrated in FIG.

[0013] Figure 7 According to some embodiments Figure 1 A more detailed schematic block diagram of a divider circuit used in the radio frequency amplification circuit illustrated in FIG.

[0014] Figure 8 According to some embodiments Figure 1 A more detailed schematic block diagram of a divider circuit used in the radio frequency amplification circuit illustrated in FIG.

[0015] Fig. 9 According to some embodiments Figure 1 Graph of the response of a divider circuit used in the radio frequency amplification circuit illustrated in FIG.

[0016] The details of various embodiments of the present method and system are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing the different features of the provided subject matter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the disclosure. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. The disclosure may repeat reference numbers and / or letters in various examples. This repetition is for simplicity and clarity purposes and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0018] In some embodiments, the systems and methods provide N-way splitting of a signal, where N is an integer. In some embodiments, the N-way power splitter can be matched to any arbitrary input impedance and output impedance, and can provide any power split ratio (S 21 , S 31 , ...), and may have any number of branches. Although described below with respect to radio frequency (RF) circuits, the systems and methods may be used in other applications and are not limited to RF applications unless expressly stated in the claims. In some embodiments, the systems and methods provide power splitting with enhanced isolation. In some embodiments, the power splitter with enhanced isolation is also used as a matching network.

[0019] In some embodiments, a power divider or splitter is used in a receiver or front-end module (FEM) that supports multiple standards (e.g., IEEE 802.11x, Bluetooth, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), 5G, 6G, LTE, etc.) simultaneously or nearly simultaneously. In some embodiments, a power divider can be used in any product that needs to accommodate the coexistence of multiple standards in a wide bandwidth (e.g., a product that needs to support both WiFi and cellular standards). In some embodiments, the power divider is configured to provide multiple outputs, one for each standard. In some embodiments, the power divider is matched to a low noise amplifier (LNA) in front of it and a circuit or block behind it to avoid a drop in receiver gain. In some embodiments, the power divider is configured to provide sufficient isolation between several outputs over its bandwidth. In some embodiments, the power divider is configured to avoid the disadvantages associated with a conventional Wilkinson power divider.

[0020] Some embodiments disclosed herein relate to a power divider device. The power divider device includes: a first node configured to receive a first signal; a second node configured to provide a second signal; and a third node configured to provide a third signal. The power divider device includes: an inductive element coupled between the first node and ground; a capacitive element coupled between the first node and a fourth node; a first T network coupled between the fourth node and the second node; and a second T network coupled between the third node and the fourth node. The first T network includes a first capacitor having a capacitance and a first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a second capacitor having a capacitance and the first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

[0021] In some embodiments, the first T network includes a first inductor having an inductance associated with the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a second inductor having an inductance associated with the power division ratio between the first node and the third node. In some embodiments, the first T network includes a third inductor having an inductance associated with the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a fourth inductor having an inductance associated with the power division ratio between the first node and the third node. In some embodiments, the first T network includes a third capacitor having a capacitance associated with the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a fourth capacitor having a capacitance associated with the power division ratio between the first node and the third node. In some embodiments, the first T network includes a first inductor, the first inductor having an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a second inductor, the second inductor having an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node, wherein the first T network includes a third inductor, the third inductor having an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a fourth inductor, the fourth inductor having an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node, and the first T network includes a third capacitor, the third capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a fourth capacitor, the fourth capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

[0022] In some embodiments, the power divider device further includes: a fifth node configured to provide a fourth signal; and a third T network coupled between the fifth node and the fourth node. The third T network includes a third capacitor having a capacitance related to a power division ratio between the first node and the fifth node. In some embodiments, the capacitance of the first capacitor is C2|S 21 | 2 , where C2 is the capacitance value, and |S 21 | 2 is the square of the power division ratio between the first node and the second node. In some embodiments, the inductance of the first inductor is L2 / |S 21 |2 , where L2 is the inductance value, and |S 21 | 2 is the square of the power division ratio between the first node and the second node. In some embodiments, an amplifier is coupled to the first node. In some embodiments, the capacitance of the capacitive element is 1 / (1 / C1-1 / C2), where C1 and C2 are capacitance values ​​derived from an impedance matching network.

[0023] Some embodiments disclosed herein relate to a power divider device. The power divider device includes: a first node configured to receive a first signal; a second node configured to provide a second signal; and a third node configured to provide a third signal; the power divider device also includes an inductive element, which is coupled between the first node and a power supply node or a ground node. The power divider device also includes: a capacitive element, which is coupled between the first node and a fourth node; a first network, which is coupled between the fourth node and the second node; and a second network, which is coupled between the third node and the fourth node. The second node is coupled to a first load and the third node is coupled to a second load, the first load having an impedance and a first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second load having an impedance and the first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

[0024] In some embodiments, the circuit is disposed between the second node and the third node. In some embodiments, the circuit includes an inductor and a capacitor. In some embodiments, the inductor is connected in series with the capacitor. In some embodiments, the first network includes a first inductor having an inductance associated with the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second network includes a second inductor having an inductance associated with the power division ratio between the first node and the third node. In some embodiments, the first network includes a third inductor having an inductance associated with the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second network includes a fourth inductor having an inductance associated with the power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

[0025] In some embodiments, the first network includes a first capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second network includes a second capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node. The first network includes a third capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second network includes a fourth capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

[0026] In some embodiments, the power splitter device further includes a fifth node configured to provide a third signal. The fifth node is coupled to a third load, wherein the third load has an impedance related to a power split ratio between the first node and the fifth node.

[0027] Some embodiments relate to a method. The method includes: receiving a first signal at a first node; and providing the first signal to a second node. The second node is coupled to a first network, and the first network includes a first capacitor and a first inductor. The first capacitor is disposed between the first node and the second node. The method also includes providing a second signal from the second network to a third node. The second network is coupled to the first capacitor and the third node. The second network includes a second capacitor and a third capacitor coupled in series and a second inductor coupled between the second capacitor and the third capacitor. The method also includes providing a third signal from a third network to a fourth node. The third network is coupled to the first capacitor and the fourth node. The third network includes a fourth capacitor and a fifth capacitor coupled in series and a third inductor coupled between the fourth capacitor and the fifth capacitor. The second inductor has an inductance and a first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the third inductor has an inductance and the first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method also includes providing a fourth signal across an inductive and resistive path between the second node and the third node.

[0029] An amplifier (e.g., a low noise amplifier for an RF circuit) may supply one or more output signals to one or more devices via corresponding output ports of the amplifier. For example, an antenna may receive signals for any number of communication protocols (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth, etc.) and provide the aggregated signals to the amplifier for amplification. The amplifier may generate outputs corresponding to various communication protocols, their frequency bands, or other signals. The output of the amplifier may receive interference or other signals, such as via direct coupling from a device at the output, inductive coupling along a PCB trace, wiring, and the like. Further, some outputs may include different spectral content relative to other outputs. Achieving isolation between the various output ports may avoid mutual interference, increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the various output signals, or otherwise help transmit the various output signals.

[0030] For clarity of the present disclosure, an illustrative description of various terms is provided below before further describing the systems and methods provided herein.

[0031] In some embodiments, the output of a device may refer to or include a port (e.g., a terminal) for an output signal generated (e.g., converted) by the device or a terminal for providing an output signal. The output signal may include an amplified signal of an amplifier device. For example, a voltage or frequency may be amplified along at least a portion of a frequency spectrum relative to an input signal. The terminal may refer to or include an element configured to couple the device to another device (e.g., outside or inside an IC) to transmit a signal. For example, an electrical terminal may include a conductive element electrically coupled to a device connected to an output (e.g., a power divider connected to one or more further outputs). To continue the example, an output terminal for a radio frequency (RF) signal may be configured to pass a signal at a radio frequency. In some embodiments, a radio frequency (RF) signal may refer to or include a signal having one or more components in an RF range, which may extend from a kilohertz range to a GHz range (e.g., to hundreds of GHz). An RF signal may occupy a bandwidth across a frequency range. In some embodiments, the center frequency of a signal may refer to or include the midpoint of its frequency spectrum. For example, a signal extending from 2,427 MHz to 2,447 MHz is associated with a center frequency of 2,437 MHz.

[0032] In certain embodiments, a power splitter or a power splitter device may refer to or include a device that receives an input signal and generates two or more output signals. The output signal may provide the same or different power, frequency range or other attributes. In certain embodiments, a power splitter may utilize a resistor, capacitor and / or inductor network.

[0033] In some embodiments, isolation may refer to or include the degree to which output ports are decoupled from each other. For example, isolation may be quantified as a measurement of a portion of one port that is measurable at another port. Greater isolation refers to ports that are more isolated (e.g., the signal amplitude measurable at the other port is smaller), corresponding to a numerically smaller number. For example, two ports with -30 dB isolation exhibit greater isolation than two ports with -20 dB isolation.

[0034] According to some embodiments, a T filter or T network may refer to or include a circuit having a series arm and a parallel arm. The series arm is generally depicted as the horizontal portion of a T-shaped filter or network, and the parallel arm is generally depicted as the vertical portion of a T-shaped filter or T network. The series arm may include a capacitor, an inductor, or other filtering element. The parallel arm may include a capacitor, an inductor, or other filtering element. The parallel arm may be connected to a voltage along the series arm (e.g., at the midpoint), such as a ground or bias voltage. According to some embodiments, the parameters of the T filter may refer to or include characteristic impedance, propagation velocity, attenuation, phase shift, voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), capacitance, inductance, resistance, and the like. In some embodiments, an amplifier may refer to a device that provides gain for a signal. In some embodiments, a low noise amplifier may refer to an amplifier that amplifies very low power signals without significantly degrading their signal-to-noise ratio.

[0035] In some embodiments, a node may refer to or include a point on a circuit where two or more circuit elements are connected together. For example, a connection between a power plane (e.g., a ground plane) and a passive or active component or between two or more passive or active components may be referred to as a voltage node or a ground node.

[0036] Figure 1A schematic block diagram of a radio frequency amplification circuit 100 is depicted according to some embodiments. The circuit 100 may be configured to operate along various frequency bands. In some embodiments, the circuit 100 may be a front-end module or circuit. For example, the circuit 100 may operate across various frequency bands of a wireless protocol (e.g., a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) protocol) or across various wireless protocols (e.g., cellular (e.g., 5G, 6G, etc.), 802.11 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigby, etc.). The circuit 100 may include a low noise amplifier (LNA) 102, which is configured to receive a signal from an input port (e.g., an antenna 104 or more than one antenna). The signal may include content distributed across one or more channels (e.g., several channels exhibiting spectral diversity). For example, antenna 104 may be a wideband antenna configured to receive various signals, such as Wi-Fi signals in the five or six GHz bands (e.g., between 5.15 and 7.125 GHz), in the 2.4 GHz band (e.g., 2.4 GHz-2.5 GHz), or other signals such as Bluetooth content (e.g., in the 2.4 GHz-2.49 GHz range), cellular telephone signals, and the like.

[0037] The amplifier 102 may output a signal to one or more devices, branches, or processing paths (or terminals configured to be connected to other devices). For example, the amplifier 102 is coupled to a splitter or divider 106 to connect to a plurality of branches 108A, 108B, ..., 108N or to communicate a plurality of frequency bands or signals. The plurality of branches 108A, 108B, ..., 108N may be coupled to a number of processing paths in a single device (e.g., a receiver) or to a plurality of devices. In some embodiments, the difference in operating frequency between the branches 108A, 108B, ..., 108N may extend beyond other methods, for example, greater than 1.5 GHz to operate with 5 GHz and 6 GHz Wi-Fi bands, or greater than 4 GHz to operate with other 2.4 GHz bands of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth systems. The splitter 106 is a power splitter or power splitter configured to provide two or more output signals split from a signal provided by the amplifier 102. In some embodiments, the splitter 106 may be a passive device and may be a directional coupler or a hybrid coupler.

[0038] Circuit 100 may be implemented on or include one or more silicon dies, multi-die packages, circuit boards, etc. Circuit 100 may be provided in a single chip integrated circuit (IC) package or a multi-chip module.

[0039] Amplifier 102 may include a common transistor, embodied as a first stage of a cascode circuit shared by two or more outputs. A first source / drain of the common transistor is connected to a reference voltage (e.g., ground). In various embodiments, the reference voltage may include various other voltage levels, such as to bias the output of circuit 100 upward or downward. A second source / drain of the common transistor is connected to any number of outputs of circuit 100.

[0040] The antenna 104 may receive various incidental signals or interference, such as wireless transmissions from radar systems, cordless phones, power line interference (e.g., fifty or sixty Hz), etc. The filter (e.g., the depicted notch filter 110) may be configured to pass a band-select frequency range corresponding to the bandwidth of the amplifier 102. The input impedance 112 to the amplifier 102 may vary with frequency according to the frequency response of the notch filter 110. For the frequencies of interest, the notch filter 110 may be adjusted to increase its input impedance. However, the adjustment may be for the center frequency of operation, where broadband operation may exceed the band stop of the notch filter 110. The divider 106 (e.g., a power divider) may include output-to-output isolation between the broadband outputs.

[0041] In various embodiments, circuit 100 may include a third, fourth, fifth, or other output arranged in parallel with the depicted outputs of branches 108A, 108B, ..., 108N, where N is an integer. The various outputs may be configured to operate with signals having different frequencies (e.g., center frequencies, for example, in the case of a combination of one or more Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, or other protocols) or having the same frequency. Some frequencies may include various channels of communication protocols that vary between 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, and the like. That is, the center frequencies of the various signals may vary over 1 GHz, for example, 1.5 GHz, 4 GHz, and the like. In addition, the various output signals may be coupled to other devices, wherein the other devices may couple various signals (e.g., interference signals) into the outputs, such that isolating the outputs may improve the bit error rate, throughput, or other characteristics of circuit 100 or a network including circuit 100. For example, the various outputs may be connected via cables, conductive traces, or other connectors, which may be directly or conductively coupled to the outputs (e.g., along signal conductors, shields, and the like).

[0042] Reference now Figure 2 According to some embodiments, the circuit 200 may be used as Figure 1 or as part of other devices. Figures 1 to 8The schematic block diagrams of are provided as functional schematics and are not necessarily associated with the physical placement of any particular components. Further, although particular components are referred to as components of the amplifier or outputs associated therewith, such classifications are merely descriptive in light of the depictions provided herein.

[0043] The circuit 200 includes a source 202 (eg, a voltage source V s ), source impedance 204 (e.g., Z s ), divider 106 and branches 208a, 208b, ..., 208n-1, 208n. In some embodiments, the source impedance is arbitrary. Each branch 208a, 208b, ..., 208n-1, 208n is coupled to a corresponding load 212a, 212b, ..., 212n-1, 2212n. In some embodiments, the load 212a, 212b, ..., 212n-1, 2212n can be an impedance load (e.g., a resistive load) representing other circuits or processing paths. In some embodiments, the impedance load is arbitrary. In some embodiments, a load can refer to a device or component that consumes electrical power from a circuit. A load can be a part of a circuit that operates, performs a specific function, or utilizes electrical energy provided by a power supply. The load can vary widely depending on the application and include various devices and components, such as resistors, processors, converters, filters, and the like.

[0044] Each branch 208a, 208b, ..., 208n-1, 208n has an arbitrary power division ratio (for example, S 21 , S 31 ,…,S( n-1)1 , S n1 In some embodiments, the power split ratios are unequal. In some embodiments, the sum of the power split ratios is equal to 1 (e.g., |S 21 | 2 +|S 31 | 2 …+|S (n-1)1 | 2 +|S n1 | 2 =1). In some embodiments, the power division ratio is |S n1 | 2 .

[0045] In some embodiments, the input impedance of the divider 106 (eg, Z in ) has and source impedance (e.g., Z s*). In some embodiments, source 202 is a current source. The source impedance can be an impedance of a resistor, a capacitor, an inductor, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, other input impedances can be selected based on design criteria and system parameters. The input impedance does not have to be equal to the source impedance (e.g., Z s *)'s complex conjugate.

[0046] refer to Figure 3 , a circuit 300 for a two-step matching network is provided. The following discusses the method for determining the splitter 106 ( Figure 2 ) associated with the input impedance of the circuit 300. The input impedance at node 303 is matched to the source impedance 302 (eg, port 1) associated with the source 202 (eg, R s , the output impedance of the previous circuit or block). Circuit 300 includes a network 307 between node 303 and output node 305. Network 307 includes capacitor C1 ’ , capacitor C2, inductor L1 and inductor L2. Impedance load 316 (eg, R L ) is coupled to node 305. A capacitive network 309 (representing capacitor C1) is disposed between inductors L1 and L2, each coupled to ground. The values ​​of capacitor C1, capacitor C2, inductor L1, and inductor L2 may be selected for a particular load R L Calculated to match source impedance 302. Capacitors C1 and C2 and inductors L1 and L2 have values ​​selected according to an impedance matching network. An impedance matching network may refer to a circuit or device used to ensure that the impedance of the source matches the impedance of the load. An example impedance matching network having capacitor C1, capacitor C2, inductor L1, and inductor L2 between nodes 303 and 305 is shown in FIG. Figure 1 In some embodiments, the source impedance Rs may be an impedance Zs. In some embodiments, the source impedance 302 may be 200 ohms, zero reactance, R L It can be 16.67 ohms, zero reactance, the frequency can be 6 GHz, the value of L1 is 3.337 nanohenries (nH), the value of L2 is 0.975 nH, the value of C1 is 0.292 picofarads (pF), and the value of C2 is 1.01 pF.

[0047] Capacitor network 309 includes capacitors C1' and C2 coupled in series. The capacitance of capacitor C1' is equal to 1 / (1 / C1-1 / C2). In some embodiments, capacitor network 309 is a single capacitor element with a value of 1 / (1 / C1'+1 / C2). In some embodiments, capacitor network 309 includes more than two capacitors with a value of 1 / (1 / C1'+1 / C2).

[0048] refer to Figure 4According to some embodiments, the network 322 is split into N branches 350A, 350B, ..., 350N while maintaining the same input impedance and thus input matching. The branches 350A to N can be used as Figure 2 In some embodiments, branches 350A to N include Figure 2 366A to N (e.g., loads 212A to N) in the branch 350A. Loads 366A to N are coupled to nodes 305A to N, respectively. In some embodiments, network 322 is a C2-L2-C2 T network, where inductor L2 is coupled between capacitor C2 and ground. In some embodiments, branch 350A includes a capacitor C2|S 21 | 2 The capacitor is 360A and the value is L2 / |S 21 | 2 The inductor is 362A and the capacitor is C2|S 21 | 2 Capacitor 364A and R L / |S 21 | 2 In some embodiments, branch 350B includes a capacitor C2|S 31 | 2 The capacitor 360B has a value of L2 / |S 31 | 2 The inductor is 362B, the capacitor is C2|S 31 | 2 The capacitor 364B and R L / |S 31 | 2 In some embodiments, the capacitance value, inductance value and load value can be calculated for other branches according to the same pattern. In some embodiments, |S n1 |^2 is the power split ratio between the first port (port 1) and the nth port, where for the first branch (e.g., branch 350A), n is equal to 2 and corresponds to node 305A, for the second branch (e.g., branch 350B), n is equal to 3 and corresponds to node 305B, etc. In some embodiments, the power split ratio may refer to a comparison of the power between two nodes. In some embodiments, the power split ratio is the quotient of the power between the input node and the output node.

[0049] refer to Figure 5 and 6 , the power division ratio can be used to calculate loads 366A and 366B. Figure 4 In some embodiments, the power split ratio may be used to calculate the loads 366A and 366B. For example, in a 3-way power splitter (where |S 21 |、|S 31| and | S 41 | is equal to –5 dB (dB) or 1 / SQR(3) and the desired load of loads 366A, 366B, and 366C is equal to 50 ohm (e.g., R L / | S n1 | 2 )) where R L will be equal to 50 / 3 ohm. If the desired source impedance is 200 ohm, then the initial matching network between nodes 303 and 305 is set to convert the 200 ohm source impedance to the load R L or 50 / 3 ohm. Since the initial design matches the source impedance and the load R L the circuit 300 matches the source impedance Z s and the load R L as discussed above. The transmission lines or branch circuits 550A, 550B, …, 550N can have any power splitting ratio | S 21 | 2 、| S 31 | 2 、…、| S n1 | 2 .

[0050] In some embodiments, it can be implemented using transmission lines instead of lumped (T-network) implementations. For high-frequency applications (tens or hundreds of GHz), for area considerations, replacing the T-network with its transmission line counterpart having the characteristic impedance (Z0), electrical length (L), and response frequency (f0) as shown in Figure 6 will be beneficial. In some embodiments, for the transmission line T Figure 5 ), for the transmission line T LN , L is 90 degrees, f0 = 1 / (2П(SQR(L2C2) and Z0 = SQR(L2 / C2) / (| S n1 |) 2 .

[0051] Referring to Figure 7 , the circuit 600 includes a source 202 (e.g., an LNA), a source impedance 204, and a splitter 606. The splitter 606 is a 2-way splitter and includes a branch 602 coupled to a load 612 and a branch 604 coupled to a load 614. In some embodiments, an inductor L1 and a capacitor C1 can be coupled to the node 303 in Figure 7 as shown in Figure 3 . A resistor inductor network 607 is coupled between nodes 605A and 605B. The network 607 provides enhanced isolation between the nodes. In some embodiments, the isolation is enhanced compared to just a resistive connection between nodes 305A and 305B. In some embodiments, the branches 602 and 604 can include a T-network, e.g., the network 307( Figure 2 Any arbitrary passive network (eg, containing R, L, C, and K (mutual inductance)) may be used for network 607. Figure 7 The series RL network shown in is an exemplary network 607.

[0052] refer to Figure 8 , and the source 202 and the source impedance 204 ( Figure 1 ) The circuit 701 associated with the transistor 702 includes a transistor 702, an inductor 704, and a capacitor 708. The inductor 704 can be similar to Figure 3 The capacitor 708 may be similar to the one described above with reference to Figure 5 7. The components of capacitor 506 discussed are shown in FIG. 6. Branch 602 includes a T network with capacitor 710, capacitor 718, and inductor 714. Branch 604 includes a T network with capacitor 722, capacitor 738, and inductor 716. In some embodiments, branch 602 is similar to branch 350A, and branch 604 is similar to branch 350B. Signal path 724 connects nodes 726 and 728 and provides an additional path that directs the signal to another node or port with opposite polarity compared to the main signal path so that the main signal is cancelled (power division ratio S). 32 In some embodiments, the path or network 607 includes an inductor 624 and a resistor 622, so the opposite polarity is maintained over a wider bandwidth than a resistive path alone. Thus, in some embodiments, the low power split ratio |S is maintained over a wider bandwidth. 32 | 2 .

[0053] refer to Fig. 9 , graph 800 includes an X-axis 804 representing frequency and a Y-axis 802 representing power (in dB). Curve 810 represents the power division ratio of port 2 and port 3 (e.g., node 605A and node 605B). For a bandwidth of 2 GHz, the power division ratio is less than -20 dB. A conventional Wilkinson divider provides -20 dB isolation for a bandwidth of 1.5 GHz.

[0054] In some embodiments, the capacitance, resistance and inductance discussed above can be transmission line impedance or parasitic capacitance, resistance or inductance. Therefore, the T network or filter (or other transmission line network adopted in various embodiments) can be configured to selectively transmit the RF signal associated therewith, which can further help isolate by limiting the attenuation of the desired signal and increasing the attenuation of other (e.g., intruder) signals across the transmission line. For example, any parameter of the T filter or other transmission line can be different from any other transmission line. For example, the selected component value, circuit geometry or other variance can be configured to achieve such parameters. In some embodiments, the inductive element can refer to a component that provides an inductive effect. The inductive element can include a discrete inductor, a transmission line with inductive characteristics, an IC inductor, and the like. In some embodiments, the capacitive element can refer to a component that provides a capacitive effect. The capacitive element can include a discrete capacitor, a transmission line with capacitive characteristics, an IC capacitor, and the like. In some embodiments, the resistive element can refer to a component that provides a resistive effect. The resistive element can include a discrete resistor, a transmission line with resistive characteristics, an IC resistor, and the like.

[0055] Circuit 100 can isolate signals, such as signals originating from the same antenna, so that the separate signals can be provided to different ports (e.g., relative to the output port of amplifier 102) with isolation therebetween. Splitter 106 is configured to split the signal received from antenna 104 into various component signals, each of which is configured to be provided to a separate amplifier output, which can be connected to any number of devices.

[0056] The signals described above may include any number of component signals, such as signals of different frequencies, protocols, durations, etc. A portion of the component signals may overlap in frequency or duration, such as in the case of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth messages at 2.4 GHz, Wi-Fi messages of overlapping basic service sets, etc. The signal may be received from an antenna or several antennas and passed through any number of filters, splitters, rectifiers, or other circuit systems. A portion of the component signal may include content such as symbols mapped to digital information. For example, the received signal may include first content centered at a first frequency (e.g., a first center frequency). The received signal may include second content centered at a second frequency (e.g., a second center frequency).

[0057] References to "or" may be interpreted as inclusive, such that any term described using "or" may indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms. References to at least one of a sequential list of items may be interpreted as an inclusive "or" to indicate any of a single described item, more than one described item, and all of the described items. For example, references to at least one of "A" and "B" may include only "A," only "B," and both "A" and "B." References used in conjunction with "includes" or other open-ended terms may include additional items.

[0058] It should be noted that certain paragraphs of the present disclosure may refer to transmission space streams, sounding frames, responses, and subsets of devices in conjunction with terms such as "first" and "second" for the purpose of identifying or distinguishing one from another. These terms are not intended to relate entities (e.g., first device and second device) only in time or according to an order, although in some cases, these entities may include such a relationship. These terms also do not limit the number of possible entities (e.g., reader elements, writer elements, or magnetic media) that can operate within a system or environment. It should be understood that the system described above may provide multiple components of any or each of these components, and these components may be provided on a stand-alone machine or, in some embodiments, on multiple machines in a distributed system. In addition, the position of the bit fields may be changed, and multi-bit words may be used. In addition, the systems and methods described above may be provided as one or more computer-readable programs or executable instructions embodied on or in one or more manufactured articles, such as, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, CD-ROM, flash memory card, PROM, RAM, ROM, or tape. The program may be implemented in any programming language (e.g., LISP, PERL, C, C++, C#), or in any bytecode language (e.g., JAVA). The software program or executable instructions may be stored as object code on or in one or more articles of manufacture.

[0059] The term "coupled" and its variations include two components being directly or indirectly connected to each other. The term "electrically coupled" and its variations include two components being directly connected to each other or indirectly connected through a conductive material (e.g., a metal trace or copper trace). Such a connection may be immovable (e.g., permanent or fixed) or movable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such a connection may be achieved by the two components being directly coupled to each other, the two components being coupled to each other using separate intervening components and any additional intermediate components that are coupled to each other, or the two components being coupled to each other using an intervening component that is integrally formed as a single body with one of the two components. If "coupled" or its variations are modified by additional terms (e.g., directly coupled), then the general definition of "coupled" provided above is modified by the obvious linguistic meaning of the additional terms (e.g., "directly coupled" means connecting two components without any independent intervening components), resulting in a narrower definition than the general definition of "coupled" provided above. Such coupling may be mechanical, electrical (e.g., magnetic), or fluid. In some embodiments, "correlation" may refer to a mathematical relationship. For example, a (eg, capacitance or inductance) value may be correlated with a power split ratio because the value is equal to the power split ratio or an exponent of the power split ratio multiplied or divided by another factor.

[0060] Although the foregoing written description of the methods and systems enables those skilled in the art to make and use embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiments, methods, and examples presented herein. Therefore, the methods and systems should not be limited to the embodiments, methods, and examples described above, but to all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A power divider device, comprising: A first node configured to receive a first signal; a second node configured to provide a second signal; a third node configured to provide a third signal; an inductor element coupled between the first node and a power supply node or a ground node; a capacitive element coupled between the first node and a fourth node; a first T-network coupled between the fourth node and the second node; and a second T network coupled between the third node and the fourth node, wherein the first T network includes a first capacitor having a capacitance and a first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a second capacitor having a capacitance and the first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

2. A power divider device according to claim 1, wherein the first T network includes a first inductor, the first inductor has an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a second inductor, the second inductor has an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

3. A power divider device according to claim 2, wherein the first T network includes a third inductor, the third inductor has an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a fourth inductor, the fourth inductor has an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

4. A power divider device according to claim 1, wherein the first T network includes a third capacitor, the third capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a fourth capacitor, the fourth capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

5. The power divider device according to claim 1, wherein the first T network includes a first inductor, the first inductor having an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a second inductor, the second inductor having an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node, wherein the first T network includes a third inductor, the third inductor having an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a fourth inductor, the fourth inductor having an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node, and wherein the first T network includes a third capacitor, the third capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second T network includes a fourth capacitor, the fourth capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

6. The power divider device according to claim 1, further comprising: a fifth node configured to provide a fourth signal; A third T network is coupled between the fifth node and the fourth node, wherein the third T network includes a third capacitor having a capacitance related to a power division ratio between the first node and the fifth node.

7. The power divider device according to claim 1, wherein the capacitance of the first capacitor is C2|S 21 | 2 ,in, C2 is the capacitance value, and |S 21 | 2 is the square of the power division ratio between the first node and the second node.

8. The power divider device according to claim 2, wherein the inductance of the first inductor is L2 / |S 21 | 2 ,in, L2 is the inductance value, and |S 21 | 2 is the square of the power division ratio between the first node and the second node.

9. The power splitter device of claim 1, wherein an amplifier is coupled to the first node.

10. The power divider device according to claim 1, wherein the capacitance of the capacitive element is 1 / (1 / C1-1 / C2), wherein, C1 and C2 are the capacitor values ​​from the impedance matching network.

11. A power divider device, comprising: A first node configured to receive a first signal; a second node configured to provide a second signal; a third node configured to provide a third signal; an inductor element coupled between the first node and a power supply node or a ground node; a capacitive element coupled between the first node and a fourth node; a first network coupled between the fourth node and the second node; a second network coupled between the third node and the fourth node, wherein the second node is coupled to a first load and the third node is coupled to a second load, wherein the first load has an impedance and a first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second load has an impedance and the first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

12. The power splitter arrangement of claim 11, wherein a circuit is provided between the second node and the third node.

13. The power divider device of claim 12, wherein the circuit comprises an inductor and a capacitor.

14. The power divider device of claim 13, wherein the inductor is connected in series with the capacitor.

15. A power divider device according to claim 11, wherein the first network includes a first inductor, the first inductor has an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second network includes a second inductor, the second inductor has an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

16. A power divider device according to claim 15, wherein the first network includes a third inductor, the third inductor having an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second network includes a fourth inductor, the fourth inductor having an inductance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

17. A power divider device according to claim 11, wherein the first network includes a first capacitor, the first capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second network includes a second capacitor, the second capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node, and wherein the first network includes a third capacitor, the third capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the second network includes a fourth capacitor, the fourth capacitor having a capacitance related to the power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

18. The power divider device of claim 11, further comprising: a fifth node configured to provide a third signal; The fifth node is coupled to a third load, wherein the third load has an impedance related to a power division ratio between the first node and the fifth node.

19. A method comprising: receiving a first signal at a first node; providing the first signal to a second node, wherein the second node is coupled to a first network, the first network comprising a first capacitor and a first inductor, the first capacitor being between the first node and the second node; providing a second signal to a third node from a second network coupled to the first capacitor and the third node, the second network comprising a second capacitor and a third capacitor coupled in series and a second inductor coupled between the second capacitor and the third capacitor; as well as A third signal is provided to a fourth node from a third network coupled to the first capacitor and the fourth node, the third network including a fourth capacitor and a fifth capacitor coupled in series and a third inductor coupled between the fourth capacitor and the fifth capacitor, wherein the second inductor has an inductance and a first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the second node, and the third inductor has an inductance and the first value related to a power division ratio between the first node and the third node.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: A fourth signal is provided across a path between the second node and the third node, the path being an inductive and resistive path.

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