A phase and channel reconfigurable wilkinson power divider

Abstract

The application relates to a phase and channel reconfigurable Wilkinson power divider, which comprises an input port, a first output port, a second output port, an input matching circuit, a phase shift unit, a first output matching circuit, a second output matching circuit and an isolation network; the input port is connected with the input end of the input matching circuit; the output ends of the output matching circuits are connected with the first output matching circuit and the second output matching circuit through a phase shift unit respectively; the output end of the first output matching circuit is connected with the first output port; the output end of the second output matching circuit is connected with the second output port; the isolation network is connected between the two phase shift units; the phase shift unit generates a 180-degree phase difference under the driving of input reciprocal logic signals V P and V N signals, and further realizes phase reconfiguration; and the switching of output channels is realized by changing the bias control signals of the core tube pairs, so that channel reconfiguration is realized. The application remarkably reduces the chip area and circuit scale.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of microwave radio frequency circuits, and more particularly to a phase and channel reconfigurable Wilkinson power divider. Background Technology

[0002] Wilkinson power dividers are among the most widely used passive devices in microwave RF systems. They are primarily used to distribute input signals equally or unequally to two or more output ports while maintaining impedance matching across all ports and providing high isolation between them. A traditional Wilkinson power divider typically consists of a quarter-wavelength transmission line converter and an isolation resistor connected between the two output arms.

[0003] As modern wireless communication systems (such as 5G / 6G communication, phased array radar, and multi-functional RF front-ends) evolve towards miniaturization, integration, and multi-functionality, higher demands are placed on RF devices. Traditional fixed power dividers can no longer meet the needs of dynamically reconfigurable systems. Existing reconfigurable power divider solutions typically achieve channel switching by connecting RF switches in parallel to each output branch. However, this traditional method has the following significant drawbacks: 1. Large number of components and large area: Each branch that needs to be controlled requires an independent switch and its bias circuit, increasing chip area and circuit complexity. 2. High insertion loss: Series-connected switches introduce additional on-resistance and parasitic capacitance, leading to increased insertion loss on the signal path and reduced system efficiency. 3. Limited functionality: Traditional reconfigurable power dividers can only switch paths and cannot simultaneously provide phase shifting functionality. If phase shifting is required, an additional phase shifter is needed, further increasing size and loss. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a novel reconfigurable Wilkinson power divider architecture that is compact, low-loss, and multi-functionally integrated to solve the above technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a phase and channel reconfigurable Wilkinson power divider, thus solving the deficiencies of the prior art.

[0005] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a phase and channel reconfigurable Wilkinson power divider, comprising an input port, a first output port, a second output port, an input matching circuit, a phase shifting unit, a first output matching circuit, a second output matching circuit, and an isolation network; The input port is connected to the input terminal of the input matching circuit, and the output terminal of the output matching circuit is connected to the first output matching circuit and the second output matching circuit through a phase shifting unit. The output terminal of the first output matching circuit is connected to the first output port, and the output terminal of the second output matching circuit is connected to the second output port. An isolation network is connected between the two phase shifting units. The phase-shifting unit uses the input inverse logic signal VP and V N Driven by the signal, a 180° phase difference is generated, thereby achieving phase reconstruction; and the output channel is switched by changing the bias control signal of the core transistor pair, thereby achieving channel reconstruction.

[0006] The phase-shifting unit includes two core transistor pairs, with one end of each core transistor pair connected to V. P Level signal, the other end is connected to V N Level signal, V in phase reconstruction mode P Level signal and V N The level signals are logic level signals that are opposite to each other; Each core transistor pair consists of two transistors connected together, V P A voltage level signal is input to the gate of a transistor, V N A level signal is input to the gate of another transistor.

[0007] The isolation network consists of an isolation resistor and a resistance switching switch.

[0008] When the verification tube pair is in normal operating bias state, the phase shifting unit behaves as a standard 180° phase shifter. At this time, the input signal is distributed to the first output port and the second output port, each of which is controlled by an independent phase shifting unit to achieve 180° phase reconstruction.

[0009] When it is necessary to shut down the second path and retain only the first path for transmission, the bias control signal of the core transistor pair is changed to make V P Level signal and V N All the level signals are high-level signals, causing the core transistors to simultaneously enter the conduction state. In this state, the differential signal is input to the phase shift unit to achieve an RF short circuit, making this branch exhibit short-circuit characteristics and realizing the transformation from low impedance to high impedance. After the impedance transformation by the input matching circuit, the load seen from the input port to the second path exhibits high impedance characteristics. Therefore, the signal is only output from the first output port, and at the same time, the isolation resistor switch is turned off to prevent the input signal from being absorbed by the resistor, and the first path works normally.

[0010] The present invention has the following advantages: 1. High integration and space saving: The core transistor pair of the 180-degree phase shifter is cleverly reused to realize the channel switching function, eliminating the need for independent switching transistors and their bias circuits used in traditional solutions for short circuits or open circuits, which significantly reduces the chip area and circuit size.

[0011] 2. Low insertion loss: Due to the reduction in the number of series switching elements, the on-resistance and parasitic effects on the signal path are reduced, thereby achieving lower insertion loss in the on state.

[0012] 3. Multifunctional Integration: A single unit simultaneously possesses 180-degree phase shift and channel on / off (reconfiguration) functions. The system can dynamically select from multiple operating modes such as "equal amplitude inverted phase output", "equal amplitude in phase output" (via bypass phase shifter or adjustment of another channel) or "single channel output" according to requirements, greatly improving the system's flexibility and adaptability.

[0013] 4. Simple design: The control logic is simplified. Only the bias of the phase shifter pair and the isolation network switch needs to be controlled to complete the phase switching and path selection at the same time, which reduces the complexity of the logic circuit. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure in normal power division mode.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure for the channel reconstruction mode.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the ADS simulation results in normal power division mode.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the ADS simulation results for the phase-shifting performance.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the ADS simulation results for the channel reconstruction mode. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the claimed application, but merely represents selected embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application. The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] This invention specifically relates to a phase and channel reconfigurable Wilkinson power divider, aiming to solve the problems of numerous components, high losses, and limited functionality in existing reconfigurable power dividers. This invention creatively utilizes the core transistor pair of a 180-degree phase shifter (usually a differential pair or a bridge-structure transistor pair) to control its operating state, thereby not only realizing the 180-degree phase shift function of the signal, but also achieving short-circuit transformation of the load under specific conditions. Thus, without using an additional short-circuit switch, a certain output channel can be forcibly shut down to achieve short-circuit load, allowing the signal to be transmitted only from the other path.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, it includes an input port (Port1), a first output port (Port2), a second output port (Port3), an input matching circuit, a phase shifting unit, a first output matching circuit, a second output matching circuit, and an isolation network.

[0023] The phase-shifting unit comprises two sets of core transistor pairs, each set consisting of a first transistor and a second transistor. The core transistor pairs are configured to operate in the inverted logic signal V. P and V N Under signal drive, a 180-degree phase difference can be generated when V 1P =1 (high level), V 1N =0 (low level) is the reference state, when V 1P =0, V 1N A 180-degree phase shift is generated when the phase ratio is 1. The phase reconstruction function is implemented by the phase shifting unit.

[0024] The isolation network includes an isolation resistor and a resistor switching switch. It should be noted that the input matching circuit, the first output matching circuit, the second output matching circuit, and the isolation network can all adopt existing technologies.

[0025] The working principle and reconfiguration mechanism of this invention include: Normal power division mode (dual output), i.e., phase reconstruction mode: such as Figure 2 As shown, when the core transistor pair is in the normal operating bias state (i.e., V... 1P With V 1N V 2P With V 2N (All logic levels are opposite to each other), the 180-degree phase shifter unit behaves as a standard 180-degree phase shifter. At this point, the input signal is distributed to the first and second output ports, each of which can be controlled by an independent phase shifter unit to achieve 180-degree phase reconstruction. The circuit is equivalent to a Wilkinson power divider with a basic 180-degree phase shift function, offering good port matching and isolation.

[0026] Channel reconfiguration mode (any single output): such as Figure 3As shown, when it is necessary to shut down one channel (e.g., the second channel) while keeping only the other channel (e.g., the first channel) transmitting, the bias control signal of the core transistor pair is changed (simultaneously turning on both core transistor pairs of the second channel, i.e., V). 2P =V 2N =1), causing the core transistors to simultaneously enter the conduction state. In this state, the differential signal input to the 180-degree phase shift unit achieves an RF short circuit, making the equivalent load impedance close to the short circuit point. According to impedance matching theory, when the end of a branch exhibits short-circuit characteristics, a low impedance to high impedance transformation can be achieved through the action of a quarter-wavelength transform line (or equivalent electrical length). Therefore, after the impedance transformation by the input matching circuit, the load seen from the input port to the second channel exhibits high impedance (open circuit) characteristics, so the signal is only output from the first port. At the same time, the isolation resistor switch is turned off to prevent the input signal from being absorbed by the resistor. The other path works normally, enabling phase reconstruction.

[0027] This process does not require additional series or parallel short-circuit switches, but instead reuses the core transistor pair of the phase shifter to achieve the dual functions of "phase shifting" and "channel shutdown".

[0028] This invention uses ADS software to build a circuit model and performs simulation verification on the normal power division mode and the channel reconfiguration mode.

[0029] The input matching circuit consists of a parallel capacitor C1 and a series inductor L1. The series inductor L1 is connected to both the input port and the phase-shifting unit. The output matching circuit consists of a series inductor L2 and a parallel capacitor C2. The series inductor L2 is connected to both the output port and the phase-shifting unit. After simulation optimization, the parameters of the key circuit components are as follows: L1=1200pH, C1=330fF, L2=20pH, C2=11fF, R=32Ω; Simulation results are as follows Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the circuit exhibits good performance: in normal power-sharing mode, the signal is input from port 1, and equal power distribution is achieved at ports 2 and 3, and the phase of each output channel can be independently adjusted by the phase-shifting unit. Figure 5 In channel reconstruction mode, the bias voltage signal (V) of the phase shifting unit is adjusted. P and V N This can enable the switching on and off of specific channels. Taking the shutdown of the second channel as an example, simulation data shows that ( Figure 6At this point, the input signal energy is rerouted, with almost all of it output from the first output port (port 2). Specifically, the transmission coefficient S21 is significantly improved from approximately -3.8dB (energy sharing loss) in the normal power-sharing mode to approximately -1dB (single-path transmission loss). This indicates that the circuit has successfully reconstructed from dual-path equal sharing to single-path high-efficiency output, verifying the effectiveness of this invention in flexible channel control.

[0030] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the forms disclosed herein and should not be construed as excluding other embodiments. It can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and improvements, and can be altered within the scope of the concept described herein through the above teachings or related technologies or knowledge. Modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A phase- and channel-reconfigurable Wilkinson power divider, characterized in that: It includes an input port, a first output port, a second output port, an input matching circuit, a phase shifting unit, a first output matching circuit, a second output matching circuit, and an isolation network; The input port is connected to the input terminal of the input matching circuit, and the output terminal of the output matching circuit is connected to the first output matching circuit and the second output matching circuit through a phase shifting unit. The output terminal of the first output matching circuit is connected to the first output port, and the output terminal of the second output matching circuit is connected to the second output port. An isolation network is connected between the two phase-shifting units; The phase-shifting unit generates a 180° phase difference under the drive of the input inverted logic signals VP and VN, thereby achieving phase reconstruction; Furthermore, channel reconfiguration is achieved by switching the output channel through changing the bias control signal of the core transistor pair.

2. The phase and channel reconfigurable Wilkinson power divider according to claim 1, characterized in that: The phase-shifting unit includes two core transistor pairs. One end of each core transistor pair is connected to a VP level signal, and the other end is connected to a VN level signal. In the phase reconstruction mode, the VP level signal and the VN level signal are opposite logic level signals. Each core transistor pair consists of two connected transistors, with a VP level signal input to the gate of one transistor and a VN level signal input to the gate of the other transistor.

3. A phase- and channel-reconfigurable Wilkinson power divider according to claim 2, characterized in that: The isolation network consists of an isolation resistor and a resistance switching switch.

4. A phase and channel reconfigurable Wilkinson power divider according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the verification tube pair is in normal operating bias state, the phase shifting unit behaves as a standard 180° phase shifter. At this time, the input signal is distributed to the first output port and the second output port, each of which is controlled by an independent phase shifting unit to achieve 180° phase reconstruction.

5. A phase- and channel-reconfigurable Wilkinson power divider according to claim 3, characterized in that: When it is necessary to shut down the second path and keep only the first path transmitting, the bias control signal of the core transistor pair is changed so that both the VP and VN level signals are high, causing the core transistor pair to simultaneously enter the conduction state. In this state, the differential signal input to the phase shift unit achieves an RF short circuit, making the second path exhibit short-circuit characteristics and realizing a low-impedance to high-impedance transformation. After the impedance transformation by the input matching circuit, the load seen from the input port to the second path exhibits high impedance characteristics. Therefore, the signal is only output from the first output port, and the isolation resistor switch is turned off to prevent the input signal from being absorbed by the resistor, while the first path operates normally.

Images