Compact Power Divider Using Segmented Impedance Transmission Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power dividers and combiners, such as the Wilkinson power divider, become large and cumbersome at higher frequencies, making them difficult to implement in applications where space is limited, and existing ultra-wideband power dividers do not adequately address the need for compact designs with high bandwidth.
Innovation Solution
A power circuit design featuring a stepped impedance section and a core section connected by an interconnection, with transmission lines having varying impedances and resistance means, allowing for reduced size and increased bandwidth without increasing size, enabling use in space-constrained applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a Wilkinson power divider is used to achieve high isolation and lossless performance, then the device becomes large and cumbersome at frequencies above 500 MHz
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission lines are divided into multiple sections with different characteristic impedances. The patent uses a first transmission line with impedance Z1 and a second transmission line with impedance Z2, where Z1 ≠ Z2, creating segmented sections that achieve compact size while maintaining isolation and lossless performance through controlled impedance transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the transmission lines have different characteristic impedances tailored to specific locations. The first transmission line has impedance Z1 in certain sections and Z2 in other sections, allowing each local region to contribute differently to the overall isolation and power division, enabling compact design without sacrificing performance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a multisection Wilkinson divider is used to achieve larger bandwidth, then additional impedances and isolating resistors are deployed making the device even larger
Solution Approach 1:
The bandwidth enhancement is achieved through segmentation of transmission lines into sections with different impedances (Z1 and Z2) rather than adding multiple full Wilkinson sections. This segmented approach provides broadband performance while keeping the physical footprint compact by utilizing impedance transformation across frequency ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the impedance parameters of the transmission lines at different sections to achieve broadband operation. By varying the characteristic impedances Z1 and Z2 across different transmission line sections, the device achieves wide bandwidth coverage without requiring additional isolating resistors or increasing overall device size.
3Speed
If conventional power dividers are designed for high frequency operation, then the transmission lines become relatively large making implementation difficult in space-constrained applications
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission lines are segmented into sections with different characteristic impedances (Z1 and Z2) that are optimized for high-frequency operation. This segmentation allows each section to be compact while collectively achieving the required frequency performance, reducing the overall device area compared to conventional uniform transmission line designs.
Solution Approach 2:
Different local sections of the transmission lines have different impedance characteristics tailored for high-frequency operation. The first transmission line has impedance Z1 in certain regions and Z2 in others, allowing each local section to be minimized in size while contributing to the overall high-frequency performance of the power divider.
Data Source
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AI summary
A power circuit suitable for combining or splitting broadband signals. The circuit (10, 100) comprises: a stepped impedance section (20), a core section (30) and a first, second and third port (11, 12, 13), said stepped impedance section (20) and said core section (30) being interconnected at an interconnection (14). The stepped impedance section (20) comprises a first transmission line (21) running from said first port (11) to said interconnection (14), and the said core section (20) comprises a second and a third transmission line (31, 32) running from said interconnection (14) to the second and third ports (12, 13) respectively. The second and third transmission lines (31, 32) each have at least a first and a second core subsection (311, 312, 313, 31N, 321, 322, 323, 32N), where the number of core subsections (311, 312, 313, 31N) of the second transmission line (31) and the number of core subsections (321, 322, 323, 32N) of the third transmission line (32) is equal, to the number of stepped impedance subsections (251, 252, 253, 25N) of the stepped impedance section (20). The advantage of the power circuit is that a compact power divider or power combiner can be obtained.