Passive Component Balun Design with Independent Line Lengths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional passive components with integrated balun transformers and filters suffer from limited design freedom, large size, and significant losses due to separate circuit configurations and lack of electromagnetic coupling between unbalanced and balanced transmission lines.
Innovation Solution
A passive component design that allows for flexible physical length configurations of unbalanced and balanced lines, with one resonance electrode functioning as an unbalanced line, and the use of capacitors to adjust electrical lengths and phase differences, enabling reduced size and increased design freedom while preventing electromagnetic coupling degradations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If filter and balun are separately combined using multilayer substrate, then integration is achieved, but number of parts increases causing large loss and large size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the filter and balun into a single integrated structure where the unbalanced transmission line serves dual purposes as both the balun's unbalanced line and the filter's transmission path. This eliminates separate components and their interconnections, reducing part count while maintaining integration benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The unbalanced transmission line performs multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the unbalanced input line for the balun, the transmission path for the filter, and provides electromagnetic coupling between balanced and unbalanced modes. This multi-functionality reduces the overall component count
2Reliability
If physical lengths of unbalanced and balanced lines are fixed by electrical length requirements, then electrical performance is maintained, but design freedom is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces capacitors connected to the balanced transmission lines to change their electrical length independently of physical length. By adjusting capacitance values, the electrical characteristics can be optimized while physical dimensions remain flexible for size reduction or layout optimization
3Volume of moving object
If size of passive component is reduced, then miniaturization is achieved, but electromagnetic coupling between unbalanced and balanced lines degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent concentrates electromagnetic coupling in specific localized regions where unbalanced and balanced transmission lines are positioned close together. By optimizing the coupling section's geometry and positioning, strong coupling is achieved in a compact area while other sections can be minimized for overall size reduction
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves a higher degree of freedom in configuring unbalanced to balanced converters, reduces component size, and minimizes losses by allowing physical lengths of unbalanced and balanced lines to be optimized independently, while maintaining balanced characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
a capacitor occurring between the balanced line and a fixed potential
Data Source
AI summary
A first passive component includes one unbalanced line having one unbalance input terminal, one balanced line installed opposite to the unbalanced line and having two balanced output terminals (first balanced output terminal and second balanced output terminal), and a capacitor formed between the balanced line and a fixed potential (e.g. the ground potential). Furthermore, the relation d1>d2 is satisfied, where d1 is the physical length of the unbalanced line and d2 is the physical length of the balanced line.