Compact Power Divider With Flexible Output Spacing

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional Wilkinson power dividers/combiners occupy large circuit areas and result in increased layout complexity due to closely spaced port pins, making them less flexible for implementation in beamforming transceivers operating at millimeter wavelengths.

Innovation Solution

A novel power divider/combiner design utilizing 70 ohm transmission lines and adjustable matching circuits to reduce circuit size and increase port spacing, allowing for a smaller circuit area and greater flexibility in layout, while maintaining comparable performance to Wilkinson dividers/combiners.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional Wilkinson power divider/combiner is used, then good linearity and noise performance are achieved, but the circuit area becomes large and layout complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelinearity and noise performanceVSAvoidcircuit area

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the characteristic impedance parameter from the conventional 50 ohm to 70 ohm transmission lines. This parameter change allows for reduced transmission line widths and shorter lengths, directly reducing the circuit area while maintaining the power divider/combiner functionality and performance characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an adjustable matching circuit that provides an additional degree of freedom in the design space. By adding this matching dimension, the patent can optimize the circuit layout to reduce area while maintaining performance, effectively using an additional design parameter to resolve the contradiction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If a conventional Wilkinson power divider/combiner is used, then good linearity and noise performance are achieved, but layout complexity increases due to closely spaced port pins

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelinearity and noise performanceVSAvoidlayout complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the characteristic impedance parameter from the conventional 50 ohm to 70 ohm transmission lines. This parameter change allows for reduced transmission line widths and shorter lengths, directly reducing the circuit area while maintaining the power divider/combiner functionality and performance characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an adjustable matching circuit that provides an additional degree of freedom in the design space. By adding this matching dimension, the patent can optimize the circuit layout to reduce area while maintaining performance, effectively using an additional design parameter to resolve the contradiction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2920841B1Compact power divider/combiner with flexible output spacing

Publication Date: 2019.10.30 QUALCOMM INC

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AI summary

A compact power divider/combiner (300) with flexible port spacing is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a three port circuit having first, second, and third ports, and a matching circuit (306) configured to couple the second and third ports to ground. The matching circuit includes a first transmission line (302) connected between a first port and a second port, a second transmission line (304) connected between the first port and a third port, a first matching circuit (402) connected between the second port and a first node, a second matching circuit (404) connected between the first node and the third port, and a third matching circuit (406) connected between the first node and a ground.