The subject disclosure is directed to power combining and power dividing and, more specifically, relates to multiple-way ring cavity power combiners and power dividers.
Broadband solid-state power amplifiers (SSPA) with high power and high efficiency are of interest for many radio frequency (RF) applications as an attractive alternative to vacuum tube technologies. For instance, applications such as ultra-wideband (UWB) communication systems, satellite communication systems, commercial communications, and radar transmitters, are but a few systems that can benefit from high power and high efficiency broadband SSPAs. However, power amplifier technologies can suffer from various limitations such as, for example, limited bandwidth, limited output power, excessive losses, inconvenient or unfortunate sizing or configuration, etc. Power combining can be employed to overcome many of these limitations, but in certain instances, it may involve additional consideration. For example, broadband high efficiency amplifiers can be demonstrated by combining output power from a number of solid-state devices at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies.
For instance, combining power (and dividing power) in high frequency systems can be performed using conventional power dividers. A device for dividing and/or combining high frequency signals is called a power divider or a power combiner. As an example, a power divider can be a circuit or circuit element for dividing input power from an input port and directing it to output ports in an RF circuit. Typically, a power divider can divide power at a predetermined ratio with minimal power loss and with isolation between the output ports. In this manner, the power divider can prevent a change in circuit characteristic due to mutual influence of adjacent ports. In a similar manner, a power divider can be used as a power combiner by switching usage of input and output ports.
As a result, for applications that require a high-power, high-efficiency, broadband, SSPA, due to the aforementioned limitations of single amplifiers, amplifiers are typically combined in power dividing/combining networks to provide high power. Such techniques can be employed as a combiner, for instance, in a transmitter for combining signals from a number of low power devices to form a high power signal for transmission through a single antenna. For example, an amplifier for amplifying wireless signals can have the limitation of a low output power level as previously mentioned. To overcome this limitation, a plurality of low or medium output amplifiers can be connected in parallel to obtain a desired high power output for transmission of the wireless signals. In other implementations as a divider, a signal from a single source, such as an antenna, can be divided into a number of signals, such as for exciting a number of corresponding satellite or radar antennas. Thus, parallel, multiple-way, waveguide-based power dividing/combining network can provide many advantages for broadband RF applications.
However, conventional broadband power-combining techniques for the design of broadband high-power SSPAs demonstrate that challenges remain. For instance, among various types of combiners, radial waveguide spatial power combiners can reduce spill-over losses while demonstrating high power-combining efficiency. In addition, equal power distribution with broadband performance can be achieved in part by appropriate placement of coaxial probes in the radial waveguide. Nonetheless, while such topologies can facilitate providing broadband capability, low loss, good heat sinking capability, and ease of fabrication, practical limitations such as size and performance limitations can limit the number of ports that can be provided in radial waveguide spatial power combiners.
For example, with an increasing number of power-dividing ports, the radius of a radial waveguide or conical line will increase, which can cause higher order modes in the radial waveguide or conical line power dividing cavity due to discontinuities, and which can be difficult or impractical to suppress effectively. These effects can be exacerbated when the number of power-dividing ports of power dividers increases to more than about twenty or thirty. As a result, beyond this conventional limitation the performance of these types of power dividers can deteriorate due to the higher order modes.
The above-described deficiencies of today's power-combining and power-dividing techniques are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional systems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with conventional systems and corresponding benefits of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein may become further apparent upon review of the following description.
The following presents a simplified summary of the specification to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the specification. This summary is not an extensive overview of the specification. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the specification nor delineate any scope particular to any embodiments of the specification, or any scope of the claims. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the specification in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
In various embodiments, the disclosed subject matter provides multiple-way ring cavity power combiners and power dividers. In an aspect, the disclosed subject matter provides power combiners and power dividers that can accommodate increasing numbers of ports without sacrificing performance. For example, disclosed embodiments provide multiple-way ring cavity power divider (e.g., power divider and/or power combiner) with UWB performance that can provide large numbers (e.g., greater than thirty) of power-dividing ports (e.g., power dividing and/or power combining ports).
Further embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide methods for power dividing and/or power combining In addition, various other modifications, alternative embodiments, advantages of the disclosed subject matter, and improvements over conventional power combiners and power dividers are described.
These and other additional features of the disclosed subject matter are described in more detail below.
The devices, components, assemblies, structures, systems, and methods of the disclosed subject matter are further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
As used herein, the terms “power divider” and “power combiner” are intended to refer to a component that can be used to facilitate dividing an input signal into multiple output signals and/or combining multiple input signals into a combined output signal, respectively. It can be understood that the terms “power divider” and “power combiner” could be used interchangeably, depending on such things as context of use, configuration, design parameters, and so on, for example, to refer to the component itself, which can facilitate dividing an input signal and/or combining multiple input signals.
In addition, various general references are made herein to Ultra-Wideband (UWB) in the context of describing disclosed embodiments. For instance, UWB can typically refer to radio technologies having bandwidth exceeding the lesser of 500 MegaHertz (MHz) or 20% of the arithmetic center frequency, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). For instance, the FCC authorizes the unlicensed use of UWB in the frequency range of about 3.1 to about 10.6 GigaHertz (GHz). Thus, in various aspects, reference to “UWB performance,” “UWB band,” and so on can refer to performance characteristics (e.g., insertion loss, amplitude imbalance, phase imbalance, etc.) of devices suitable for operating as UWB devices in a frequency range between about 3.1 to about 10.6 GHz. However, it can be understood that the disclosed subject matter is not so limited. For instance, it can be further understood that various embodiments can be employed in other frequency ranges (e.g., frequencies from about 6 to about 18 GHz, such as for UWB radar, and so on, etc.).
While a brief overview is provided, ring cavities, power dividers, and power combiners and various exemplary signals, are described herein for the purposes of illustration and not limitation. For example, one skilled in the art can appreciate that the illustrative embodiments can have application with respect to other signals and technologies than that which is exemplified.
As described in the background, conventional devices and methods suffer from drawbacks associated with practical limitations of size and performance associated with increasing numbers of signal ports. These and other drawbacks can be appreciated upon review of
For example,
As further described above, power combiner 102 can be employed as a power combiner, for instance, in a transmitter for combining signals (e.g., one or more input signal(s) 106, etc.) from a number of low power devices to form a high power signal (e.g., output signal 108, etc.) for transmission through a single antenna (not shown). For example, an amplifier for amplifying wireless signals (e.g., one or more input signal(s) 106, etc.) can have the limitation of a low output power level as previously mentioned. To overcome this limitation, a plurality of low or medium output amplifiers can be connected in parallel to obtain a desired high power output (e.g., output signal 108, etc.) for transmission of the wireless signals. In other implementations of a power divider 104, a signal from a single source (e.g., input signal 110, etc.), such as an antenna (not shown), can be divided into a number of signals (e.g., one or more output signal(s) 112, etc.), such as for exciting a number of corresponding satellite or radar antennas (not shown).
Thus, the disclosed parallel, multiple-way, waveguide-based power dividing/combining network can provide many advantages for broadband RF applications. For instance, exemplary non-limiting multiple-way ring cavity power dividers and/or power combiners could be used in high-power solid-state power-combining amplifiers, which are used widely in microwave electronic systems and radar transmitters, as an illustrative example. As a further non-limiting example, various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter can facilitate UWB wireless high-speed communications (e.g., operating in frequency from about 3.1 to about 10.6 GHz, etc.), UWB radar (e.g., operating in frequency from about 6 to about 18 GHz), and so on, due in part to their UWB performance characteristics as demonstrated herein. In another illustrative example, embodiments of the disclosed subject matter be employed in antenna arrays, satellite communication systems, and so on. Thus, the disclosed subject matter can provide power combiners and/ or power dividers as a result of the attendant characteristics (e.g., reduced size, low losses, high efficiency, ultra-wideband, high power handling capability, excellent balance of amplitude and phase, low supply voltage, and etc.).
As a result, embodiments of the disclosed subject matter (e.g., UWB multiple-way ring cavity power-combining, etc.) can be employed in many applications, for instance, in communication systems applications. For example, because of the ability of the various non-limiting implementations to successfully implement multiple-way dividers/combiners (e.g., more than about thirty) and low insertion loss, exemplary embodiments can be employed in high-power and high-efficiency solid-state power-combining amplifiers for communication systems applications, radar transmitters, UWB (e.g., frequency ranging from about 3.1 to about 10.6 GHz, etc.) wireless high-speed communication systems applications, and so on. Additionally, because of the attendant small size, high-efficiency, high-power, and low supply voltage performance, the various embodiments as described herein are particularly suitable for satellite communication systems applications, terrestrial communication systems applications such as in airplane-based communication systems, space electrical systems applications, and so on, etc. as well as in antenna arrays, and the like.
In a further example,
However, in contrast to conventional power combiners and/or power dividers, various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter can advantageously increase the number of ports 206 supported by increasing the perimeter of the ring cavity 202/204, relatively independent of the ring cavity cross-section, as further described herein. As a result, various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter can increase the number of ports 206 supported and/or allow higher power output without signal degradation by high order modes associated with conventional power combiners and/or power dividers.
For instance,
For instance,
Thus, systems 300 can further include one or more input component(s) 306 and an output component 308 (e.g., for a power combiner 102 configuration, etc.). For example, as further described above, power combiner 102 can be employed as a power combiner, for instance, in a transmitter for combining signals (e.g., one or more input signal(s) 106, etc.) from a number of low power devices (e.g., one or more input component(s) 306 etc.) to form a high power signal (e.g., output signal 108, etc.) for transmission through output component 308 (e.g., an antenna, etc.). As a further example, one or more input components 306 (e.g., one or more low or medium output amplifier(s) for amplifying wireless signals, etc.) can be connected in parallel to obtain a desired high power output (e.g., output signal 108, etc.) for transmission of the wireless signals through output component 308 (e.g., an antenna, etc.).
In other non-limiting implementations, systems 300 can further include an input component 310 and one or more output component(s) 312 and (e.g., for a power divider 104 configuration, etc.). For example, power divider 104 can be employed as a power divider in a system 300 for transmitting a signal (e.g., input signal 110 from input component 310, etc.) by exciting an array of e.g., one or more output component(s) 312 (e.g., one or more antenna element(s), etc.) with a signal to be divided into one or more signal(s) (e.g., one or more output signal(s) 112, etc.). As a further example, one or more output component(s) 312 (e.g., one or more antenna elements, etc.) can be connected in parallel to obtain a desired antenna configuration or coverage (e.g., for the one or more output signal(s) 112, etc.). Thus, power divider 104 can be used in systems 300, such as array antenna systems.
As described above, with an increasing number of power-dividing ports, the radius of a radial waveguide or conical line will increase, which can cause higher order modes in the radial waveguide or conical line power dividing cavity due to discontinuities, which in turn, can be difficult or impractical to suppress effectively. These effects can be exacerbated when the number of power-dividing ports of power dividers increases to more than about twenty or thirty. As a result, beyond this conventional limitation, the performance of these types of power dividers can deteriorate due to the higher order modes. Accordingly, these conventional waveguide-based power dividers are typically configured with a limited number of power-dividing ports, and thus, the active power-combining systems based on them can only include limited active power devices.
Accordingly, in various embodiments, the disclosed subject matter provides multiple-way ring cavity power combiners and power dividers that can overcome the aforementioned deficiencies, as described regarding
Thus, referring again to
Referring again to
In addition, ports 206 can be adapted to locate, position, and/or support parallel probes 406 of the device 400. For instance, as further described herein, parallel probes 406 can comprise any of a number of probe types (e.g., coaxial probes, microstrip probes, etc.) suitable to couple RF signals to the ring cavity (e.g., ring cavity 604). Thus, ports 206 can comprise connectors, as described herein, and/or parallel probes 406 formed integrally with the connectors or otherwise attachable to connectors, such that the parallel probes 406 can be positioned appropriately within ring cavity 406. Moreover, as further described herein, parallel probes 406 can comprise any of a number of suitable alternative probe technologies (e.g., coupling probes, coaxial probes, microstrip probes, etc.) adapted to couple RF signals to or from ring cavity 604 to from or to ports 206.
Thus, when the various disclosed embodiments are compared with existing technologies, the disclosed subject matter can advantageously provide practically unlimited numbers (e.g., more than about thirty, etc.) of power-dividing ports (e.g., ports 206), and thus practically unlimited numbers of supported devices (e.g., one or more input component(s) 304, one or more output component(s) 312, etc.). In addition, embodiments of the disclosed subject matter can suppress higher order modes effectively, while preserving UWB performance characteristics, and can demonstrate fractional bandwidth greater than about 110%. Moreover, as a further advantage, various disclosed embodiments can provide amplitude and phase balance of the power-dividing ports, for example, across the UWB band. Accordingly, the various non-limiting implementations as described herein can overcome the demonstrated deficiencies of conventional power dividers/combiners while demonstrating excellent electrical performance.
Thus, referring again to
As a result, in exemplary embodiments of power combiner 102, a type-N connector can function as an output port (e.g., output port 302), which can connect to a terminator (not shown) (e.g., output component 308, etc.) to which the combined signal (e.g., output signal 108, etc.) can be transmitted. Moreover, in exemplary embodiments of power combiner 102, the type-SMA connectors can function as input ports (e.g., ports 206), which can transmit RF signals (e.g., one or more input signal(s) 106, etc.) into ring cavity (e.g., ring cavity 604) through the one or more parallel probe(s) (e.g., parallel probes 406).
According to a further non-limiting aspect, exemplary embodiments of power combiner 102 can comprise a matching circuit, which can further include a coaxial taper (e.g., coaxial taper feeding port 602, taper feed 404, etc.), a stepped impedance transformer, and or other components or subcomponents thereof, any of which can function to facilitate providing smooth impedance matching from the ring cavity (e.g., ring cavity 604) to the type-N connector (e.g., output port 302) and uniform excitation for the multiple-way ring cavity power combiner as described herein. For instance, as described above regarding
As further described with regard to
Again, referring to
As a result, in exemplary embodiments of power divider 104, a type-N connector can function as an input port (e.g., input port 304), whereas multiple SMA connectors (e.g., ports 206) can function as output ports and can connect to terminators, power amplifiers, antennas, or other circuits (not shown) (e.g., one or more output component(s) 312, etc.) to which the divided signal (e.g., one or more output signal(s) 112, etc.) can be transmitted. Thus, exemplary embodiments of power divider 104 can transmit an RF signal (e.g., input signal 110, etc.) into ring cavity (e.g., ring cavity 604) through the coaxial taper (e.g., coaxial taper feeding port 602, taper feed 404, etc.).
According to a further non-limiting aspect, exemplary embodiments of power divider 104 can comprise a matching circuit, which can further include a coaxial taper (e.g., coaxial taper feeding port 602, taper feed 404, etc.), a stepped impedance transformer, and or other components or subcomponents thereof, any of which can function to facilitate providing smooth impedance matching from the type-N connector (e.g., input port 304) to the ring cavity (e.g., ring cavity 604) and uniform excitation for the multiple-way ring cavity power divider as described herein. For instance, as described above regarding
As further described with regard to
Accordingly, in various non-limiting implementations, the disclosed subject matter provides exemplary devices (e.g., device 400, etc.) comprising a first port (e.g., port 302/304 opposite ports 206 that can be adapted as an output port 302 or an input port 304, and a ring cavity (e.g., ring cavity 604) comprising one or more parallel probe(s) (e.g., one or more parallel probe(s) 406) associated with one or more second port(s) (e.g., one or more port(s) 206). In addition, exemplary devices can further comprise, an impedance matching circuit (e.g., taper feed 404, coaxial taper feeding port, stepped impedance transformer, coaxial stepped impedance transformer, etc.) adapted to match impedance between the first port (e.g., port 302/304) and the ring cavity (e.g., ring cavity 604).
As further described herein, the first port (e.g., port 302/304) and/or the one or more second port(s) (e.g., one or more port(s) 206) can comprise one or more of a type-N connector, a subminiature version A (type-SMA) connector, a coaxial connector, and/or other suitable connectors. Moreover, in further non-limiting implementations, the one or more parallel probe(s) (e.g., one or more parallel probe(s) 406) can also comprise one or more of coaxial probes, microstrip probes, or other probes suitable for coupling the RF between the one or more second ports (e.g., one or more port(s) 206) and the ring cavity (e.g., ring cavity 604). In addition, the one or more parallel probe(s) can be further configured with equal spacing around the ring cavity, identical shape, identical size, and/or probe length (e.g., dimension 818 of
Thus, in various non-limiting aspects, exemplary devices can be configured with the first port (e.g., port 302/304) as an input port (e.g., input port 304), the one or more second port(s) (e.g., one or more port(s) 206) as one or more output port(s), and the device configured as a power divider (e.g., power divider 104). In other non-limiting aspects, exemplary devices can be configured with the first port (e.g., port 302/304) as an output port (e.g., output port 302), the one or more second port(s) (e.g., one or more port(s) 206) as one or more input port(s), and the device configured as a power divider (e.g., power divider 104).
In further non-limiting implementations, exemplary power dividers (e.g., device 400) can comprise an input port (e.g., input port 304) and one or more output port(s) (e.g., one or more port(s) 206). In addition, the exemplary power dividers can comprise a means for dividing an RF signal in a ring cavity between the input port (e.g., input port 304) and the one or more output port(s) (e.g., one or more port(s) 206). For instance, the means for dividing an RF signal can comprise one or more of the ring cavity (e.g., ring cavity 604) in conjunction with the one or more parallel probe(s) 406, and/or the impedance matching or transition circuit as described herein.
In still other non-limiting implementations, exemplary power combiners (e.g., device 400) can comprise one or more input connector(s) (e.g., at one or more port(s) 206) for accepting one or more input RF signal(s) and an output connector (e.g., at output port 302). In a further non-limiting aspect, exemplary power combiners can further comprise a means for combining the one or more input RF signal(s) in a ring cavity between the one or more input connector(s) and the output connector. For example, the means for combining an RF signal can comprise one or more of the ring cavity (e.g., ring cavity 604) in conjunction with the one or more parallel probe(s) 406, and/or the impedance matching or transition circuit as described herein.
Various non-limiting embodiments of the disclosed subject matter can advantageously provide wide bandwidth, practically unlimited capacity for power-dividing ports (e.g., ports 206) and supported devices (e.g., one or more input component(s) 304, one or more output component(s) 312, etc.), excellent input impedance matching, low insertion loss, good balance of amplitude and phase at output ports, and flat group delay within UWB frequency ranges of interest. As described, an exemplary 32-way power divider (e.g., 32-way ring cavity power divider 902) can be fabricated and the device simulated to develop a simulation model and check it for correspondence with the device. Accordingly, an approximated equivalent-circuit model of the exemplary device (e.g., 32-way ring cavity power divider 902) can facilitate analyzing structural parameters and electrical performance. In addition, an overall circuit model of the exemplary device (e.g., 32-way ring cavity power divider 902) can be employed as expected to facilitate efficient implementation of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter and design of corresponding systems. Moreover, simplified simulation models can facilitate rapid simulation. As a result, after designing and optimizing, the exemplary device (e.g., 32-way ring cavity power divider 902) can be shown to provide reasonable agreement between simulated and measured results.
For example,
As a further example, particular non-limiting implementations of the 32-way power divider (e.g., 32-way ring cavity power divider 902) demonstrate low loss and good balance of amplitude and phase in
In view of the structures and devices described supra, methods that can be implemented in accordance with the disclosed subject matter will be better appreciated with reference to the flowcharts of
For instance, as described above the disclosed subject matter can provide methods of power combining and/or power dividing. Thus, exemplary methods can facilitate power combining and/or power dividing by employing multi-way ring cavity power combiner or power divider (e.g., a power combiner 102 and/or a power divider 104, etc.), respectively.
Thus,
In a further example,
While the disclosed subject matter has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used with, or modifications and additions may be made to, the described embodiments for performing the same function of the disclosed subject matter without deviating therefrom. For example, one skilled in the art will recognize that aspects of the disclosed subject matter as described in the various embodiments of the present application may apply to other RF applications involving power combining and/or power dividing.
As a further example, variations of process parameters (e.g., dimensions, configurations, numbers of ports, placement of ports, probe types, connector types, matching circuitry variations, process step order, etc.) may be made to further optimize the provided structures, devices and methods, as shown and described herein. In any event, the structures and devices, as well as the associated methods, described herein have many applications in outlet or connector design and manufacturing. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any single embodiment described herein, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.