Radio frequency transmitter coupling circuit
First Claim
1. A circuit for coupling an antenna to the outputs of at least three transmitters comprisingfirst, second and third circulators, each of said circulators having first, second and third ports with said first and second ports being adjacent and said second and third ports being adjacent, adjacent ports of each circulator being nonreciprocally connected, the first ports of said circulators being connected to said outputs, respectively, of the transmitters,a connector having first, second, third and fourth ports, the impedance at each of said ports of the connector being the same whereby a 3 to 1 voltage standing wave ratio is presented to any one port thereof by the other three ports thereof,a power combiner having first, second, third and fourth input ports and an output port,means for connecting the first port of said connector to the first port of said combiner,means for connecting the second ports of said circulators with equal phase delays to the second, third and fourth ports, respectively, of said connector, andmeans for connecting the third ports of said circulators with equal phase delays to the second, third and fourth ports, respectively, of said combiner,said output port of said combiner being connected to said antenna.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An efficient circuit for coupling at least three radio frequency transmitters of arbitrary power and frequency to one antenna comprises a three-port circulator connected to the output of each transmitter, a four-port connector and a five-port inphase power combiner, and transmission lines having the same characteristic impedances connecting the circulators through the connector and the combiner to the antenna. The transmission lines interconnecting the components of the circuit have electrical lengths selected to deliver energy in phase to the ports of the connector and to the combiner. In a three-transmitter embodiment, one output port of each circulator is connected to the connector, a second output port of each circulator is connected to the combiner, and the output port of the connector is connected to the combiner. In a four-transmitter embodiment, one output port of each circulator is connected to the connector and the second output port of each circulator is connected to the combiner. In each embodiment, each input to the connector "sees" a 3 to 1 voltage standing wave ratio causing reflected energy to be equally divided and fed in segments of equal power and phase for recombining and feeding the single antenna. The circuit effectively isolates the tansmitters from each other and combines their outputs with high efficiency and minimum loss.
15 Citations
8 Claims
-
1. A circuit for coupling an antenna to the outputs of at least three transmitters comprising
first, second and third circulators, each of said circulators having first, second and third ports with said first and second ports being adjacent and said second and third ports being adjacent, adjacent ports of each circulator being nonreciprocally connected, the first ports of said circulators being connected to said outputs, respectively, of the transmitters, a connector having first, second, third and fourth ports, the impedance at each of said ports of the connector being the same whereby a 3 to 1 voltage standing wave ratio is presented to any one port thereof by the other three ports thereof, a power combiner having first, second, third and fourth input ports and an output port, means for connecting the first port of said connector to the first port of said combiner, means for connecting the second ports of said circulators with equal phase delays to the second, third and fourth ports, respectively, of said connector, and means for connecting the third ports of said circulators with equal phase delays to the second, third and fourth ports, respectively, of said combiner, said output port of said combiner being connected to said antenna.
-
4. A circuit for coupling an antenna to the outputs of at least three transmitters comprising
first, second and third circulators, each of said circulators having first, second and third ports with said first and second ports being adjacent and said second and third ports being adjacent, adjacent ports of each circulator being nonreciprocally connected, the first ports of said circulators being connected to said outputs, respectively, of the transmitters, a connector having four ports, the impedances at each of said connector ports being equal whereby a 3 to 1 voltage standing wave ratio exists at three of said ports relative to the fourth port, a power combiner having four input ports and an output port, first means for connecting the second ports of said circulators with equal phase delays to three ports, respectively, of said connector, second means for connecting the third ports of said circulators with equal phase delays to three of said input ports, respectively, of said combiner and, third means connecting the fourth port of said connector to the fourth port of said combiner, the fifth port of said combiner being connected to said antenna.
Specification