Power combiner for use in a radio frequency system and a method of constructing a power combiner
First Claim
1. A power combiner comprising:
- a plurality of phasing transmission lines supporting a set of amplifiers coupled thereto with the set of amplifiers including a first and a second amplifier of substantially differing gain values, and having a minimum and a maximum selectable number of amplifiers; and
a plurality of matching transmission lines, each of the matching transmission lines having a first and second end, the first end coupled to one of the phasing lines and the second end coupled to a common node and each matching transmission line having a substantially equivalent characteristic impedance determined according to a function of the minimum and maximum selectable number of amplifiers and the substantially differing gain values.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A power combiner including a plurality of phasing transmission lines (122) supporting a set of amplifiers (103-105) coupled thereto, and a plurality of matching transmission lines (123-124). The set of amplifiers (103-105) have a selectable number of amplifiers between a minimum and a maximum value having gain levels between a minimum and a maximum value. Each of the matching transmission lines (123-124) is coupled to one of the phasing transmission lines (122) at one end and coupled to a common node (126) at the other end. Each of the matching transmission (123-124) lines has a characteristic impedance determined according to a function of the minimum and the maximum number of amplifiers in the set of amplifiers (103-105) and the minimum and maximum gain levels in the set of amplifiers (103-105).
81 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A power combiner comprising:
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a plurality of phasing transmission lines supporting a set of amplifiers coupled thereto with the set of amplifiers including a first and a second amplifier of substantially differing gain values, and having a minimum and a maximum selectable number of amplifiers; and a plurality of matching transmission lines, each of the matching transmission lines having a first and second end, the first end coupled to one of the phasing lines and the second end coupled to a common node and each matching transmission line having a substantially equivalent characteristic impedance determined according to a function of the minimum and maximum selectable number of amplifiers and the substantially differing gain values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of constructing a power combiner for use in a radio frequency system, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of parallel phasing transmission lines supporting a set of amplifiers coupled thereto, with the set of amplifiers including a first and a second amplifier of substantially differing gain values, and having a minimum and a maximum selectable number of amplifiers; providing a plurality of matching transmission lines, each of the matching transmission lines having a first and a second end, the first end coupled to one of the phasing lines and the second end coupled to a common node, and each of the matching transmission lines having a substantially equivalent characteristic impedance; and determining the characteristic impedance according to a nonlinear function of the minimum and the maximum selectable number of amplifiers and the substantially differing gain values. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. An apparatus comprising:
a power splitter coupled to a plurality of amplifiers having a minimum and a maximum selectable number of amplifiers, and including a first and a second amplifier of substantially differing gain values, the power splitter comprising; a plurality of phasing transmission lines coupled to the plurality of amplifiers; and a plurality of matching transmission lines each of the matching transmission lines having a first and a second end, the first end coupled to one of the phasing lines and the second end coupled to a common node, and each of the matching transmission lines having a substantially equivalent characteristic impedance determined according to a nonlinear function of the minimum and the maximum selectable number of amplifiers and the substantially differing gain values. - View Dependent Claims (10)
Specification