Switchable RF power divider/combiner with switchable impedance matching elements

• US 7,046,101 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Palker, Richard, Mruz, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, BENNY T
• Application Number:
  US09/896,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20030001668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: 333/101, 333/105, 333/125, 333/127
• US Class Current: 333/101
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/04 with variable factor of coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/602 Combinations of several amplifiers

Abstract

An RF signal divider/combiner is provided for dividing a supplied RF signal to any number of up to N output ports. A switchable impedance matching network is provided to impedance match the divider according to the number of output ports connected.

Claims

1. An RF signal divider, comprising a single-pole, N-way RF switch, where N is an integer of 3 or more, said switch being operable to connect up to N individual RF ports to a center conductor connected to a common port, and a switched reactive impedance matching network having at least N−

1 switch-selectable lossless matching elements arranged to connect to said center conductor, said impedance matching network being arranged to provide selected impedance matching for said N-way RF switch according to the number of said N individual ports that are connected to said common port by said switch.

2. An RF signal divider responsive to supplied control signals and operative to connect up to N individual RF ports to a common port, where N is an integer of 3 or more, in response to supplied control signals, said divider comprising:

a single pole, N-way RF switch for selectively connecting said N individual ports to a center conductor connected to said common port in response to switch drive signals;

a switchable reactive matching network having N−

1 switch-selectable lossless matching elements operative to be connected to said center conductor of said RF switch in response to matching element drive signals; and

a driver circuit responsive to said control signals for providing said switch drive signals and for providing said matching element drive signals accordingly to the number of said N individual ports designated to be connected by said control signals.

3. An RF signal divider comprising:

a plurality of N individual ports, where N is an integer of 3 or more, each having an inner conductor contact terminal extending into an RF switch cavity;

an RF common port;

a planar inner conductor in said switch cavity, connected to said RF common port at one end and having a switch contact at a second end;

a plurality of N switch reeds each moveable by an electro-magnet between a first position contacting said planar inner conductor and a second position spaced from said inner conductor; and

a switchable reactive impedance matching network, comprising N−

1 lossless impedance matching reeds moveable by an electromagnet between a first position contacting said planar conductor and a second position spaced from said planar conductor.