The Wilkinson power divider is a reactive divider that uses two, parallel, uncoupled quarter-wavelength transmission line transformers. The use of transmission lines makes the Wilkinson divider easy to implement using standard printed circuit transmission lines. The length of the transmission lines generally limits the frequency range of the Wilkinson divider to frequencies above 500 MHz. The resistor between the output ports allows them to have matching impedances while still providing isolation. Because the output ports contain signals of the same amplitude and phase, there is no voltage across the resistor, so no current flows and the resistor does not dissipate any power.
Power dividers
A power divider has a single input signal and two or more output signals. The output signals have a power level that is 1/N the input power level where N is the number of outputs in the divider. The signals at the outputs, in the most common form of power divider, are in phase. There are special power dividers that provide controlled phase shifts between outputs. Common RF applications for power dividers, as mentioned previously, direct a common RF source to multiple devices (Figure 1).
Diagram of RF source directed to multiple devices
Figure 1: Power dividers are used to split a common RF signal to multiple devices such as in a phased array antenna system or in a quadrature demodulator.
The example is a phased array antenna where the RF source is split between the two antenna elements. Antennas of this type classically have two to eight or more elements, each of which is driven from a power divider output port. Phase shifters are generally external to the divider to allow for electronic control to steer the field pattern antenna.
The power divider can be run “backwards” so that multiple inputs can be combined into a single output making it a power combiner. In combiner mode these devices are capable of performing vector addition or subtraction of signals based on their amplitude and phase values.
Power Divider Features
• Power dividers can be used as combiners or splitters
• Wilkinson and High isolation power dividers offer high isolation, blocking signal cross-talk between output ports
• Low insertion and return loss
• Wilkinson and resistive power dividers offer excellent (<0.5dB) amplitude and (<3°) phase balance
• Multi-octave solutions from DC to 50 GHz
Learn More About Power Dividers
As the name implies, an RF/microwave power divider will split an input signal into two equal and identical (i.e. in-phase) signals. It can also be used as a power combiner, where the common port is the output and the two equal power ports are used as the inputs. Important specifications when used as a power divider include the insertion loss, return losses, and amplitude and phase balance between the arms. For power combining of uncorrelated signals, such as when performing accurate intermodulation distortion (IMD) tests like IP2 and IP3, the most important specification is the isolation between the input ports.
There are three main types of RF power dividers and RF power combiners: 0º, 90 º hybrid, and 180 º hybrid. Zero-degree RF dividers split an input signal into two or more output signals that are theoretically equal in both amplitude and phase. Zero-degree RF combiners join multiple input signals to provide one output. When selecting 0 º dividers, power divider division is an important specification to consider. This parameter is the number of outputs of the device, or the number of ways the input signal is divided at the output. Choices include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 16, 32, 48, and 64-way devices.
RF power splitters / dividers are passive RF / microwave components used for splitting (or dividing) microwave signals. Sichuan Keenlion Microwave Technology CO.,Ltd power splitters include 2-way, 3-way, 4-way, 6-way, 8-way and up to 48-way models for 50 Ohm and 75 Ohm systems, with DC-passing and DC-blocking, in coaxial, surface mount, and MMIC die formats. Our coaxial splitters are available with SMA, N-Type, F-Type, BNC, 2.92mm and 2.4mm connectors. Choose from over 100 models in stock with frequency ranges up to 50
GHz, power handling up to 200W, low insertion loss, high isolation, and excellent amplitude unbalance and phase unbalance.
We can also customize the Band Pass Filter according to your requirements. You can enter the customization page to provide the specifications you need.
Post time: Sep-15-2022
