RF Power Divider Design

RF Power Divider Design

Key Takeaways

An RF power divider is a three-port device that provides RF power division or RF power combining.

RF power dividers are extensively employed in measurement systems, radars, high-power amplifiers, phased array antennae, etc.

The Wilkinson RF power divider is a robust circuit topology among the various RF power dividers.

RF power divider designers need to consider the bandwidth, amplitude, and phase characteristics of the divided power

In RF systems, power division is required in power amplifiers, active circulators, mixers, phased array antennas, etc. RF power divider designers must consider the bandwidth, amplitude, and phase characteristics of the divided power.

Dividing and Combining RF Power

In electrical and electronics engineering, there are numerous instances where it is required to divide or combine electromagnetic signals. In RF systems, power division and recombination are required functionalities, and both are considered fundamental signal processes.

In RF electronics, different tools and devices are available to enable RF power division and recombination. Power dividers are the most commonly used RF circuits for RF power division and combination.

RF Power Dividers/Combiners

Generally, an RF power divider is a three-port device that provides RF power division or RF power combining. Usually, RF power dividers are specified along with the term ‘combiner’. The specification RF power divider or combiner indicates the reciprocity of the device.

Almost all power dividers are reciprocal. They can combine as well as divide power, depending on where and how many inputs are given. A reciprocal RF power divider can divide the power either equally or unequally between channels. The same RF divider can also be employed to combine the power from two or more channels, as shown in the figure above.

The Goal of RF Power Dividers

An ideal power divider/combiner divides the power input to port 1 equally between the output ports 2 and 3, or vice versa for power recombination. RF power dividers are extensively employed in measurement systems, radars, high-power amplifiers, phased array antennae, etc. 

Couplers vs. RF Power Dividers

RF Power Divider Topologies

Wilkinson RF Power Divider Design

Wilkinson RF power dividers are a robust circuit topology among various RF power dividers. Compared to T-function RF power dividers, Wilkinson RF power dividers offer isolation between output ports, and the output ports are impedance matched. The Wilkinson RF power divider dissipates reflected power.

Wilkinson RF power design steps:

1. Select the dielectric substrate material and the effective permittivity that suits the operating frequency.

2. Determine the length of the quarter wave transmission lines in Wilkinson RF power dividers.

3. Design quarter-wave transformers operating at application frequency with an impedance greater than the characteristic impedance of the port 1 transmission line.

4. Chose terminal resistors to match the input impedance at port 1 to the characteristic impedance.

RF power divider designers must consider not only the operating frequency, amplitude, and phase characteristics but also the insertion loss, return loss, impedance matching, etc. Using sophisticated simulation software can help in gauging the various characteristics of RF power divider designs. The Cadence AWR design environment platform offers simulation technology and design automation to help RF engineers develop RF power dividers, amplifiers, and circulators.