PLANAR COMBINER SYSTEM FOR SOLID STATE POWER AMPLIFIERS

Abstract

A planar combiner system for use in high-power multi-component power amplifier architectures in solid-state amplifiers is realized by planar placement of a wideband, low-loss, insulated and compact asymmetric Lange coupling and Wilkinson-type combiner on a base with high thermal conductivity and electrical resistance, allowing the amplifiers to directly contact the cold plate.

Claims

1. A planar combiner system in solid-state amplifiers, for use in high-power multi-component power amplifier architectures, a wideband, low-loss, isolated and compact asymmetric Lange coupling and Wilkinson-type connector with asymmetric Lange coupling and Wilkinson-type coupling plenary placed on a base with high thermal conductivity and electrical resistance, which can directly contact the cold plate, comprising; multiple connectors (C) structured to transmit a signal originating from the connectors in a splitting role, and at least one combining module (CM) structured to be manufactured in planar arrangement on a base of high thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity, to collect and transmit amplified signals to a radio frequency output channel; multiple connection paths (CL) structured to be produced in planar arrangement on the base with high thermal conductivity and electrical resistance, to perform signal transport between connectors with minimum power loss; at least one division module (DM) structured to be manufactured in planar arrangement on the base with high thermal conductivity and electrical resistance, to divide and distribute the signal from a radio frequency input channel into multiple channels of equal power, and multiple power amplifiers (PA) structured to connect the division module (DM) and the combining module (CM) with the connector (C), amplifying divided signals from the division module (DM), and transferring the amplified signals to the combining module (CM).

2. The planar combiner system according to claim 1, wherein the connector (C) is structured to carry the signal divided by the division module (DM) to an input of the power amplifier (PA).

3. The planar combiner system according to claim 1, wherein the connector (C) is configured as an electrical connection in a form of a cable, microstrip or stripline.

4. The planar combiner system according to claim 1, wherein the combining module (CM) is positioned in a compact layout and structured to be produced in a signal combining architecture of FIG. 6 comprising at least two of symmetrical Lange coupling shown in FIG. 5 and at least one of Wilkinson coupling shown in FIG. 6.

5. The planar combiner system according to claim 1, wherein the combining module (CM) is positioned in a compact layout and structured to be produced in a signal combining architecture of FIG. 6 comprising at least two of asymmetric Lange coupling shown in FIG. 5 and at least one of Wilkinson coupling shown in FIG. 6.

6. The planar combiner system according to claim 1, wherein the combining module (CM) is configured to be produced with a Lange coupling having an asymmetry such that a return loss is at most −20 dB and a Wilkinson coupling to amplify an amplitude at equilibrium.

7. The planar combiner system according to claim 1, wherein the combining module (CM) structured to be multiplexed to comprise more than one of signal combining architecture of FIG. 6.

8. The planar coupler system according to claim 1, wherein the coupling path (CL) is structured to connect an asymmetric Lange coupling to a Wilkinson coupling with a shortest distance and with a steep connection angle with respect to a sequential connection, positioned parallel to each other to provide a compact architecture shown in FIG. 4.

9. The planar combiner system according to claim 1, wherein the division module (DM) is structured to be produced in a signal combining architecture of FIG. 6, positioned in a compact layout and comprising at least two of symmetrical or asymmetrical Lange couplers shown in FIG. and at least one of Wilkinson couplers shown in FIG. 6.

10. The planar combiner system according to claim 1, wherein the division module (DM) structured to be multiplexed to comprise more than one of signal combining architecture of FIG. 6.

11. The planar combiner system according to claim 1, wherein an incoming signal is split into more than four signals of equal power using more than one of signal combining architecture of FIG. 6, and a splitting module (DM) is structured to enable each of split signals to be fed to an independent power amplifier (PA).

12. The planar combiner system according to claim 1, wherein a combining module (CM) structured to combine signals amplified in more than four power amplifiers (PAs) using more than one of signal combining architecture of FIG. 6.

13. The planar combiner system according to claim 2, wherein the connector (C) is configured as an electrical connection in a form of a cable, microstrip or stripline.

14. The planar combiner system according to claim 2, wherein the combining module (CM) is positioned in a compact layout and structured to be produced in a signal combining architecture of FIG. 6 comprising at least two of symmetrical Lange coupling shown in FIG. 5 and at least one of Wilkinson coupling shown in FIG. 6.

15. The planar combiner system according to claim 3, wherein the combining module (CM) is positioned in a compact layout and structured to be produced in a signal combining architecture of FIG. 6 comprising at least two of symmetrical Lange coupling shown in FIG. 5 and at least one of Wilkinson coupling shown in FIG. 6.

16. The planar combiner system according to claim 2, wherein the combining module (CM) is positioned in a compact layout and structured to be produced in a signal combining architecture of FIG. 6 comprising at least two of asymmetric Lange coupling shown in FIG. 5 and at least one of Wilkinson coupling shown in FIG. 6.

17. The planar combiner system according to claim 3, wherein the combining module (CM) is positioned in a compact layout and structured to be produced in a signal combining architecture of FIG. 6 comprising at least two of asymmetric Lange coupling shown in FIG. 5 and at least one of Wilkinson coupling shown in FIG. 6.

18. The planar combiner system according to claim 4, wherein the combining module (CM) is positioned in a compact layout and structured to be produced in a signal combining architecture of FIG. 6 comprising at least two of asymmetric Lange coupling shown in FIG. 5 and at least one of Wilkinson coupling shown in FIG. 6.

19. The planar combiner system according to claim 2, wherein the combining module (CM) is configured to be produced with a Lange coupling having an asymmetry such that a return loss is at most −20 dB and a Wilkinson coupling to amplify an amplitude at equilibrium.

20. The planar combiner system according to claim 3, wherein the combining module (CM) is configured to be produced with a Lange coupling having an asymmetry such that a return loss is at most −20 dB and a Wilkinson coupling to amplify an amplitude at equilibrium.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a graphic of the effect of input return loss on output power loss (Andries Pieter de Hek, “Design, Realisation and Test of GaAs-based Monolithic Integrated X-band High-Power Amplifiers”, 2002.).

[0020] FIG. 2 is an illustration of the power combining elements when using the Lange and Wilkinson combining structures in in-line combining.

[0021] FIG. 3 is an illustration of the application of the inventive planar combiner in a 4-way power amplifier topology.

[0022] FIG. 4 shows the power combiner in the coupling structure proposed by the invention.

[0023] FIG. 5 is an illustration of the layout of a standard Lange combining and an asymmetric Lange combining, respectively.

[0024] FIG. 6 is an illustration of a 4-way broadband combiner layout.

[0025] FIG. 7 is an illustration of the 8-way combining module in the inventive structure.

[0026] FIG. 8 is an illustration of the 8-way partition module in the inventive structure.

DESCRIPTION OF PART REFERENCES

[0027] C: Cable [0028] CM: Combining module [0029] CL: Connection path [0030] DM: Division Module [0031] PA: Power amplifier

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0032] In this detailed description, the preferred embodiments of the invention are described solely for the purpose of a better understanding of the subject matter and without limiting effect.

[0033] The inventive planar combiner system for use in high-power multi-component power amplifier architectures in solid-state amplifiers, which is realized by planar placement of a broadband, low-loss, insulated and compact asymmetric Lange coupling and Wilkinson-type combiner on a base with high thermal conductivity and electrical resistance, and which enables the amplifiers to directly contact the cold plate, [0034] multiple connectors (C) structured to transmit the signal originating from the connectors acting as splitters; [0035] at least one combining module (CM) configured to be structured in planar arrangement on a base with high thermal conductivity and electrical resistance, to collect and transmit the amplified signals to the radio frequency output channel; [0036] Multiple connection paths (CL) structured to be produced in planar arrangement on a base of high thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity, structured to carry signals between connectors with minimum power loss; [0037] at least one division module (DM) structured in a planar arrangement, configured to distribute the signal from a radio frequency input channel by dividing it into multiple channels of equal power; [0038] includes multiple power amplifiers (PAs) structured to connect the division module (DM) and the combining module (CM) with the connector (C), amplify the split signals from the division module (DM), and transfer the amplified signals to the combining module (CM).

[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates the implementation of the inventive planar combiner in a 4-way power amplifier topology. The connector (C) in the planar combiner of the invention is configured to transmit the signal from the connectors in the splitting function. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connector (C) is structured to carry the signal divided by the splitting module (DM) to the input of the power amplifier (PA). In an embodiment of the invention, the connector (C) is structured as an electrical connection in the form of a cable, microstrip or stripline.

[0040] FIG. 4 shows the power combining in the combining structure proposed by the invention. The combining module (CM) in the planar combiner of the invention is structured to be manufactured in a planar arrangement on a base with high thermal conductivity and electrical resistance, to collect the amplified signals and transmit them to the radio frequency output channel. FIG. 5 shows the layout of a standard Lange coupler and an asymmetric Lange coupling, respectively. FIG. 6 is an illustration of the layout of a 4-way broadband coupler. In one embodiment of the invention, the combining module (CM) is configured to be fabricated in the signal combining architecture of FIG. 6, which comprises at least two of the symmetrical Lange coupling shown in FIG. 5 and at least one of the Wilkinson coupling shown in FIG. 5, positioned in a compact layout. In an embodiment of the invention, the combining module (CM) is structured to be produced in the signal combining architecture of FIG. 6, which is compactly arranged and comprises at least two of the asymmetric Lange coupling shown in FIG. 5 and at least one of the Wilkinson coupling shown in FIG. 6. In an embodiment of the invention, the combining module (CM) is structured to be produced with an asymmetric Lange coupling with return loss of at most −20 dB and a Wilkinson coupling for amplifying the amplitude at equilibrium. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the combining module (CM) is configured to be multiplexed to include more than one of the signal combining architecture of FIG. 6.

[0041] The connection path (CL) in the planar coupler of the invention is structured to be produced in a planar arrangement on a base with high thermal conductivity and electrical resistance, and to carry the signal between the couplers with minimum power loss. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the coupling path (CL) is structured to connect the asymmetric Lange coupling to the Wilkinson coupling with the shortest distance and with a steep connection angle with respect to the sequential connection in order to provide the compact architecture shown in FIG. 4.

[0042] The division module (DM) in the planar combiner of the invention is structured to be produced in a planar arrangement and to divide and distribute the signal coming from the radio frequency input channel into multiple channels of equal power. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the splitting module (DM) is structured to be manufactured in the signal combining architecture of FIG. 6, which is compactly arranged and comprises at least two of the symmetrical or asymmetrical Lange couplers shown in FIG. 5 and at least one of the Wilkinson coupling shown in FIG. 6. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the division module (DM) is structured to be multiplexed to comprise more than one of the signal combining architecture of FIG. 6.

[0043] The power amplifier (PA) in the planar combiner of the invention is structured to connect the division module (DM) and the combining module (CM) with the connection element (C), to amplify the divided signals from the division module (DM), and to transfer the amplified signals to the combining module (CM).

[0044] FIG. 7 is an illustration of the 8-way combining module (CM) in the structure according to the invention. FIG. 8 is an illustration of an 8-way division module (DM) within the inventive structure. In one embodiment of the invention, the division module (DM) is structured to enable the incoming signal to be divided into more than four signals of equal power using more than one of the signal combining architecture of FIG. 6, and each of the divided signals to be fed to an independent power amplifier (PA). In an embodiment of the invention, the combining module (CM) is structured to combine signals amplified at more than four power amplifiers (PAs) using more than one of the signal combining architecture of FIG. 6.

APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION TO INDUSTRY

[0045] The division module (DM) in the planar combiner of the invention is manufactured in at least one signal combining architecture to divide the signal coming from the input channel into a number of signals of equal power suitable for the application, the divided signal is transferred to the power amplifiers (PA) with the connecting elements (C), the amplified signals are fed to the combining module (CM) manufactured in at least one signal combining architecture to combine a number of signals suitable for the application. The signal combining architecture inside the combining module (CM) and the division module (DM) is manufactured on a base with high thermal conductivity and electrical resistance by placing asymmetric Lange and Wilkinson couplings in a parallel compact position and connecting them with the shortest perpendicular connection paths (CL).