Beamformer integrated circuits with multiple-stage hybrid splitter/combiner circuits

A multiple-stage splitter/combiner circuit comprising:

• a first splitter/combiner circuit with a first input/output (I/O) port, a second I/O port, a third I/O port, a first quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the first I/O port and a second end coupled to the second I/O port, a second quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the first I/O port and a second end coupled to the third I/O port, and a first resistor with a first terminal coupled to the second I/O port and a second terminal coupled to the third I/O port;
• and
• a second splitter/combiner circuit coupled to the first splitter/combiner circuit, wherein the second splitter/combiner circuit includes a fourth I/O port, a fifth I/O port, a sixth I/O port, and a ring of multiple quarter wave lines that includes a third quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fourth I/O port and a second end coupled to the fifth I/O port, a fourth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fourth I/O port and a second end coupled to the sixth I/O port, a fifth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fifth I/O port, and a sixth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the sixth I/O port and a second end coupled to a second end of the fifth quarter wave line, wherein the third quarter wave line and the fourth quarter wave line extend from the fourth I/O port in different directions from each other, and wherein the first and second quarter wave lines extend in parallel with each other so that the second I/O port and the third I/O port are physically separated by a distance of about a width of the first resistor.

A multiple-stage splitter/combiner circuit comprising:

• a first splitter/combiner circuit with a first input/output (I/O) port, a second I/O port, a third I/O port, a first quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the first I/O port and a second end coupled to the second I/O port, a second quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the first I/O port and a second end coupled to the third I/O port, and a first resistor with a first terminal coupled to the second I/O port and a second terminal coupled to the third I/O port;
• and
• a second splitter/combiner circuit coupled to the first splitter/combiner circuit, wherein the second splitter/combiner circuit includes a fourth I/O port, a fifth I/O port, a sixth I/O port, and a ring of multiple quarter wave lines that includes a third quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fourth I/O port and a second end coupled to the fifth I/O port, a fourth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fourth I/O port and a second end coupled to the sixth I/O port, a fifth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fifth I/O port, and a sixth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the sixth I/O port and a second end coupled to a second end of the fifth quarter wave line, wherein the third quarter wave line and the fourth quarter wave line extend from the fourth I/O port in different directions from each other, and wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth quarter wave lines each include an unbalanced transmission line.

A multiple-stage splitter/combiner circuit comprising:

• a first splitter/combiner circuit with a first input/output (I/O) port, a second I/O port, a third I/O port, a first quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the first I/O port and a second end coupled to the second I/O port, a second quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the first I/O port and a second end coupled to the third I/O port, and a first resistor with a first terminal coupled to the second I/O port and a second terminal coupled to the third I/O port;
• and
• a second splitter/combiner circuit coupled to the first splitter/combiner circuit, wherein the second splitter/combiner circuit includes a fourth I/O port, a fifth I/O port, a sixth I/O port, and a ring of multiple quarter wave lines that includes a third quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fourth I/O port and a second end coupled to the fifth I/O port, a fourth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fourth I/O port and a second end coupled to the sixth I/O port, a fifth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fifth I/O port, and a sixth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the sixth I/O port and a second end coupled to a second end of the fifth quarter wave line, wherein the third quarter wave line and the fourth quarter wave line extend from the fourth I/O port in different directions from each other, and wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth quarter wave lines each include a balanced transmission line.

A beamformer integrated circuit comprising:

• a first system-side radio frequency (RF) input/output (I/O) terminal;
• N first antenna-side RF I/O terminals;
• N first transceiver channels electrically coupled to the N first antenna-side RF I/O terminals;
• and
• a first multiple-stage splitter/combiner circuit electrically coupled between the first system- side RF I/O terminal and the N first transceiver channels, wherein the first multiple-stage splitter/combiner circuit includes a first splitter/combiner circuit with a first I/O port, a second I/O port, a third I/O port, a first quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the first I/O port and a second end coupled to the second I/O port, a second quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the first I/O port and a second end coupled to the third I/O port, and a first resistor with a first terminal coupled to the second I/O port and a second terminal coupled to the third I/O port, and
• a second splitter/combiner circuit coupled to the first splitter/combiner circuit, wherein the second splitter/combiner circuit includes a fourth I/O port, a fifth I/O port, a sixth I/O port, and a ring of multiple quarter wave lines that includes a third quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fourth I/O port and a second end coupled to the fifth I/O port, a fourth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fourth I/O port and a second end coupled to the sixth I/O port, a fifth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fifth I/O port, and a sixth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the sixth I/O port and a second end coupled to a second end of the fifth quarter wave line, wherein the third quarter wave line and the fourth quarter wave line extend from the fourth I/O port in different directions from each other.

A communication system comprising:

• a beamformer that includes
• a first system-side radio frequency (RF) input/output (I/O) terminal,
• N first antenna-side RF I/O terminals,
• N first transceiver channels electrically coupled to the N first antenna-side RF I/O terminals, and
• a first multiple-stage splitter/combiner circuit electrically coupled between the first system-side RF I/O terminal and the N first transceiver channels, wherein the first multiple-stage splitter/combiner circuit includes
• a first splitter/combiner circuit with a first I/O port, a second I/O port, a third I/O port, a first quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the first I/O port and a second end coupled to the second I/O port, a second quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the first I/O port and a second end coupled to the third I/O port, and a first resistor with a first terminal coupled to the second I/O port and a second terminal coupled to the third I/O port, and
• a second splitter/combiner circuit coupled to the first splitter/combiner circuit, wherein the second splitter/combiner circuit includes a fourth I/O port, a fifth I/O port, a sixth I/O port, and a first ring of multiple quarter wave lines that includes a third quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fourth I/O port and a second end coupled to the fifth I/O port, a fourth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fourth I/O port and a second end coupled to the sixth I/O port, a fifth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the fifth I/O port, and a sixth quarter wave line with a first end coupled to the sixth I/O port and a second end coupled to a second end of the fifth quarter wave line, wherein the third quarter wave line and the fourth quarter wave line extend from the fourth I/O port in different directions from each other;
• and
• N first antenna elements, wherein each of the N first antenna elements includes a first connection point associated with a first polarization, and the N first antenna-side RF I/O terminals each are coupled to the first connection point of a different one of the N first antenna elements.