Transmission line power dividers and power combiners with matched ports

A method, comprising either one of:

• providing input power to an input port of a power divider circuit, and receiving a portion of the provided input power from each given one of multiple separate and different output ports of the power divider circuit;
• or
• providing input power to each given one of the multiple separate and different output ports of the power divider circuit, and receiving at the input port of the power divider circuit a combination of the input power provided to each given one of the multiple separate and different output ports of the power divider circuit;
• where the power divider circuit comprises:
• an input arm comprising the input port and defined as an electrically-conductive transmission line on or within a printed circuit board (PCB),
• multiple output arms comprising the multiple respective output ports of the power divider and being electrically coupled to the input arm, each of the multiple output arms being defined as a separate electrically-conductive transmission line on or within the PCB,
• multiple impedance transformers defined as separate respective electrically-conductive transmission lines on or within the PCB, and
• at least one resistive shunt electrically coupled between each one of the multiple impedance transformers and a ground plane of the PCB, the resistive shunt being one or more electrically-conductive transmission lines defined on or within the PCB, and each of the impedance transformers being electrically coupled between a respective one of the resistive shunts and the input arm.

A system, comprising:

• a planar printed circuit board (PCB);
• a power divider circuit comprising:
• an input arm defined as an electrically-conductive transmission line on or within the PCB and the input arm providing an input port for the power divider circuit,
• multiple output arms electrically coupled to the input arm with each of the multiple output arms being defined as a separate electrically-conductive transmission line on or within the PCB and each of the multiple output arms providing a separate and different output port for the power divider circuit, and
• multiple impedance transformers defined as separate respective electrically-conductive transmission lines on or within the PCB;
• and
• at least one power source;
• where the power divider circuit further comprises
• at least one resistive shunt electrically coupled between each one of the multiple impedance transformers and a ground plane of the PCB, the resistive shunt being one or more electrically-conductive transmission lines defined on or within the PCB, and each of the impedance transformers being electrically coupled between a respective one of the resistive shunts and the input arm;
• and
• where either one of:
• the at least one power source is electrically coupled to the input port of the power divider circuit and providing input power to the input port of the power divider circuit, and a separate and different additional circuit electrically-coupled to each given one of the separate and different output ports of the power divider circuit and receiving a portion of the provided input power from the given one of the separate and different output ports of the power divider circuit, or
• the at least one power source comprises a separate and different power source electrically-coupled to each given one of the separate and different output ports of the power divider circuit and providing input power to the given one of the separate and different output ports of the power divider circuit, and an additional circuit electrically-coupled to the input port of the power divider circuit and receiving at the input port of the power divider circuit a combination of the input power provided to each given one of the separate and different output ports of the power divider circuit.