Amplifier with radial line divider/combiner
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsJames M. Schellenberg, Marvin Cohn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power amplifier that divides input power among a plurality of parallel channels through a radial line divider, amplifies the power in each channel with three terminal devices, and combines the amplified power in a radial line combiner to produce an output signal. The radial line divider/combiner includes a radial transmission line having a plurality of sectors symmetrically disposed around the inner radius of a supporting annular substrate. The sectors are connected to respective three terminal devices through microstrip transmission lines, and are isolated from laterally adjacent sectors by thin film isolation resistors.
Claims11
A radial line divider/combiner comprising:
- an annular substrate having an inner radius and an outer radius;
- a radial line covering selected portions of a major surface of the annular substrate, said radial line having a plurality of sectors symmetrically disposed about the center of the annular substrate;
- a plurality of transmission lines radially extending from the perimeter of the radial line to the outer radius of the substrate;
- and
- a plurality of isolation resistors connecting laterally adjacent sectors of the radial line.
A composite amplifier comprising:
- a radial line power divider having a first radial transmission line supported on an annular substrate, the first radial transmission line having a plurality of sectors that are symmetrically disposed around the inner radius of the annular substrate such that said sectors cooperate to divide the input signal, said radial line power divider including a plurality of isolation resistors connecting adjacent sectors of said first radial transmission line;
- a plurality of elemental amplifiers corresponding to the number of sectors of the radial line power divider;
- first means for connecting each of said amplifiers to a respective sector of the radial line power divider such that the amplifier amplifies the power divided into that respective sector;
- a radial line power combiner having a second radial transmission line supported on an annular substrate, the second radial transmission line having a plurality of sectors that are symmetrically disposed around the inner radius of the annular substrate, said radial line power combiner including a plurality of isolation resistors connecting adjacent sectors of said second radial transmission line;
- and
- second means for connecting each of said amplifiers to a respective sector of the radial line power combiner such that the radial line power combiner combines the output of the elemental amplifiers to provide a composite amplifier output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.