Bilkent University

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

ULTRA WIDEBAND
TAPERED
DIVIDER/COMBINER
Okan nl
Advisor: Abdullah Atalar

Contents
Literature
What is a power divider?
Examples of power
dividers
Tapered Lines

Even mode analysis

Design of a tapered line
Improvement of the
tapered lines

Odd mode analysis

4 methods for the isolation
resistors
Odd mode bandwidth

Combined Structure
Schematic
Simulation
EM simulation
Implemented
Design
Continuous Isolation

Results
Design Guideline

Contents
Literature
What is a power divider?
Examples of power
dividers
Tapered Lines

Even mode analysis

Design of a tapered line
Improvement of the
tapered lines

Odd mode analysis

4 methods for the isolation
resistors
Odd mode bandwidth

Combined Structure
Schematic
Simulation
EM simulation
Implemented
Design
Continuous Isolation

Results
Design Guideline

Literature Power Dividers

Power dividers/combiners are three port
devices
Reciprocal
Matched
Lossless

Cannot achieve all at the same time!

Examples:
Circulator: Not Reciprocal
T-junction: Not matched
Resistive divider: Lossy

Literature Wilkinson
Power Divider
Wilkinson
Divider/Combiner
Commonly used
Two quarter
wavelength lines
Single Isolation
resistor
Narrowband
Reciprocal and
Matched
Lossy ??
Lossy in one

The even mode odd mode

analyses

Symmetry Plane
(Open circuit)

Odd Mode

Isolation

Other Dividers
Other Power Divider/Combiner

T-junction
Magic Tee
3 dB Hybrid Couplers
Rat race couplers
Hybrid Transformers
Resistive dividers

Tapered Lines
Real impedance matching
Half-wavelength
Large size quarter wave transformer

No upper frequency limit

Tapered Lines

Exponential Taper
Klopfenstein Taper
Triangular Taper

Figure of Merit
Better bandwidth
N-Section Wilkinson

Size
Quarter wave at the lowest pass band
frequency

Contents
Literature
What is a power divider?
Examples of power
dividers
Tapered Lines

Even mode analysis

Design of a tapered line
Improvement of the
tapered lines

Odd mode analysis

4 methods for the isolation
resistors
Odd mode bandwidth

Combined Structure
Schematic
Simulation
EM simulation
Implemented
Design
Continuous Isolation

Results
Design Guideline

Even mode Analysis of the

Proposed Divider
Tapered Line
Exponential Taper
Quarter wavelength

Exponential Taper
Equations

Tapered Line
100 to 50 Exponential Tapered Line Reflection

Tapered Line
Can be simplified with N section transmission lines

Tapered Line
Design
with @ 1 GHz

Simulation
Lower frequency should be improved
Has an upper frequency limit

Tapered Line EM
Structure
Microstrip Structure
Width of each section calculated
Total length calculated
Structure established in CST Microwave
Studio

Tapered Line EM
Simulation

Tapered Line Smith Chart

Input has some

inductance at lower
frequencies.
Compensate @1 GHz

Improved Tapered Line

A
series capacitance

and

Place a series capacitance to the input side than

the bandwidth is improved.

Improved Tapered Line

Lower Frequency side

Contents
Literature
What is a power divider?
Examples of power
dividers
Tapered Lines

Even mode analysis

Design of a tapered line
Improvement of the
tapered lines

Odd mode analysis

4 methods for the isolation
resistors
Odd mode bandwidth

Combined Structure
Schematic
Simulation
EM simulation
Implemented
Design
Continuous Isolation

Results
Design Guideline

Odd mode analysis

Same as N section Wilkinson
There are N resistors
Power coming in from port should be
dissipated

Equal power dissipation

method
Suggestion:

Use schematic optimizer

Cohn approximations

Small reflections does not apply!

Chebychev matching is not possible
Each resistor should dissipate same power
There is a frequency that all intermediate
impedances are real
Each TL is a quarter wavelength transformer

Equal power dissipation

method

Equal power dissipation

method

Equal power dissipation

method

Equal power dissipation

method

Equal power dissipation

method

Linear Variation Method

Empirical Method

Linear Variation Method

Bandwidth Improvement
Empirical method
R(1) has the most effect on bandwidth
as an improvement factor

Compared Bandwidths
Linear variation method
N

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

BW (-20
dB)
3.32
5.01
6.68
8.38
10.06
11.72
13.42
15.11
16.76
18.52
20.09
21.78
23.55

1.3
1.6
1.9
2.15
2.5
2.75
3.05
3.4
3.8
4.1
4.1
4.25
4.6

Equal power dissipation

method

BW with
(-20 dB)

BW (-20
dB)

3.56
5.66
7.83
9.99
12.21
14.41
16.65
18.89
21.13
23.36
25.41
27.57
29.81

2.81
5.08
6.84
8.70
10.43
12.21
13.97
15.72
17.48
19.15
20.83
22.62
24.34

1.20
1.55
1.90
2.15
2.35
2.55
2.75
3.00
3.15
3.30
3.50
3.70
3.95

Literature

Chebyche
Cohn's
v based
BW with
BW
Wilkinson
(-20 dB)
(-25
BW (dB)
20dB)
2.93
2.75
2.00
5.64
4.25
3.00
8.11
5.80
4.00
10.64
7.40
13.09
9.00
15.46
10.59
10.00
17.82
12.21
20.37
13.83
22.62
15.46
24.97
17.06
27.31
18.76
29.51
20.37
32.07
21.94
-

Compared Size and FoM

2
3

Improved BW
Improved BW
Equal power
Chebychev
linear
equal power
dissipation
based
variation
dissipation
method
Wilkinson
method
method
L'
FoM
L'
FoM
L'
FoM
L'
FoM
L'
FoM
0.23 14.36 0.22 16.24 0.26 10.73 0.25 11.54 0.27 10.31
0.25 20.06 0.23 25.10 0.25 20.57 0.23 25.01 0.29 14.88

L'
0.3
0.4

0.26 25.68 0.23 34.53 0.26 26.78 0.22 36.92 0.29 19.72

0.4

5
6

0.27 31.44 0.23 43.91 0.26 33.76 0.21 49.55 0.30 24.86
0.27 37.11 0.23 53.73 0.26 39.73 0.21 61.48 0.30 30.00

0.28 42.63 0.23 63.42 0.27 46.05 0.21 72.67 0.30 35.07

0.3

8
9

0.28 48.36 0.23 73.48 0.27 52.26 0.21 83.85 0.30

0.28 54.11 0.23 83.46 0.27 58.39 0.21 96.77 0.30
106.8
0.28 59.51 0.23 93.49 0.27 64.62 0.21
0.30
9
103.4
117.8
0.28 65.70 0.23
0.27 70.14 0.21
0.30
3
8
111.8
128.8
0.28 70.64 0.23
0.27 75.76 0.21
0.30
6
2

10
11
12

Linear
variation
method

Cohn's

40.32
45.58

FoM
6.00
8.00
10.0
0
31.4
3
-

50.89

56.02

61.78

Power Handling Capacity

Previously,

Equal power dissipation

Linear variation
Improved bandwidth equal power dissipation
Improved bandwidth linear variation

Power handling capacity??

Power dominated with one of the resistors

Power Handling Capacity

Equal Power Dissipation

Power Handling Capacity

Linear Variation

Power Handling Capacity

Improved Bandwidth Equal Power
Dissipation

Power Handling Capacity

Improved Bandwidth Linear Variation

Power Handling Capacity

Wilkinson Divider

Power Handling Capacity

Contents
Literature
What is a power divider?
Examples of power dividers
Tapered Lines

Even mode analysis

Design of a tapered line
Improvement of the
tapered lines

Odd mode analysis

Isolation resistors
4 methods for the isolation
resistors
Odd mode bandwidth

Combined Structure
Schematic
Simulation
EM simulation
Implemented
Design
Continuous Isolation

Results
Design Guideline

Combined Structure
Schematic model of new power
divider/combiner

Combined Structure

Wilkinson divider
Schematic model of Wilkinson Divider

Wilkinson divider

EM model
Proposed Structure

EM model
Resistors with surface resistive layers
Ohmic sheet

Resistor

EM model
CST microwave Studio

EM Model Practical
Problems
Capacitor can not be implemented in EM
It is necessary to know internal structure of
capacitor

Implemented Design
Instead of the surface resistive materials,
discrete resistors are used

Implemented Design
Network Analyzer Outputs

Continuous Isolation
Resistor
Filled the gap with surface resistive
material

Continuous Isolation
Resistor

Even mode Loss

dx

dx

dx

Zeven(x-dx)

Zeven(x)

Zeven(x+dx)

Zeven(x-dx)

Zeven(x)

Zeven(x+dx)

Continuous Isolation
Resistor

Contents
Literature
What is a power divider?
Examples of power dividers
Tapered Lines

Even mode analysis

Design of a tapered line
Improvement of the
tapered lines

Odd mode analysis

Isolation resistors
4 methods for the isolation
resistors
Odd mode bandwidth

Combined Structure
Schematic
Simulation
EM simulation
Implemented
Design
Continuous Isolation

Results
Design Guideline

Conclusion
Improved tapered line design with quarter
wavelength
Four different methods for the isolation resistor

Linear Variation
Equal Power Dissipation
Improved Bandwidth Linear Variation
Improved Bandwidth Equal Power Dissipation

Combined Structure
Better BW with same size N section Wilkinson divider
Explanation to Even mode loss
Continuous Isolation Resistor

Design Guide Line

Decide
frequency Bandwidth and

Design a Tapered Line for frequency

Improve Tapered Line with a capacitor to
Decide Isolation Resistors
Simulate Schematic model
Construct EM model and Optimize

References
[1] D. M. Pozar, Microwave Engineering. Wiley-IEEE Press, 2011.
[2] E. Wilkinson, \An n-way power divider," IRE Trans. on Microwave Theory and
Techniques, vol. 8, pp. 116 { 118, 1960.
[3] S. B. Cohn, \A class of broadband three-port tem-mode hybrids," IRE Trans. on
Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 19, pp. 110 { 116, 1968.
[4] J. C. Kao, Z. M. Tsai, K. Y. Lin, and H. Wang, \A modied Wilkinson power divider
with isolation bandwidth improvement," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory
and Techniques, pp. 2768{2780, 2012
X. P. Ou and Q. X. Chu, \A modied two-section uwb wilkinson power divider," 2008
International Conference on Microwave and Millimeter Wave Technology
Proceedings, ICMMT, pp. 1258{1260, 2008.
[6] O. Ahmed and A. R. Sebak, \A modied wilkinson power divider/combiner for
ultrawideband communications," IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society, AP-S
International Symposium, 2009.
[7] A. Wentzel, V. Sayed, and G. Boeck, \Novel broadband wilkinson power
combiner," European Microwave Conference, pp. 212{215, 2008
[8] U. H. Gysel, \A new n-way power divider/combiner suitable for highpower
applications," Microwave Symposium, 1975 IEEE-MTT-S International, pp. 116 118,
1975.

Thank you!
Questions?

Reciprocal Network
A reciprocal network is one in which the power losses are
the same between any two ports regardless of direction of
propagation (scattering parameter S21=S12, S13=S31,
etc.)
A network is known to be reciprocal if it is passive and
contains onlyisotropicmaterials. Examples of
reciprocalnetworks include cables, attenuators, and all
passive power splitters and couplers.
Non reciprocal device: Isolator, Circulator ()
Isotropy comes from the Greek iso, for equal (as in
isolateral triangles) and tropos, for direction. Isotropy
means that a particular material property is equal in all
directions (X, Y and Z). Anisotropy means that the
material property might vary depending on direction.

3 port device

Manufacturing Problems of
Ohmic sheet
Used in thin film and thick film processes
Only and its multiples
Very thin lines are problematic
PCB needs additional chemical processes
Long lead times

Analytical results for

Capacitor
Future work
Find :

Other Dividers Based on

Wilkinson
Divider/Combiner
Improving isolation bandwidth [2]
Improved bandwidth 2 section [3]

Tapered Line on Microstrip

Small reflections
In the odd mode does not apply.
Some of the power is lost in each section
Monotonically increasing/decreasing