Combiners/Dividers Range 0.8 To 3.0 GHz

March 1, 2003
These ruggedly built power splitters and combiners/dividers are designed to minimize losses and distortion when handling moderate to high power levels to 3 GHz.

Power combiners/dividers are invaluable components when summing the contributions of multiple power amplifiers (PAs) or splitting signals into lower-power multiple signals. A line of power combiners/dividers from MECA Electronics (Denville, NJ) combine the traits most desirable in this type of component, including low insertion loss, low VSWR, good power-handling capabilities, and high isolation between channels. The components detailed here range in frequency from 0.8 to 3.0 GHz, making them applicable for all cellular, personal-communications-services (PCS) and wireless-local-area-network (WLAN) systems.

The broadest-frequency models include two-way power splitter model R2N-1.900-M01 and three-way power splitter model R3N-1.900-M01, both for use from 0.8 to 3.0 GHz. The two-way splitter features 1.10:1 typical VSWR and 1.20:1 maximum VSWR with 0.3 dB typical insertion loss. The amplitude imbalance is typically 0.1 dB. The worst-case phase imbalance is 2 deg. The two-way splitter handles RF input power levels to 200 W.

Three-way power splitter model R3N-1.900-M01 exhibits typical VSWR of 1.15:1. The typical insertion loss is 0.3 dB. The amplitude imbalance is typically 0.1 dB with worst-case performance of 0.2 dB. The maximum phase imbalance is 3 deg. The three-way power splitter also handles input levels as high as 200 W. Both the two- and three-way power splitters measure 5.25 × 1.00 × 0.81 in. (13.34 × 2.54 × 2.1 cm) and are supplied with Type N female connectors. The connectors are constructed with silver-plated brass to minimize passive intermodulation distortion (PID) in wireless communications systems. The splitters are rated for operating temperatures from −55 to +85°C.

At lower frequencies, in cases where high port-to-port isolation is desired, the company offers the two-way model H2N-0.900 power combiner/divider and the four-way model H4N-0.900 power combiner/divider, both from applications from 0.8 to 1.0 GHz (see figure). The two-way component features typical VSWR of 1.10:1 with typical insertion loss of 0.2 dB. The worst-case amplitude imbalance is 0.1 dB while the worst-case phase imbalance is 2 deg. Isolation between ports is at least 20 dB. The combiner/divider handles a total of 100 W RF power, or 25 W maximum per port. MECA Electronics, Inc., 459 East Main St., Denville, NJ 07834; (866) 444-MECA, (973) 625-0661, FAX: (973) 625-1258, e-mail: [email protected], Internet: www.e-meca.com.

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.

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