A Novel Compact Broadband Quasi-Twisted Branch Line Coupler Based on a Double-Layered Microstrip Line

被引:6
作者
Ahmed, Fayyadh H. [1 ]
Saad, Rola [1 ]
Khamas, Salam K. [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Sheffield, Dept Elect & Elect Engn, Commun Res Grp, Sheffield S1 3JD, England
关键词
branch line coupler (BLC); microstrip double-layered TL (MDL-TL); phased array antenna; slow wave structure; DESIGN;
D O I
10.3390/mi15010142
中图分类号
O65 [分析化学];
学科分类号
070302 ; 081704 ;
摘要
A novel quasi-twisted miniaturized wideband branch line coupler (BLC) is proposed. The design is based on bisecting the conventional microstrip line BLC transversely and folding bisected sections on double-layered substrates with a common ground plane in between. The input and output terminals, each with a length of lambda(g)/4, and the pair of quarter-wavelength horizontal parallel arms are converted into a Z-shaped meandered microstrip line in the designed structure. Conversely, the pair of quarter-wavelength vertical arms are halved into two lines and transformed into a periodically loaded slow-wave structure. The bisected parts of the BLC are placed on the opposite side of the doubled-layer substrate and connected through four vias passing through the common ground plane. This technique enabled a compact BLC size of 6.4 x 18 mm(2), which corresponds to a surface area miniaturization by similar to 50% as compared to the classical BLC size of 10 x 23 mm(2) at 6 GHz. Moreover, the attained relative bandwidth is 73.9% (4.6-10 GHz) for S11, S33, S21, and the phase difference between outputs (angle S21 - angle S41). However, if a coupling parameter (S41) of up to -7.5 dB is considered, then the relative bandwidth reduces to 53.9% (4.6-10 GHz) for port 1 as the input. Similarly, for port 3 as the input, the obtained bandwidth is 75.8% (4.5-10 GHz) for S33, S11, S43, and the phase difference between outputs (angle S43 - angle S23). Likewise, this bandwidth reduces to 56% (4.5-8 GHz) when a coupling parameter (S23) of up to -7.5 dB is considered. In contrast, the relative bandwidth for the ordinary BLC is 41% at the same resonant frequency. The circuit is constructed on a double-layered low-cost FR4 substrate with a relative permittivity of 4.3 and a loss tangent of 0.025. An isolation of -13 dB was realized in both S-13 and S-31 demonstrating an excellent performance. The transmission coefficients between input/output ports S-21, S-41, S-23, and S-43 are between -3.1 dB to -3.5 dB at a frequency of 6 GHz. Finally, the proposed BLC provides phase differences between output ports of 90.5 degrees and 94.8 degrees at a frequency of 6 GHz when the input ports 1 and 3 are excited, respectively. The presented design offers the potential of being utilized as a unit cell for building a Butler matrix (BM) for sub-6 GHz 5G beamforming networks.
引用
收藏
页数:17
相关论文
共 25 条
[1]  
Abdulbari A. A., 2021, International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering (IJECE), V11, DOI 10.11591
[2]   Miniaturized branch-line coupler based on slow-wave microstrip lines [J].
Alhalabi, H. ;
Issas, H. ;
Pistono, E. ;
Kaddour, D. ;
Podevin, F. ;
Abouchahine, S. ;
Ferrari, P. .
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MICROWAVE AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES, 2018, 10 (10) :1103-1106
[3]   Design of novel miniaturized fractal-shaped branch-line couplers [J].
Chen, Wen-Ling ;
Wang, Guang-Ming .
MICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, 2008, 50 (05) :1198-1201
[4]   Compact planar microstripline branch-line and rat-race couplers [J].
Eccleston, KW ;
Ong, SHM .
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES, 2003, 51 (10) :2119-2125
[5]  
Edwards T. C., 2016, Foundations for microstrip circuit design, DOI 10.1002/9781118936160
[6]  
Gomha S., 2014, Circuits Syst. Int. J. (CSIJ), V1, P13
[7]  
Gomha S, 2015, OPTOELECTRON ADV MAT, V9, P836
[8]   MIMO Antenna System for Modern 5G Handheld Devices with Healthcare and High Rate Delivery [J].
Kiani, Saad Hassan ;
Altaf, Ahsan ;
Anjum, Muhammad Rizwan ;
Afridi, Sharjeel ;
Arain, Zulfiqar Ali ;
Anwar, Sadia ;
Khan, Salahuddin ;
Alibakhshikenari, Mohammad ;
Lalbakhsh, Ali ;
Khan, Muhammad Abbas ;
Abd-Alhameed, Raed A. ;
Limiti, Ernesto .
SENSORS, 2021, 21 (21)
[9]   A Flexible Miniaturized Wideband Branch-Line Coupler Using Shunt Open-Stubs and Meandering Technique [J].
Kumar, Kanaparthi V. Phani ;
Alazemi, Abdullah J. .
IEEE ACCESS, 2021, 9 :158241-158246
[10]   Design of Miniaturized 10 dB Wideband Branch Line Coupler Using Dual Feed and T-Shape Transmission Lines [J].
Kumar, Mukesh ;
Islam, S. K. Nurul ;
Sen, Gobinda ;
Parui, Susanta Kumar ;
Das, Santanu .
RADIOENGINEERING, 2018, 27 (01) :207-213