Wideband power divider design based on miniaturized ridge waveguides

Abstract

Beam forming networks (BFNs) are of paramount importance in communication satellite systems, subject to stringent mechanical, thermal and RF requirements. One of the fundamental constituents of these BFN are power dividers, enabling the distribution of the signal from a centralized input port to a larger array of output ports. In this work, we present a design of a wideband compact power divider transition connecting a conventional waveguide ridge (WRD180) to two smaller symmetric ridge waveguides within the same cross section envelope and along the longitudinal main direction of the waveguide. This strategy allows to save space by combining in a single element the functionalities of waveguide transition and power divider, minimizing its impact on the in-plane dimensions of the feeding network. The design follows a semi-analytical method for optimizing a smooth profile variation along the transition that is compatible with the tolerances of conventional milling techniques, and state-of-the-art metal 3D printing technologies. The developed design operates from 17.2 GHz to 33.9 GHz with return losses better than 20 dB in simulation, covering the uplink and downlink frequency bands dedicated to satellite communications in K/Ka-band.