Splitters and Couplers
R2026bUse the splitter and coupler objects and functions to create and visualize splitters and couplers used on a printed circuit board (PCB).
Wilkinson power splitters are commonly used as power dividers for lossless power division and matching between ports. An unequal Wilkinson splitter is used in FMCW radars to split power unequally between the transmitter and the local oscillator or to feed power to beam forming antenna arrays.
Couplers have the unique capability to divide power between two ports with a phase shift. A rat-race coupler splits power as the sum or the difference of the input powers between the output ports. A branchline coupler divides the input power between the output ports with a phase difference of 90 degrees. Lange couplers are used to combine or split power in a large range of frequencies.
Objects
Functions
show | Display PCB component structure or PCB shape |
info | Display information about PCB component structure |
pcbcascade | Create new component using cascade operation |
shapes | Extract all metal layer shapes of PCB component |
design | Design corporate power divider around specified frequency (Since R2022a) |
design | Design wideband Wilkinson splitter around specified frequency (Since R2022a) |
design | Design wideband branchline coupler around particular frequency (Since R2023a) |
Featured Examples
4-Port Coupler in Shielded Enclosure
Design and analyze a 4-Port coupler with a shielded enclosure. PCBs often experience unwanted problems such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) leading to performance degradation and failure. It may also affect other sensitive electronics due to outgoing EMI. An ideal shield will completely block off the EMI and ensure that strong signals cannot escape. Here you enclose a branchline coupler in a Faraday shield and analyze the coupler at 3 GHz using Finite Element Method (FEM).
Design and Analyze Wideband Multisection Branchline Coupler with Defected Ground Structure
Design and analyze a multisection branchline coupler with a defected ground plane in RF PCB Toolbox™.
Corporate Feed Divider Network for a Linear Patch Antenna Array
Integrate a corporate power divider with a microstrip patch antenna array to provide a signal feed to the antenna array. Corporate power dividers are used to divide, or combine, RF signals, either equally or unequally, from one port to multiple ports. The corporate power divider is available as a catalog element in RF PCB Toolbox™. The patch antenna array is built using the patchMicrostripInsetfed catalog element and pcbStack from Antenna Toolbox™.
Introduction to Equal and Unequal Split Wilkinson Power Splitter
Design, analyze, and compare an equal and unequal Wilkinson splitter.
Introduction to 4-Port Couplers
Design and analyze 4-Port couplers.
