A compact seven-way power divider for satellite beam forming networks

Two designs for a seven-way power divider/combiner are described that meet the physical and performance requirements needed to implement a beamforming network for a communication satellite. The key to the successful implementation of this scheme is the ability to form the basic seven-way divider used in a very compact form. Approximately half of the input power must be delivered to an output port that has an axis parallel to that of the input port, with the remaining power divided equally among six radial ports. One uses six pairs of quarter-wavelength-long broadside coupled lines. The second configuration uses three sections of power division: a single Wilkinson two-way divider provides the power split to the output port, and, a three-way radial divider, capable of theoretically infinite isolation, feeds three separate Wilkinson two-way dividers, which then provide the six radial outputs. Both designs have been analyzed, built, and tested, and the experimental results are described.<>