Experimental characterization and control of a four-way non-isolating power combiner

In multi-way outphasing systems, a particular output power can be produced by multiple different combinations of input control phases. As a result, outphasing control angles can be selected to satisfy additional criteria, for example to control the input impedances to the four ports. This work explores an experimentally-determined outphasing control law based on network analyzer measurements of a fabricated 4-way combining structure. The experimental control law improves matching among the four input ports by approximately 10%.

[1]  W.H. Doherty,et al.  A New High Efficiency Power Amplifier for Modulated Waves , 1936, Proceedings of the Institute of Radio Engineers.

[2]  David J. Perreault,et al.  A New Power Combining and Outphasing Modulation System for High-Efficiency Power Amplification , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers.

[3]  Taylor W. Barton,et al.  Transmission-line-based multi-way lossless power combining and outphasing system , 2014, 2014 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS2014).

[4]  Frederick H. Raab,et al.  Efficiency of Outphasing RF Power-Amplifier Systems , 1985, IEEE Trans. Commun..