Wideband, minimum-rating filters and multicouplers for power amplifiers

(54) WIDEBAND, MINIMUM-RATING FILTERS AND MULTICOUPLERS FOR POWER AMPLIFIERS

(76) Inventor: Frederick Herbert Raab, Green

Mountain Radio Research Company, 50 Vermont Ave., Colchester, VT (US) 05446

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 254 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 09/676,525

(22) Filed: Oct. 2, 2000

Related U.S. Application Data

(62) Division of application No. 09/138,956, filed on Aug. 24,

1998, now Pat. No. 6,252,461. (60) Provisional application No. 60/056,424, filed on Aug. 25,

1997.

(51) Int. C I. H03F 3/04

(52) U.S. CI 333/216; 330/53; 330/124 R;

330/302; 333/32; 333/213; 333/214

(58) Field of Search 333/32, 213, 214,

333/216; 330/53, 124 R, 302

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

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(List continued on next page.) Primary Examiner—Michael B Shingleton

A method and a circuit for power amplification over a wide frequency range based upon the use of minimum-rating filters or matching networks, negative-component signal processing, and single or multiple amplifiers. The filters and matching networks are preferably designed to minimize the required ratings of the amplifier(s) driving them. The signal processor or generator preferably uses negative components to produces a driving signal that is compensated for the ripple in the filter, matching network, and load. The outputs of multiple amplifiers optimized for different frequency ranges can be combined into a single load with flat frequency response, resistive loads presented to the amplifiers, and no inherent power loss in the combining network.

22 Claims, 24 Drawing Sheets

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

F.H. Raab and D.J. Rupp, High-efficiency single-sideband HF/VHF transmitter based upon envelope elimination and restoration, Proc. Sixth Int. Conf. HF Radio Systems and Techniques (HF '94), York, UK, pp. 21-25, Jul. 4-7, 1994. F.H. Raab, B.E. Sigmon, R.G. Myers and R.M. Jackson, High-efficiency L-band Kahn technique transmitter, Int. Microwave Symp. Digest, vol. 2, Baltimore, MD, pp. 585-588, Jun. 7-12, 1998.

F.H. Raab, Intermodulation distortion in Kahn-technique transmitters, IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., vol. 44, No. 12, part 1, pp. 2273-2278, Dec. 1996. J.R. Hall, The transmitter combiner, Communications, pp. 30-32, Mar. 4, 1970.

R. Levy and K. Andersen, HF diplexer with helical resonators, Applied Microwave Mag, vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 76-87, Summer 1992.

J.R. Witmer, A modular two-band diplexer, R.F. Design, vol. 14, No. 13, pp. 30-34, Dec. 1991.

H.L. Krauss, C.W. Bostian and F.H. Raab, Solid State Radio Engineering, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1980, Section 12-7 and Section 16-5.

A.I. Zverev, Handbook of Filter Synthesis, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1967, pp. 312, 313, 314.

W.-K. Chen, Broadband Matching Theory and Implementations, Second Edition, World Scientific, New Jersey, 1988, Chapter 4—Section 1,2, 3, and Chapter 6—Section 3 and 4.

PL.D. Abrie, The Design of Impedance-Matching Networks for Radio-Frequency and Microwave Amplifiers, Artech House, Dedham, Massachusetts, 1985, Chapter 6—pp. 161-239.

* cited by examiner