Broadband N-way active power splitter

Claim 2

An active power splitter for receiving an input signal and producing a plurality of output signals, the output signals having matched phases and equal power, said power splitter comprising: broadband feedback amplifier means for amplifying the input signal to produce an amplified signal; and active matching network means for splitting the amplified signal into the plurality of output signals, said amplifier means comprising a gain stage and an active load, coupled to said network means and isolating said network means from the input signal.

Claim 3

An active power splitter for receiving an input signal and producing a plurality of output signals, the output signals having matched phases and equal power, said power splitter comprising: broadband feedback amplifier means for amplifying the input signal to produce an amplified signal; and active matching network means for splitting the amplified signal into the plurality of output signals, said amplifier means isolating said network means from the input signal and comprising a gain stage and an active load stage, coupled to said network means, said gain stage comprising: a first field-effect transistor having a gate terminal for receiving the input signal, a drain terminal coupled to said network means, and a source terminal; and an inductive feedback element and resistive feedback element, coupled between the drain terminal and the gate terminal of said first field-effect transistor, said inductive feedback element and said resistive feedback element cooperatively selected to ensure the desired gain characteristics of said gain stage.

Claim 4

An active power splitter for receiving an input signal and producing a plurality of output signals, the output signals having matched phases and equal power, said power splitter comprising: broadband feedback amplifier means for amplifying the input signal to produce an amplified signal; and active matching network means for splitting the amplified signal into the plurality of output signals, said amplifier means isolating said network means from the input signal and comprising a gain stage and an active load stage, coupled to said network means, said gain stage comprising: a first field-effect transistor having a gate terminal for receiving the input signal, a drain terminal coupled to said network means, and a source terminal; and an inductive feedback element and resistive feedback element, coupled between the drain terminal and the gate terminal of said first field-effect transistor, said inductive feedback element and said resistive feedback element cooperatively selected to ensure the desired gain characteristics of said gain stage.

Claim 5

The power splitter of claim 2, wherein said gain stage further comprises an input inductive element coupled to the gate terminal of said first field-effect transistor for applying the input signal to the gate terminal of said first field-effect transistor and providing said gain stage with an enhanced input voltage standing wave ratio.

Claim 6

The power splitter of claim 2, wherein said gain stage further comprises an output inductive element coupled between the drain of said first field-effect transistor and said network means for enhancing the bandwidth of said gain stage.

Claim 7

An active power splitter for receiving an input signal and producing a plurality of output signals, the output signals having matched phases and equal power, said power splitter comprising: broadband feedback amplifier means for amplifying the input signal to produce an amplified signal; and active matching network means for splitting the amplified signal into the plurality of output signals, said amplifier means isolating said network means from the input signal and comprising a gain stage and an active load stage, coupled to said network means, said active load comprising a second field-effect transistor having two gate terminals and a source terminal coupled to the drain terminal of said first field-effect transistor, said second field-effect transistor providing a relatively small load.

Claim 8

An active power splitter for receiving an input signal and producing a plurality of output signals, the output signals having matched phases and equal power, said power splitter comprising: broadband feedback amplifier means for amplifying the input signal to produce an amplified signal; and active matching network means for splitting the amplified signal into the plurality of output signals, said amplifier means isolating said network means from the input signal and comprising a gain stage and an active load stage, coupled to said network means, said active load comprising a second field-effect transistor having two gate terminals and a source terminal coupled to the drain terminal of said first field-effect transistor, said second field-effect transistor providing a relatively small load.

Claim 9

An active power splitter for receiving an input signal and producing a plurality of output signals, the output signals having matched phases and equal power, said power splitter comprising: broadband feedback amplifier means for amplifying the input signal to produce an amplified signal; and active matching network means for splitting the amplified signal into the plurality of output signals, said amplifier means isolating said network means from the input signal, said network means comprising a plurality of pairs of source followers and active loads coupled to said amplifier means at a single point.

Claim 10

An active power splitter for receiving an input signal and producing a plurality of output signals, the output signals having matched phases and equal power, said power splitter comprising: broadband feedback amplifier means for amplifying the input signal to produce an amplified signal; and active matching network means for splitting the amplified signal into the plurality of output signals, said amplifier means isolating said network means from the input signal, said network means comprising a plurality of pairs of source followers and active loads coupled to said amplifier means at a single point.

Claim 11

The power splitter of claim 6, wherein each said pair of source followers and active loads comprises: a source follower field-effect transistor having a drain terminal, a gate terminal coupled to said amplifier means, and a source terminal; and a load field-effect transistor having a drain terminal, coupled to the source terminal of said source follower field-effect transistor, and a gate terminal and a source terminal coupled together.

Claim 12

The power splitter of claim 7, wherein said source follower field-effect transistors and said load field-effect transistors are included as part of an integrated circuit and are physically close to each other.

Claim 13

A power splitter for receiving an input signal and producing a plurality of output signals comprising: a gain stage field-effect transistor having a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a source terminal; an input inductive element coupled to the gate terminal of said gain stage field-effect transistor; an output inductive element coupled to the drain terminal of said gain stage field-effect transistor; a feedback loop, including an inductive feedback element and a resistive feedback element, coupled between the gate terminal of said gain stage field-effect transistor and said output inductive element; a dual-gate field-effect transistor having two gate terminals, a drain terminal, and a source terminal, the two gate terminals and the source terminal of said dual gate field-effect transistor being coupled to the output inductive element and the feedback loop at a common point; a first source follower field-effect transistor having a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a source terminal, the gate terminal of said first source follower field-effect transistor being coupled to said common point; a first load field-effect transistor having a gate terminal a drain terminal, and a source terminal, the gate and source terminals of said first load field-effect transistor being coupled together, the drain terminal of said first load field-effect transistor being coupled to the source terminal of said first source follower field-effect transistor; a second source follower field-effect transistor having a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a source terminal, the gate terminal of said second source follower field-effect transistor being coupled to said common point; and a second load field-effect transistor having a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a source terminal, the gate and source terminals of said second load field-effect transistor being coupled together, the drain terminal of said second load field-effect transistor being coupled to the source terminal of said second source follower field-effect transistor.

Claim 14

A power splitter for receiving an input signal and producing a plurality of output signals comprising: a gain stage field-effect transistor having a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a source terminal; an input inductive element coupled to the gate terminal of said gain stage field-effect transistor; an output inductive element coupled to the drain terminal of said gain stage field-effect transistor; a feedback loop, including an inductive feedback element and a resistive feedback element, coupled between the gate terminal of said gain stage field-effect transistor and said output inductive element; a dual-gate field-effect transistor having two gate terminals, a drain terminal, and a source terminal, the two gate terminals and the source terminal of said dual gate field-effect transistor being coupled to the output inductive element and the feedback loop at a common point; a first source follower field-effect transistor having a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a source terminal, the gate terminal of said first source follower field-effect transistor being coupled to said common point; a first load field-effect transistor having a gate terminal a drain terminal, and a source terminal, the gate and source terminals of said first load field-effect transistor being coupled together, the drain terminal of said first load field-effect transistor being coupled to the source terminal of said first source follower field-effect transistor; a second source follower field-effect transistor having a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a source terminal, the gate terminal of said second source follower field-effect transistor being coupled to said common point; and a second load field-effect transistor having a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a source terminal, the gate and source terminals of said second load field-effect transistor being coupled together, the drain terminal of said second load field-effect transistor being coupled to the source terminal of said second source follower field-effect transistor.