Power amplifier adapted to simplify adjustment work for preventing occurrence of parasitic oscillation

Claim 2

A power amplifier comprising: a power distributor receiving and dividing an input signal into, and producing as outputs thereof, a plurality of equally power-distributed signals; a plurality of amplifying elements respectively corresponding to, and amplifying, said plurality of equally power-distributed signals output by said power distributor and producing a plurality of corresponding, amplified output signals; a power coupler coupling together the plurality of corresponding, amplified output signals of said plurality of amplifying elements; and a variable resistance element, comprising a trimming resistor, connected between a pair of corresponding nodes, having a common phase, of a pair of power transmission lines on one of an input side and an output side of said plurality of amplifying elements.

Claim 3

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 1, wherein said variable resistance element further comprises a variable phase delay element connected in series with said trimming resistor.

Claim 4

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 2, wherein said variable phase delay element comprises first and second conductors of respective, different lengths, connecting first and second opposite ends of the trimming resistor respectively to the pair of nodes having the common phase.

Claim 5

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 3, wherein said trimming resistor is provided between the pair of nodes, having a common phase, of said respective power transmission lines in close proximity to the corresponding locations of said plurality of amplifying elements.

Claim 6

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 3, wherein, after the power amplifier is completed as a device, a resistance value of said variable resistance element is adjusted by trimming bonding wires that are used in said trimming resistor.

Claim 7

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 3 wherein, after the power amplifier is completed as a device, a resistance value of said variable resistance element is adjusted by trimming bonding wires that are used in said trimming resistor, and a phase delay amount of said variable phase delay element is adjusted by trimming said bonding wires so that opposite ends of said variable resistance element, as thereby formed, are located at respective, unequal distances from respective, opposite end portions of said variable resistance element.

Claim 8

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 3, further comprising: an input matching circuit, provided at an input side of a respective amplifying element, of said plurality of amplifying elements, for effecting impedance matching with respect to a corresponding power-distributed signal fed from said power distributor; an output matching circuit, corresponding to the input matching circuit and provided at an output side of said respective amplifying element, for effecting impedance matching with respect to the corresponding, amplified output thereof and which is coupled by said power coupler; a first matching circuit substrate on which said input matching circuit and said power distributor are mounted; and a second matching circuit substrate on which said output matching circuit and said power coupler are mounted.

Claim 9

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 7, further comprising first and second said trimming resistors formed respectively and connected between corresponding pairs of first nodes and second nodes, respectively on said first and second matching circuit substrates.

Claim 10

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 1, wherein said input signal is a high frequency band signal.

Claim 11

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 9, wherein said input signal is a microwave frequency band signal.

Claim 12

A power amplifier for receiving an input signal and producing an amplified signal at an output thereof, comprising: a power distributor for receiving and dividing the input signal into, and producing a plurality of equally power-distributed signals as outputs thereof, the power distributor supplying the equally power-distributed output signals thereof to a first plurality of corresponding power transmission lines; a plurality of amplifying elements having input sides respectively connected to the first plurality of power distribution lines for receiving therefrom, and amplifying, said plurality of corresponding, equally power-distributed signals and producing, and supplying to a second plurality of power transmission lines connected to output sides thereof, a plurality of corresponding, amplified output signals; a power coupler connected to the second plurality of power transmission lines for receiving therefrom, and coupling together, the plurality of corresponding amplified output signals and producing the coupled together, amplified output signals as the amplified signal output of the power amplifier; the first plurality of transmission lines having respective, first nodes of a first common phase and the second plurality of transmission lines having respective, second nodes of a second common phase; and a respective, variable resistance element associated with each pair of nodes, selectively, of one of the first plurality of nodes and of the second plurality of nodes, each variable resistance element comprising a trimming resistor connected between the respective, associated pair of nodes.

Claim 13

A power amplifier for receiving an input signal and producing an amplified signal at an output thereof, comprising: a power distributor for receiving and dividing the input signal into, and producing a plurality of equally power-distributed signals as outputs thereof, the power distributor supplying the equally power-distributed output signals thereof to a first plurality of corresponding power transmission lines; a plurality of amplifying elements having input sides respectively connected to the first plurality of power distribution lines for receiving therefrom, and amplifying, said plurality of corresponding, equally power-distributed signals and producing, and supplying to a second plurality of power transmission lines connected to output sides thereof, a plurality of corresponding, amplified output signals; a power coupler connected to the second plurality of power transmission lines for receiving therefrom, and coupling together, the plurality of corresponding amplified output signals and producing the coupled together, amplified output signals as the amplified signal output of the power amplifier; the first plurality of transmission lines having respective, first nodes of a first common phase and the second plurality of transmission lines having respective, second nodes of a second common phase; and a respective, variable resistance element associated with each pair of nodes, selectively, of one of the first plurality of nodes and of the second plurality of nodes, each variable resistance element comprising a trimming resistor connected between the respective, associated pair of nodes.

Claim 14

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 11, wherein each variable resistance element further comprises a variable phase delay element connected in series with the trimming resistor thereof between the respective, associated pair of nodes.

Claim 15

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 12, further comprising: an input matching circuit, provided at an input side of a respective amplifying element, of said plurality of amplifying elements, for effecting impedance matching with respect to a corresponding power-distributed signal fed from said power distributor; an output matching circuit, corresponding to the input matching circuit and provided at an output side of said respective amplifying element, for effecting impedance matching with respect to the corresponding, amplified output signal thereof and which is coupled by said power coupler; a first matching circuit substrate on which said input matching circuit and said power distributor are mounted; and a second matching circuit substrate on which said output matching circuit and said power coupler are mounted.

Claim 16

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 1 wherein the variable resistance element provides a bidirectional conducting path between the pair of corresponding nodes.

Claim 17

The power amplifier as set forth in claim 11 wherein the variable resistance element provides a bidirectional conducting path between the pair of corresponding nodes.

Claim 18

A power amplifier comprising: a power distributor receiving, and dividing, an input signal into a plurality of equally power-distributed signals produced as outputs thereof; a plurality of amplifying elements; a first plurality of power transmission lines corresponding to and respectively receiving, and supplying, the plurality of equally power-distributed signal outputs of the power distributor to the plurality of amplifying elements, the plurality of amplifying elements respectively amplifying the plurality of equally power-distributed signals supplied thereto and producing, respectively, a plurality of corresponding, amplified output signals; a second plurality of power transmission lines respectively connected to the plurality of amplifying elements and receiving the plurality of corresponding amplified output signals thereof; a power coupler coupled to the second plurality of power transmission lines and receiving therefrom the plurality of corresponding amplified output signals; a plurality of nodes comprising at least a pair of first and second nodes respectively in corresponding first and second power transmission lines of a selected one of the first and second pluralities of power transmission lines; and a respective element connected to, and providing a bidirectional conducting path between, each pair of corresponding first and second nodes, each element comprising a selected one of a first circuit element, comprising a balancing resistor, and a second circuit element, comprising a series-connected combination of a balancing resistor and a phase delay element.

Claim 19

A power amplifier comprising: a power distributor receiving, and dividing, an input signal into a plurality of equally power-distributed signals produced as outputs thereof; a plurality of amplifying elements; a first plurality of power transmission lines corresponding to and respectively receiving, and supplying, the plurality of equally power-distributed signal outputs of the power distributor to the plurality of amplifying elements, the plurality of amplifying elements respectively amplifying the plurality of equally power-distributed signals supplied thereto and producing, respectively, a plurality of corresponding, amplified output signals; a second plurality of power transmission lines respectively connected to the plurality of amplifying elements and receiving the plurality of corresponding amplified output signals thereof; a power coupler coupled to the second plurality of power transmission lines and receiving therefrom the plurality of corresponding amplified output signals; a plurality of nodes comprising at least a pair of first and second nodes respectively in corresponding first and second power transmission lines of a selected one of the first and second pluralities of power transmission lines; and a respective element connected to, and providing a bidirectional conducting path between, each pair of corresponding first and second nodes, each element comprising a selected one of a first circuit element, comprising a balancing resistor, and a second circuit element, comprising a series-connected combination of a balancing resistor and a phase delay element.

Claim 20

A power amplifier as set forth in claim 16, wherein said balancing resistor, of each of said first and second selectable circuit elements, comprises a selectively variable resistance element.

Claim 21

A power amplifier as set forth in claim 16, wherein said phase delay element comprises a selectably variable phase delay element.

Claim 22

A power amplifier as set forth in claim 16, wherein: the element further comprises a pair of first and second opposite end terminals respectively connected to the pair of corresponding first and second nodes and first and second electrical conductors respectively connecting the first and second opposite end terminals of the element to the corresponding first and second nodes.

Claim 23

A power amplifier as set forth in claim 18, wherein the phase delay element is defined by respective, different lengths of the first and second conductors.

Claim 24

A power amplifier as set forth in claim 16, wherein each element further comprises a pair of first and second opposite end terminals, plural resistive element portions connected in series therebetween, a respective conductive land portion between each pair of adjacent resistive element portions and an electrical conductor selectively interconnecting said land portions, in succession, to each other and to the first and second opposite end terminals.

Claim 25

A power amplifier as set forth in claim 21, wherein the balancing resistor of the selected, first circuit element comprises a number of selected resistive element portions centrally and symmetrically disposed between the opposite end terminals thereof, each selected resistive element portion being defined by the absence of any electrical conductor interconnecting the respective land portions.

Claim 26

A power amplifier as set forth in claim 21, wherein the balancing resistor of the selected, second circuit element comprises a number of selected resistive element portions centrally and non-symmetrically disposed between the opposite end terminals thereof, each selected resistive element portion being defined by the absence of any electrical conductor interconnecting the respective land portions, and the phase delay element comprises first and second conductors, of respective and different lengths, connecting the land portions comprising opposite end terminals of the balancing resistor respectively to the corresponding first and second nodes.