A plurality of FET or other amplifiers are connected between respective outputs of an N output port power divider network and respective inputs of an N input power combining network in a variable power amplifier system. A gate bias is selectively supplied to each of the amplifiers which is either at a first value to cause the amplifier to amplify or at a second value to cause the amplifier to be cut off and therefore to not dissipate any DC power. The number of amplifiers receiving the first potential is determinative of the amount of power amplification of the variable power amplifier.

Variable power amplifier

A composite amplifier includes a plurality of signal amplifiers. The amplified signals are coupled by transmission lines to node points for combination. In order to achieve a reduction in power below full output power, some of the amplifiers are deenergized. Shorting switches at selected points along the transmission lines are selectively rendered conductive to adjust the impedances to maintain impedance match. Short- or open-circuited transmission lines may also be switched in-circuit to aid in maintaining impedance match.

Composite amplifier with efficient power reduction

A circuit for selecting and combining power signals of a pair of parallel amplifiers (3,4) using phase shifters (5,6) having fixed phase. Either amplifier (3,4) may be selected to produce a power signal of power P at the circuit output (9), where P is the power at the output (11,12) of each amplifier (3,4). Alternatively, power from the two amplifiers (3,4) may be combined to produce a signal of power 2P at the circuit output (9). By using a passive circuit to achieve the selection and combination, the use of heavier and less reliable relay switches is avoided.

Selective power combiner using phase shifters

A phase modulation circuit to provide at an output terminal an output signal controllably shifted from 0° to 360° relative to an input signal provided at an input terminal includes a first 90° coupler connected between the input terminal and second and third 90° couplers, four gain controllable amplifiers, fourth and fifth 90° couplers and an in phase combiner with its output connected to the output terminal. Two of the amplifiers are connected between the second and fourth couplers. The additional amplifiers are connected between the third and fifth couplers. The fourth and fifth couplers are connected to the inputs of the in-phase combiner. The gain through the various amplifiers is adjusted to control the amount of phase shift through the circuit.

Broadband adjustable phase modulation circuit

A 4-way power splitter/combiner circuit providing a plurality of transmission lines of selected impedance and phase shift to define four amplifier ports into which one to four amplifiers may be populated without reconfiguration of the circuit. The circuit provides acceptable VSWR and return loss under each operating condition.

Non-switching adaptable 4-way power splitter/combiner

A modular amplifier comprising a plurality of modules receives a signal to be amplified and provides an amplified signal through power divider and power combiner circuits which are mirror images of each other. In particular, 2-way Wilkinson hybrid circuits are combined to deliver the input signal by providing a divided signal to each of the amplifier modules. The output of each of the modules is combined by 2-way Wilkinson hybrid circuits to provide the amplified signal output. In order to provide discrete power reduction switching from a full power condition to a reduced power condition, at least one of the inputs to a module is connected to a quarter-wave stub which is selectively grounded and open-circuited to reflect respectively an open circuit and a short circuit condition. In this way, each amplifier module performs similarly in the reduced power output condition as well as in the full power output condition.

William E. Jones

Papers

Modular amplifier with discrete power reduction switching