RF Passive Network Design and Synthesis for Mobile Communications - Volume 2

RF Passive Network Design and Synthesis for Mobile Communications, Volume 2, presents advanced network architectures that define today’s compact, high-performance mobile systems, building on the analytic foundations established in Volume 1. This authoritative second volume explores the sophisticated design techniques necessary to achieve maximum efficiency and dynamic range within critical RF front ends. Author Peter V. Wright delivers a powerful, new approach required for modern mobile communications platforms, ensuring optimal system integrity and performance.

Gain access to precise, closed-form methods for designing the next generation of essential passive components, including couplers, splitters, and combiners. Analysis moves beyond fundamental devices and into advanced network topologies such as the SILC lattice-balun splitter/combiner, branch-line, ladder, and three-port quadrature couplers. New high-performance Chireix and Doherty PA architectures, exploiting the new SILC architecture, are proposed and analyzed. Extensive comparisons and derivations reveal how subtle impedance choices and phase characteristics directly influence crucial system metrics like linearity and bandwidth. The material then transitions to the integration of these networks with sophisticated multiphase power amplifier architectures such as Doherty and Chireix. Master techniques to exploit novel combiners, T-based networks, and differential layouts for optimal performance extraction.

Structured for fast, equation-based synthesis and verification using widely available tools, this hands-on toolkit serves as an essential resource for RF and microwave circuit designers, mobile and 5G front-end engineers, and advanced students seeking to master passive network synthesis. This new volume provides over 700 new equations, hundreds of annotated figures, and detailed appendixes covering complex subjects including coupled-inductor modeling, multiport S- and Y- parameter transformations, and polynomial curve fitting. This expertise equips professionals to rapidly deploy high-efficiency architectures that meet the rigorous demands of the next-generation mobile standards.

1 SILC – A Novel Lattice-balun Splitter/combiner
1.1 SILC splitter/combiner design basics
1.2 SILC coupler performance characteristics
1.3 SILC coupler versus “transformers” for differential PA architectures

2 Branch-Line Four-Port Quadrature Couplers
2.1 Branch-line coupler – Type 1
2.2 Branch-line coupler – Type 2
2.3 Branch-line coupler – Type 2 alternative topology
2.4 Branch-line coupler – Type 2X
2.5 Branch-line coupler – Type 3
2.6 Branch-line coupler – Type 4
2.7 Comparison summary of branch-line splitter characteristics
2.8 Branch-line coupler with differing line impedances design
2.9 Dual-section branch-line coupler design

3 Ladder Four-Port Quadrature Couplers
3.1 Low-pass ladder couplers
3.2 Modified low-pass ladder for loose coupling
3.3 High-pass ladder couplers
3.4 Modified high-pass ladder for loose coupling
3.5 Comparison summary of ladder splitter characteristics

4 Three-Port Quadrature Couplers, Design and Applications
4.1 Comparison of quadrature coupler configurations
4.2 Exploiting quadrature couplers in PA architectures

5 Development of Advantageous Multi-phase PA Architecture
5.1 Moderate phase-shift impedance-matching network
5.2 Balanced PA architecture basic characteristics
5.3 Three PA configuration with unique advantages
5.4 Four PA configuration characteristics

6 Novel High-Performance Doherty Power Amplifier Architectures
6.1 Characteristics of Conventional Doherty Architecture
6.2 Improved Compact Doherty Architecture
6.3 Improved Compact Doherty Architecture Wide Bandwidth Advantage
6.4 New T-Based Combiner for Dual-Power State Designs
6.5 A New Differential Doherty Architecture
6.5.1 Proposed New Circuit Architecture and Performance
6.6 Wide-band Differential Doherty Characteristics

7 Novel High-Performance Chireix Power Amplifier Architecture
7.1 Basic Differential Chireix Configuration
7.2 Single-ended Chireix Configuration
7.3 Lattice-based Chireix Configuration
7.4 Lattice-based Chireix Design Guide
7.5 Consequences of Non-perfect Voltage Sources

8 A Compact Discrete Wilkinson Coupler
8.1 Discrete Wilkinson Combiner Design
8.2 Discrete Wilkinson Combiner Analysis
8.3 Discrete Wilkinson Splitter Analysis
8.4 Discrete Wilkinson Combiner Design Examples
8.5 Discrete Wilkinson Splitter Design Examples

Bibliography
Appendixes A - H