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WE2D-4

Design of Broadband Lumped Element Balms


Dan Kuylenstierna, and Peter Linnkr Senior Member, IEEE

Microwave Electronics Laboratory, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Goteborg, Sweden


Absfrort - T h i s paper reports on a small size broadband lumped element balun suitable for integration in MMICa The design is au extension of the well known lattice balun, which independent of frequency has 180 phase difference heween the output ports, but suffers from a narrow amplitude bandwidth. It is shown how the amplitude bandwidth of the lattice bahm may be improved by replacing inductors with low-pass T-sections, and the capacitors with high-pass T-sectlons. Scalable closed-form design equations for various bandwtdths are derived. To validate the concept a prototype operating at 1 GHz has been fabricated with SMT chip components soldered on a PTFE laminate. It exhibits amplitude balance better than M.25 dB and phase balance better than +Sq over more than one octave bandwidth. The effectivechiparea is 7 x 9 mm.

omitted the filters reduce to third order T-filters. Comparing the low-pass filters to inductors and the highpass filters to capacitors it is found that the remaining circuit has the same symmetry as the lattice balun. For this reason it is referred to as a second order lattice balun. Analysis of the second order lattice balun results in closed form analytical expressions for component values giving a certain amplitude balance and a certain bandwidth. 111. ANALYSIS It is well known that low-pass and high-pass ladder networks, also known as synthetic transmission lines, may be used to replace distributed transmission lines to form lumped element hybrids [SI. It is possible to use both, low-pass ladder networks, representing normal distributed lines that support forward waves, and high-pass ladder networks that support backward waves [9]. The use of dual low-pass and high-pass ladder networks makes it possible to design some circuits which do not have any distributed analogies. One example is the out-of-phase power splitter, which uses dual high-pass and low-pass filters, a quarter wavelengths long at the centre frequency. Since the low-pass filter supports forward waves and the high-pass filter backward waves, the phase difference between the output ports is 180 at the centre frequency. The simplest possible (first order) out-of-phase power splitter, Fig.la, uses low-pass and high-pass L-sections for the two filters. The component values are determined from the desired centre frequency and the fact that the two filters act as quarter wave impedance transformers. For a balun transforming from an unbalanced source of impedance Z, to a balanced load of impedance ZZ, the component values are:

I. INTRODUCTTON
The balun is a component that transforms between single ended and balanced signals. It plays an important role in modem microwave technology, where it is increasingly used for balanced amplifiers, balanced mixers, and antennas for instance [I]. A badly designed balun may ruin the operation of the complete system, so it is worth to put some efforts in its design. Traditionally baluns operating at higher frequencies are designed in distributed versions, such as the Marchand balun [2]. However, at low frequencies distributed designs consume too much of the expensive chip area, and are therefore not suitable for MMICs. To reduce the chip area lumped element baluns may be used. These can be divided into four main categories: 1) Active baluns [3], 2) planar transformer baluns [4], 3) lumped element 180 hybrids [ 5 ] , and 4) lumped element filter baluns [6]-[7]. This paper deals with the fourth category. The simplest possible filter balun uses dual low-pass and high-pass Lsections and is known as the lattice balun [6],or out-ofphase power splitter. It is popular in narrow banded MMICs. For instance a double balanced mixer using the lattice balun is presented in [7]. In the same issue, the same author also presents a broadband double balanced mixer, using a fifth order out-of-phase power splitter with compensating filters between the output ports and ground [8]. This paper has been the main initiator to this work. Some considerations of the filth order filters in [8] show that many components are redundant, due to resonance at the centre frequency. If the redundant elements are

=-J Z Z ,
0 0

(1)

c=

JTzowo

(2)

where Z, is the system impedance, and oothe centre frequency. Furthmore, it is also possible to design baluns with inherent impedance transformation.

899
0-7803-8331-1/04/$20.00 0 2W IEEE
,

2004 IEEE MTT-SDigest

If all inductors and capacitors have the same vale:, Z ) , the amplitude balance of the second given by (1) and ( order lattice balun is only marginally better than that of the first order. However by symmetrically shifting the resonance frequency of the low-pass and high-pass filters, the bandwidth may be increased. The resonance frequency of the low-pass filters is increased by a factor n and the resonance frequency of the high-pass filters decreased by a factor l/n. For large n values it is necessary to reduce the characteristic impedance of the T-sections in order I n maintain good matching over the entire bandwidth. For this reason the constant dZ is replaced by a constant m<&. This gives the following equations for the component values in the second order lattice balun:

c ,

mZ, . n o o
mZo . n
WO

L , =-

Fig. 1. (a) Conventional (fmt order) lattice balun, and @) proposed second order lattice balun.

C, =

n mZo.wo

The first order out-of-phase power splitter in Fig.la is drawn to visualize the essential bridge symmetry of the circuit. Due to this symmetry (that is broken for higher order out-of-phase power splitters) the phase difference between ports 2 and 3 is 180' independent of frequency. Bridge circuits like the one in Fig. la may also be drawn as ROSS links, or lattice circuits, and the circuit in Fig.la is sometimes referred to as the lattice balun [6]. A problem with the lattice balun is the narrow amplitude bandwidth. The amplitudes at ports 2 and 3 are equal only at the centre fiequency, where the two filters exhibit the same input impedance. Improved amplitude bandwidth is obtained by using higber order filters. On the other hand, the bridge symmetry, resulting in frequency independent antiphasal performance, is lost if filters with more than two elements are used. Fortunately the phase balance may be restored by connecting compensating filters between the output ports and ground, so that a symmetric bridge of twoports is formed. Fig.lb shows such a bridge, constituted by two low-pass and two high-pass T-sections. In this work the circuit in Fig.lb is referred to as the second order lattice balun, and the conventional one in Fig.la as thefirst order lattice balun.
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Circuit analysis shows that the ratio between the voltages at ports two and three is given by the following expression
_=_

V,

v,

w,4(2n202 -w:) w4(2nZw,Z

Equation (7) shows that ports 2 and 3 have antiphasal performance in the fkquency band
-U,

4%

i w

<fino,.

(8)

From (8) it is seen that the phase bandwidth is increasing with n. However it is not the phase but the amplitude, and eventually For broadband designs the reflection loss, that limits the bandwidtb of the circuit. Forhmately, it is found that also the amplitude bandwidth is increasing with U. Differentiation of (7)shows that the amplitude ratio has a terrace point for n=d2/6-1.22. This means that this is the n-value giving maximally flat performance. For larger n values the amplitude ratio has

The circuit is designed to have +I- 0.2 dB ripple. Table


1 and (3)-(6) gives the following component values: Lu=7.7 nH, LHp=13.1nH, CP=1.9pF. and CHp=3.3pF.

Amplitude
balance ( a )
+I-0.05 +I- 0.1 +I-0.2 +/-0.5 +/-1.o

Bandwidth

Reflection
loss (a)

The simulated results are shown in Fig.3, and the measured results in Fig. 4. The simulation shows that the amplitude balance is less than +/-0.2 dB, the reflection loss better than 25 dB, and the phase balance perfect over more than one octave bandwidth. The measurements verify the simulations, even though the bandwidth is slightly reduced, due to self resonance in the components, and there is some drift in the phase, probably caused by losses in the components and distributed effects in the circuit. However, the measurements give an amplitude balance better than +/- 0.25 dB,and a phase balance better than +/-8" over one octave bandwidth. The measured reflection loss is better than 17 dB over the entire bandwidth.

+/-1.25

1.56

1.14

1:4.0

28 22 17 14

U)

m
U
T-

N
v)

1 1 1 . DESIGN & MEASUREMENTS

-0

To validate the theoretical work an experimental demonstrator operating at 1 GHz has been accomplished with SMT chip components soldered on 0.8 mm PTFE laminate. A pictnre of the circuit is shown in Fig.2.

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

freq, GHz
(a)

U)

L :

50

..

m
Fig. 2.
1 GHz prototype of second order lattice-balun

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

freq, GHz
'The analytical expression for is quite complicated, and not vital for the understanding of the circuit.
901

a,

Simulated S-parameters;(a) magnitude in dB, and @) phase balance in degrees.


Fig. 3 .

@)

For specifications not covered in table 1, the following design procedure may be entered:
1. Calculate the component values for desired centre frequency, using n=1.22, and m=1.30 (maximally flat perfonname) 2. Increase n until desired amplitude bandwidth is obtained. 3. Reduce m until desired reflection loss is obtained.

VI. CONCLUSION
A design guide for lumped element baluns with scalable bandwidth bas been worked out. Due to closed form analytical expressions for the component values, and relatively small sue, the proposed design is considered a s promising for MMIC applications, such as balanced mixers and amplifiers. The future plans include the design of an MMIC prototype as well as applications in balanced mixers.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This procedure, that is very convenient using modern circuit simulators, is not needed to be repeated.

0 ,
h

I O
-1 0

This paper bas been financially supported by Swedish Chalmers Center for High speed Technology (CHACH), Vinnova, and the High Speed Electronics and Photonics program (HSEP), SSF.
REFERENCES
[I] I. Sevick, TransmissionLine Transformers, 4 ed. Atlanta:
[2]

? m
U

-3

06

64 z m
h

-6 -9
12

-20

G
2
2 Y

-30

[3] [4]

40
2.0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

freq, GHz
(4
m
h F

[5]

200
150
100

[6]

v, a ,
4
7

m r

U)

[7]

[E]

2 a ,
U)

50

o
0.4
0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

191 ..

freq, GHz
@)

Noble publishing corporation, 2001. N.Marchand, Transmission line conversion transformers, Electronics vol. 17, no. 12,pp 142-145.December 1942. A. M. Pavio,, Double balanced mixers using active and passive techniques, IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory & Tech.. vol. 36, no. 12, pp. 1948-1957,Dmember 1988. Y . J . Yoon, Y. Lu, R. C. Frye, M. Y. Lau, P. R. Smith, L. Ahlquist, and D. P. Kossives,Design and characterization of Multilayer Spiral Transmission-Line Balm IEtH Trans. Microwave Theory & Tech., vol. 47, no. 9, pp. 18411847, September 1999. S. J. Parisi, 180 lumped element hybrid, 1989 IEKE MTT-S Inf.Microwave Symp. D i g , pp. 1243-1246 W Bakalski, W. Simbiirger, H. Knapp, H-D. Wokuth, and A. L. Scholtz, Lumped and distributed lattice-type LC-balms, 2002 IEEE MTT-Sinl. Microwave S y . Di,& pp. 209-212 H-K. Chiou, Hao Hsiung Lin, A miniature MMlC doubly balanced mixer using lumped element dual balun for high dynamic receiver applications, IEEE Microwave Guiaed Wave leff.,vol. 7, no. 8, pp 227-229, August 1997 H-K. Cbiou, Hao Hsiung Lin, and Chi-Yang Cbang, Lumped-Element Coimpensated Highnow-Pass Balun Design for MMIC Double-Balanced Mixer, E E E on 248-250. Microwave Guided Wave left.. vol. I. no. 8. .I August 1997 S. Ramo. J. R. Whinnew. and T. h e r . Fields and wuves in communication electronics, 3d e& New ~ o r Wil,ey, k 1994
I

, I

Fig. 4. Measured S-parameters; (a) magnitude in dB,and @) phase balance in degrees.

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