Session: July-December 2024

A Laboratory Project Report on

“RF POWER DIVIDER”

Submitted By : Submitted To:

Deepesh Malviya (0801EC233D03) Mr. S.K Jain
Tanish Purohit (0801EC221102) Mr. Mohit khamele
Nitesh Mishra (0801EC233D06)
Vivek Chauhan (0801ME221112)
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Project Topic
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Project requirements
1.3 Specifications
1.4 Technical Measuring Parameters
1.4.1 Reflection Coefficient or S parameter
1.4.2 VSWR
1.4.3 Others
2. Design approach
2.1 Design steps of project work
2.2 Simulation, and Measurement
2.3 Result
3. Conclusion
4. Future Scope
 1. RF Power Divider
1.1 Introduction

A power divider is an essential passive device in RF and microwave engineering, commonly

used to split an input signal into multiple output signals while maintaining impedance
matching. These devices are widely used in communication systems, radar, and antenna
arrays. This project focuses on designing, simulating, and analysing a power divider (e.g., a
Wilkinson or T-junction) using CST Microwave Studio. The aim is to ensure optimal
performance with minimal reflection, good isolation between output ports, and impedance
matching.

1.2 Project Requirements

The design of a RF Power Divider requires careful consideration of various technical and
material aspects:

 Design a 2-way or 3-way power divider.

 Simulate the divider using CST software.
 Ensure proper impedance matching (typically 50 ohms).
 Substrate Material FR4: A cheap and widely available material, often used for low-
cost antenna designs. However, it has a relatively high loss, making it less efficient at
higher frequencies.
 Evaluate key parameters such as S-parameters, VSWR, gain, and efficiency.
 Compare the simulation results with real-world measurements for validation.

1.3 Specifications

 Operating Frequency: Specify the central frequency at which the power divider will
operate. Common frequencies are 1 GHz, 2.4 GHz, etc.
 Impedance: The characteristic impedance of the transmission lines (typically 50
ohms)
 Power Split: 2-way equal split (50% power to each output).
 Isolation: Good isolation between output ports to prevent interference.

1.4 Technical Measuring Parameters

To assess the performance of the power divider, the following parameters are used:

1.4.1 Reflection Coefficient (S-parameters)

 S11: Reflection coefficient at the input port. A low value indicates good impedance
matching and minimal power reflection.
 S21 and S31: Transmission coefficients representing the power delivered to the output
ports. In an ideal case, they should both be close to -3 dB for a 2-way divider, indicating
equal power split.
1.4.2 VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio)

 VSWR measures how well the power divider is matched to the transmission line
impedance. A VSWR close to 1:1 indicates perfect matching, while values above 2
indicate poor matching.
1.4.3 Radiation Pattern

 Although a power divider is a passive device, it is essential to evaluate how the energy
is distributed spatially. This provides insight into the directional characteristics of the
power divider when used with antennas.

1.4.4 Gain/Efficiency Measurement

 Gain: Measure how much signal power is transmitted through the power divider to
each output port.
 Efficiency: This refers to the ratio of output power to input power, indicating how
well the divider transmits signals with minimal loss.

1.4.5 Impedance Chart (Smith Chart)

 The Smith Chart is used to visualize impedance matching and reflection coefficients at
different frequencies. The goal is to achieve good matching across the operating
frequency band.

1.4.6 Other Parameters

 Insertion Loss: The power lost as the signal passes through the power divider. Lower
insertion loss is desired to ensure maximum power transfer.
 2. Design Approach
The design of the power divider will be approached systematically to ensure performance
accuracy and minimal losses. The process will involve careful design, simulation, and
comparison of results with real-world measurements. Below is a detailed breakdown of the
design approach.

2.1 Design Steps of Project Work

1. Dimensions for the RF Power Divider

 Design 50 ohm Line Impedance of width = 3.1 mm, height = 1.6 mm and
Permittivity= 4.3
 Use length = 40 mm for 1 Ghz.
 Design 70 ohm line impedance for QWT by using width = 1.65 mm.
 Connect Two 50 ohm Connector at the end of 70 ohm QWT.

2. Design in CST Microwave Studio

o Transmission Line Calculation:
 Use the desired operating frequency (e.g. 1 GHz) to calculate the
transmission line dimensions.
 The transmission lines will be designed as microstrip lines with a 50-
ohm characteristic impedance.
 Calculate the electrical length and width of the microstrip lines using
standard transmission line theory.
o Substrate Selection:
 Select a suitable dielectric material for the substrate (e.g., FR4 or Rogers
RT/duroid).
 Define the substrate properties such as dielectric constant (εr), thickness,
and loss tangent in CST.
o QWT
 For a power divider, add a QWT between the two output ports to ensure
good isolation. The resistor value is typically calculated as Z0 / √2 (for a
50-ohm system, the QWT would be around 70.7 ohms).
3. Define Geometry in CST
o Draw the layout of the power divider in CST. The layout should include:
 Input and output microstrip lines.
 A 3-port system where port 1 is the input and ports 2 and 3 are outputs.
 Placement of the isolation resistor between the two output ports.
4. Excitation and Port Setup
o Define ports for the input and output.
 Port 1 will be the input with a signal at the designed frequency (e.g., 1
GHz).
 Ports 2 and 3 are the outputs where the split signals are expected.
 5. Run Simulation
o S-parameter Simulation: Set up a frequency-domain or time-domain
simulation to calculate the scattering parameters (S11, S21, S31) over the
frequency range of interest (e.g., 0.0 GHz to 2.0 GHz).
o Optimization: Run parametric sweeps if necessary to fine-tune the design and
optimize performance parameters like insertion loss, isolation, and return loss.

2.2 Simulation and Measurement

Simulation in CST:

 S-Parameters Analysis:
o After running the simulation, extract the S-parameters (S11, S21, S31) to
evaluate the reflection and transmission coefficients.
o S11 should be below -20 dB to indicate minimal reflection at the input.
o S21 and S31 should be around -3 dB for an equal power split between output
ports.
 VSWR:
o Evaluate the VSWR at the input port (port 1). A VSWR below 1.5 is considered
good for most applications.
 Isolation (S23):
o Measure the isolation between the two output ports (S23 or S32). For a
Wilkinson divider, isolation should ideally be better than -20 dB.
 Insertion Loss:
o Check the insertion loss between input and output ports. The total insertion loss
should ideally be around 3 dB for a 2-way power divider, with minimal
additional losses (<0.3 dB).
 Smith Chart and Impedance Matching:
o Plot the input impedance on a Smith Chart to verify the impedance matching
across the operating frequency range. The impedance should be close to 50
ohms across the desired frequency range.

Fabrication and Measurement:

 Prototype Fabrication:
o After finalizing the design based on simulation results, fabricate the power
divider on the selected substrate using standard PCB fabrication techniques.
 Measurement Setup:
o Use a vector network analyzer (VNA) to measure the S-parameters of the
fabricated power divider.
o Connect port 1 of the power divider to the VNA input and measure the
transmitted and reflected signals at ports 2 and 3.
 Measure Key Parameters:
o Measure S11 (input reflection), S21, and S31 (transmission), VSWR, and
insertion loss.
o Compare the measured isolation between ports 2 and 3 using the S23 parameter.
 Input Power Measurement:

o Set the RF signal generator to the desired power level (e.g., 10 dBm).
o Measure the actual input power using the RF power meter to confirm it matches
the set value.

Output Power Measurement:

o Measure the power at each output port using the RF power meter.
o Ensure the power meter is calibrated and set to the correct frequency.

Calculating Insertion Loss and Power Division

1. Insertion Loss Calculation:

o Calculate the insertion loss by comparing the input power and the output power.
o Insertion Loss (dB) = Input Power (dBm) - Output Power (dBm).
2. Power Division:
o Verify that the output power levels are as expected for a power divider.
o For an ideal 3 dB power divider, the output power should be half of the input
power minus the insertion loss.
o Example: If the input power is 10 dBm and the insertion loss is 0.5 dB, the
expected output power at each port should be:

Expected Output Power = Input Power/2 - Insertion Loss

= 10 dBm/2 - 0.5 dB

= 5 dBm - 0.5 dB

= 4.5 dBm

2.3 Result :
 3. Conclusion
The design and analysis of the RF power divider were successfully completed using CST
Microwave Studio. The project aimed to develop a 2-way power divider that operates at a
specific frequency, ensuring equal power split, low insertion loss, good impedance matching,
and high isolation between output ports. Based on the simulation results and measurements,
the following conclusions were drawn:

 S-parameters: The reflection coefficient (S11) was well below -20 dB, indicating
excellent impedance matching at the input. The transmission coefficients (S21 and
S31) were close to -3 dB, confirming an equal power split between the output ports.
 VSWR: The VSWR values were below 1.5 across the operational frequency range,
validating that the power divider is well-matched to the 50-ohm system.
 Insertion Loss and Isolation: The insertion loss was minimal, with values close to
the theoretical 3 dB, indicating efficient power transfer with minimal loss. Isolation
between the output ports was better than -20 dB, ensuring minimal cross-talk between
the output signals.
 Simulation vs Measured Results: The measured data from the fabricated power
divider closely matched the simulated results, with only minor deviations attributed to
fabrication tolerances, material imperfections, and external factors such as connector
losses.

Overall, the power divider met the design objectives and demonstrated reliable performance
in both simulations and real-world measurements.

4. Future Scope
The current design of the RF power divider can be further improved and extended for more
advanced applications. Several future scope areas include:

 Broadband Power Divider: Explore the design of broadband power dividers that
operate across a wider frequency range, ensuring consistent performance for
applications requiring multi-band or wideband operation.
 Multi-Way Power Dividers: Investigate the design of multi-way power dividers (e.g.,
3-way or 4-way dividers) for applications where multiple output signals are needed,
such as phased array antennas or MIMO systems.
 Miniaturization: Research techniques for miniaturizing the power divider, especially
for applications in compact devices such as mobile communication systems or IoT
devices, where space constraints are critical.
 Higher Power Handling: Study and implement designs that can handle higher power
levels, particularly for power dividers used in radar, satellite communication, or
industrial RF systems.
 Different Substrate Materials: Investigate the performance of power dividers on
advanced substrates like low-loss or flexible materials, enabling applications in
wearable technology or high-frequency systems such as millimeter-wave
communication.
  Environmental Robustness: Develop power dividers that can operate in harsh
environmental conditions (extreme temperatures, humidity, etc.) for use in aerospace,
military, or outdoor communication systems.

By exploring these future directions, the current design can be adapted and improved for a
wider range of applications, enhancing its performance and practicality in modern RF
systems.