Adjustable radio-frequency splitter-combiner
View Patent ↗An electronic device may include wireless circuitry with a processor, a transceiver circuit, a front-end module, and an antenna array having multiple antennas. The front-end module may include radio-frequency splitter-combiner circuitry that splits radio-frequency signals from a single port into multiple radio-frequency signals at multiple split ports and/or combines radio-frequency signals from the multiple ports into radio-frequency signals at the single combined port. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner may include adjustable components such as switches, adjustable inductors, and/or adjustable capacitors that place the radio-frequency splitter-combiner in different configurations based on whether or not there are inactive split ports coupled to inactive antennas. This enables improved impedance matching for active split ports even while one or more split ports remain inactive, thereby reducing power loss in this mode of operation.
1. A radio-frequency splitter-combiner comprising:
impedance matching circuitry coupled between a combined port of the radio-frequency splitter-combiner and two split ports of the radio-frequency splitter-combiner; and
switching circuitry coupled to the impedance matching circuitry and exhibiting a first state when a single port of the two split ports is in use and exhibiting a second state when both ports of the two split ports are in use.
2. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner of claim 1 , wherein the switching circuitry comprises a switch coupled along a path that bypasses a portion of the impedance matching circuitry.
3. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner of claim 2 , wherein the switch is activated in the first state to use the path that bypasses the portion of the impedance matching circuitry.
4. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner of claim 2 , wherein
the switching circuitry comprises an additional switch coupled along an additional path that bypasses an additional portion of the impedance matching circuitry,
the portion of the impedance matching circuitry is between the combined port and a first split port of the two split ports, and
the additional portion of the impedance matching circuitry is between the combined port and a second split port of the two split ports.
5. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner of claim 4 , wherein
the switch is activated in the first state to use the path that bypasses the portion of the impedance matching circuitry,
the additional switch is deactivated in the first state, and
the single port in use is the first split port.
6. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner of claim 5 , wherein the switch and the additional switch are both deactivated in the second state.
7. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner of claim 1 further comprising:
a resistor coupled between the two split ports, the switching circuitry having a switch coupled in series with the resistor.
8. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner of claim 7 , wherein the switch is deactivated in the first state to decouple the two split ports.
9. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner of claim 8 , wherein the switch is activated in the second state.
10. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner of claim 1 , wherein the switching circuitry includes a first switch coupling a first split port of the two split ports to a ground voltage terminal and a second switch coupling a second split port of the two split ports to the ground voltage terminal.
11. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner of claim 10 , wherein
the first switch is deactivated in the first state to decouple the first split port from the ground voltage terminal, and
the second switch is activated in the first state to ground the second split port.
12. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner of claim 11 , wherein the first switch and the second switch are both deactivated in the second state.
13. Radio-frequency splitter-combiner circuitry comprising:
a first impedance transformer coupling a first port of the radio-frequency splitter-combiner circuitry to a second port of the radio-frequency splitter-combiner circuitry;
a second impedance transformer coupling the first port to a third port of the radio-frequency splitter-combiner circuitry;
a first switch configured to selectively ground the second port; and
a second switch configured to selectively ground the third port.
14. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner circuitry of claim 13 further comprising:
a resistor coupled between the second port and the third port.
15. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner circuitry of claim 14 further comprising:
a third switch coupled in series with the resistor.
16. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner circuitry of claim 15 further comprising:
a fourth switch coupled across the first impedance transformer; and
a fifth switch coupled across the second impedance transformer.
17. The radio-frequency splitter-combiner circuitry of claim 13 , wherein the first impedance transformer comprises a first quarter wave impedance transformer and the second impedance transformer comprises a second quarter wave impedance transformer.
18. An electronic device comprising:
a phased antenna array having a plurality of antennas; and
a radio-frequency splitter-combiner having a combined port and a plurality of split ports, each split port being coupled to a corresponding antenna in the plurality of antennas, the radio-frequency splitter-combiner including:
impedance matching circuitry, and
switching circuitry configured to exhibit different states based on a number of split ports in the plurality of split ports that is in use.
19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the switching circuitry includes a switch coupled in parallel with a portion of the impedance matching circuitry.
20. The electronic device of claim 18 further comprising:
one or more processors configured to provide one or more control signals to the switching circuitry based on a first set of split ports in the plurality of split ports that is in use and based on a second set of split ports in the plurality of split ports that is not in use.