IRE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES October

A Method of Analysis of Symmetrical

l?our~Port ‘Networkw
J. REED~ AND G. J. WHEELER~

5’ummar~-An analysis of four-arm symmetrical networks such

as a branched directional double stub coupler or the hybrid ring
(rat race) is presented. The input wave is broken into an even and
an odd mode and the vector amplitude out the various arms is com-
puted from the sums or differences of the reflection or transmission
coefficients for the two modes. A zero decibel directional coupler is
described and its possible use as a duplexer is proposed. The design Fig. 2.
of multiple stub directional couplers for any degree of coupling is
discussed. A method of computing the bandwidth of all these couplers
is outliied, and the bandwidth curves, the power out the various
Similarly, if two signals of amplitude ~ and out of
arms with respect to frequency of the zero decibel coupler, are
phase are applied at arms 1 and 4, a voltage minimum
computed. A tabulation is made for six different 3 db couplers (even-
power split) and their standing wave ratio, evenness of power split occurs at every point on the line of symmetry. That is,
and isolation of the fourth arm as a function of frequency assuming at these points Z = O and Y= co. This is the equivalent
perfect performance at the band center. of a short circuit as in Fig. 3.

INTRODUCTION

SYNI M ETRI CAL network is defined as one

which has a plane of symmetry as illustrated in
A
Fig. 1. The four arms in the network may be
coaxial lines, waveguides, or strip-lines, but this dis-
cussion will be limited to coaxial lines, shunt connected.
Fig. 3.

In each case, the problem reduces to that of a two-

---L -—--- -L. arm network. For the even mode, a reflection coefficient
~17++ and a transmission coefficient ~ T~b are deter-
mined. Similarly, for the odd mode, ~J7+_ and +iT+_ are
determined.
Fig. 1.
By superposition, the sum of the two cases is a single
signal of unit amplitude in arm 1. The resultant signals
It is assumed that the network is lossless, and the ratio out of the four arms are also the superposition of the
of wavelength to line size is very large so that junction results obtained in the even mode (++) and odd mode
effects are negligible. (+ –) case.
A signal of unit amplitude is applied at arm 1 and Thus the vector amplitudes of the signals emerging
divides in the network. The method of anaIysis to be from the four arms are:
described makes possible the determination of the re-
sultant signals appearing at the four arms and how they
vary (in phase and amplitude) with frequency. .42 = l/2 T++ + l/’2T+-,

SYMMETRY ANALYSIS 1
At = 1,/2Tq~ – l/2TG-,

If tw-o signals of amplitude ~ and in phase are applied A4 = lj2r++ – l/2r+–.

at arms 1 and 4, by symmetry a voltage maximum occurs
at every point on the line of symmetry. That is, at these lNIATRIX ANALYSIS2

points Z = m and Y= O. This is the equivalent of an The analysis of a cascade of two-terrninaI pair net-
open circuit as illustrated in Fig. 2. works may be carried out by use of the ABCD matrix.
In Fig. 4 the voltages and currents of two-port j unc-

* Manuscript received by the PGMTT, July 16, 1956. Presented tions are related by matrix equations. The matrices of
before the ,National Symposium on Microwave Techniques, Phila- several useful circuit elements are shown in Fig. 5.
delphia, Pa., February 2-3, 1956.
~ Raytheon Mfg. Co., Wayland, Mass.
1 B. A. Lippmann, “Theory of directional couplers, ” M. I.T. Rad. ‘W. L. Pritchard, “Quarter-wave coupled waveguide filters, ”
Lab. Rep., No. 860; December 28, 1945. J. A /@L Phys., vol. 18, pp. 862-863; October. 1947.

Authorized licensed use limited to: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY BOMBAY. Downloaded on November 4, 2009 at 02:52 from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
1956 Reed and Wheeler: Analysis of Symmetrical Four-Port Nefworks 247

m I---+4--L---I (a

I I
Fig. 4.

~
z
SERIES IMPEDANCE
H[z
01 o 4
\
Y~= I o 3

L=:

SHUNT ADMITTANCE
[1
~
10
,
Fig. 6,

are those of a quarter wavelength line. The matrix for

[1
LENGTH OF LOSSLESS Wj2= jZsin& the odd mode proceeds similarly except that short
A A
LINE OF NORMALIZED
circuited stubs are imagined.
IMPEDANCE Z
i~i”w ~o@+!
Zk A r++ = r+. = 0 AI= A4=0

Fig. 5. 1
l/2Tq~ = — Al = l/2( T++ + T+_) = O
– 2j

The impedance and admittances are all normalized l/2 T+. = ~ As = l/2( T++ -– Tq_) = ~.
with respect to that of a matched generator and load.
For reciprocity AD – B C= 1; for forward-to-back
Thus PI= Pz = Pd = O and PS = 1 or all the power comes
symmetry, A = D.
out of arm 3; that is, it is coupled diagonally across the
2 insertion voltage transmission coeffi- network. The phase is indicated by the value of At which
T= — . in this case shows a shift of 90°.
A+ B+C+D cient between matched generator and
A possible application of this device is as a duplexer
load. illustrated in Fig. 7, This is the waveguicle analog of the

El A+B
21=—= —= input impedance with matched load.
II C+D RECEIV LOAD

A+ B –C– D voltage reflection coefficient with

r=
A+ B+C+D ‘matched load.

DESIGN AT BAND CENTER

The following analysis is for coaxial lines of quarter

wavelength Iong, shunt connected neglecting discon-
tinuity effects. By d uality this analysis is valid for wave-
guide junctions with series connections.
To illustrate an application of the method, consider
the 4-arm network illustrated in Fig. 6. Here each line
MAGNETRON ANTENNA
represents a coaxial line, al [ characteristic admittances
are unity, and all lines are a quarter of a wavelength
Fig. 7.
between the pure, shunt junctions.
The matrices for the even and odd modes become:
circuit of Fig. 6. The magnetron fires the Tll tubes and
all the power travels to the antenni>. finy leakage
through the T~’s goes diagonally across the network to
the load. On reception the tubes look like matched
lines and energy travels diagonally across the circuit
from the antenna to the receiver.
Another device which can be easily analyzed by this
The even mode matrix is the product of five matrices; method is the two-stub coupler shown in Fig. 8. (As in
the first, third, and last are those of an open-circuited Fig. 6, each line in this and all succeeding diagrams
stub one eighth wavelength long; the second and fourth represents a coaxial line.)
248 IRE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES Ocfober

For match

pG--Yo=cl++
Then

YO=b 1 1 +.2
coupling = 20 Ioglo — = 20 Ioglo —
c 2a— “

Fig. 8.
Note that for a = c = 1 the coupling is O db which means
that there is no loss in going from arm 1 to arm 3 as
Writing the even and odd mode matrices together
noted previously.
A broacler band device for three cross arms results
when the impedance of the main lines may be changed
(see Fig. 10).

ac
~–
1
M+* =

[
~j( – 2a

The device will be matched and perfectly directive

if 1’++ =1’+– = O, that is, if B = C in both the even and
b I
odd mode matrices: 1 +a2 = bz. Thus the coupling into
arm 3 is

~. log %“=-
20‘“g&= b“

These are the same results as given by .Montgomery.$ Fig. 10.

For the special case where a = 1 and b = ~? the device

is a 3 db directional coupler for which power in arm 1
divides evenly between arms 2 and 3. For match and perfect directivity

y=l 2ab~

%-l
1
I I

Then
B= Corc=—
1 +.’

1 +.’
coupling =20 log~o —
, ~, , = 20 loglo ya—

Fig. 9.
When coupling = 3 db, a = v@–– 1. A useful form is
when b = c = ~?.
If three cross arms are used instead of two (see Fig. 9)
A wider band directional coupler may be made with
it is not necessary to change the admittance of the main
four cross arms (see Fig. 11).
lines to achieve match and directivity.

f(a+c–ac2) j(c2 – 1)
M+& =
[ j(–ac2+2a2c+a2– 1) *(a+ c– ac2) 1 “
8 C. G. Montgorr\erY, R. H. Dicke: and E. M. Purcell, ‘(Principles
The values of a and c again can be calculated for perfect
of Microwave Circuits, ” McGraw-Hall Book Co., Inc., New York,
N. Y., pp. 309-310. match and directivity as before for any coupling.
1956 Reed and Wheeler: Analysis of Symmetrical Four-Port Networks 249

eighth wavelength stub, all of admittance 1/ v’~. Note

that in the final matrix A #D.
As before

–.I’ r++ + r+.

.41 = = 0,
‘++ = ~? 2
Fig. ‘Il. r++ — r+. --j
r+- = -L .44 =
lYith five or six cross arms there could be a third
42 2 —=42)

difkrent size for the center arms. However, if the center T~q + T+. --j
/42 = ——
arms are all kept at the same value, the results for equal
2 ‘@
power division in arms 2 and 3 are indicated in Table 1.
T~~ – TG–
TABLE I .-1, = = o.
~—
1(’ c
The result is that power fed in arm 1 divides evenly
3 arms aca 0.4141 0.7071 (Fig. 9)
4 arms acca
in phase between arm 2 and arm 4 and none is reflected.
0.2346 0.5412 (Fig. 11)
5 arms accca 0.2088 0.3810 A similar analysis shows that power fed in arm 2 di-
6 arms accccu , 0.1464 0.3179
vides equally and out of phase between arms 1 and 3.
Similar analysis may be used for the 7/21 hybrid rings
These values were obtained by setting all the terms in (See results, Fig. 15).
the M+* matrix equal in magnitude to I/<Z. Care was
zaken that the lowest root c)f the equation was chosen FREQUENCY SENSITIVITY

for broadest band performance. To calculate the frequency sensitivity of the devices
The rat race ring’ can also be analyzed (see Fig. 12) the junctions are assumed still to be pure shumt or series
and is interesting, connections. The frequency dependent values, the
lengths of line in the matrices are expressed in terms
of t= tan 7rl/A where 1 is the length of the line. This
makes the value of t unity when 1 is a quarter wave-
length. In the case of the three-arm coupler with all
elements the same as in Fig. 6 the matrices are as fol-
lows :
Even mode stub Odd mode stub Length of line

o
Fig. 12,
3
where
Note:
t= tan rl/h(t

Cos 20 =
1 –
= 1 if 1 =A/4)

tanz 0 2 tan 0
sin 20 = ––—— .
1 + tanz 19 1 + tan20

Substituting these in the matrix for the even and odd

modes we obtain

1 1 – 12f2 + Ilt’ j(4t - St’)

M++ =
(1 + t’)’ [ j(7t – 26t3 + 15t’) 1-- 12t2 + llt’ 1 ‘

‘[s ‘3”

The matrix product is that of an eighth wavelength

stub, a quarter wavelength of line and then a three-

~ W. A. Tyrrell, “Hybrid circuits for microwaves, ” PROC. IRE, g L. J. Cutrona, “The theory of biconjugate networks, ” PROC,,
vol. 35, pp. 1294–1306; November, 1947, IRE, VOI. 39, pp. 827-832; ]uly, 1951.
250 IRE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES Ocfok!tw

60 ,6
Note that for t= 1 these expressions reduce to those
following Fig. 6. For any frequency a value of t can be ~L-R’
+db PO(NTS /
50 $3
found and the matrices evaluated and then the vector
+
amplitudes of the waves out all arms calculated.
~. !,
,4

out
On the graph
the various
in Fig.
arms
13 (below)
expressed in
are plotted
decibels
the
below
powers
inci-
db
~
‘,
\
J

0.
%
--;-

;
! //11
,K’

VSWR
30 ‘. -— -. ,3
dent power as a function of t and, assuming coaxial ‘.
. H
... \ /
lines, also as a function of the ratio of frequency to de- d.
20 – .- ,2
. ..- ‘“’
sign frequency. Note the change in scale for the power
/’ 7‘ ; ‘“ --- . . . ----
out arm 3.
,0 4– \
., ‘-- -t-
/
& ,%** .’ 7
/
/

,4 o ~_L 0
10 ,, t ,?
I 00 ,0, ,,0 +
—. —----- . --
(2 fa
Fig. 14.
10

.
tion of f/fU assuming free space variation of wavelength
as before. The rat race is a solid line and the square hy-
4 brid a dashed line.
While the power will divide evenly between the two
z
arms with arrows when t = 1, that is, when all values are
a quarter wavelength, it will not divide evenly at other
0
frequencies. The values of t at which the ratio goes up
to a quarter of a decibel are shown as the little vertical

Fig. 13. lines at the top of the graph.

The M++ matrices are given below for reference for
these 3-db couplers. The M+– matrices are not needed
The values on these curves for a given value of t are if the rule mentioned before is used.
exactly equal to those for I/t. Thus for a design over a Square hybrid of Fig. 8:
band of frequencies the arithmetic average frequency
should be used for the value of length to get equal per- 1 I–(l+<z)tz. j~2t
formance
In the
at the
calculations
edges of the
of these
band.
curves and of the others
~++ . —
l+t’ [ j[(2+2dZ)t–(2+v’Z) t3] l–(l+<~)tz 1
that follow, a simplification can be made which makes it
Rat race of Fig. 12:
unnecessary to multiply out the M+– matrix as a func-
tion of t. To obtain the numerical values of the M+– 1 – 10P +

1– 3t2
Stq
zj~~t
matrix
M++
for
matrix.
a given
Then
t,the value
if the exponent
1/t is put
of the
in for
term
t in the
(1 +,t’)”
M“=—
l+tz
1

is odd, the sign of the A and D components are changed; [ j(3Jzt - J@ 1- 3P 1

if even, those of the B and C components are changed.
In Fig. 14 are shown the theoretical preformance A tabulation of calculated results for six different
curves calculated by this method for the two simplest 3-db couplers described in the text appears in Fig. 15 in
four-arm junctions, the rat race, and the double stub order of increasing bandwidth. For t =1.1 and 1,2 the
3-db coupler. Both of these can be considered as 3 db first column shows the input vswr, the second shows the
directional couplers and will divide power equally be- ratio of power delivered to arm 4 (arm 3 in the hybrid
tween two arms shown with arrows and no power will rings cases) to that incident and the third column shows
go out the fourth arm with no arrow, as was shown pre- the ratio of power delivered to arms 2 and 3, (2 and 4
viously. for the hybrid rings cases).
On the graph the curves sloping UP to the right indi- The method outlined in this paper has been the sub-
cated the input vswr with matched loads on the other ject of many experimental checks. We have built a
three arms. Also the curves sloping down to the right coaxial line model of Fig. 7, the duplexer, in ~-inch line
show the ratio of power coupled to the fourth arm (arm at L band. The data taken on this device checked quite
3 in the case of the rat race) to the incident power. These consistently with the theory. Also a square hybrid
curves are plotted as a function of t and also as a func- (Fig. 8) has been constructed at L band in # inch coaxial
7956 Reed and Wheeler: Analysis of Symmetrical Four-Port Networks 251

———
t = 1.10 t=l,2!o
(: =1.06) (; =1.13)

vSWR DB VSWR DB
—-- R%_

I .37 I 7.7 I.47

Ix 1.26 19.C .24 1.57 13.8 ,74

Ex’ 1.08 27.4 .18 1.2C 20,5 .60

I ,Oi 29,: J< 1.17 23,3 .51

Hz’ 1.0: 37,0 .12 1.1; 25.:3 G9

1.0 45.0 .1( I.0: 32.0 4:

——
Fig. 15—Tabulation of theoretical results on 3-db directional couplers.
252 IRE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES October

line and its performance checked the curves presented very high. This first approximation is valuable anyway.
almost exactly. The curves presented on the rat race To make a coaxial 3-db directional coupler with many
check very well with published data.e arms as shown in Fig. 11 requires excessively small
Again it must be emphasized that pure shunt j unc- center conductors since the characteristic admittance
tions are assumed neglecting fringing effects. This will varies as the logarithm of the size ratio. But with wave-
only be true if the ratio of wavelength to line size is guide a branch guide 3-db coupler, with many arms ap-
pears to be a definite possibility since the impedance of
the arms varies as the height of the guide and the fring-
8 H. T. Budenbom, “Some quasi-biconjugate networks and re- ing effects get smaller as the height of the guide is de-
lated topics, ” Proc. of the Symposium on Modern Network Synthe-
sis, Polytech. Inst. of Brooklyn, New York, N. Y., 1952, pp. 312–326. creased.

Broad-Band Waveguide Series T for Switching*

J. W. E. GRIEMSMANN~ AND G. S. KASAI~

Summaru—By use of properly propotiloned half-wavelength In any practical case of duplexer design many special
transformer-sections in the arms of a wavegnide series T broad- problems relating to positioning of the shorts and special
band performance can be obtained for switching applications. Over
means of solving them are introduced.1 This paper is
the frequency band 8200 to 9765 megacycles per second, correspond-
directed chiefly at the frequency sensitivity of the
ing to a bandwidth of 17.4 per cent, an experimental model showed
an insertion vswr of less than 1.15 for transmission through the stubbed T structure itself and means for overcoming it.
aligned arms and 1.3o for transmission around the bend. Further Fixed metallic shorts are assumed to replace the effec-
bandwidth improvement is possible with the use of a special arrange- tive shorts indicated above. For this reason the device
ment of quarter-wave transformer sections but at the expense of
is called a switching T rather than duplexer.
further impairment of power-carrying capacity.

INTRODUCTION

NE APPLICATION of a T junction is duplexing.

The transmitter and antenna are usually con-
o
nected to the aligned arms and the receiver to
the side arm. Power flow from transmitter to antenna
and not to the receiver can be considered to be so di-
rected by an appropriately positioned effective short in
the side arm. The received signal can be considered to
be directed from antenna to side arm by an appropriate-
ly positioned effective short in the transmitter arm. An
inherent bandwidth limitation for the ordinary T is
that the effective short positions are correct only for Fig. l—Waveguide switching T cross section—side view.
the center frequency and thus give rise to ‘(branching
loss, ” I principally through reflection of energy back
Shown in Fig. 1 is a dimensioned sketch of the broad-
out through the antenna. The device discussed in this
banded series (E plane) T in the X band, RG-52/U
paper provides one means for minimizing this branching
rectangular waveguide designed for a center frequency
loss over a broader range of frequencies.
of 9000 mc and a theoretical bandwidth of 16 per
* Manuscript received by the PGMTT, July 16, 1956. Presented
cent for a maximum vswr of 1.08. This design was
before the National Symposium on Microwave Techniques, Phila-
delphia, Pa., February 2–3, 1956. This work was performed under based on circuital computation of a pure series arrange-
Signal Corps Contract No. DA-36-039-sc-42489. The work is in part
ment of the arms and use of the equivalent circuitz
the subject of a thesis for the M.E.E. degree by Mr. Kasai at the
Polytech. Inst. of Brooklyn. for the E plane T at 9000 megacycles per second. At
~ Microwave Res. Inst., Polytech. Inst. of Brooklyn, Brooklyn,
N. Y. appropriate reference planes the particular equivalent
~ North American Aviation Corp., Downey, Calif.; formerly with circuit chosen is a good approximation to a series con-
Microwave Res. Inst., Polytech. Inst. of Brooklyn, Brooklyn, N. Y.
1 L. Srnullin and C. Montgomery, “Microwave Duplexers, ” Rad.
Lab. Ser., McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., vol. 14, 2 N. Marcuvitz, “Waveguide Handbook, ” Rad. Lab. Ser., Mc.
Ch. 7, 1948. Graw-Hill Book Co., Inc., vol. 10, pp. 337-351, 1951.