ORBIT FR Radial Power Combiners User Manual

Radial Power Combiners

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• Hot replacement capability

• Low insertion loss

• High reliability

SOLUTION FOR

• EMI/EMC testing

• EW* transmitters

• Communications

• Radar

• HDTV transmitters

• Phased array antennas

• Air trafc control

• Wireless systems

*Electronic warfare

Model number 752

Features

• Compact geometry

• Hot replacement capability

• Extremely low insertion loss

• Excellent failure tolerance

• Graceful decline in power output if amplifier

modules fail

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High reliability- high mean time between failures

• Very high power handling capability

• Large number of inputs

• Well suited for harsh environments

The demanding requirements of state-of-the-art RADAR, EW and communications systems call for high
power, reliable ampliers. Based on low loss radial waveguide technology, ORBIT/FR’s series 700 combiners
and dividers are precisely machined assemblies qualied to meet the most specic of requirements.
Featuring hot replacement capability and compact geometry, these combiners/dividers are a cost-effective
solution to your high power transmission needs.

ORBIT/FR radial combiners are N-way dielectric non­resonant radial transmission line structures. The inputs are
equally spaced along the circumference of a parallel plate
radial transmission line; output power is extracted at the
center. The inputs are coaxial or rectangular waveguides.
The central output structure is generally coaxial, although
rectangular or higher mode circular waveguides can be
used. Neither isolation resistors nor mode suppressers are
used in the combiners; failure tolerance and hot replace­ment capability can be achieved without these devices. For
certain applications, generally those at lower frequencies
and lower combining orders, ORBIT/FR has built N-way
matched coaxial Tees. An N-way Tee can be considered

Model number 707

a degenerate case of a radial combiner in which the radial
transmission line is so small in radius that it has become
electrically insignificant.

By virtue of the N-way single step combining geometry,
small size (compared to a corporate combiner), and the
avoidance of resistive and absorptive devices, exceptionally
low combining losses are realized with radial combiners.
Typical combining losses vary from under 0.1 dB for VHF
and low UHF units to 0.3 dB at S-band and 0.5 dB at
K-band. Indeed, losses at VHF and UHF are so low that
they are usually difficult to measure.

The power combiners also feature a “hot replacement”
capability since the device is tolerant of open and short
failures at adjoining ports, meaning that an amplifier can
be replaced while the unit is operational.

Power levels are primarily dictated by the choice of connec­tors; CW levels in excess of tens of kilowatts are possible
with these devices.

Model number 730

Model number 753

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