Microwave Passive devices

Coaxial connectors and adapters, Wave

guides, Matched terminations, Rectangular to circular
wave guide transition, Wave guide corners, Bends
and twists , Attenuators, Phase shifters , Wave
guide tees– E plane tee – H plane tee – Magic tee,
Isolators, Circulators, Directional couplers

TCE, Sir MVIT 1

Coaxial cable
Microwave components and devices are interconnected using
coaxial cables . Coaxial cable possess characteristic impedance
of 50Ω or 75Ω
Coaxial Connectors and Adapters
• Coaxial cable are terminated or connected to other cables and components by
means of shielded standard connectors.
• Connectors are of various types depending on frequency range and cable
diameter
• Types of commonly used Microwave connectors are
Type N ( male/female) – Navy connector- 50Ω or 75Ω connector designed for
military system applications during world war II- suitable for flexible or rigid
cables in the frequency range 1-18GHz
BNC ( male/female) – Bayonet Navy Connector or Bayonet Neill–Concelman-
suitable for 0.25inch 50Ω or 75Ω flexible cables upto 1GHz
TNC (male/female) - Threaded Navy Connector-like BNC except that the outer
conductor has a thread to make firm contact to minimise radiation leakage and
used upto 12GHz
APC (sexless) etc.
Coaxial connectors and Adapters

TCE, Sir MVIT 4

 Coaxial connectors and Adapters

TCE, Sir MVIT 5

Coaxial connectors and Adapters
Attenuators
• Attenuators are passive devices used to control power levels in a
microwave system by partially absorbing the transmitted signal wave.
• Types 1. Fixed 2. variable – both are designed using resistive films
(aquadag) 3. Precision type
Fixed Attenuators
• Coaxial fixed attenuator uses a film with losses on the centre conductor to absorb
some of the power. The microwave power absorbed by the lossy material is
dissipated as heat
Fixed Attenuators
• A fixed waveguide type consists of thin dielectric strip coated with
resistive film and placed at the centre of the waveguide parallel to
maximum E field
• The dielectric strip is tapered at both ends upto a length of more than
half wavelength to reduce reflections
Variable type attenuator
• Variable type attenuator is constructed by moving the resistive vane
by means of micrometer screw from one side of the narrow wall to
the centre where the E field is maximum
• Or by changing the depth of insertion of a resistive vane at an E field
maximum through a longitudinal slot at the middle of the broad wall
Precision type variable attenuator

• Has a Circular section C containing very thin tapered

resistive card (R2) to both sides of which are connected
axisymmetric sections of circular to rectangular waveguide
tapered transitions (RC1 and RC2)
• Centre circular section with resistive card can be rotated
by 360 with respect to two fixed sections of circular to
rectangular waveguide transitions
• The induced current on resistive card R2 due to incident
signal is dissipated as heat producing attenuation of
transmitted signal
• The incident TE10 dominant wave in the rectangular
waveguide is converted into dominant TE11 mode in the
circular waveguide
• R2 is placed perpendicular to E field so that it has negligible
effect on the field perpendicular to it but absorbs any
component parallel to it
Precision type variable attenuator
• If the resistive card in centre section is kept at an angle Ө parallel to the E field direction of the
TE11 mode the component EcosӨ parallel to card gets absorbed while EsinӨ is transmitted
without attenuation
• Finally it appears as Esin2 Ө in rectangular output guide
• The attenuation of the incident wave is

• Attenuators are normally matched reciprocal devices

• The S-matrix of an ideal precision rotary attenuator is

Waveguide Tees
• Waveguide Tees are 3 port components
• Used to connect a branch or section of the waveguide in series or parallel with the main
waveguide transmission line for providing means of splitting and combining power in a waveguide
system
• Types 1) E-plane (series) 2) H-plane (shunt) 3) Hybrid or Magic T
Waveguide Tees-E plane Tee
• A wave incident at port 3 will result in waves at port 1 and 2 which are equal
in magnitude but opposite in phase ie S31 = S13 = -S23 = -S32 , S12=S21,S11 =S22
• If two in-phase input waves are fed into ports 1 and 2 of the collinear arm
the output wave at port 3 will be opposite in phase and subtractive
• Third port is called difference arm
• E plane junction is also called series junction
• All diagonal elements of the S matrix of an E plane T junction cannot be zero
Since the T junction cannot be matched to all the three arms simultaneously
• Consider port 3 as matched ie S33 = 0
• The S matrix is
Waveguide Tees-E plane Tee
• Let the incident and outgoing signal at the ith port be ai and bi
• For an input power at port 3 the net input power to port 3 is
1 1
(𝑎32 − 𝑏32) = 𝑎32 (1 − 𝑆332)
2 2
1
• The output power is (𝑏12 + 𝑏22) = 𝑎32 .S132
2
• For lossless junction input power must be equal to output power
1 2
𝑎 (1 − 𝑆332) = 𝑎32 .S132
2 3
or (1 − 𝑆332) = 2.S132
• Since S33 = 0 by matching S13 = 1/√2
• ∴ S13 = S31 = 1/ 2, S23 = S32 = -1/√2
• The S matrix becomes
Waveguide Tees-E plane Tee
Waveguide Tees-H plane Tee
• If two inphase input waves are fed in port 1 and 2 of collinear arm the
Output wave at port 3 will be in-phase and additive
• The third port is called sum arm
• An input wave at port 3 will be divided equally between port 1 and port 2

also
• H –plane junction is also called shunt junction
• Also S12= S21
Waveguide Tees-H plane Tee
Hybrid or Magic T • Hybrid Tee is a combination of E-plane and H-plane
• Has 4 ports
Circulators (four port)
Isolators
Faraday Rotation Isolator
Working of Isolator
• Case1) A TE10 mode is applied to the
rectangular waveguide so the field is oriented
in vertical direction as shown in figure.
• When the wave passes through mechanical
twist (bend) the field polarization rotates by
450 in anticlockwise direction.
• This field now passed through the Ferrite
material and the field polarization now is
rotated in clockwise direction by 450.
• Due to anticlockwise and clockwise rotation of
450 the overall rotation in polarization is
nullified and the field becomes vertical as it
was at the input.
• This vertical polarized field when passes
through the last component of rectangular
waveguide, it does not interact with the
resistive card since card is horizontally placed.
• Case2) When a vertically polarized wave is
reflected from the second port, it travels with
same orientation of the field till the ferrite
rod.
• When it passes through ferrite material it
under goes a rotation of 450 in clockwise
direction and this rotated field when passes
through the mechanical twist, field is further
rotated by the 450 in clockwise as the
mechanical twist is reciprocal in nature.
• Now the total field rotation is of 900 in
clockwise and due to this field becomes
parallel with the resistive card at the input of
isolator and is absorbed by the card.
• Thus the isolator gives different response in
different direction of propagation.
Problem
Directional coupler
• Directional coupler is a four port waveguide junction
• Consists of primary waveguide 1-2 and secondary waveguide 3-4

• When all ports are terminated in their characteristic impedance

a) There is free transmission of power without reflection between port
1and 2
b) There is no transmission between port 1 and 3 or between port 2 and 4
because no coupling exists between these two pair of ports
• The degree of coupling between port 1 and port 4 and between port 2 and
port 3 depends on the structure of coupler
Directional coupler
• Characteristics of directional coupler expressed in terms of coupling factor and its directivity

• Port 2, 3 and 4 are terminated in their characteristic impedances

• Coupling factor is a measure of ratio of power levels in the primary and secondary lines. So if
coupling factor is known a fraction of power measured at port 4 may be used to determine the
power input at port 1
• Directivity is a measure of how well the forward travelling wave in the primary waveguide couples
only to a specific port of the secondary waveguide . An ideal directivity should be infinity
• Actually well designed directional couplers have a directivity of 30 to 35dB
Types of directional coupler
• Several types of directional couplers are
Two hole directional coupler
S matrix of directional coupler

By symmetry S12 = S21 , S34 = S43, S23 = S32, S41= S14

• Apply unitary property

From R1 & C1 S12S12 * +S14S14 * =1 -------- a

From R2 & C2 S12S12 * +S23S23 * =1--------- b
From R3 & C3 S23S23 * +S34S34 * =1----------c
From R4 & C4 S14S14 * +S34S34 * =1---------- d
From R1 & C3 S12S23 * +S14S34 * =0 ---------- e

From a & b
From b & c
Assignment : Phase shifters