There comes a time in RF and microwave work when one should introduce DC energy right into a sign carrying line with out degrading the excessive frequency motion of that line. A generally used gadget is named a “bias-tee”. The next sketch illustrates two methods to make use of such a tool.
Determine 1 Two frequent methods to make use of a bias-tee utilization.
Within the higher circuit, DC energy is being delivered to the something-or-other that’s receiving a sign from a something-else. Within the decrease circuit, DC energy is being delivered to the something-else that’s doing the delivering to the something-or-other. In both case, the inductor, an RF choke, mustn’t exhibit self resonances on the working sign frequencies and therein lies the problem.
One method to creating the RF choke is to wind an inductor as a conical spiral as follows.
Determine 2 A diagram of a conical coil.
Arbitrarily denoted, the capacitances between turns are proven as a set of “Cn” capacitors and the capacitances from every flip to RF floor are proven as a set of “Cm” capacitances. With the conical association of turns, the very best frequencies within the sign spectra are supported by the inductance close to the conical tip whereas the decrease frequencies are supported by the bigger turns additional away from the sign line itself. Each the Cm and Cn capacitances are stored small near the sign line and allowed to be bigger away from the sign line the place their results are much less essential.
We are able to make a really crude circuit mannequin for this for example how self resonances are arrange in order that the bottom self resonant frequency of the RF choke is focused at being larger than the very best working frequency of the signal-input to signal-output path’s frequency span.
Determine 3 Circuit mannequin of a conical choke.
Every flip of wire is represented by a parallel mixture of Ln and Cn and a shunt capacitance of Cm. Though there will probably be cross coupling between the turns of wire, I’ve chosen right here to imagine zero cross coupling simply to make the arithmetic tractable versus my very own private analytic limitations. I have to get my knees and beg your forgiveness for that, however a helpful perception emerges anyway.
Taking our start line to be on the correct, we now have an impedance that’s assumed to be dominantly inductive, however which we will select to have an inductance worth of zero in order that what we see on the left finish of this mannequin will probably be an impedance that arises solely from the conical coil itself.
For every part of this mannequin, ranging from a j X1, we might derive the equation for j X2.
Determine 4 Mathematical derivation of the impedance per flip of the conical coil.
The j X2 that’s offered by every part can be utilized as a brand new j X1 for the subsequent part to the left. This calculation will get repeated as many instances as there are turns within the coil for every frequency that we select to look at. That calculation course of is thereby iterative.
We now take a look at a part of a specification for an precise conical inductor to get a really feel for the properties of a real-world part.
Determine 5 An actual-world conical inductor.
Be aware the desired usable frequency vary of this half as 100 kHz to 40 GHz. That may be a span of 8.644 octaves or 2.602 many years which is kind of frankly monumental. My tried simulation consequence under isn’t almost pretty much as good as that, however it nonetheless suggests sufficient bandwidth for satellite tv for pc radio service.
Determine 6 Simulated inductive reactance of conical inductor.
Take be aware that the real-world elements are bodily very tiny. Starting with a number of admittedly blithe assumptions of an Ln of fifty nHy for the primary flip, we select to decrease the Ln worth for every of the forty-four succeeding turns by an element of 0.9452 which yields a remaining inductance worth of 840 nHy which we take a look at for at 1 MHz which is effectively under any resonance.
We additionally assume seemingly super-teeny-tiny capacitances of 0.001 pF every which we additional diminish for the succeeding turns by an element of 0.6 per flip. The simulation’s result’s inductive conduct with out resonance as much as just a bit under 10 GHz.
Are these leads to the correct ballpark? I can’t show it, however I believe they’re. Not less than they appear to counsel the validity and deserves of the conical construction of the purchasable merchandise.
John Dunn is an electronics guide, and a graduate of The Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (BSEE) and of New York College (MSEE).
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