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Miniaturized Hybrid Rat-Race Coupler of a 2.5 GHz Loaded by Resistors

Article  in  Journal of Networks · July 2013

DOI: 10.4304/jnw.8.7.1465-1469

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JOURNAL OF NETWORKS, VOL. 8, NO. 7, JULY 2013 1465

Miniaturized Hybrid Rat-Race Coupler of a 2.5

GHz Loaded by Resistors
Khalid S. Ahmad
Foundation of Technical Education, Technical Institute Mosul /Electronic Department, Mosul, Iraq
Email: Jarkovo_1988@yahoo.com

A. Z. Yonis
University of Mosul, College of Electronic Engineering / Communication Engineering Department, Mosul, Iraq
Email: aws_zuher@yahoo.com

Abstract—A rat-race coupler is one of the essential
components used in microwave circuits. Rat-race coupler
has numerous applications in satellite communication,
phased array radar antenna systems and radar. Recently,
wireless communication systems usually require smaller
device size, in order to meet circuit miniaturization. Thus,
size reduction becoming major design considerations for
practical applications. This paper includes design the
proposed microstrip rat-race coupler for frequency 2.5 GHz.
The area of the proposed rat-race coupler compared with
the conventional structure, the proposed rat-race coupler in
this paper has smaller size than the conventional structure.
The main outcome of this work is reducing the area of the
proposed coupler by 10%. Microwave Office (MWO-225-
SUF) tool is used to execute the design of the coupler in this
work.
Recently, wireless communication systems usually
require smaller device size in order to meet circuit
miniaturization and cost reduction. Thus, size reduction is
becoming major design considerations for practical
applications. However, in the low microwave frequency
range, even the physically small size of a conventional
hybrid coupler is still too large for some applications.
Therefore, attempts continually are made to reduce its
size. Lots of attempts are continually contributed to
minimize the occupied area of hybrid coupler [6, 7].
This paper will focus exclusively on the proposed rat-
race coupler design. The proposed coupler is occupied a
smaller area by 10% than the conventional microstrip
coupler.

Index Terms—Rat-Race Hybrid Coupler, Microstrip,

Transmission Line

I. INTRODUCTION
Rat-race couplers form an indispensable component
group in modern MIC (Microwave Integrated Circuits)
technology. They are key components in the design of
microwave devices such as power divider, mixers, phase
shifter, and antenna systems due to their simplicity, and a
high isolation between the ports [1]. Rat-race couplers are
(a)
passive microwave components used for power division
or power combining in radio frequency circuits design.
The radio frequency (RF) power applied to any one port
split equally between two neighboring ports, no output
signal appears at the opposite port, which named as
isolation port [2]. Rat-race coupler is composed of three
(λ/4) sections and one (3λ/4) section, its total
circumference is 1.5 wavelengths. For an equal-split rat-
race coupler, the impedance of the ring “Fig. 1,” is fixed
at 1.41Z0, (70.7  ), the ports impedance are all 50Ω [1].
The isolated port lets the circuit become a three-port
network. The port into which the electrical power fed (b)
called the incident port; the ports through which the Figure 1. Conventional rat-race coupler (equal power split) (a) 00
desired amounts of coupled power extracted called Power divider (b) 1800 Power divider.
coupled ports. Phase between the outputs is dependent on
which port is the input. Coupler can provide 180-degree II. PROPOSED RAT-RACE COUPLER DESIGN
phase shift between two output ports and can be operated Recently, wireless communication systems usually
output ports are in-phase as shown in “Fig. 1.” [1, 2, 3, 4, require smaller device size in order to meet circuit
5].

© 2013 ACADEMY PUBLISHER

doi:10.4304/jnw.8.7.1465-1469
1466 JOURNAL OF NETWORKS, VOL. 8, NO. 7, JULY 2013

miniaturization. Thus, size reduction is becoming major width of port w2, is the width of the ring, and L, is the
design considerations for practical applications. length of section (λ/4), “Fig. 3.”.
The shape of proposed coupler “Fig. 2.” has changed
εr  1 εr  1 1
to get smaller size, where the (3λ/4) section between εe    . (1)
ports 3 and 4 “Fig. 2-a.” is composed of three parts (λ/4), 2 2 12d
1
the middle part changed from convex shape to bowl w
shape, also is changed the (λ/4) part between ports 1 and
w
2 from convex shape to bowl shape. In addition were for, 2
adding four resistors 50 ohms, in order to get equally split d
power between two neighboring ports to get 3 dB.
w 8e A
 . (2)
d e2 A  2

w
for, 2
d

w 2  r 1  0.61
  B  1  ln  2B  1  ln  B  1  0.39   .
d  2 r   r 
(3)
where:
(a)
Z    
A r  1  r  1  0.23  0.11  . (4)
60 2    
r 1  r 
377
B . (5)
2Z 
r

  
90  
L  180  . (6)
 e ko
(b)
Figure 2. Proposed rat-race coupler (equal power split) (a) 00 Power 2 f
divider (b) 1800 Power divider k  . (7)
v
The area of the proposed coupler (bowl shape) Where v, is the speed of light, f, is the frequency [8].
operating at 2.5 GHz is 13.9985 cm2, while the area of The ring of coupler consists from six sections, the
the conventional ring at the same frequency is 15.5109 length of each section (arc) equal to L, (where L=λ/4) and
cm2. The proposed ring rat race has smaller size than the by using the following expression calculate the radius R,
conventional coupler, the size of the proposed ring of the arc “Fig. 3.”.
reduced by 10%.These areas measured by AutoCAD.
360 L
III. CONFIGURATION OF PROPOSED COUPLER R . (8)
2 C
Rat-Race Coupler can realized by using virtually all
kinds of planar transmission lines, for example, strip line, Where C, is the angle in degree [9, 10], this mean C,
slot line, finline, image line and microstrip line [1]. equal 60 for each section.
Microstrip is one of the most popular types of planar RESISTORS
transmission lines, primarily because it can fabricated by
photolithographic processes and is easily integrated with Due to changes in the form of a coupler of convex
other passive and active microwave device [8]. In this shape (conventional) to the concave (proposed) and in
paper, the rat-race coupler is designed in microstrip order to get an equal division of power 3 dB and to
techniques. minimize the return loss from the sharp corner of the
The parameters d, substrate thickness and εr, dielectric bends, has been added four resistors 50 ohms “Fig. 3,”.
substrate (relative permittivity) are noticeable in design. IV. SIMULATION RESULTS
They relate to the characteristic impedance Zo, and should
calculate carefully [8]. In this paper d, and εr, are chosen The two concave parts (λ/4) are added to the coupler.
0.175cm and 2.2 respectively. The following microstrip The shape of the proposed coupler had become a concave
expressions used to calculate the geometry of coupler. shape, comparing with the conventional shape (convex
Where εe, is the effective dielectric constant w1, is the shape). The addition of the two concave parts would

© 2013 ACADEMY PUBLISHER

JOURNAL OF NETWORKS, VOL. 8, NO. 7, JULY 2013 1467

significantly negatively affect the work of the coupler. than -10 dB over the frequency range from 1.57 to 3.14
The reason is the emergence of sharp corner in the bends GHz of 180° power divider. From the graphs, the
regions of the microstrip line as shown in “Fig. 3,”. magnitudes of S-parameters at center frequency 2.5 GHz,
However, this is surpassed by the addition of four where for |S11| are -10.8 dB and -23.5 dB for 0°power
resistors with values of 50 ohms to minimize the return divider and 180° power divider circuit configuration
loss. The resistors are attached on the sharp corners in the respectively. The magnitudes of |S31| are -22.4 dB and -
bend regions of the microstrip line where a, b, are 36.1 dB for 0° power divider and 180° power divider
horizontal length of the resistor a, is the width of resistor circuit configuration respectively. Besides that they have
a=0.391cm which correspond 50 ohms b, is the length of |S21| and |S41| -3.47 dB and -3.35 dB for 0°power divider
resistor b=0.65 cm which correspond (~λ/14). The and |S21| and |S41| -3.09 dB and -2.98 dB for 180°power
resistors section advantage is to reduce the return loss of divider.
the sharp corners. The proposed coupler with a
4.4504x3.8677cm2 has reduced size by 10%. Coupler is
realized at 2.5 GHz on a PTFE Teflon with 0.127cm
thickness and the dielectric constant of 2.2, “Fig. 4,”.The
proposed coupler has the parameters which are given
Table І. Where w1, is the width of the port which
correspond 50Ω (w1=a), w2, is the width of the arc (ring),
which correspond 70.7Ω, R is the distance from the
origin to the start of the arc. R1 is the distance from the
origin to the center of the arc (R1=R+w2/2), R2, is the
distance from the origin to the end of the arc (R2=R+w2).
Substrate thickness d=0.127 cm, relative permittivity εr=
2.2.
The rat-race coupler response is measured in the
frequency range 0.5-4 GHz. The rat-race coupler is Figure 4. The configuration of the proposed rat-race coupler
simulated using Microwave Office (MWO-225-suf)
verssion 3.22.

Figure 5. Simulation response of 00 power divider circuit

configuration

Figure 3. The configuration of the proposed rat-race coupler (all

values in cm unit)

TABLE I. THE PROPOSED COUPLER PARAMETERS (ALL VALUES IN

TABLE IN CM UNIT)

w1 w2 L R R1 R2 a b
0.391 0.224 2.230 2.120 2.232 2.344 0.391 0.65 Figure 6. Simulation response of 1800 power divider circuit
configuration
“Fig. 5.” and “Fig. 6.” show the simulated S-
parameter's of 0° power divider and 180°power divider. “Fig. 7.” illustrates the phase shift for 0° power divider
The simulated |S11| is better than -10 dB from 2.11 to 2.57 circuit configuration where port 2 and port 4 are shifted
GHz of 0° power divider, while the simulated |S11| is around 90°from port 1 (in-phase). “Fig. 8.” illustrates the
better than -10 dB from 1 to 3.39 GHz of 180° power phase shift for 180°power divider circuit configuration
divider. The simulated isolation |S31| is larger than -10 dB (out-of-phase), where port 2 and port 4are shifted around
over the frequency range from 1.8 to 3.37 GHz of 0° 90°and 270°respectively from port 1. The in-phase and
power divider, while the simulated isolation |S31| is larger out-of-phase (<S21-<S41) difference are 3.7 and -173 at
center frequency 2.5 GHz, respectively, instead of 0°and

© 2013 ACADEMY PUBLISHER

1468 JOURNAL OF NETWORKS, VOL. 8, NO. 7, JULY 2013

180° but these results are acceptable and satisfy the The results are not identical with the conventional
requirements of 0°and 180°power divider. coupler, but they are acceptable.

TABLE II. THE COMPARISON SIMULATED S-PARAMETERS

WITH THE CONVENTIONAL STRUCTURE FOR 0°POWER DIVIDER

S-parameter (dB) S11 S21 S31 S41

Conventional -40.2 -3.00 -68.6 -3.00
proposed -10.8 -3.47 -22.4 -3.47

“Fig. 10” and Table III show the comparison simulated

S-parameters with the conventional structure for 180 °
power divider
Figure 7. Phase shift for 0°power divider circuit configuration

(a)
.
Figure 8. Phase shift for 180°power divider circuit configuration

(b)
Figure 10. Simulated results of (a) |S11| and |S21| and (b) |S31| and |S41|
for 180°rat-race coupler
(a)
where the results are illustrated in Table ІІІ.

TABLE III. THE COMPARISON SIMULATED S-PARAMETERS

WITH THE CONVENTIONAL STRUCTURE FOR 180°POWER DIVIDER

S-parameter (dB) S11 S21 S31 S41

Conventional -40 -3.00 -68.4 -3.00
proposed -23.5 -3.09 -36.1 -2.98

The proposed coupler's magnitudes |S11|=-23.5 dB,

(b)
Figure 9. Simulated results of (a) |S11| and |S21| and (b) |S31| and |S41|
for 0°rat-race coupler
“Fig. 9.” and Table ІІ show the comparison simulated
S-parameters with the conventional structure for 0°
power divider.
Where the results are illustrated in Table ІІ.
The proposed coupler's magnitudes |S11|=-10.8 dB,
|S31|=-22.4 dB, |S21=|S41|=-3.47 dB, while the magnitudes
of the conventional coupler are |S11|=-40.2 dB, |S31|=-68.6
dB, |S21=|S41|=-3 dB, at the center frequency 2.5 GHz.
|S31|=-36.1 dB, |S21│=-3.09, |S41|=-2.98 dB, while the
magnitudes of the conventional coupler are |S11|=-40 dB,
|S31|=-68.4 dB, |S21=|S41|=-3 dB, at the center frequency
2.5 GHz. The results are good and can be adopted.
V. CONCLUSION
The comparison shows that the results are acceptable
and must be sacrifice a little in the magnitude of S-
parameters in order to get a smaller space. A microstrip
rat-race coupler is built on the PTFE Teflon Substrate ε-
r=2.2. This project is designed for frequency 2.5 GHz.
The design steps have presented. The demand for
microstrip rat-race coupler will continue to increase
because of their small size and low mass.

© 2013 ACADEMY PUBLISHER

 JOURNAL OF NETWORKS, VOL. 8, NO. 7, JULY 2013
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The Authors are grateful to the electronic department
Technical Institute in Mosul, for providing the facilities
in carrying out this study.
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[3] G. C. Hock and C. K. Chakrabarty, "Design of a 5.8 GHz
Rat-Race Coupler on the RO4003C Substrate,
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[4] S. A. Maas, "The RF and Microwave Circuit Design
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[5] Z. Wang, J. S. Jang, and C.W. Park, "Tri-Band Rat-Race
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[6] Y. J. Sung and Y. S. Kim, "Size reduction and harmonic
suppression of rat-race hybrid coupler using defected
ground structure," IEEE Microwave and wireless
components letters, vol. 14, no. 1, January 2004.
[7] F. Zhang and C. Li, "Novel Rat-race Hybrid Coupler for
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[8] D. M. Pozar, john, "Microwave Engineering," 2nd ed.,
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© 2013 ACADEMY PUBLISHER
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Khalid S. Ahmad was born in
Baghdad province, Iraq, on June 01,
1964.He received the B.S. degree of
electrical engineering from Air Force
Technical Academy in Sarajevo city
of Bosnia and Herzegovina, M.S.
degree in electrical engineering from
Belgrade University, Serbia in 1985
and 1987 respectively. Now, he is an
assistance lecture in the department
of Electronic Engineering, Mosul
Technical Institute, Iraq. His research
interests include spiral antenna, microstrip antenna, phase array
antenna and couplers. He is a member of Syndicate of Iraqi
Engineering.
A. Z. Yonis has strong expertise in
wireless access technologies and
mobile communications such as
LTE, LTE-Advanced, WiMAX and
applications to communication
systems. His educational attainments
are B.Eng. from Technical College
of Mosul in Iraq, MSc. and PhD.
from Faculty of Electrical and
Electronic Engineering at University
Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia in
Malaysia. He became an engineer at college of electronic
engineering at university of Mosul- Iraq since 2006. He has
many published papers in International journals and conferences.
He is a member of IEEE, IAENG, SCIEI, SIE, CBEES, SDIWC,
IACSIT, and Syndicate of Iraqi Engineers.