Abstract: Power combiners and splitters are commonly used as components for handling radio frequency (RF) signals. Disclosed herein are power combiner/splitters and methods to operate the same to reduce power loss when not all the ports are used. When an input/output port of a power combiner/splitter is unused or inactive, switches may be provided to cut off the port from the rest of the power combiner/splitter, which has programmable quarter-wave elements and resistors that are adjustable based on the number of remaining input/output ports that are active, such that in effect, the circuit operates similarly to a multi-way Wilkinson power combiner/splitter, and power loss due to inactive ports may be reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: Power combiners and splitters are commonly used as components for handling radio frequency (RF) signals. Disclosed herein are power combiner/splitters and methods to operate the same to reduce power loss when not all the ports are used. When an input/output port of a power combiner/splitter is unused or inactive, switches may be provided to cut off the port from the rest of the power combiner/splitter, which has programmable quarter-wave elements and resistors that are adjustable based on the number of remaining input/output ports that are active, such that in effect, the circuit operates similarly to a multi-way Wilkinson power combiner/splitter, and power loss due to inactive ports may be reduced or eliminated.