power splitter difference

Hello!

What is the precise difference in these devices:

- signal divider
- signal splitter
- power divider
- power splitter

Up to now I have learned that a signal divider with 3 ports has three resistors (in triangle configuration, in a 50 Ohm system every resistor has 50 Ohm), isolation from each port to any other port is 6 dB.

A power splitter has only two resistors, is that correct?

What about the other two?


CU

"Frequently Asked Questions about Power Splitters & Dividers. . ."

http://www.weinschel.com/PDFILES/PowerS&DFAQ.pdf

Regards,
IanP

I think power divider and power splitter are the same

Very good, that helped me! Now I know the precise difference of "splitter" and "divider".

Is there also a difference between "power" splitter|divider and "signal" splitter|divider?

CU

Added after 9 minutes:

What just came to my mind: what is the advantage or disadvantage of building a power divider in a star configuration vs. a triangular configuration?

CU

The same as making a T or Pi attenuator.
E.g. Pi attenuators can be used for higher freqs, because of their smaller "length".

So a star configuration refers to a T attenuator, which can be used for lower frequencies.
A trinagular configuration refers to a PI attenuator which can be used for higher frequencies?

CU

With the same chip size: yes

Hello!

Thanks a lot!

But with a triangular configuration I get additional waveform dispersion because the wave can travel on two paths: one path directly over one resistor (50 Ohm), the other over two resistors in series (2x 50 Ohm).

The total inductivity is smaller (2/3) than that of a single resistor in a triangular configuration.

With a star configuration there are always two resistors in series the wave must travel along. As it is a single path only there is no waveform dispersion due to different paths, but the inductivity is doubled (two resistors in series).

Is having a lower inductivity more important than having a single path?


CU

Added after 23 minutes:

What I still don't understand is this sentence in the document:

"Power dividers should not be used in ratio and leveling loop application because a mismatch condition of nominally 3:1 would exist."

If I have a power divider (triangular configuration) with three resistors of 50 Ohm each, and I terminate two of the ports with 50 Ohm, then I can see a load of 50 Ohm on the unterminated port. (BTW: in this configuration the resistor across the two terminated ports doesn't carry any current because there is no voltage difference across it.)

So why is there a 3:1 mismatch condition?


CU