EXPERIMENT

: 06
NO

To Study the Characteristics of Directional

TITLE : Coupler and its Application

:
DATE OF
EXPERIMENT

INSTRUCTOR :

NAME : ______________________________________

GROUP NO/
___________________
GROUP MEMBER
 Experiment
1. Objectives

a) To study and characterize the micro strip based directional coupler.

b) To investigate the directional properties and determine the Coupling Directivity and
insertion Loss of a Directional Couple.
c) To learn the basic applications of a directional coupler.

2. Introduction
A directional coupler consists essentially of a pair of coupled transmission lines designed so a
specific fraction of the power flowing in one line in a given direction is coupled to the other line;
to propagate only in one direction but not in the other. The directional coupling properties and
definitions of coupling and directivity may be explained with reference to fig 5.3.1. In (a)
microwave power incident at port 1 is second line to emerge at port 3. Ideally zero power
emerges at port 4. The coupling is directional.

The coupling coefficient of the directional coupler is defined as:

c = P3/P1 Assuming all ports is matched. Coupling is usually expressed in decibels, dB, and i.e.
Coupling = 10 log10 P3/P1 e.g.; if c = 0.1, a –10dB coupler, the coupled power at port 3 is,
P3 = c P1 = 0.1 P1 If c = 0.01, a – 20dB coupler, P3 = 0.01 P1
In the reverse direction, see Fig. 5.3.1(b), power incident at port 2 is transmitted to port 1 with
directional coupling this time to port 4. Ideally no power is coupled to port 3.

As a measure of the directional coupling properties, the term directivity is used. It is defined as
the ratio of the power to the decoupled port to the power at the coupled port:

Directivity, d =P4/ P3 in fig 5.3.1 (a). Directivity is usually quoted in dB,

Directivity in dB = 10 log 10 P4/ P3 dB

Good quality directional couplers have directivities rang from 0.01 (-20dB) to 0.0001 (-40 dB).
Directional couplers find important application in microwave measurements, power monitoring
and leveling, signal combiners … etc. Fig 5.3.2 shows three typical uses. In
(a) A small amount of the source power is coupled to the power meter terminating the
forward coupled branch of the coupler. The power meter reading thus gives a direct
measure of the source power suitably scaled down by the coupling coefficient of
directional coupler (typically -20dB or -30dB down on the main power).

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 (b) shows a simple measurement of reflection coefficient/return loss. The power reflected at
the input to the device under test is measured by the power meter at port 4.
(c) Shows a power leveling application. A small fraction of the sweeper’s power output is
coupled to port 3, detected by the crystal detector and the resulting voltage fed back to
control, via a voltage controlled attenuator network, the power output of the sweeper, so
it remains leveled (constant) with frequency.

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 Fig 5.3.2 Directional coupler applications

The directional coupler to be investigated, unit DC shown in fig 5.3.3, is an edge coupled
Microstrip coupler designed for S-band operation centered on 2.7GHz and to work in the
standard 50 ohm system. Edge coupled types are suitable for relatively weak coupling
application, typically in the coupling coefficient range 0.03 (-15dB) to 0.001 (-30dB).

The important design parameters are the coupling length L and the separation s between the two
coupled lines. At the mid-band design frequency L should be approximately one quarter of a
guide wavelength, L = ¼λg. The separation s determines the coupling coefficient. The smaller
the value of the tighter the coupling.

fig 5.3.3

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 TASK 1

3. Equipment Required
Qty Designation Description

1 VCO Voltage Control Oscillator

1 PAD 5dB PAD
1 D Crystal Detector
1 DC Directional coupler
2 MT 50Ω Coaxial Termination
2 PPC SMA Plug To Plug Coaxial Connector
1 PS Power Supply for VCO source
1 DVM Digital Voltmeter For Diode Detector

4. Procedure
4.1
To investigate experimentally the directional properties and determine the coupling, directivity
and insertion loss of directional coupler we need to measure the powers at its 4 ports, see fig
5.3.4:

Fig 5.3.4 Powers at direction coupler ports

P1 = incident power at port 1

P2 = through-put transmission power to port 2
P3 = power coupled to port 3
P4 = power to decoupled port 4

With ports 2, 3 and 4 matched, i.e. terminated in 50 b.

Then, Coupling = P3/P1 or 10log10 P3/P1 dB

Directivity = P4/P3 or 10log10 P4/P3 dB
Insertion loss = P2/P1 or 10log10 P2/P1 dB

These measurements can by undertaken using the experimental set-ups shown in fig 5.3.5

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1.P1 is measured using the circuit of (a). Note the PAD is acting as isolator for the VCO
microwave source with low loss transmission from port 1 to port 2.The procedure for setting up
the VCO to given frequency and using the detector and digital voltmeter for power measurement
is described in Assignment 1 Practical 1.1.
2. The coupled power P3 is measured using circuit (b). Note ports 2 and 4 of the directional
coupler are terminated in matched loads. The crystal detector also presents a very good match at
port 3.
3. The power P4 to the decoupled port is measured using circuit (c) with ports 2 and 3 terminated
in 50 ohm matched loads.
4. Finally the transmission through-put power, P2, is measured using (d) with ports 3 and 4 each
terminated 50 ohms.
So as to investigate the directional coupler performance use a copy of Table 5.3.1, reproduced at
the end of this assignment, to tabulate the results.

fig 5.3.5

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4.2
Calculations of Coupling, Directivity and Insertion Loss
From the results obtained, use a copy of Table 5.3.2, reproduced at the end of this assignment, to
record the values of coupling, directivity and insertion loss of the directional coupler over the
range 2.0 to 3.5GHz. Summarize these in a brief statement of specification of the directional
coupler’s performance over this band.

5. Observations and data manipulation

Table 5.3.1 Results

Table 5.3.2 Results

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