A 3-D Printed $E$ -Plane Waveguide Magic-T Using Air-Filled Coax-to-Waveguide Transitions

Abstract

This paper reports on a new class of broadband and fully 3-D printed E-plane coax-to-waveguide transition and a monolithically 3-D printed waveguide magic-T based on the transition. The transition is constructed by a section of air-filled rectangular coaxial transmission line that is placed between two broadband coax-to-waveguide probe transitions. It is used to interconnect the magic-T's sum port and the waveguide T-junction. The incorporation of the transition reorients all the waveguide arms of the magic-T into the E plane. Some X-band prototypes of the proposed transition and magic-T are designed and implemented. Polymer-based additive manufacturing and copper electroplating techniques are employed to fabricate each prototype monolithically. The transition as well as the magic-T exhibits broadband and low-loss characteristics from 8.2 to 12.4 GHz with measured performance well matched with the simulations. Additionally, the power handling capability (PHC) including the peak PHC (PPHC) and the average PHC (APHC) of the magic-T is evaluated by simulations, showing that the proposed magic-T could handle 100 W of APHC.

3D Printing of a Monolithic K/Ka-Band Dual-Circular Polarization Antenna-Feeding Network

“…In the microwave field, additive manufacturing technologies have already proved to be viable solutions for the development of waveguide components exhibiting improvements in terms of performance, mechanical complexity, mass, and envelope. Among the others, single waveguide components manufactured through stereo-lithography and selective laser melting are leaky-wave antennas [1], waveguide transitions [2], [3], ortho-mode transducers and polarizers [4], [5], waveguide circuitry [6]- [8], filters [9]- [12], lightweight perforated structures [13]. The main advantage of additive manufacturing technologies is the integration of several radio-frequency functionalities (including radiation, phaseshifting, polarization and frequency diplexing) in a single mechanical part.…”

A novel compact planar magic-T using CPS and microstrip-to-CPS transition

“…Since the magic-Ts are often integrated with other microwave circuitry, it is necessary to be simple, small and easy to be integrated. Waveguide magic-Ts, which have an advantage of a low insertion loss, consist of a solid Eand H-arm [13,14,15,16]. However, the waveguide magic-Ts are relatively large to be integrated with other microwave circuits in RF front ends.…”

Coaxial probe‐fed open‐ended waveguide antenna based on sand casting process with filtering characteristics and all‐in‐one structure

“…In order to ensure the process precision of internal space, detached parts, and post-processing assembly are often needed, which unavoidably causes error, air gap, and loss. Both computer numerical control (CNC)-metalmilling and 3-D printing technologies have been adopted in the manufacture of waveguide component, but postprocessing, such as assembly, [9][10][11] metal plating, [12][13][14] and liquid metal filling, 15 is still indispensable. For example, the fabrication of proposed waveguide magic-T in 10 needed three-step process.…”