Broadband PIN Diode Limiter Design and Co-Simulation of Electromagnetic Fields and Circuits

As an essential component in the radio frequency (RF) front end for resisting high-power pulses, limiters play a crucial role in protecting sensitive modules and electronic devices in the subsequent RF front end. This paper focuses on the research of a passive limiter using a PIN diode. The design employs discrete components, and the Advanced Design System (ADS) simulation software is utilized to construct a two-stage limiter circuit based on the PIN diode. S-parameter simulations are performed to analyze the working frequency band of the limiter. In the design and optimization process of the limiter, a choke inductor is used to reduce low-frequency signal leakage and to provide a DC discharging path for the diode and DCblocking capacitor. The method of cascading limiter structures is employed to further enhance the power handling capacity and isolation of the limiter circuit. Finally, a limiter is designed in ADS simulation with a bandwidth of 1-6 GHz, insertion loss ≤ 0.3 dB, and VSWR ≤ 1.5. The limiter is then physically fabricated and measured. Additionally, the electromagnetic simulation analysis software CST is used to simulate the PCB model of limiter built with discrete components, analyze its insertion loss and compare it with the measured data.