Back-to-Back Connected Multiplexers for a Broadband Channel Splitter and Channel Combiner

A new design topology for a broadband channelizer and re-combiner for sub-channel signal processing in RF-front ends is introduced by utilizing back-to-back connected multiplexers. The proposed configuration uses the multiplexer networks with a parallel-connected topology of filters that have complementary even-number-order channel networks. The proposed design topology improves the insertion loss almost two times of the case using the conventional cascaded diplexer configuration. The obtained insertion loss is almost uniform over the multi-octave bandwidth which eliminates amplitude compensation for an ultra-wideband application. A prototype eight-channel back-to-back connected multiplexer is being fabricated to cover 2 GHz to 18 GHz with 2 GHz sub-channel bandwidth as a proof of concept.