The Wilkinson-type power divider has been an integral part of RF and microwave transmission technology since its inception in the early 1960s. That technological innovation, which allowed microwave and RF signals to be separated, transmitted and recombined with unprecedented levels of high isolation and low loss, led to the development of the first generation of ham and citizen’s band (CB) radios.
Figure 1 MECA power divider for Ham radio in the 1960s.
Figure 2 MECA’s 802-S-5.000 & 804-S-5.000, 2.0 to 8.5 GHz power dividers.
Figure 3 MECA ML Series applicable components.
Without the power divider, our modern world of cellular telephones and remote data transmission — necessities we now take for granted — would not be possible: from the call home to say you are stuck in traffic, to the transmission of data that tells your car the updated arrival time, from real-time updates sent directly into life-saving medical equipment and devices, to the submission of a last minute design change that came up while you were sitting on a warm beach during your ‘vacation.’ The modern communications and electronic management systems that facilitate so much of our everyday lives could not exist without the development of those first power dividers all those years ago.
Yet despite the revolutionary nature of that first power divider and the subsequent explosion of innovation, early power dividers were large and unwieldy (see Figure 1), unsuitable for compact applications or for fully mobile, personal use. Industry groups, manufacturers and design engineers, by the thousands, spent decades working to increase power, reduce size and standardize the packaging of power dividers to achieve the current state of the art that enables power dividers to operate in today’s demanding applications (see Figure 2). In commercial applications, power dividers and other RF/microwave components can now be produced in large lots using designs validated by decades of field use and today’s 3D EM design and simulation software.
But what happens when you need a power divider that fits a unique package in your system? When the validation of your power divider has been proven in earth-based cellular stations or climate-controlled data centers, how do you know what will happen in emerging GEO/MEO/LEO satellite or interplanetary space mission applications?
Obviously, you cannot afford to discover your power divider stops operating when your craft is halfway to Mars. You also cannot spend three years testing and qualifying units with no certainty that they will function effectively when your customer has committed to a vehicle launch within 18 months, let alone the budget implications of extensive validation work.
MECA has a solution to this problem as they have developed a process to qualify components for use in satellite, space, defense and other specialized applications under their ML Series (see Figure 3). The ML Series of “High REL” products offers a base level of screening: off-the-shelf, they are ready to fulfill many of the typical requirements for these demanding applications. For other applications with more precise or customized requirements, the ML Series offers a good starting point, substantially shortening development time and cost.
With more than two decades of orbital application success, the ML Line of “Modified COTS” (aka “COTS+”) has been screened and ruggedized to meet applicable MIL Standards:
- ML800 Series Power Dividers/Combiners certified to MIL-DTL-23971
- ML780 Series Couplers certified to MIL-DTL-15370
- ML400 Series Terminations certified to MIL-DTL-39030E.
As part of those screening processes, each product is thermal-cycled per MIL-STD-202 (Group A) to reveal stress weaknesses or other deficiencies that could cause infant mortality. Additional screening can be applied quickly to ensure effective performance under shock, vibration, humidity, chemical or other environmental stressors that could affect mission-specific success.
MECA understands that emerging technologies and applications often have specialized requirements that exceed general industry standards. MECA specializes in working with customers to quickly screen and modify configurations to meet more precise, customer-specific needs. Whether an application requires a specific mounting configuration, an integrated rack assembly or product features to operate in conditions that have not previously been considered, MECA engineers will work with you to make the necessary modifications and complete the testing to meet the demands of your specific applications. And all MECA products are built by J-STD-trained and certified assembly technicians.
The ML Series from MECA Electronics is sourced exclusively from USA-designed, mined and manufactured materials and components, so they can always be certified for DFARS compliance. MECA’s ML Series products not only meet current “Buy American Act” requirements, but they are already sourced to meet the increased demands mandated by Congress for the year 2029. And, as with all MECA products, they come with an industry-leading three-year warranty for added assurance. Even in the dark of space.
MECA Electronics
Denville, N.J., 973-625-0661
Sales@e-MECA.com