FAQ - MCS + Filter, Combiners & Amplifiers

FAQ - Filter, Combiners & Amplifiers

How high is the insertion loss of a Combiner?

The insertion loss of a combiner is a determining factor in the selection of the technology used during development of each product. Further criteria in deciding which technology should be deployed in the design of the combiner are the bandwidth of the frequency under consideration, the required isolation between the bands and the power rating.

The insertion loss experienced with Multi-Band Combiners tends to be significantly reduced the further apart the frequencies are. For example, values of 0,1 dB are typical for many KATHREIN multi-band combiners where 900 and 1800 or 2100 MHz are being combined. The insertion loss for Multi-Band Combiners for the combining of neighbouring frequencies such as 1800 and 2100, on the other hand, may increase to < 0,3 dB.

Occasionally we are confronted with misconceptions from the field that all combiners have 3 dB insertion losses. In such cases it is generally quite clear that multi-band combining applications have been confused with same-band combining using Hybrid Combiners.

KATHREIN-Werke KG Rosenheim