Amplifiers suitable for mm-wave signal splitting and combining

Abstract

An amplifier circuit couples one or more selectable input ports to one or more selectable output ports. The circuit includes N input transistors and M output transistors. Each input transistor has its base coupled to a respective input port node, its emitter coupled to ground, and its collector connected to an intermediate node. Each output transistor has its base coupled to a bias node, its emitter connected to the intermediate node, and its collector coupled to a respective output port nodes. Each input transistor enables the respective input port node when its base is biased. Each output transistor enables the respective output port node when its bias node is asserted. The base of the input transistor for each enabled port is biased to provide a quiescent current I*m/n through that input transistor, where m is the number of enabled output ports and n is the number of enabled input ports.