Combining 2G and 3G (4G) BTS outputs sharing the same frequency band

Giuseppe Resnati*, Stefano Tamiazzo*, Giuseppe Macchiarella**

* **

Commscope Italy, Via Archimede 22/24, 20041 Agrate B., (Mi), Italy

Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Elettronica e Informazione, Milano ITALY

The two solutions are hybrid combiners and filter combiners. Hybrid combiners (based on 3 dB hybrid couplers) are conceptually very simple, but their main limitation is poor efficiency because they introduce at least 3 dB of insertion loss. Consequently hybrid combiners lose more than 50% of the transmitted power. Filters combiners have different challenges, which very often make their usage unpractical: Required isolation from the two transceivers is usually more than 25-30 dB, which forces the usage of filters with several poles Filters with several poles introduce phase and amplitude distortions that are often not acceptable in wireless equipments Filter combining with high isolation requires a non negligible band guard, which is often not available The solution here described overcomes the limitations inherent in both hybrid combiners and filter combiners. It is constituted by a directional filtering architecture [1] employing two double single-sided filters [2]. This architecture achieves the requested goal with filters of relatively low order, thus keeping both the overall losses and the group delay distortion sufficiently small. Basically, the proposed combiner successfully addresses the problem of combining two transceiverssuch as a 3G Node B and a 2G GSM BTSoperating in the same portion of RF spectrum. II. COMBINER REQUIREMENTS AND ASSUMED
SPECIFICATIONS

Abstract This work faces the problem of combining the outputs of two co-siting BTS, one operating with 2G networks and the other with 3G (or 4G) networks. This requirement is becoming more and more frequent because many operators, for increasing the capacity for data and voice signal transmission, have overlaid the new network in 3G or 4G technology to the existing 2G infrastructure. The solution here proposed is constituted by a low loss combiner realized through a directional double single-sided filtering system, which manages both TX and RX signals from each BTS output. The design approach for the combiner architecture is described with a particular emphasis on the synthesis of the double single-sided filters (realized by means of extracted pole technique). A prototype of the low-loss combiner has been designed and fabricated for validating the proposed approach. The results obtained are here discussed making into evidence the pros & cons of the proposed solution. Index Terms Combiners, Duplexers, Extracted-pole Synthesis.

I. INTRODUCTION Wireless operators face the challenge of modernizing their mobile networks to support the unprecedented increase in data traffic coming from Internet-enabled mobile devices. For infrastructure vendors, upgrades in the radio access network to enable higher data capacity often have two common requirements that are conflicting. There is a need for supporting multiple standard platforms to support the next generations of wireless technologies. But there is also a need to limit significant changes to tower and antenna configurations because there are strict permit restrictions in most developed markets. It has become increasingly important to develop solutions that allow for the combination of multiple transmitting standards that use the same existing towers and antennas for a combined multi-standard radio network. Many operators, in need of expanding their capacity for data and voice signal transmission, must plan the roll out of a new network in 3G or 4G technology, overlaid to the existing 2G network. Two basic solutions are generally used in such RF co-siting, which is the sharing of a common cable line (generally comprised of jumpers, a long feeder line, and an optional master head amplifier) and a base station antenna.

The specific task of the combiner here considered is to combine two pair of sub-bands of the spectrum assigned to GSM 900 network (RX band: 880-915 MHz, TX band: 925-960 MHz). Each sub-band in the first pair is up to 12.5 MHz wide and may allocates signals either from GSM carriers or from UMTS/LTE channels. The second pair of sub-bands must be above the first one and typically allocates other GSM carriers; the width of these latter subbands cover the remaining portion of GSM 900 spectrum above the first sub-band pair. Fig. 1 shows graphically the above described sub-band assignment.

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900 RX Band Guard Band RX Higher Channel RX Lower Channel

900 TX Band Guard Band TX Higher Channel TX Lower Channel

the lower channels bands (RX and TX), the property of the directional architecture allows to retrieve at the antenna port the combination of the four bands. Moreover, all the ports of the combiner present an intrinsic matching both in the passbands and the stopbands. A. Filters configuration
MHz

FURX-BR (>880 MHz)

FURX

915

FUTX FUTX-BT (>915 MHz)

960

Fig. 1. Specified sub-bands to be combined. The guard band is around 1 MHz (see text). BR and BT are 12.5 MHz

For practical feasibility, a guard band must be allowed between one sub-band (RX or TX) and the following one; this band is defined with regard to the maximum allowed insertion loss in each channel; in the present case the distance between the frequencies in the two adjacent channels where the loss is 1.5 dB must be less or equal to 1 MHz. The other requirement of the combiner concerns the isolation between the two sub-band pairs: the requested value must be at least 30 dB in the lower channels and 25 dB in the higher channels. III. ARCHITECTURE OF THE COMBINER The combiner employs the classical directional filter architecture [1]. This configuration is constituted by two identical filters connected with two 90 hybrids as depicted in fig. 2.
Antenna

The required response of each filter can be obtained, in line of principle, by cascading two filters, one bandstop and one bandpass. Due to the specific requirements imposed, the response of each filter is mainly defined in two bands (i.e. they belong to the class of single-sided filters); in order to obtain the smallest transition from one band to the following for a given filter order, it is convenient to adopt a full canonical topology, which is realized by introducing a number of transmission zeros equal to the number of resonators. The specific topology chosen is the extracted-pole configuration [3], which has the advantage, in case of full canonic implementation, to use only rejection resonators (thus reducing the overall losses); moreover the tuning process is made relatively easier with this topology. In order to satisfy the low loss requirements with relatively low order filters, a careful choice of the cavities Q0 is required; in fact, it is found that, with an unloaded Q of 6000, two filters of order 4 are sufficient for satisfying the requirements. Fig. 3 shows schematically the topology of the two cascaded filters implementing each double single-sided filter used in the combiner
Resonator
9 10 11 12

Not-Resonant node
13 14 15 16

R=50

Filter

S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Filter
90 Hyb.
BTS a (Lower Channel)

Band Pass section Passband: Higher RX Stopband: Lower RX

Band Stop section Stopband: Lower TX Passband: Higher TX, (Higher RX)

90 Hyb.
BTS b (Higher Channel)

Fig. 3. Schematic representation of double single-sided filters. the black circles represent the resonators; the dashed circles are not-resonant nodes (NRN); the segments are the couplings. Note that all the resonators are tuned in the stop bands.

Fig. 2. Combiner Architecture

B. Synthesis of the filters What distinguishes the combiner here discussed from the classical implementation of directional combiners is the structure of the filters employed. In fact, the response of each filter here considered is characterized by two passbands and two stopbands (it can be then defined as a double single-sided filter); assigning to each passband the higher channels bands (RX and TX) and to each stopband The synthesis of the filters starts from the following specified parameters: - FURX = 889.8 MHz, BR=12.5 MHz - FUTX = 934.8 MHz, BT=11 MHz The first filter is a single-sided filter with all the four transmission zeros placed in the lower RX band; the

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synthesis follows the procedure described in [5]. The second single-sided filter has been synthesized as a bandstop filter, following the approach reported in [4, chap. 10.2]. Note that in this case not all the available reflection zeros are placed in the same band; as a consequence, this filter is not, strictly speaking, a singlesided filter because one zero of the four available has been placed in the higher RX channel (the other three are in the higher TX channel). This choice is due to the fact that once the two filters are cascaded, a sufficient matching in the higher RX channel cannot be achieved if all the reflection zeros of the second filter are placed in the higher TX band. The response of the two filters taken separately is shown in fig. 4.
0 -5 -10 -15 -20 -25 -30 -35 -40 -45 -50 -55 -60 -65 -70 870 875 880 885 890 895 900 905 910 915 920 925 930 935 940 945 950 955 960 Frequency (MHz)
DB(|S(1,1)|) RX Lower DB(|S(2,1)|) RX Higher DB(|S(1,1)|) TX Lower DB(|S(2,1)|) TX Higher

application). It is pointed out that no modification nor optimization has been introduced in the two filters obtained from the synthesis (only the last coupling of the first filter and the first one of the second filter have been combined into a single coupling). In the following Table, the de-normalized parameters of the final 8-resonators filtering network (fig. 3) are reported (all NRN are positive). Note that the coupling coefficients have a particular meaning when referring to not-resonant nodes [5]. TABLE I DE-NORMALIZED PARAMETERS OF THE FILTERS Node Node ki,j Node Node ki,j Node i fris,i i j i j
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1.084 0.987 1.706 1.346 0.854 0.68 0.919 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 0.182 0.135 0.085 0.061 0.096 0.033 0.072 0.119 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 881 885.67 888.7 889.52 925.6 934.4 933.4 930 2 3

RX Lower RX Higher

TX Lower TX Higher

4 5 6 7

Qext,S Qext,L

0.754

0.857

C. Overall Combiner
Fig. 4. Ideal response of the two filters separated

Once the two filters are cascaded, the overall response obtained is shown in fig. 5.
0 -5 -10 -15 -20 -25 -30 -35 -40 -45 -50 870 875 880 885 890 895 900 905 910 915 920 925 930 935 940 945 950 955 960 Frequency (MHz)
DB(|S(2,1)|) Cascade DB(|S(1,1)|) Cascade

Fig. 5. Response of the two cascaded filters

As can be observed, the response in the stop bands is practically unaffected by the filters cascading; the return loss in the passbands, even if it is no more the same obtained with the filters alone, remains below -15 dB in the worst case (this value is sufficient for the considered

Two 90 hybrids are required for realizing the overall combiner. These hybrids are constituted by two broadside coupled striplines, 0/4 long at 924 MHz. The distance between the lines has been determined to achieve -3dB coupling at the center frequency. Insertion losses are estimated around 0.1 dB, with directivity around 33 dB and return loss better than 30 dB. The simulated response of the synthesized combiner is reported in Fig. 6. As can be observed the transmission between port 1 (Antenna) and port 2 (Lower Band) is the same of the filters; the transmission between port 1 and port 3 (Higher Band) coincides instead with the return loss of the filters. The return loss at the combiner ports is not shown because is practically determined by the matching of the hybrids (i.e. about 30 dB at all frequencies). The isolation between the two BTS ports (2 and 3) would be ideally infinite with ideal couplers, antenna and internal loads exactly equal to the reference impedance (50). Real components determines a degradation of the isolation; fig 6 (curve blue) shows what is obtained in case of real hybrids (directivity 33 dB) and perfectly matched loads (included the one internally connected to the first hybrid). Assuming instead loads with a return loss of 20 dB and real hybrids, the simulated isolation is represented

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by the red curve in fig. 6; as can be seen, there is a certain worsening with respect the previous curve but, from a practical point of view, we can say that both the sources contribute similarly to the degradation of the combiner isolation (as far as hybrid directivity and loads matching are of the same order of magnitude)
0
873.45 MHz 889.47 MHz -1.5 dB -1.5 dB 890.14 MHz 923.06 MHz -1.355 dB -1.5 dB 934.18 MHz 935.04 MHz -1.5 dB -1.5 dB

-10

any case there was no stringent requirements concerning the minimum attenuation in the higher passbands (15 dB can be considered acceptable). Note that all the attenuation requirements at the passbands edge are fully satisfied. The measured isolation (shown in fig. 7) is reasonable in line with the simulation; the more pronounced spikes in the guard bands are again due to the tuning difficulties. To give an idea of the overall size, a photograph of the fabricated unit is reported in fig. 8.

-20

-30

BTS Lower Band Antenna Port

-40

-50 870 880 890 900 910 920 930 Frequency (MHz) 940 950 960

Fig. 6. Simulated (solid line) and measured (dashed line) response of the designed combiner
-20

BTS Higher Band

Fig. 8. Fabricated Low Loss Combiner

-40

VI. CONCLUSIONS
-60

-80

-100 870 880 890 900 910 920 930 Frequency (MHz) 940 950 960

A low loss combiner for combining the outputs from 2G and 3G (4G) Base Station Transceiver to a common antenna port has been described. The detailed design of the filters composing the device has been presented, together with a discussion of the measured performances of a fabricated prototype compared with the simulations. REFERENCES
[1] G.L. Matthaei, L. Young and E. M. T. Jones Microwave Filters, Impedance-Matching Networks and Coupling Structures. Norwood, MA: Artech House, 1980 [2] S. Cavalieri D'oro, G. Macchiarella Design Of Asymmetric Filters With Requirements In Two Bands Of Finite Extension IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., Vol. MTT-49, pp. 1045 -1049, June 2001 [3] S. Amari, G. Macchiarella Synthesis of In-Line Filters With Arbitrarily Placed Attenuation Poles by Using NonResonating Nodes IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., Vol. MTT-53, n.10, October 2005, pp. 3075-3081 [4] R. J. Cameron, C. M. Kudsia, and R. R. Mansour, Microwave Filters for Communication Systems. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2007. [5] G. Macchiarella Generalized Coupling Coefficient for Filters With Nonresonant Nodes IEEE Microwave And Wireless Components Letters, Vol. 18, No. 12, pp. 773-775, Dec. 2008

Fig. 7. Evaluated isolation in the ideal case (blue curve) and assuming a mismatch (-20 dB) of the loads (red curve). Also the measured isolation of the fabricated combiner is shown (dashed curve)

V. FABRICATED COMBINER The low loss combiner has been manufactured using coaxial resonators of square cross-section (width equal to 70 mm); the main couplings are constituted by transmission line sections 0/4 long and the NRN are implemented by means of open circuited stubs. The measured transmission curves, compared with the expected ones, can be observed in fig. 6. The discrepancy of the curves referring to transmission from antenna to higher band is due to the difficulty of tuning the filters in the passbands (let remember that this transmission coincides with the measured return loss of the filters). In

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