| Version | Summary | Created by | Modification | Content Size | Created at | Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vivi Li | -- | 4045 | 2022-10-17 01:45:01 |
Distributed element circuits are electrical circuits composed of lengths of transmission lines or other distributed components. These circuits perform the same functions as conventional circuits composed of passive components such as capacitors, inductors, and transformers. They are used mostly at microwave frequencies where conventional components are difficult or impossible to implement. A major advantage of distributed element circuits is that they can be produced cheaply as a printed circuit board for consumer products such as satellite television. They are also made in coaxial and waveguide formats for applications such as radar, satellite communication, and microwave links. A phenomenon that is much used in distributed element circuits is that a length of transmission line can be made to behave as a resonator. Distributed element components that do this include stubs, coupled lines, and cascaded lines. Circuits built from these components include filters, power dividers, directional couplers, and circulators. Distributed element circuits were investigated in the 1920s and 1930s but did not become important until World War II when they were used in radar. After the war their use was at first limited to military, space, and broadcasting infrastructure use but improvements in materials science in the field soon led to wider applications.