Balun Totally Explained

Everything about Balun totally explained

A balun, pronounced /'bæl.ʊn/ ("bal-un"), is a passive electronic device that converts between balanced and unbalanced electrical signals. They often also change impedance. Baluns can take many forms and their presence isn't always obvious. They always involve some form of electromagnetic coupling.

Classical transformer

Isolated transformers have a real impedance at a resonance frequency where self-inductance and self-capacitance for each individual winding cancel themselves out.
In an autotransformer, two coils on a ferrite rod can be used as a balun by winding the individual strands of enameled wire comprising the coil very tightly together. This winding can take one of two forms: either the two windings must be wound such that the two form a single layer where each turn is touching each of the adjacent turns of the other winding; or the two wires are twisted together before being wound into the coil.

Transmission line transformer

Baluns can be considered as simple forms of transmission line transformers.
   A more complex (and subtle) type results when the transformer type (magnetic coupling) is combined with the transmission line type (electro-magnetic coupling). This is where whole transmission lines are used as windings, resulting in devices capable of very wideband operation. This whole class known generally as "Transmission Line Transformers" spawn their own huge variety. Very commonly, they use small ferrite cores in toroidal or "binocular" shapes. Something as simple as 10 turns of coaxial cable coiled up on a diameter about the size of a dinner plate makes an extremely effective choke balun to beyond 30 MHz. The magnetic material may be "air", but it's a transmission line transformer.
   An RF choke can be used in place of a balun. If a coil is made using coaxial cable near to the feed point of a balanced antenna then the RF current that flows on the outer surface of the coaxial cable can be attenuated. One way of doing this would be to wrap a lossy material, such as ferrite around the coaxial cable;
   The Guanella transmission line transformer is often combined with a balun to change impedance. Putting balancing aside a 1:4 transformer of this type consists of a 75 Ohm transmission line divided in parallel into two 150 Ohm cables, which are then combined in series for 300 Ohm. It is implemented as a specific wiring around the ferrite core of the balun.

Delay line

A large class of baluns uses connected transmission lines of specific lengths, with no obvious "transformer" part. These are usually built for (narrow) frequency ranges where the lengths involved are some multiple of a quarter wavelength of the intended frequency in the transmission line medium. A common application is in making a coaxial connection to a balanced antenna, and designs include many types involving coaxial loops and variously connected "stubs".
One easy way to make a balun is a one-half wavelength (λ/2) length of coaxial cable. The inner core of the cable is linked at each end to one of the balanced connections for a feeder or dipole. One of these terminals should be connected to the inner core of the coaxial feeder. All three braids should be connected together. This then forms a 4:1 balun which works at only one frequency.
Another narrow band design is to use a λ/4 length of metal pipe. The coaxial cable is placed inside the pipe; at one end the braid is wired to the pipe while at the other end no connection is made to the pipe. The balanced end of this balun is at the end where the pipe is wired to the braid. The λ/4 conductor acts as a transformer converting the infinite impedance at the unconnected end into a zero impedance at the end connected to the braid. Hence any current entering the balun through the connection, which goes to the braid at the end with the connection to the pipe, will flow into the pipe. This balun design isn't good for low frequencies because of the long length of pipe that will be needed. An easy way to make such a balun is to paint the outside of the coax with conductive paint, then to connect this paint to the braid.

Applications

A balun's function is generally to achieve compatibility between systems, and as such, finds extensive application in modern communications, particularly in realising frequency conversion mixers to make cellular phone and data transmission networks possible..

Radio frequency applications

In television, amateur radio, and other antenna installations and connections, baluns convert between 300 ohm ribbon cable (balanced) and 75 Ω coaxial cable (unbalanced) or to directly connect a balanced antenna to (unbalanced) coax. To avoid EMC problems it's a good idea to connect a centre fed dipole antenna to coaxial cable via a balun. Match 300 Ω twin-lead cable to 75 Ω coaxial cable
   In electronic communications, baluns convert Twinax cables to Category 5 cables, and back, or they convert between coaxial cable and ladder line. Baluns can be used to convert video coming from an S-video, RCA or VGA connector to run over Cat5 cables.
   In measuring the impedance or radiation pattern of a balanced antenna using a coaxial cable, it's important to place a balun between the cable and the antenna feed. Unbalanced currents that may otherwise flow on the cable will make the measured antenna impedance sensitive to the configuration of the feed cable, and the radiation pattern of small antennas may be distorted by radiation from the cable.
   Baluns are present in radars, transmitters, satellites, in every telephone network, and probably in most wireless network modem/routers used in homes. It can be combined with transimpedance amplifiers to compose high voltage amplifiers out of low voltage components.

Audio frequency applications

In audio applications, baluns convert between high impedance (see Nominal impedance) unbalanced and low impedance balanced lines.
Except for the connections, the three devices in the image are electrically identical, but only the leftmost two can be used as baluns. The device on the left would normally be used to connect a high impedance source, such as a guitar, into a balanced microphone input, serving as a passive DI unit. The one in the centre is for connecting a low impedance balanced source, such as a microphone, into a guitar amplifier. The one at the right isn't technically a balun, as it provides only impedance matching.
In power line communications, baluns are used in coupling signals onto a power line.

Further Information

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