This section provides an overview for baluns as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 20 balun manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked balun companies as of November, 2024: 1.MACOM, 2.Manutech, Inc., 3.Richardson Electronics, Ltd..
Table of Contents
A balun, short for "balanced-to-unbalanced," is a device that converts balanced signals to unbalanced signals and vice versa. Baluns often incorporate impedance transformation using a transformer and are commonly used at antenna connection points and in high-frequency applications such as differential amplifiers on MMIC (Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit) semiconductor chips.
Baluns are widely used in television and wireless communication systems for signal conversion between high-frequency outputs and antennas. They are designed to handle characteristic impedances, typically in ratios of 1:1 or 1:4, such as converting a 75-ohm impedance to a different value or converting 50 ohms to 200 ohms. Baluns are available as small, surface-mounted components on low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrates or as wire-wound types using toroidal cores.
Baluns function by converting between balanced (differential) and unbalanced signals. Balanced signals have phases shifted by 180 degrees between the positive and negative sides, allowing symmetrical signal pairs to cancel out common-mode noise. In contrast, unbalanced signals typically have one side grounded, with distinct round-trip signal paths.
There are two main types of baluns: voltage baluns and current baluns. Voltage baluns connect the ground terminal of the unbalanced signal to the midpoint of an inductor on the balanced side, generating balanced voltages in opposite directions. Current baluns, on the other hand, use an inductor in series between the antenna and coaxial cable. They operate by creating a counteracting current in an opposing coil to balance the current flow from the signal source of the unbalanced circuit. In terms of circuit symbols, pole baluns resemble common mode choke coils.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Frontier Electronics Corp., founded in 1972 and based in Simi Valley, California, is a manufacturer of passive components like diodes, MLCC capacitors, and magnetics such as air coils and transformers. The company can also provide customer-specific solutions, including manufacturing new components and technology or redesigning obsolete products to facilitate current manufacturing standards. It is ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 certified, and all its standard products are RoHS compliant. It is also WBENC-certified and ITAR-compliant and partners with several distributors like NRC, Chiptronics Inc., and Digi-Key Electronics.
L-com was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in North Andover, Massachusetts. The company serves many industries including electronics, medical, industrial automation, military, and telecommunications a manufacturer and servicer of wired and wireless communications products. The company’s custom product capabilities include customized cable assemblies, WiFi antennas, adapters, and surge protectors. Through its parent company, Infinite Electronics, the company offers a broad range of RF components and assemblies to over 100,000 global customers.
Patton Electronics Co., a manufacturer incorporated in 1984 and headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, specializes in UC, cloud, and IoT-enabling solutions for carrier, enterprise, and industrial networks. The extensive product range includes VoIP gateways, eSBCs, Ethernet extenders, and interface converters. These offerings serve diverse applications like business VoIP, cloud telephony, video conferencing, IoT, and industrial automation. To connect with local-market requirements, Patton operates training and support centers in Switzerland, Hungary, Lebanon, India, Vietnam, and the USA.
HPI Manufacturing Inc., founded in 1945, is an American manufacturer of industrial tools based in Hamden, Connecticut. The company’s product lineup includes pipe processing tools, such as portable band saws, power hacksaws and drives, and tri-stand chain vises. The company also develops standard and custom motion-control tools, such as detent and friction torque limiters as well as one-way and over-running clutches. It further offers customized contract manufacturing, ranging from assembly and computer numerical control (CNC) machining to injection molding.
Innovative Power Products Inc., founded in 1985 with headquarters in Holbrook, New York, is a manufacturer of RF and microwave passive components for industrial, commercial, and military clients. The company specializes in using the latest design tools available to build products that include baluns, 90-degree couplers, directional couplers, single-ended transformers, and terminations. The company also works with clients to produce custom products used for medical, semiconductor, radio, cellular, and digital UHF applications.
Johanson Technology, founded in Camarillo, CA, in 1990 is a manufacturer of RF & Microwave ceramic chip capacitors, inductors and integrated passives. The company's product portfolio includes Multilayer Capacitors, Single Layer Capacitors, RF Inductors, RF Wire-wound Inductors, and Chip Antennas. The company serves markets including Automotive and Electric Vehicles, Renewable Energy and Energy Storage and Electronics and IT Infrastructure. The company also provides services including national distribution, product selection, customized services, technical support and customer service.
OMMIC, founded in Lowell, MA, in 1950 is a manufacturer of semiconductor products for Data Center, Telecommunication and Industrial and Defense applications. The company's product portfolio includes Optical Networking Solutions, Lightwave Components, Diodes, MMICs, and SDI Products. The company serves markets including Automotive and Electric Vehicles, Renewable Energy and Energy Storage and Electronics and IT Infrastructure. They have design centers and sales offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia and have ISO9001 international quality standard and ISO14001 environmental management standard.
Established in 1984, Manutech, Inc. is a US-based manufacturer specializing in precision industrial machinery. The company designs and produces advanced machinery and equipment for various industries. With a foundation dating back to its establishment, Manutech, Inc. engineers solutions. Their products range from automated assembly systems to specialized manufacturing equipment, serving industries like automotive, electronics, and aerospace. Manutech, Inc.'s devotion to excellence is evident in their machinery, tailored to enhance operational efficiency. Examples include robotic assembly systems for automotive production and precision manufacturing equipment for electronics.
SF Cable Inc., established in 2002 and based in San Francisco, California, is a wholesale supplier of electronic products like power cables, adapters, and fiber optic products. The company has an inventory of over 8,000 items and accepts purchase orders from organizations such as government agencies, hospitals, and universities. Since it does not accept middlemen, the company offers wholesale prices and additional discounts on volume orders, and all adapters, cables, and non-electronic products come with a lifetime guarantee. The company sources its products from ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturers and donates 2% of its net profits yearly to a cancer-related non-profit.
Zhenjiang Voton Machinery Co. Ltd., established in 1991 and based in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China, is a manufacturer of radio frequency (RF) components and utilities. The company offers RF coaxial components for testing or measurement, as well as for communication systems and medical applications. It also offers RF coaxial cable assemblies for a broad range of connectors, including 7/16 DIN, MMCX, and BNC. The company is ISO 9001:2000-certified, and mainly serves clients in the communications and information technology sectors.
Lemar Industrial Corp., founded in 1986 and headquartered in Tainan City, Taiwan, is a manufacturer catering to various industries. The company offers a diverse range of products, including Active Baluns, A/V Transceiver Boxes, VGA Baluns, Twinax Baluns, and RF Connectors. SErving industries such as education, transportation, retail in which these products find applications in telecommunications, closed-circuit television (CCTV), cable television (CATV), and audio/video networks. It continues to provide essential connectivity solutions to its diverse customer base.
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Murata Manufacturing) was founded in 1944 and is headquartered in Nagaokakyo, Japan. Murata Manufacturing designs, manufactures, and sells ceramic-based passive electronic components and solutions globally. The company operates through components, modules, and others segments, serving communications, mobility, industrial, healthcare, and personal electronics customers. They company's product offerings include noise suppression products, quartz devices,RFID devices, phase shifters, and wireless connectivity platforms. Services such as webinars and video library are also available for existing and potential customers alike.
TEKTRONIX, INC., founded in 1946, is a manufacturer of measurement solutions used in 3D sensing, EMI/ EMC testing, high-speed serial communication, material science engineering, and Wireless & RF testing. The products include oscilloscopes & probes, signal generators, margin testers, multimeters, and analyzers. The company's products are used in advanced research, aerospace & defense, automotive, power semiconductor, and medical industries. The Bracknell Berkshire company offers calibration, repair, asset management, package assembling, and testing services following NEMA, HAlT & HASS, environmental, and shock-vibration testing.
Data Connect Enterprise is an ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018-certified networking products manufacturer that was established in Olney, Maryland, USA, in 1988. The company offers wireless products such as access points and bridges, networking devices including modems and routers, and power solutions such as uninterruptible power supplies and surge protectors. It also offers fiber optic, coaxial, and ethernet cable and harness assemblies. The company’s products are used mainly by clients in the ISP, telecom, and corporate sectors.
Marki Microwave Inc. is an ISO 9001:2015-certified broadband and high-frequency microwave product manufacturer established in 1991 in Morgan Hill, California, USA. The company offers filters for passing or rejecting signals based on frequency, amplifiers for increasing the amplitude or power of selected signals, and mixers for combining two or more signals at different frequencies. It also offers power dividers, couplers, and baluns for converting balanced signals. The company’s products are used in the telecom, aerospace, and defense sectors.
ST Micro Electronics is a global semiconductor company serving customers with innovations to have a positive impact on people's lives. Their product line is micro electronic systems, such as switches, controllers, sensors and drivers. The main selling point of ST Micro Electronics is its provision of sustainable products, and introducing their electronics to create a more sustainable world. The company, as well as providing the electronic devices, also provides software and support, ensuring that all fields are covered to provide a fully provide a supported and strong relationship with their customer base. ST Micro Electronics believe that technology plays a key role in helping to solve environmental and social challenges, which is why their semiconductor technologies start with their employees, their customers and partners.
Zhuhai Eastever Electronic Co. Ltd., founded in 2010 and based in Zhuhai, China, is a manufacturer and a supplier of RF electronic components. Its offerings includes RF Balun Transformers, Power Splitters, Couplers, Inductors, and Coils, in which these products find applications in cable TV terminal equipment and related fields. The company holds certifications such as ISO9001:2004 for quality management and ISO14001:2004 for environmental management, along with SGS and RoHS certifications.
Richardson Electronics, established in 1947 and based in LaFox, Illinois, is a global distributor of electronic components and provider of engineered solutions. Its product line encompasses electronic components like semiconductors, passive components, and electromechanical components. Additionally, the company also offers engineered solutions such as custom power supplies, circuit board assemblies, and system integration services. These products and services find application in various sectors, including aerospace, industrial automation, medical equipment, and telecommunications infrastructure. The company also holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications.
Hybrid Electronics is a global distribution specialist of electronic components, with access to over 50 million unique components. Among the markets HE serves are the aerospace, automotive, communications, defense, industrial, medical, national security, and test & measurement industries. In addition to components, HE also provides quality and compliance testing, counterfeit detection, upscreening, and other forms of quality control. Examples of component subtypes that HE offers include ICs, batteries, capacitors, semiconductor products, sensors, circuit protection, interconnectors, filters, optoelectronics, relays, switches, power supplies, and cables and cable assemblies.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | MACOM |
12.2%
|
2 | Manutech, Inc. |
8.2%
|
3 | Richardson Electronics, Ltd. |
7.1%
|
4 | Patton Electronics Co. |
7.1%
|
5 | Johanson Technology |
7.1%
|
6 | Zhuhai Eastever Electronic Co. Ltd. |
6.1%
|
7 | L-com |
6.1%
|
8 | TEKTRONIX, INC. |
6.1%
|
9 | HPI Manufacturing, Inc. |
5.1%
|
10 | Innovative Power Products |
5.1%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the balun page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 9 | 69.2% |
China | 2 | 15.4% |
Taiwan | 1 | 7.7% |
Japan | 1 | 7.7% |