Microwave and Milimetric-Wave Filters Project

Miguel Matias
Instituto Superior Tecnico
Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Abstract
In this dissertation a study of microwave and millime-
ter wave lters is presented, with an approach from
the basic concepts to the problem of lter design and
simulation. The periodic structures have character-
istics of band pass and band-reject, which are very
interesting from the lters perspective. Filters based
on these structures were analyzed, among them the
simplest case of two coupled cavities. The general de-
sign and simulation of other types of lters were also
considered, such as quarter-wave coupled cavity l-
ter, direct-coupled cavity lter, microstrip half-wave
lter and microstrip parallel coupled lter.
Index Terms Periodic structures; Richards
transformation; Kurodas identities; quarter-wave
coupled cavity lter; direct-coupled cavity lter; mi-
crostrip half-wave lter; microstrip parallel coupled
lter.
1 Introdution
The radio frequency and microwave lters are essen-
tial for communication systems that transmit or re-
ceive signals, since they allow to reduce the signals at
unwanted frequency bands and also permit the pas-
sage at the desired band with minimal losses.
In recent decades, there has been a great expansion
of wireless communication systems that transmit sig-
nals in the microwave band containing voice, image
or data information. Filters are needed in these sys-
tems, where the demands of low loss, low cost, easy
manufacture, miniaturization and low weight are in-
creasing, particularly in the areas of mobile and satel-
lite communications, where ease of integration and
the circuits reduction are high market expectations.
The purpose of this dissertation is to study the mi-
crowave and millimetric wave lters with a focus on
the series and shunt coupled lters made of resonant
cavities or microstrip lines. It was intended to cover
in a clear and accessible form various topics, from
the periodic structures to the lter theory and simu-
lation, in order to concentrate them in a dissertation
that can serve as the starting point in a future inves-
tigation, since the literature that describes the lter
design methods is very large. The available infor-
mation on exact methods, written by subject matter
experts, contains little explanation by the authors in
how to apply the results of the synthesis processes in
real physical lters. In particular, there is an absence
of a coherent and complete design process, starting
from the theory and describes the synthesis process,
the application of a physical lter and optimization
process. It is also intended to simulate the studied l-
ters and present two software applications that allow
to perform, scale and analyze lter projects.
2 Periodic Structures
2.1 Innite Periodic Structures Ana-
lysis
A transmission line or a waveguide loaded at periodic
intervals with reactive elements are referred to as pe-
riodic structures. These structures can take many
forms, depending on the transmission line to be used.
1
Figure 1: Transmission line loaded periodically with
lumped elements.
The load elements are often formed by disconti-
nuities in the line however can be modeled as reac-
tances along the transmission line. In this analysis it
is considered a simple structure, like the one repre-
sented in the Figure 1, to understand the basis of the
wave propagation phenomenon associated with peri-
odic structures. Each unit cell of the line is a trans-
mission line of length d centered on a shunt suscep-
tance B, normalized to the characteristic impedance
Z
0
.
Considering the unit cell as a two-port network,
the voltages and currents can be related on each side
of the n-th periodic structure unit cell through the
ABCD matrix.
_
V
n
I
n
_
=
_
A B
C D
_ _
V
n+1
I
n+1
_
(1)
where A, B, C and D are the matrix parameters
obtained by the cascade of three sections: a section
of transmission line of length d/2, followed by a shunt
susceptance B, wich in turn is followed by another
d/2 length of transmission line.
A =
_
cos
B
2
sin
_
(2a)
B = j
_
sin +
B
2
cos
B
2
_
(2b)
C = j
_
sin +
B
2
cos +
B
2
_
(2c)
D =
_
cos
B
2
sin
_
(2d)
where = k is the electrical length of transmission
line in the unit cell, with a propagation constant k of
the not loaded line. It is noted that AD BC = 1,
as required in reciprocal networks.
Assuming that the periodic structure is innite, the
voltage and current in the n-th terminals should be
identical to the voltage and current terminals of the
n+1-th however there is a phase delay caused by the
propagation along the cell. So we have that
_
V
n+1
I
n+1
_
= e
z
_
V
n
I
n
_
(3)
A nontrivial solution for V
n+1
and I
n+1
exists only
if the determinant vanishes. Hence
AD +e
2d
(A+D)e
d
BC = 0 (4)
As ADBC = 1 and substituting the values of A
and B, we obtain
cosh d = cos
B
2
sin (5)
If the magnitude of the right hand side is smaller
than unity, then = 0 and = j. Hence, un-
der this condition, the periodic structure supports a
propagating wave. On the other hand, if the magni-
tude of the right hand side of 5 is larger than unity,
then no wave can propagate along the structure.
2.2 Spatial Harmonics and Floquet
Theorem
In an innite periodic structure it is veried that the
electromagnetic eld distribution of a wave repeats
itself in all terminals except for a propagation factor
e
(d)
, where d is the length of the the structure unit
cell. The exponential factor indicates the complex
phase shift between adjacent unit cells of the struc-
ture.
Considering the structure in Figure 2, which is pe-
riodic only in the zz direction to obtain a simpler ex-
ample. If the eld of the unit cell between 0 z d
is E(x, y, z),H(x, y, z), the eld in the adjacent unit
cell, d z 2d, is
2
Figure 2: Dielectric waveguide with periodic pertur-
bations along the axis.
E(x, y, z) = e
d
E
p
(x, y, z) (6a)
H(x, y, z) = e
d
H
p
(x, y, z) (6b)
where E
p
and H
p
are periodic functions of z with
period d, such that
E
p
(x, y, z +nd) = E
p
(x, y, z) (7a)
H
p
(x, y, z +nd) = H
p
(x, y, z) (7b)
These expressions obtained in 7 are often referred
to as Floquets theorem.
Any periodic function can be expanded in a Fourier
series, thus
E
p
(x, y, z) =

n=
E
pn
(x, y)e
j2nz/d
(8a)
H
p
(x, y, z) =

n=
H
pn
(x, y)e
j2nz/d
(8b)
The description in 8 is often called Floquet spatial
harmonic expansion.
3 Coupled Resonant Cavities
This section introduces the problem of coupled reso-
nant cavities [1], which is the starting point for the
microwave lters design with cavities.
Considering only two cavities coupled, through a
section of length d, as shown in Figure 3, in order to
conne to a case of greater practical interest, rather
than proceed a general treatment, for N cavities.
Figure 3: Two identical cavities coupled.
Considering that the two cavities are equal and are
coupled to wave guides with the same mode propa-
gation. The length of the section d has a particular
value, such that
d =

gp
4
(9)
where is the wavelength within the wave guide to
the common resonance frequency of the cavities. The
behavior of the cavities must be analyzed in a formal-
ism of equivalent circuits, resulting in the simplied
circuit represented in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Two coupled cavities simplied circuit.
It is noted that at resonance ( = 0, x = 0), the
reection factor = 0, which is evident from the
equivalent diagram of Figure 4, since the two tuned
circuits have the same resonance frequency
p
.
T =
1
1 + (

2Q
e
)
4
(10)
where Q
e
= c
e
/n
2

p
c
e
/n
2
is approximately in-
dependent of frequency in the vicinity of resonance.
This factor Q
e
corresponds to the quality factor of
the series resonant circuit represented in the equiva-
lent diagram of Figure 4 and it is obtained by
3
Q
e
=
p
n
2
m
4
ce
(
n
m
)
4
=
p
c
e
n
2
(11)
At resonance, it is clear that T| =
p
= 1,
T/| =
p
= 0 and
2
T/
2
| =
p
= 0, ie, it
is a maximally at response.
As the two factors are unequal,
=
(
n
m
)
4
1 + (2)
2
(Q
e
n
2
m
4
)
2
(
n
m
)
4
+ 1 + (2)
2
(Q
e
n
2
m
4
)
2
+j2Q
e
(2)
n
4
m
4
(12)
Even in this case, you can still have that = 0. In-
deed, imposing the annulment of 12 and since c
e
/m
4
is approximately constant in the vicinity of the reso-
nance, we have

2
=
1 (
n
m
)
2
(Q
e
n
2
m
4
)
2
(13)
which necessarily implies that n/m < 1.
In Figure 5, the transmission factor for each of the
three cases is represented. We can see that the case
n/m < 1 corresponds to a Chebyshev response. Un-
der the same conditions, involving several coupled
identical cavities, without loss and with the same in-
put connection, we obtain
T =
1
1 +a
2
(14)
Likewise, you can also obtain Chebyshev responses,
as
T =
1
1 +C
2
N
()
(15)
where C
N
() is the Chebyshev polynomial of degree
N, where N is the number of cavities in cascade.
4 Microwave And Milimetric-
Wave Filters
4.1 Impedance and Admittance In-
verters
An inverter is an ideal quarter wave transformer, /4.
Through the use of admittance or impedance invert-
Figure 5: Transmission power factor varition with the
frequency shift .
ers it is possible to transform series connected ele-
ment to shunt, and vice versa. Furthermore, with the
correct choice of inverters all capacitive and induc-
tive elements can be chosen to have the same values.
The inverters allow you to use identical resonators,
either in series or shunt over the network. There are
also combinations of transmission line and lumped
elements that perform the same function.
4.2 Richards Transformation and
Kurodas Identities
Richards showed that distributed networks, com-
prised of commensurate length (equal electrical
length) transmission lines and lumped resistors, could
be treated in analysis or synthesis as lumped element
LCR networks under the transformation
t = tanh
l
p
v
p
(16)
where p = + j is the usual complex frequency
variable, and l
p
/v
p
is the ratio of the length of the
basic commensurate transmission line element to the
phase velocity of the wave in such a line element.
t is a new complex frequency variable, also known
as Richards variable. Equation 16 is referred to as
Richards transformation.
4
is the complex frequency variable and l
p
/v
p
is the
ratio of the length of the basic element of transmis-
sion line with the speed of this wave line element. In
the Richards transformation, there is a correspon-
dence between inductive and capacitive lumped ele-
ments in the plane p and short-circuit and open cir-
cuit transmission lines in the plane t.
Kurodas Identities essentially provide a list of
equivalent two port networks. Such transformations
not only provide designers with exibility, but also
are essential in many cases to obtain networks that
are physically realizable with physical dimensions.
4.3 Quarter-Wave Coupled Cavity
Filter
In pratice the lter is realized by placing diaphragms
or membranes in the waveguide. The design of a
maximally at lter and Chebyshev lter with odd
N is simple.
Figure 6: Filter equivalent network using admitance
inverters.
When using the circuit of Figure 6 is only necessary
to
Q
k
=
1
2
_
C
0k
L
0k
(17)
and choose C
0k
and L
0k
so that C
0k
L
0k
= (
0
c)
2
and all admittances J
k,k1
equal to unity. The sec-
tion of the cavity between k and k+1 has an electrical
length equal to /2. Since that includes
1k+1
and

1k
of the adjacent cavities, the physical length of the
coupling of the quarter-wave line between the k and
k + 1 cavities is
l
k,k+1
=
l
k
+l
k+1
2


g0
4
(18)
The lters power loss ratio is obtained by replacing
/
0
for /
0
. For a Chebyshev lter the power loss
ratio is given by
P
LR
= 1 +k
2
T
2
N
_

0

1
(

)
_
(19)
where
2
and
1
are the values of in the pass band
limits.
4.4 Direct-Coupled Cavity Filter
The direct-coupled cavity lter compared with the
quarter-wave lters, /4, has a more compact physi-
cal structure and is able to operate on a higher band-
width. In the vicinity of =
0
, where
1k
= , the
series inductance X behaves as
X = sin
1k
= sin (
1k
+)

2
_

_
(20)
where
0
l = . This frequency behavior is similar to
a series resonant circuit for which
X =
_
L
C
(

) (21)
if /
0
is replaced by the new frequency variable
/
0
.
When the negative line lengths of the impedance
inverters are negative are absorbed as part of the cav-
ity length, the physical length of the k-th cavity is
l
k
=

g0
2
+

g0
2
(
1k
+
1k+1
) (22)
In conclusion we choose
L
0k
C
0k
= (
0
c)
2
(23)
From the known values of Z
k+1,k
we can nd the
susceptances B
k
.
B
N
=
1 wR/g
N1
_
1 wR/g
N1
(24)
The length of k-th cavity for =
0
is given by
l
k
=

g0
2


g0
4
_
tan
1
2
B
k+1
+ tan
1
2
B
k
_
(25)
5
4.5 Microstrip Half-Wave Filter
Sections of transmission lines are often used as reso-
nant elements in the lters. The resonators are cou-
pled by the dierence in capacity of the space be-
tween them. In the half-wave lter transmission lines
in open circuit can be used as equivalent shunt reso-
nant cavities.
The fact that the network involves sections of
transmission line with negative electrical length is
not relevant, since it can be added a length at the
end of each transmission line and then add lengths
of electrical length as part of the inverter. Since
B = C
g
and are proportional to the inverter
is not ideal. However, for narrow band lters J does
not vary much within the passband in which the lter
should operate.
4.6 Microstrip Parallel Coupled Filter
The microstrip parallel coupled lter is more compact
than the microstrip half-wave lter since the coupling
between resonators is on the side with a length of /4
of each cavity.
For a Chebyshev lter with N sections there are
N + 1 impedance inverters and N + 1 even and odd
mode line impedances to specify. The lter is as-
sumed to be terminated in input and output lines
with characteristic impedance Z
c
. Each resonator
has an electrical length equal to in the center fre-
quency
0
. the frequency at the lower edge of the
passband is
1
and l
e
=
1
at this frequency, where
l
e
is the eective length of each resonator correcting
for the capacitive end loading at each short-circuited.
The lower limit of the frequency band of passanger
is
1
and l
e
=
1
in this frequency range, where
l
e
is the eective length of each resonator after -
nal correction of the capacitive end loading at each
open-circuited end. The inverter input and output
impedances are given by
K
N+1,N
=
Z
c

g
N+1
g
N
(26)
The remaining impedance inverters and
impedances at even and odd mode are given
by
K
k+1,k
=
Z
c

g
k
g
k+1
, k = 1, 2, ..., N 1 (27a)

N
k+1,k
=

_
K
k+1,k
Z
c
_
2
+
1
4
tan
2

1
(27b)
Z
k+1
e
= Z
Nk+1
e
= s
_

N
k+1,k
+Y
c
K
k+1,k
_
(27c)
Z
k+1
o
= Z
Nk+1
o
= s
_

N
k+1,k
Y
c
K
k+1,k
_
(27d)
5 Simulation
5.1 Coupled Resonant Cavity Filters
The resonant cavities coupled lters designs and its
simulation were realized using the software AADE
Filter Design and Analysis. Three passband Cheby-
shev lters were designed with the same center fre-
quency, f = 5 Ghz, and the same bandwidth at 3
dB, f = 100 MHz, varying the number of reso-
nant cavities in order to quantify the variation in the
eective power gain.
The rst lter designed has three coupled resonant
cavities and the graph in Figure 7 was obtained in
the efective power gain analysis.
Figure 7: Efective power gain of the lter with three
cavities.
The second lter designed has ve coupled resonant
cavities and the graph in Figure 8 was obtained in the
efective power gain analysis.
Finally the last lter designed has seven coupled
6
Figure 8: Efective power gain of the lter with ve
cavities.
resonant cavities and the graph in Figure 9 was ob-
tained in the efective power gain analysis.
Figure 9: Efective power gain of the lter with seven
cavities.
Analyzing the three eective power gain graphs it
is veried that all have a approximate bandwith of
the design and the atenuattion in the passband is
nearly equal to zero but with some oscilation. From
the cuto frequencies the attenuation increases to
minimize the transmission or reception of signals in
the band-stop region.
The graphs analyzed only dier in the slope of the
curve from the cuto frequency. With the increasing
number of resonant cavities in the lter also increases
the slope of the curve, approaching the response of
an ideal lter, since the increase in the number of
cavities also increases the number of poles and the
order of the lter.
5.2 Microstrip Half-Wave Filter
A bandpass microstrip half-wave lter with center
frequency f = 10 GHz and bandwith f = 1 GHz,
composed by three resonators, i. e., three sections
of microstrip lines was designed and simulated. The
graph in Figure 10 represents the S-parameter anal-
ysis for the lter between the frequencies f = 7 GHz
e f = 13 GHz.
Figure 10: Microstrip half-wave lter response.
It is noted that the center frequency and band-
width are approximate to the values intended. The
lter response is a typical not ideal bandpass re-
sponse, with almost no attenuation in the region of
transmission and higher attenuation in the rejection
band.
5.3 Microstrip Parallel Coupled Filter
A bandpass microstrip parallel coupled lter with
center frequency f = 5 GHz and bandwith f = 500
MHz, composed by four resonators, i. e., four sec-
tions of microstrip lines parallel coupled was designed
and simulated. The graph in Figure 11 represents
the S-parameter analysis for the lter between the
frequencies f = 3 GHz e f = 5 GHz.
It is noted that as in the microstrip half-wave l-
ter the center frequency and bandwidth are approxi-
mate to the values intended. The lter response is a
typical not ideal bandpass response, with almost no
attenuation in the region of transmission and higher
attenuation in the rejection band.
7
Figure 11: Microstrip parallel coupled lter response.
6 Conclusion
This dissertation allowed to conclude that in prac-
tice the lter design involve consideration of a wide
variety of disciplines and factors such as electrical,
physical, economic, resonant elements and coupling
properties. It is also necessary to consider the ma-
terials and processes used to manufacture (proper-
ties and cost factors), and the costs associated with
mounting and adjustment.
There is a fundamental role of electronic design
programs in helping the designer, allowing to simu-
late and analyze the lters without having to build
prototypes, saving time, money and failed experi-
ments. Therefore, it is essential that we continue to
invest in developing these tools, but it is necessary
to have more accessible and consistent literature on
the design of lters and all its processes to obtain the
real physical lter optimized.
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9