HIGH PERFORMANCE MICROSTRIP BANDPASS FILTERS WITH

NONSYMMETRICAL PARALLEL COUPLED LINES

M. J. Rosario*, J. Costa Freire', and R. Sorrentino+

ABSTRACT
A new improved technique for the design of bandpass microstrip filters based on
the image parameter concept is presented. Realizability is guaranteed by
manufacturing constraints being incorporated into the design procedure.
Passband limitations associated with a previous technique are circumvented by
the use of nonsymmetrical parallel-coupled sections. Both computed and
experimental results demonstrate excellent filter performance in terms of bandpass
attenuation, associated with a reduced number of elements.

INTRODUCTION
Bandpass filters in printed circuit configuration are usually realized in the form of
parallel coupled resonators, that are designed according to well established
procedures [1], [2]. In the practical implementation of these filters however,
independently of the dielectric substrate adopted, unsatisfactory results are often
obtained due to a number of technological aspects (inclusion of redundant
transmission line elements, impractical impedance levels, impractical coupling
levels, etc.). Some of these problems were removed by the design method
presented in [3]. The direct application of the image parameter concept to
distributed structures eliminates any transformations from lumped to distributed
prototype and makes it possible to incorporate manufacturing constraints into the
design procedure [4, 5].
The main limitation of the design procedure proposed in [3] is due to the low
impedance level of the coupled line cells. In order to match the filter to the external
impedance level Zo (usually 50 ohm) additional matching sections were
introduced. Although filters with wide passbands were obtained, the passband
insertion loss was still relatively high, generally around 0.2-0.5 dB.

Centro de Electr6nica Aplicada U.T.L. (I.N.I.C.) and Instituto Superior T6cnico

Av. Rovisco Pais, 1096 Lisboa, Portugal, Ph. 351-1-800637 Telex 63423 ISUTL P Fax 351-1 899242
+

University of Rome "Tor Vergata" Via O. Raimondo, 00173 Rome, Italy Ph. 39-6-24990416 Fax 39-

6-2490519

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A generalization of the technique presented in [3], which overcomes the above

mentioned limitations is presented in this paper. Nonsymmetrical coupled line
sections are introduced as constituting elements of the filter. A nonsymmetrical
coupled line, in fact, makes it possible to combine in the same element both the
filtering properties and the required impedance level transformation. By
eliminating the need for matching sections, passbands of the order of 40% with
attenuations of the order of 0.05 dB or less are easily obtained.

FILTERS DESIGN
The filters result from the cascade of a number of cells consisting of symmetrical
and/or nonsymmetrical coupled line sections. The automatic design procedure,
implemented on a PC, is as follows:
1. From the passband specifications (frequency band and attenuation) a
symmetrical coupled line cell is synthesized on an image basis [3], with the highest
image impedance level K allowed by the technology. For microstrip, K depends on
the smallest realizable w/h ratio, w being the strip width and h the substrate
thickness.
2. A nonsymmetrical coupled line cell is synthesized from the passband
specifications and with the additional condition of providing the impedance
transformation from K to the prescribed level Zo. The image impedances, Z11 and
Z12, of the 2 port nonsymmetrical lossless coupled line structure are obtained from
the impedance-matrix description, in terms of the parameters of x and C modes [6]

_l__-z_l
Zii
2

Z cl Z2X|CSC20_1

ZleR27- I
~~ZrRoI

(1)

where 0=21l/k is the electrical length of the cell. At the passband center frequency
(0=K/2), the image impedance Z11 has the value

Zfl = Zcl 2 Z,tl =K

-

(2)

In the passband, the image impedances are real. In accordance, the fractional
bandwidth B is given by

B3=2[1
Bc

2sin1(2_QCj1)jn

+ ZCthZloc
xu1
tc

(3)

Bec-auseq of technnoloic-al fimitations, thA nonsyvmmAtrircal ceAllsq mav not be

sufficient to provide the necessary impedance transformation to match the filter to
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Zo in cases when Zo>>K. In such cases the impedance transformation can be

realized in two steps by adding a quarter wave transformer at each end of the filter.
3. A number of cells are cascaded until the prescrbed attenuation in the stopband
is achieved. The stopband attenuation is calculated from the ABCD parameters of
the total circuit. This leaves the passband behavior unaltered, as the cells are
image matched. Nonsymmetrical cells are used to provide the filter matching to the
external impedance level.
4. The geometrical parameters of the coupled microstrip sections are obtained
from [7], [8]. Discontinuities are taken into account according to the formulas
quoted in [8], [9].

5. The synthesized microstrip filter is analyzed by the computer program, the

dispersion being included according to [10]. Discrepancies with the ideal response
are observed because of (i) different phase velocities of the even and odd modes
in symmetrical sections, or the x and C modes in nonsymmetrical ones; (ii)
discontinuity effects; (iii) imperfect matching at passband edges.
6. Coupled line lengths are adjusted by a simple optimization routine in order to
compensate the above unwanted phenomena and match the filter specifications.

THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

The synthesis method has been used to design filters with 10 to 40% bandwidth
and passband attenuation down to 0.05 dB, under the following technological
constraints:
(wmin,Smin)>0.1 mm; (Wmax, Smax)cl 0 (wmin, smin); 0.254mm<h<0.762mm;
2.1 7<er<c1 0
In order to demonstrate the improvement obtained with the new design procedure,
the comparisons with previous filter responses [3] are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. All
filters are designed- assuming a RT/Duroid substrate 0.51 mm thick, with Fe,2.94.
Filters of Fig. 1 have a moderate passband width from 4.6 to 5.5 GHz (17%). The
filter of Fig. la consists of the cascade of 4 identical coupled line cells plus two
quarter wave sections, with a total length of 6X/4 at center frequency. The cells
have the following dimensions: w=.15mm, s=.44mm, 1=10.04mm, w being the strip
width, s the separation, and I the length. The new designed filter of Fig. 1b, on the
contrary, consists of only 5 sections with no transformers, and has therefore an
overall length of 5X/4 at center frequency. The 3 central cells are identical
symmetrical cells with w=.15mm, s=.44mm, and 1=10.04mm, while the two
nonsymmetrical cells have wi=.15mm, w2=.3mm, s=.2mm, and 1=9.91mm. In
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addition to the filter length reduction, the new filter has a passband attenuation of
0.05dB compared to 1.38 dB of the previous filter.

A
0

30

z
w

20

z
9-

4.6

5.5 F(GHZ)

Fig.1 - Comparson between symmetrical (a) and nonsymmetrical (b) parallel

coupled filters with 4.6 - 5.5 GHz passband
25
011

20

215

go
w

I.-

<-

Fig 2 Comparison between symmetrical (a) and nonsymmetrical (b) parallel

coupled filters with 4.6 - 6.6 GHz passband
-

2 a,b shows the results for wide band (37%) filters. In this case the passband
attenuation is reduced only from 0.082 to 0.080 dB, but the filter length is reduced
from 6 to 4X/4. The filter of Fig. 2b consists of only 4 cells, 2 symmetrical with
w=.S15mm, s=.16mm, and 1=9.04mm, and 2 nonsymmetrical with wi=.15mm,
w2=.16mm, s=.18mm, and 1=8.93mm.
Fig.

In order to prove the validity of our analysis, the filters of Fig.1b and 2b were
simulated using a commercial package for linear microwave circuit analysis
including losses and dispersion [11], and later fabricated and measured. The
results are shown in Figs. 3 and 4 respectively. Both simulations and experiments
are in quite good agreement with our predictions.
1088

at

$...,

Wtm

wn

3:29:39

(a)I
I

(a

Nk_

I/

-?-q -a

--r-

FltL

r 2i.U

ee

==-i-

-I

(b'- t j _ " ~ ~ ~ .

DBCESZI

DfrSll'

FIL

IWAdWt.

MMd

UW

FIL
s

=,

T
I
1

7-'

1-

Q--t-n

WlUT

f.

11

IlI /IF1
I

...iL

_-.

1-11,

9.5

lo9

MAG

t/

REF O

d.

c2

START

=-T

t 0000 GHs

STOP

--1.

7. 0000

O;Hs

Fig. 4a - Expermental resj )onse of the filter of Fig. lb

CH2

Fig 3 - Simulated response of (a) the 5 section filter of Fig.lb

(b) the 4 section filter of FIg.2b
Si I

-s.m

_ _

s.m

CH1

11

'.

1.

3B(S11)
FIL

- 1ItI_77__

-;.

In
/ _ It
A= =---'S

3."

lVtVU 0:2*6.- FILM

---"-s-- --

- t -

/_

-9

log MAC

I- -1/-1-

REF 0

-I - -, ,_ 1 -.

8.55C.0Hz

STOP

9. 0000 CHz

Cz

3. 0000 GHz

START

Fig. 4b Expermental
-

response

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of the filter of Fig. 2b

CONCLUSIONS
A new effective design technique of microstrip bandpass filters has been
presented. The realizability of the filters is guaranteed by the design procedure
which incorporates the technological/manufacturng constraints. Filters with 10% to
40% passband and low passband attenuation (down to 0.05dB) are easily
obtained with a reduced number of elements.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was partially supported under CNR (Italy) - INIC (Portugal) agreement.

REFERENCES
[1] G.L. Mathaei, L. Young, and E.M.T. Jones, Microwave Filters, Impedance Matching Networks and Coupling Structures, New York, McGraw-Hill, 1964.
[2] H. Howe, Stripline Circuit Design, Artech House, 1974.

[3] G. Bianchi, R. Sorrentino, M. Salerno, F. Alessandri, "Image Parameter

Design of Parallel Coupled Microstrip Filters", Proc. 18th European
Microwave Conf., 1988.

[4] M. Salerno, R. Sorrentino and F. Giannini, "Image Parameter Design of

Noncommensurate Distributed Structures: An Application to Microstrip Lowpass Filters", IEEE Trans. on Microwave Theory Tech., vol. MTT-34, pp. 58-65,
Jan. 1986.
[5] G. Forte, M. Salerno, and R. Sorrentino, "The Planar-Circuit Image-Parameter
Method: A novel approach to the computer-aided design of MIC filters", Alta
Frequenza, vol. 57, n.5, pp. 233-239, June 1988.
[6] V.K. Tripathi, "Asymmetrc Coupled Transmission Lines in an Inhomogeneous
Medium" IEEE Trans. on Microwave Theory Tech., vol. MTT-23, pp 734-7399
Sept. 1975.

[7] M. Kirshning and R.H. Jansen, "Accurate Wide-Range Design Equations for
the Frequency-Dependent Characteristics of Parallel Coupled Microstrip
Lines", IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., vol. MTT-32, pp. 83-90, Jan.
1984.

[8] S.S. Bedair, "Characteristics of Some Asymmetrical Coupled Transmission

Lines", IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., vol. MTT-32, pp. 108-1 1 0, Jan.
1984.

[9] T.C. Edwards, Foundations for Microstrip Circuit Design, John Wiley, 1981.

[10] V.K. Tripathi, "A Dispersion Model for Coupled Microstrips", IEEE Trans.
Microwave Theory Tech., vol. MTT-34, pp. 66-71, Jan. 1986.

[1 1] "Touchstone 1.5 User Guide" - EESOF, Inc. March 1987.

1090