Neural Network-Based Tunable Microwave Filter Design

for Re-Configurable Biomedical Hardware

A. Ilumoka, Ph.D, Prof of ECE, University of Hartford, West Hartford CT 06117
J.Gaudiana, M.Eng, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Stratford, CT 06614
Email:ILUMOKANW@HARTFORD.EDU

Abstract - A knowledge-based method for the design of tunable
microwave filters for biomedical applications is described. The
method uses a backpropagation neural network (BNN) for
mapping RF filter responses to filter resistor, capacitor and
inductor values. The BNN acts as an efficient circuit re-
configuration tool which when supplied with a set of filter
responses calculates the required component values with high
accuracy. To demonstrate the efficacy of the approach, a
microwave high pass filter was tuned from 7GHz to 10GHz in
steps of 0.2GHz. Filter hardware is reconfigured during tuning
using varactor diodes, MOS resistors and tunable micro-
inductors.
Index terms: Tunable microwave filters, RF techniques for
biomedical implants, neural network-based filter synthesis,
reconfigurable filters
I. INTRODUCTION & RELATED WORK
Tunable RF filters have for many years been extensively employed in
microwave networks for wireless communication and reconfigurable
phase array antenna [1-2]. Biomedical systems also utilize
microwaves to monitor vital signs non-invasively and to diagnose
and treat disease in humans. For example, microwave radiometry has
been applied successfully to the identification of internal tissue
temperature anomalies [3] and when coupled with information about
tissue configuration gives good accuracy of anomaly detection. In
[4], hyper-spectral imaging techniques for detection of spectral and
polarization signatures, are available through tunable spectral
filtering hardware such as acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTFs),
liquid crystal tunable filters (LCTFs) and thin-film tunable filter
(TFTF). The work reported in this paper uses a neural network for
automated tuning of microwave filters in biomedical applications.
The neural approach results in a flexible and accurate methodology
for exploring multi-dimensional filter response space to determine the
optimal combination of filter component values that achieve
specification-compliant performance.
In the work reported here, the MLP network with backpropagation
learning – henceforth referred to as backpropagation network (BNN)
- is used. The BNN typically has an input layer, an output layer and at
least one hidden layer (Fig 1) each layer being fully connected to the
succeeding layer. Backpropagation [5] is a gradient-based learning
technique that propagates the global output error backward through
the connections to the hidden and input layers with the objective of
minimizing error by modifying network weights. In moving from one
layer to another, the notation for describing the Backprop learning
rule is as follows (superscript in square brackets is used to indicate
which layer of the network is being considered):
xj [s] current output state of jth neuron in layer s
wji[s] weight on connection joining ith neuron in layer (s-1) to jth
neuron in layer s
Ij[s] weighted summation of inputs to jth neuron in layer s
A back-propagation element therefore transfers its inputs as follows:
where f is traditionally the sigmoid function but can be any
differentiable function. Backpropagation is a form of supervised
learning, a generalization of the least squares algorithm that modifies
network weights to minimize the mean squared error between the
desired and actual outputs of network. Once trained, the network
weights are frozen and can be used to compute output values for new
input queries.

II. ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS

Neural networks are mathematical constructs loosely modeled on the
organizational principles of the animal brain. They are networks of
relatively simple processing elements in which global behavior is
determined by the strength of connections between elements [5].
Hundreds of neural net paradigms exist today as a result of extensive
research, each defined by architecture (e.g. multilayer perceptron
MLP) and learning rule (e.g. backpropagation learning). Neural
networks are efficient alternatives to traditional but computationally Fig. 1. Backpropagation Neural Network
more expensive modeling and optimization techniques such as
numerical modeling. They have been used extensively for microwave Given a set of component values, circuit simulators determine circuit
component modeling [6], transmission lines [7] and spiral inductor response based on modeling equations. This relatively simple task
modeling [8] as well as for microwave circuit synthesis [9]. involves a 1-to-1 mapping and can also be carried out by an
“analysis” neural network. The inverse problem of determining

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component values given circuit responses is much more difficult
because it is non-unique i.e. a 1-to-1 mapping does not exist. A
neural network can be trained to solve this “synthesis” problem if the
training data is swapped so that the circuit responses become the
inputs and the component values the outputs. In this paper, this is the
approach used to achieve tunability of microwave filters.

III. NEURAL NETWORK TRAINING AND TEST

The neural network prototyping and development software tool
Neuralware Professional II Plus [10] was used to create, train, test
and deploy neural networks. The BNN was trained to learn the
relationship between filter responses F = F1, F2 , F3 … Fk and
component values p= p1, p2 ,p3, …. pn. This is a complex one-to-many Fig. 3. Seventh Order High Pass Filter Circuit
relationship since a given filter response F(x) can be realized from
many filter component value combinations p(1), p(2) …etc. Training is
accomplished using a database set up to contain hundreds of filter
replicas generated using Monte Carlo analysis within the circuit
simulation tool PSPICE. Each filter component pi, i=1,2,3…n was
assigned a reasonable tunable range ±
ti, i=1,2,3…n and Monte
Carlo analysis carried out using PSPICE. An independent database
for testing was established in a similar manner. Once trained, the
BNN was tested by supplying it with filter responses F = F1, F2 , F3 …
Fk from the test database. The correctness of the resulting predictions
for component values p= p1, p2 ,p3, …. pn by the neural net was
verified by re-using p as inputs to PSPICE and comparing
corresponding new filter responses F’ = F’1, F’2 , F’3 … F’k with the
original filter responses F = F1, F2 , F3 … Fk in the test database (see
Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Verification of Neural Net Prediction of Component Values Table 1. Typical Neural Network Inputs and Outputs

A 4-30-10 BNN consisting of 4 input nodes, 10 output nodes and 30

IV. SEVENTH ORDER HIGH PASS FILTER RESULTS
th
For illustration purposes, the synthesis of a tunable 7 order high
pass filter (Fig. 3) with a 3dB cut-off frequency range 7– 10GHz
requiring tunability in increments of 0.2GHz will be considered. All
ten components – 3 inductors, 4 capacitors and 3 resistors - are
assumed to have nominal values as shown in table 1 and tunability
ranges of +20% of nominal. In order to establish an accurate BNN
for filter tuning, a comprehensive database of high pass filters was
constructed. A total of 1000 replicas of the filter were generated by
Monte Carlo analysis (assuming uniform random distribution for
component parameters) using PSPICE. Four filter response functions
- 3dB frequency, 3dB, 20dB and 40dB bandwidths -were obtained for
each of the 1000 instances of the filter. A neural network was
constructed, trained and tested to directly map the four filter response
functions to the 10 tunable resistor, capacitor and inductor values
(see Table 1). Of the 1000 filter replicas, 800 were employed for
training the BNN and an independent 200 reserved for testing.
Training involved repeated presentation of the 800 filter responses to
the NN accompanied by weight updates as described in section 2
until the rms training error was minimum.
hidden layer nodes was found to produce the best results. For
validation purposes, the 200 test filter responses were presented to
the trained BNN and predictions of capacitor, resistor and inductor
values obtained were used to construct 200 new filters whose
simulated outputs were then compared with the original PSPICE
predictions in the test database (Fig. 2). Scatter plots were created to
compare the BNN filter responses F for the 200 test filters with the
corresponding original test responses. Agreement was very good, in
fact regression analysis for the plot of actual versus desired responses
yielded excellent R2 values (Figs. 4-7) in the range 0.87 to 0.99 for all
four filter response functions. This demonstrates that the BNN
facilitates filter tunability since given desired filter responses, it was
able to generate appropriate values for filter components (resistors,
capacitors and inductors). Practical tuning hardware to reconfigure
the filter would make use of RF MEMS technology: tunable
capacitors implemented as varactor diodes, tunable inductors as spiral
micro-inductors and tunable resistors as MOS transistors. As a further
test for systematic filter tunability, a filter with 3dB cut-off frequency
of 7GHz was tuned from 7 to 10 GHz in increments of 0.2GHz.

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Fig. 4. Scatter Plot for 3dB Cut-Off Frequency
Fig. 5. Scatter Plot for 3dB Bandwidth
Fig. 6. Scatter Plot for 20dB Bandwidth
Fig. 7. Scatter Plot for 40dB Bandwidth
A set of 16 filter response functions, comprising 3dB frequencies as
follows: 7GHz, 7.2GHz, 7.4GHz, …..10GHz, as well as
corresponding 3dB, 20dB and 40dB bandwidths was generated.
These were fed into the tested BNN and once again, the output from
the BNN re-cycled as input to PSPICE and the output F’ from
PSPICE compared with the original filter responses F. Scatter plots
similar to figures 4-7 confirmed yet again the high accuracy of BNN
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component predictions for each filter response specification, hence
tunability of the filter.
V. CONCLUSIONS
Automated tuning of re-configurable microwave filters for
biomedical applications can be achieved by using neural networks to
compute optimal component values to achieve a desired filter
response. The technique uses a backpropagation neural network to
map RF filter responses to tunable component values with a high
degree of accuracy (on average 95%). Results from a 7th order
microwave high pass filter tuned from 7GHz to 10GHz in steps of
0.2GHz confirm the efficacy of the approach. The component values
prescribed by the neural network are realized using tunable RF
MEMS hardware including varactor diodes, tunable micro-inductors,
and MOS resistors.
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