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A novel design method for highly selective and tunable microwave bandpass
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 Proceedings of the 43rd European Microwave Conference

A Novel Design Method for Highly Selective and

Tunable Microwave Bandpass Filter

Mehmet Yuceer Ian C. Hunter

Satellite Design and Development Division Institute of Microwave and Photonics
Turksat The University of Leeds
Ankara, Turkey Leeds, UK
mehmet.yuceer@gmail.com i.c.hunter@leeds.ac.uk

Abstract— A cascaded filter design method is proposed and get the desired narrowband response, is demonstrated followed
realized by combline topology for the flexible bandpass filters by the design example with simulation results.
with tunable centre frequency and tunable bandwidth without
the need for adjusting the inter-resonator couplings. This is
achieved by cascading a quasi low-pass filter and a quasi high- II. FILTER SYNTHESIS USING COMBLINE TOPOLOGY
pass filter, while minimizing interaction between the filters Bandpass filters of narrow bandwidths can be represented
without the need for an isolator between the filters. Simulated
results are presented.
by a prototype network consisting of N coupled resonators. A
coupling matrix K can be used to describe a lowpass prototype
Keywords—bandpass; cascade; reconfigurable; cross-coupling; of a filter of order N. The coupling matrix K for the canonical
tunable; asymmetric transmission zeros prototype consists Bi’s (frequency-invariant susceptances in
parallel to the unit capacitances) at each node. Note that the
I. INTRODUCTION elements Kij referring to the unconnected nodes i and j are all
zeros.
A high performance filter requires asymmetric transmission Once the initial coupling matrix is synthesized [8], the
zeros which can be introduced by cross-coupled or by-passed circuit is formed as shown in Fig.1. Cross-coupling is
resonator arrangements to meet efficient spectrum utilization. represented by K2r which couples the 2nd resonator to any
Therefore much sharper filters lead to isolation between closely resonator other than the consecutive 3rd resonator.
spaced frequency spectrums. These highly selective and
K2r
tunable filters with low insertion losses are synthesized with
previously developed techniques [1-4]. For satellite
communication systems, high performance diplexers are
desired with high out-of-band rejection while maintaining low Ks1 K12 K23 ...
in-band insertion loss. Therefore, filters with asymmetric
1 jB1 1 jB2 ... L
frequency responses are favored to those with symmetric S
...
characteristics to minimize the number of resonators, thus
lowering the in-band insertion loss while maintaining a Node-1 Node-2

reasonable level of signal rejection. In [5], a reconfigurable

Fig.1 Low-pass-prototype network using coupling matrix coefficients.
bandpass filter is designed providing transmission zeros on
either side (upper or lower) of the filter response. In [6], two
Frequency-invariant susceptances (Bi) in shunt with the unit
filters are cascaded to provide a tunable bandwidth and capacitances represent the shift in the resonance frequency of
transmission zeros on the opposite sides, using an “isolator” each resonator due to cross-coupling in the network. The
between the filters to provide the matched impedance across nodes numbered from 1 to r represent individual resonators
the bandwidth. The importance of this study lies in the fact that together with the source (S) and load (L). In Fig.1 the cross-
filters are cascaded without using an isolator. coupling between 2nd and rth resonators cause a shift in each
In section-II, inline coupling and cross coupling resonator’s frequency. Here the nodes represent a unit
configurations and filter synthesis starting from low pass capacitance in parallel with a frequency invariant susceptance
prototype coupling matrix is presented revisiting how to apply Bi. S and L refer to the source and load respectively and
the susceptance slope parameter method to find the equivalent inverters between the resonators i and j are represented by Kij.
combline resonator parameters. In section-III, the idea of In the following, it is shown how the resonators that are
cascading two asymmetrically cross coupled filters, in order to
composed of a frequency-invariant susceptance and a unit
capacitance transformed into a combline resonator, consisting

978-2-87487-031-6 © 2013 EuMA 1219 7 -10 Oct 2013, Nuremberg, Germany

of a capacitance and a shorted stub (Yr, θ). 2C
Yr = (3)
⎡ 1 A ⎤
⎢ + ⎥
⎣ ω0 tan (θ ) ν sin (θ ) ⎦
2

and
2C
Cc = . (4)
2θ
1+
Fig.2 Low-pass-prototype network using coupling matrix coefficients.
sin ( 2θ )
Next step is impedance scaling which is done by means of
In order to convert the LPP (Low Pass Prototype) into the scaling factor for every resonator taking into account the
bandpass with center frequency ω0 and band edges (ω1, ω2) , a nominal Z0 =76Ω value as the reference coaxial stub
frequency transformation is applied on LPP and the well impedance. Scaling factor is;
known susceptance slope parameter method is applied to the
resonators as shown in Fig. 2 and C and L are calculated as, Y0
nr = r = 1,...N (5)
Yr
α (ω0' 2 + ω0 2 ) where N denotes the number of resonators and Y0 = 1 Z 0 .
C= (1) After scaling, inverter models are combined with the
2ω0ω '2
0
resonators to finalize the circuit configuration. Positive and
2ω0 negative couplings are modeled as pi-section stubs and
L= (2)
α (ω0' 2 + ω0 ) capacitances respectively. Once the equivalent models
replaced the inverters, the combined network parameters are
calculated. Input and output couplings are calculated using the
B 2ω02 derivations in [7];
+ 4ω02
Bω0 α 2
where ω = −
'
0 + from the equivalence of 1
2α 2 Yinput ( i ) = Youtput ( o ) = 1 −
resonance frequencies. n1 cos (θ )
In the following, derivation of the combline equivalent of 1
the (L, C) resonator is presented resulting in a shunt Ys1 = YNL = (6)
n1 cos (θ )
capacitance Cc and short stub admittance Yr . Susceptance
1 1
slope parameter method is applied to convert the lumped Y1 = YN = (Y0 − Y12 ) + −
n12 n1 cos (θ )
element resonator values into the combline parameter values.
Equating the admittances of both circuits at the resonant
Network schematic with input, output and inter-resonator
frequency helps to express Cc and Yr in terms of each other.
couplings(Yr,r+1) together with the stub admittances (Yr) is
1 Y shown in Fig. 3.
Y (ω ) = Y (ω ) = 0 ⇒ jω C + = jωC + r =0
1 ω =ω 2 ω =ω 0 jω L c j tan (θ )
0 0 0
Ys1 Y 12 YNL
(3) Source Load

Y0 Y1 Cc1 Y2 Cc2 …… YN YN+

Equation (4) below expresses the equivalence of the slope
of the admittances at the resonant frequency.
Fig.3 Combline network.
dY1(ω ) dY (ω ) ⎛ 1 ⎞ Yr A
= 2 ⇒ ⎜ C + 2 ⎟ = Cc + (4) In this study, two combline filters are cascaded with
d ω ω =ω
0
dω ω =ω
0
⎜
⎝ ω L
0 ⎠
⎟ ν sin 2
(
ω0 A
ν ) individual asymmetrical transmission zeros. It is expected to
obtain a narrow bandpass response reconfigurable in
where the short stub impedance is Z ss (ω ) = jZ r tan ( β A ) with accordance with the system requirements. Individual filters are
A synthesized such that each one of them has a transmission zero
θ = βA = ω . A and ν represent the length of the stub and on either side of the passband.
ν
the propagation speed respectively.
The two unknowns Cc and Yr are derived using the two
equations (1) and (2), as follows;

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 Second filter in cascade is designed with an asymmetrical
trasmission zero on the lower side of the pass band. Again a 5
pole filter is composed of inline coupled resonators with a
transmission zero at 1.99 GHz due to one negative (capacitive)
cross coupling between the 2nd and 4th resonators. Passband
is 2000-2100 MHz with 20 dB return loss,
Stopband: 1850-1900MHz and 2220-2250 MHz with 40 dB
insertion loss. Synthesized filter’s low-pass-prototype values
are;

B=[B1 B2 B3 B4 B5]
=[-0.054 -0.073 0.762 -0.073 -0.054]
K=[Ks1 K12 K23 K34 K45 K5L K24]
=[1.115 0.965 0.482 0.482 0.965 1.115 -0.485]
Fig. 4 Cascaded filters’ response to obtain a highly selective filter

III. DESIGN EXAMPLE Applying the low-pass to band-pass combline transformation

as in section-II, combline equivalent network is obtained and
In this example case, first filter in cascade has a the simulated response is shown in Fig. 5.
transmission zero on the upper side of the pass band.
Passband: 1950-2050 MHz with 20 dB return loss, 0

Stopband: 1800-1850MHz and 2150-2200 MHz with 40 dB -20

insertion loss,
-40
Transmission zero is at f=2060 MHz, i.e. a positive
dB(S(1,1))
dB(S(2,1))
coupling between the 2nd and the 4th resonators. The low- -60

pass-prototype values for the frequency-invariant susceptances -80

(B) and the admittance inverters (K) are obtained by following
the synthesis [8] as; -100

-120

B=[B1 B2 B3 B4 B5] 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5

=[0.053 0.072 -0.743 0.072 0.053] freq, GHz

K=[Ks1 K12 K23 K34 K45 K5L K24] Fig. 6 simulated response of the combline filter with one (-) cross coupling.
=[1.115 0.965 0.494 0.494 0.965 1.115 0.472]
After cascading the two filters, the order of the filter seems to
Following the transformation method described in section-II, be seven whereas the number of resonators are nine. This
combline equivalent network is derived from the low-pass- might be due the insufficient quality of phase matching during
prototype with a slight optimization as shown in Fig. 7 (a) and the optimization and simulation.
the simulated response of the network is shown in Fig 7(b). 0

-10
Z=3495.61 Ω

Source (Z=50 Ω) -20

Z=183. Z=1692. Z=3240.86 Ω Z=3240.86 Ω Z=1692. Z=183.7 Load (Z=50 Ω)

-30
dB(S(1,1))
dB(S(2,1))

Z=68.7 0.8795 0.8799 0.8482 0.8799 0.8795

Z=129.2 Z=83.5 Z=79.66 Z=83.5 Z=129.2 Z=68.7 -40

-50

(a) -60
0

-70
-20
-80
1.95

1.96

1.97

1.98

1.99

2.00

2.01

2.02

2.03

2.04

2.05

2.06

2.07

2.08

2.09

2.10

-40
dB(S(1,1))
dB(S(2,1))

-60 freq, GHz

Fig. 7 Simulated response of the cascaded overall filter with two
-80
transmission zeros
-100

-120 For physical design of the circuit as in Fig.8, distances

1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5
between the resonators and the size of the resonators are
freq, GHz
obtained applying the Getsinger’s approximation for fringe
(b)
Fig. 5 Combline filter with (+) cross coupling; (a) Network schematic
capacitances and using the formulas in chapter 5 of [7].
(b) Simulated response C ε = 377 Z 0 ε r is used to calculate the inter-resonator

1221
capacitance which in correlation helps to obtain the spacings 0

-10
between the resonators ( Sr , r +1 b ) following the capacitance
-20
to permittivity ratio curve in [9] , where Sr , r +1 is spacing -30

dB(S(1,1))
dB(S(2,1))
between resonators and b is the width of the cavity. -40

-50

-60

-70

-80

1.95

1.96

1.97

1.98

1.99

2.00

2.01

2.02

2.03

2.04

2.05

2.06

2.07

2.08

2.09

2.10
freq, GHz
(a) (b)
Fig. 10 Measured vs. simulated response of the shifted central frequency to
Fig. 8 CAD computations and layout; (a) input port, (b) inter-resonator the right at 2.05 GHz with 5 MHz bandwidth
couplings
In Fig. 10, the capacitances of the second filter (quasi high-
Sample calculations are shown in the following equations; pass) in cascade are decreased such that the overall filter
cascade response is shifted towards right in the frequency
C01 C9 L S01 S9 L t scale. A 5 MHz bandwidth is obtained with a center frequency
= = 2.05 ⇒ = = 0.235 ; assuming = 0.4 at 2.05 GHz.
ε ε b b b
on Getsinger’s curve. IV. CONCLUSION
It is very important to have highly selective (sharp skirts)
C 'fer ,r +1 are obtained for various Sr ,r +1 b and used in the and tunable RF/Microwave filters to improve the spectrum
formula [7] to calculate the width of each resonator and input usage efficiency and flexibility for changing bandwidth
and output coupling lines’ widths; requirements. A novel design is implemented to obtain a
narrowband and flexible bandwidth band pass filter by means
b − t ⎛ Cr ⎞ of combline topology. Transformation of a resonator into the
wr = − 2C 'fer −1,r − 2C 'fer ,r +1 ⎟ for 1 ≤ r ≤ N
4 ⎜⎝ ε ⎠ combline equivalent is demonstrated. A narrowband response
is obtained with a limited number of resonators which can
b − t ⎛ Cr ⎞
wr = ⎜ − 2C f − 2C 'fer ,r+1 ⎟ for r = 0, N + 1 only be obtained otherwise using an unfeasibly high order
4 ⎝ ε ⎠ filter.
where N is the number of resonators, C f and 2C 'fer ,r +1 are
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