Microwave Filters

Filter and its requirements

Filter is a two port network, used to control the frequency response of the system.
For a band of frequencies, the gain is high, called Pass band.
In other part of band, it attenuates, called Stop band

Ideally, A filter requires :

Zero Insertion loss in pass band

Infinite insertion loss at stop band

Design methods
So far, at microwave frequencies, three possible design procedures been
followed
Periodic structures

Image parameter method

By providing cut off frequencies and available component values, a simple design of
filter is possible. But we cant control the pass or stop band attenuation. Once we
designed for a frequency, it cant be explored to another frequencies. Since the inaccurate
lumped elements been utilized, the quality of design limited
Constant-k filter
m-derived filter

Insertion loss method

Insertion loss method

While older methods are forward design (from specification to
observation), insertion loss method provides a reverse engineering method
Following advantages

Design for the required Frequency response with right specifications

Flexible with design frequencies/characteristics impedance
Trade off on design and implementation complexity
Easier

In this method, the power loss is fundamental specification:

Power loss ratio PLR =

Power available from source

Power delivered to load

can be expanded in polynomial

series in 2
4

As:

or

Based on the selection of M and N, there are four possible design type been
explored, so far.
Namely:
Maximally flat or Butterworth or Binomial Filter
Equal Ripple or Chebyshev Filter
Elliptical Filter
Linear Phase Filter

Maximally flat or Butterworth or Binomial Filter

The prototype low pass response is defined as (using Binomial series)

N is order of the filter, C is cut off frequency (angular)

Equal Ripple or Chebyshev Filter

The prototype low pass response is defined as (using chebyshev polynomial)

TN(x) is chebyshev polynomial, N is order of the filter

Butterworth Vs Chebyshev

General Design Procedure

N, fc, MF or ER,
IL at pass band
and Stop band

To LP,
BP, HP,
BS filters
9

Maximally Flat Low-pass filter Prototype design

Consider a two-element (2nd order) low-pass filter
The input impedance:

And the input reflection coefficient:

And, Power loss ratio

10

From both equation,

Now compare this equation with Maximally flat response with c=1 (normalizing
with cut-off frequency)

By simple algebra, [available in Pozar- pp. 392-393]

11

This same procedure has been extended to calculate for higher order filters and the
lumped elements (normalized to source impedance) are tabulated.

Two possible approached

1. First element is capacitor
2. First element is Inductor

12

IL
20

log10 10 1

N
2 log10
C

13

Equal Ripple LPF - prototype

For Equal Ripple following specifications are important

Stop band IL (dB) - IL
Ripple Magnitude (dB) - R
Cut-off frequency- fc

From these, the order of the filter can be calculated:

cosh1

10

IL
10

10
10
1
N
cosh1
C
14

15

Example

Solution:
Actually we have to calculate the order of the filter

log10 10 1

N
2 log10
C
IL
10

IL=20dB at 11GHz, fC=8GHz

20
10

log10 10 1

3.44
N
2 log10 11
8
N 4

For chebyshev response:

cosh
N

10

IL

20

10 20 1
cosh1
C

Assume R = 0.5 dB

N = 5.5 thats 6

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