3rd International Conference on Science and Social Research (ICSSR 2014)

Design of a Wideband Band-Pass Filter Using Semi-lumped and

Semi-distributed Technology

Ying Liu1, Jiayu Xie1, Junling Huang1

1
Aviation Engineering Institution, Civil Aviation Flight University of China Guanghan, Sichuan,
618307, China

Keywords: UHF. wideband. Miniaturize. Bandpass filter

Abstract. In order to design a miniaturized wideband broadband band-pass filter in UHF band, this
paper develops a method by cascading a lumped parameter highpass filter with another distribution
parameter lowpass filter. Detailed design and synthesis procedures are provided; moreover,
agreement between measured and theoretically predicted results demonstrates feasibility of the
proposed filter. Due to its simple structure, the UHF wideband band pass filter newly introduced in
this paper is suitable for implementation on printed circuit boards. After processed, the size is smaller
than 32×15mm2.

Introduction
In recent years, there are increasing needs for broader bandwidth in UHF wireless communication
systems; moreover, much research has focused on wideband filters design. The bandpass filter,
providing a low insertion loss in the band and attenuation out of the band, plays a very important role
in the RF system. Just because the UHF band belongs to low microwave band, correspondingly, the
size requirement of the filter will be as small as possible. Various methods to make wideband filters
are reviewed as following.
There proposed two cascading low-pass filters with high-impedance line[1]. This class has a
disadvantage. When the cutoff frequency of a lowpass filter is a farther from the previous one,
rectangular factor improvement is not obvious. Conversely, it is difficult to completely suppress
spurious frequency. The lowpass filter with issuing lines and stepped-impedance resonators, without
parallel-coupled, can improve the rectangular factor, and broaden the width of barrier[2]. Nevertheless,
circuit size are not satisfying because it has a larger horizontal geometry size. Proposed wideband
filter cannot be practically implemented in a wideband system.
Considering the advantages and disadvantages of these two filter units, many issuing lines and
stepped impedance resonators (SIR) will be led into the parallel-coupled resonators in this article.
This structure can realize function of the lowpass filter. Highpass filter uses lumped parameter
distribution components.
Due to the trend toward broader bandwidth and better selectivity, filters with a wide stopband in a
linear wideband system are promising. In order to achieve this goal, this paper adopts lumped
parameter highpass filter with another distribution parameter lowpass filter to achieve the bandpass
filter. Moreover, with properly selected transmission-line impedance, highpass filter can be easily
achieved. In particular, this type filter can also minimize the size of the bandpass filter.
Following are detailed procedures for filter development. Sections II and III present design
procedures for the broadband lowpass filter and the broadband highpass filter, respectively.
Consequently, Section IV introduces the integration of the newly developed wideband bandpass filter.
Finally, this paper is concluded in Section V.

Design of broadband lowpass filter

In this paper, the design of low-pass filter is interpreted as the multi parallel-coupled resonator
loading multi-order elliptic function low-pass filter structure. It uses the parallel-coupled resonator to
suppress spurious frequency, which produces stopband transmission zeros configuration. Set up the

© 2014. The authors - Published by Atlantis Press 955

structure of each unit to make its transmission zero close to each other. With the order of elliptic
function filter increasing, the stopband rejection degree and the rectangular factor will be always
significantly improved. This type has more advantages on the improvement of the rectangular factor.
In order to reflect the advantages of parallel-coupled SIR in hairpin lowpass filter, there is two
filers’ frequency response compared. They are shown in Figure 1. Fig 1(a) is not loading hairpin
parallel coupled line low-pass filter, fig 1(b) is equivalent LC model, fig 1(c) is loading the hairpin
parallel coupled line low-pass filter, fig 1(d) is equivalent LC model, and both of frequency responses
can be seen in fig 1(e).

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

(e)
Fig. 1 Two lowpass filters
Fig.e shows that LPF1 doesn’t load parallel coupled lowpass filter, and LPF2 loads parallel
coupled lowpass filter. It can be found that: when the filter loads parallel-coupled SIR resonator,
there are two new transmission zeros Z3 and Z4. They are far from two transmission zeros Z1 and Z2
in the original structure. Appropriately adjust positions of transmission zero Z3 and Z4, and it can
offset the impact of spurious frequency transmission pole to stopband, and also can increase the
resistance width.
From the analysis in INTRODUCE, this paper adopts a parallel-coupled SIR resonator loading
multi-order hairpin line step-impedance lowpass filter structure. At the same time, in order to make
the first stopband transmission zero move towards low-end frequency, it adopts interdigital coupled
method to increase coupling capacitance value, moreover, it can further improve the rectangular
factor, which doesn’t affect the passband characteristics. The elementary design of the lowpass filter
is shown in Figure 2.

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 (a) circuit structure (b) the frequency response curve
Fig. 2 The first lowpass filter
It can be found that the reflection coefficient in the passband is a little high, and when the stopband
frequency is more than 5.5GHz, the stopband attenuation is not good enough. Therefore, according to
the law of the zero adjustment, it should be optimized in the simulation software. Finally, parallel
coupled SIR loading multi-order elliptic function lowpass filter is shown in Figure 3.

(a) circuit structure (b) the frequency response curve (c) the measured curve
Fig. 3 The final lowpass filter
Then, it is machine processed, and tuned. So the measured frequency response curves are gotten.
and shown in Fig 3(c). The reflection coefficient and the stopband rejection have been improved.
In this section, it proposes a parallel-coupled SIR loading hairpin multi-order elliptic function
low-pass filter structure. This type has wider stopband, a better rectangular factor, and smaller size.

Design of broadband highpass filter

In order to avoid design difficulty of miniaturization filter in low microwave band, this paper uses
lumped elements to design the high-pass filter. This paper uses Design Guide in the ADS simulation
software to complete the required high-pass filter design, as shown in Figure 4. Taking the impact of
parasitic parameters of the high frequency components into account, the designed highpass filter has
much attention, just like: firstly choose less inductor topological structure, try to use the capacitance
to absorb the parasitic capacitance, and choose smaller discrete values in the circuit.

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 Fig. 4 The schematic diagram of the highpass filter
Usually, the index requirement is set more highly than the actual need for performance, and then
optimized in the range of discrete values, so the highpass filter is gotten. However, it should be not
machine processed with an actual object. Just because it is as a part circuit of the bandpass filter. After
connecting highpass filter and lowpass filter, it should be optimized to ensure that the bandpass filter
has good performance whether in band or out of the band. Here, this paper designs the connection
pads, optimize the ideal component values. And last, the highpass filter will be as a whole to design
the bandpass filter. So here, the bandpass filter will be directly on design.

Design of broadband bandpass filter

Based on the parallel-coupled SIR loading multi-order elliptic function lowpass filter and ideal
circuit topology of highpass filter, this paper designs broadband bandpass filter which has good
performance. First of all, measures S-parameters of the parallel coupled SIR loading the multi-order
elliptic function lowpass filter, and generate an S2P file. Then, in the ADS simulation design software,
the highpass filter adds the S2P file, and then optimize to get the UHF band broadband bandpass filter.
Last, machine processed, and tuned. The actual object size is 32*15mm2 .The CAD layout and
measured parameters are shown in figure 5.

(a) CAD layout (b) the theoretical results (c) the measured results
Fig. 5 The bandpass filter
Fig 5(b) indicates that: in the band range, insertion loss is less than 1.2dB, and the reflection
coefficient is also less than -16 dB. At the same time, the band rejection is greater improvement out of
the band. And it has a good wide stopband characteristic. Compared to the design of low-pass filter
unit, band pass filter of wide stopband characteristics is much better, mainly because lumped
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elements are introduced. It can change the resonant response of the overall structure, and weaken the
impact of the spurious frequency, which broadens the width resistance of the band-pass filter.

Conclusion
A UHF broadband bandpass filter is developed in this paper by cascading a highpass filter and
lowpass filter. By properly design, the highpass filter and lowpass filter are gotten. Moreover,
agreement between theoretical results and measured results validates the proposed structure. Due to
its simple structure and attractive performance, the newly proposed filter is appropriate for
implementation in the UHF wideband systems.

Reference
[1] Sha Luo, Lei Zhu,Sheng Sun: Stopband-Expanded Low-Pass Filters Using Microstrip
Coupled-Line Hairpin Units. IEEE Microwave and Wireless complements letters, August
2008,Vol.18,NO.8:506~508
[2] Lung-Hwa Hsieh, Kai Chang: Compact Elliptic-Function Low-pass Filter Using Microstrip
Stepped-Impedance Hairpin Resonators. IEEE transactions on microwave theory and techniques,
VOL.51,NO.1,January 2003:193~199
[3] M.H. Yang and J.Xu: Design of compact, broad-stopband lowpass filter using modified stepped
impedance hairpin resonators, Electronics letters, 2008,44(20)
[4] ULRICH L.Rohde, David P.Newkirk: RF/Microwave Circuit Design for Wireless Applications.
New York: John Wiley&Sons,2000, 565-581

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