Coupling-Matrix-Based Systematic Design of Single-DC-Bias-Controlled Microstrip Higher Order Tunable Bandpass Filters With Constant Absolute Bandwidth and Transmission Zeros

This paper presents a systematic design procedure of microstrip higher order tunable bandpass filters (BPFs) that can realize a constant absolute frequency bandwidth (ABW) and transmission zeros (TZs) with the minimum number of varactors and a single controlled dc-bias voltage. To this end, intrinsic frequency dependence of interresonator couplings is employed instead of external controls, but the design has faced a difficulty of realizing ideal frequency curves of coupling coefficients at all the coupling regions, including nonadjacent couplings. To overcome such a difficulty, this paper introduces a frequency-curve shape design approach considering upward- or downward-curved convex that is dependent on the types of interresonator coupling. As illustrative examples, fourth- and sixth-order tunable BPFs are proposed and designed, starting from a coupling-matrix synthesis. Their structural parameters can be efficiently designed with the proposed design method. The frequency agility with keeping a constant ABW, acceptable low insertion loss, a good in-band return loss level, and TZs is numerically and experimentally demonstrated for both fourth- and sixth-order tunable BPFs.