EE648A- Term Paper Report:

(14104263)

Problem statement: Design a maximally flat bandstop filter using four open-circuited quarter-wave
stub resonators. The center frequency is 3 GHz, the bandwidth is l5%, and the impedance is 40. Plot the
insertion loss and return loss versus frequency from 1 to 5 GHz. Clearly describe the intermediate steps and
calculations. Lay out the microstrip implementation of the filter on an FR4 substrate having = 4.2,
thickness 0.8 mm, = 0.02, with copper conductors 35 thick. Plot the insertion loss and return loss
versus frequency in the stopband of the filter by implementing the structure in HFSS.

Solution: The bandstop filter structure in the microstrip environment is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1: Schematic of a bandstop filter in the microstrip environment.

For a maximally flat response with = 4, we have 1 = 4 = 0.7654 and 2 = 3 = 1.8478. Using these,
we can find the characteristic impedances of the stubs as
01 = 04 =

40
443.6
1

02 = 03 =

40
183.75
2

Also,
2
1
0.61
377
= [ 1 ln(2 1) +
{ln( 1) + 0.39
}] ; =

20
which gives, 7.22 for 0 = 40. Therefore the width of the line, W, is equal to 3.53mm. Using
4.41, we can get the effective permittivity as
=

+ 1 1
1
+
3.43
2
2 1 + 12/

Therefore the wavelength is given as =

53.99; which gives

13.5.

For the quarter wave stubs with characteristic impedance 443.6, we have
=

+ 1 1
0.11

+
(0.23 +
) 12.08
60
2
+ 1

This gives

8
= 2
= 4.54 105 = 36.33

2
Also
=
=

+ 1 1
1
+
2.6
2
2 1 + 12/

0.062

= 0.0155
4

For quarter wave stubs with characteristic impedance 183.75,

=

+ 1 1
0.11

+
(0.23 +
) 5.1
60
2
+ 1

8
= 2
0.049 = 0.039

2
=
=

+ 1 1
1
+
2.7
2
2 1 + 12/

0.061

= 0.0152
4

Therefore the various parameters of Fig. 1 can be listed as

= 3.35; 0 = 13.5;
1 = 36.33; 1 = 0.0155;
2 = 0.039; 2 = 0.0152.
The filter has been implemented in a microstrip environment as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Fig. 4 shows the
zoomed in view of a stub.

Fig. 2: Filter structure implemented in a microstrip environment.

Fig. 3: Filter structure implemented in a microstrip environment.

Fig. 4: Zoomed view showing a quarter wave stub.

The design using HFSS yields the insertion and return loss as given in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 respectively.
2
Insertion loss is given as 10log(21
) and return loss is given as 10log( 2 ).

Fig. 2: Insertion loss obtained from first pass design using HFSS

Fig. 3: Return loss obtained from first pass design using HFSS