Multi frequency controllable in-band suppressions in a broad bandwidth microstrip filter design for 5G Wi-Fi and satellite communication systems utilizing a quad-mode stub-loaded resonator

Abstract

The key elements used for receiving and processing signals in communication systems are the bandpass filters. Initially, a common operating mechanism was applied for the design of broadband filters, i.e., by cascading low-pass filters or high-pass filters using multiple line resonators with length quarter-half- or full-wavelength with central frequency, but using these approaches, the design topology becomes expensive and complex. The above mechanisms can be possibly overcome using a planar microstrip transmission line structure due to its simple design fabrication procedure and low cost. So, pointing out the above problems in bandpass filters such as low-cost, low insertion loss, and good out-of-band performance, this article presents a broadband filter with multifrequency suppression capability at 4.9 GHz, 8.3 GHz, and 11.5 GHz using a T-shaped shorted stub-loaded resonator with a central square ring coupled to the basic broadband filter. Initially, the C-shaped resonator is utilized for the formation of a stopband at 8.3 GHz for a satellite communication system, and then a shorted square ring resonator is added to the existing C-shaped structure for the realization of two more stopbands at 4.9 GHz and 11.5 GHz for 5G (WLAN 802.11j) communication, respectively. The overall circuit area covered with the proposed filter is 0.52 λg × 0.32 λg (λg is the wavelength of the feed lines at frequency 4.9 GHz). All the loaded stubs are folded in order to save the circuit area, which is an important requirement of next-generation wireless communication systems. The proposed filter has been analyzed using a well-known transmission line theory, even–odd-mode, and simulated with the 3D software HFSS. After the parametric analysis, some attractive features were obtained, i.e., compact structure, simple planar topology, low insertion losses of 0.4 dB over the entire band, good return loss greater than 10 dB, and independently controlled mutli stopbands, which make the proposed design unique and can be used in various wireless communication system applications. Finally, a Rogers RO-4350 substrate is selected for the fabrication of the prototype using an LPKF S63 ProtoLaser machine and then measured using a ZNB20 vector network analyzer for matching the simulated and measured results. After testing the prototype, a good agreement was found between the results.