COMPACT INTERLOCKED-COUPLED FILTER USING FOLDED STEPPED-IMPEDANCE RESONATORS

A microstrip interlocked-coupled bandpass filter is proposed with a markedly compact structure. The low-impedance open-end line of the quarter-wavelength Stepped-Impedance Resonator (SIR) is replaced by two open-end high-impedance lines, which not only facilitate the coupling mechanism but also provide the strong electric coupling between resonators. With the proper utilization of folded SIRs, the occupied area of coupled-resonator pair can be reduced. By applying the proposed coupled-resonator pair, the passband filter with the compact size can be realized. Good agreement between measured and simulated results is observed. The proposed filter is desirable for compact and high-performance microwave circuit applications.