Simulation and analysis of coplanar waveguide(CPW) discontinuities

In most devices on printed circuit boards (PCBs), there are many types of micro strip transmission line and coplanar waveguide (CPW) discontinuities, such as steps, air gaps, bends, etc. These discontinuities have strong effects on the signal transmission and reflection. In certain cases, this disruption of the normal fields of the line result in current crowding leading to storage of magnetic energy, which could be modeled with an inductive reactance along the transmission line. Similarly, in a series gap in the transmission line electric field concentration may occur, which could be modeled with a capacitive reactance. Open-circuited and short circuited lines, stepped impedance lines and bends are some of the discontinuities commonly encountered in RF/microwave analysis. In this paper we analyzed the open end, short end, waveguide step, signal strip gap, waveguide bends. The designs are simulated using commercial full wave electromagnetic simulation software- IE3D.