Wideband Microstrip Ring Resonator Bandpass Filters Under Multiple Resonances

A new class of wideband microstrip bandpass filters is proposed under multiple resonances of an asymmetric ring resonator. Two capacitive coupling elements are placed at two perpendicular positions of a squared ring, whereas a pair of open-circuited stubs is formed in the symmetrical plane of these two excited ports similar to a dual-mode ring filter in shape. By stretching the paired stubs close to one-eighth of a wavelength, the first two even-order resonances move down to be quasi-equally located at two sides of the first odd-order resonance, thus forming a triple-resonance ring resonator. As interdigital coupled lines are installed at two ports instead of lumped capacitors, two extra resonances can be moved into passband, thereby making up a quintuple-resonance ring resonator. To provide an insight into their operating mechanism, these ring resonators are characterized in terms of transmission line theory. Afterwards, various wideband microstrip ring resonator bandpass filters with one or two asymmetric ring resonators are optimally designed and fabricated. Simulated results are confirmed via experiment, showing good wideband filtering performance with widened/deepened upper stopband and sharpened rejection skirts outside the wide passband.