Efficient CAD tool of direct-coupled-cavities filters with dielectric resonators

This article describes a new CAD tool of directly coupled cavities filters with dielectric resonators based on a very efficient hybrid analysis method. The CAD tool efficiently combines two accurate analysis techniques: a first one, based on the integral equation method, for the analysis of the standard rectangular waveguide filter steps, and a second one, based on mode matching and spectral methods, for solving the dielectric resonators. The suitable combination of these two analysis techniques provides high improvements in the CPU time required in the CAD of these filters. The CAD tool is based in ASM with a hybridization of several optimization algorithms, including a continuous-time genetic algorithm. A band-pass filter with dielectric resonators has been successfully designed making use of this novel CAD tool