A Near-Optimum Matching Section without Discontinuities

The optimum tapered matching section requires impedance steps at the taper ends, which exclude in most cases its application for synthesizing waveguide tapers. A new "near" optimum design is described which avoids the impedance steps and yields tapers only a fractional part longer in taper length (or narrower in bandwidth) than the exactly optimum taper. A table of values of a transcendental function has been calculated to simplify the synthesis. An example compares both types of matching sections.