This course covers techniques important in filter design. It is an excellent update and complement to Microwave Filters, Couplers & Matching Networks.

This easy to navigate tutorial is designed for beginning wireless and RF engineers and those who wish to review modern techniques in filter design. This material is an excellent complement to the classic tutorial Microwave Filters, Couplers and Matching Networks by Robert Wenzel. No knowledge of higher math is required; some familiarity with RF design and measurement terms is helpful. This course:

*allows you to move through each session at your own speed,

*requires no extra work books,

*provides you with testing methods for the key concepts taught.

Click the links below to learn more about each CD or to purchase them separately.

• CD 1: Q from A to Z


• Section 1. Introduction


• Section 2. Unloaded Q Or Component Q


• Definition of Unloaded Q


• Unloaded Q of a Reactor


• Unloaded Q with Parallel Loss


• Solenoid Inductance


• Solenoid Unloaded Q


• Qu and Volume


• Qu for Typical Solenoids


• Limit on the Unloaded Q


• Capacitor Unloaded Q


• Unloaded Q of Chip Capacitors


• Section 3. Loaded Q


• A Terminated Series Resonator


• The Response of a Series Resonator


• Loaded Q of a Simple Series Resonator


• Loaded Q in the Parallel Resonator


• The Response of a Parallel Resonator


• The Loaded Q of a Parallel Resonator


• Parallel-Series Equivalent Networks


• Parallel-Series Conversion Formula


• A Shunt-C Coupled Resonator


• The Coupling Reactance for a Required Loaded Q


• A Computer Simulation of a Coupled Resonator


• Loaded Q and Group Delay


• Loss in the Resonator


• A Computer Simulation of Resonator Loss


• Other Resonator Topologies


• Section 4. Q and Matching Concepts


• Q and the Smith Chart


• Relationship Between Constant Q and Reflection Coefficients


• Q and Matching


• Q of the Load


• Fano's Limit


• Fano Limit Example


• A Practical Solution with 4 Elements


• CD 2: Filter Design by Transmission Zeros


• Session I. Classic Filter Design Review


• The History of Filters


• Prototype Filter Table


• Bandpass Transformations


• Limitations of Design by Prototype


• Summary Q


• Session II. Transmission Zero Introduction


• Advantages of Direct Synthesis


• Transmission Zero Elements


• Lowpass Transmission Zeros


• Bandpass Transmission Zeros


• Alternate Zero Placements


• Cauer-Chebyshev Response


• Tunable Transmission Zeros


• Session III. The Extraction Process


• Introduction


• Direct Filter Synthesis


• A Specific Transfer Function


• The Conventional Extraction Sequence


• The General Extraction Sequence


• Example Extraction Sequence


• Unique Sequences


• Choosing a Sequence


• Inexact Sequence Example


• Inexact Extraction in GENESYSQ


• Summary


• Session IV. Network Transforms


• Introduction


• The Norton Series Transform


• Application of Norton's Transform


• After Norton's Series Transform


• After Simplification


• Summary


• Session V. Practical Issues


• Introduction


• The Requirement


• The Initial Design


• Initial Design Summary


• Component Q and Capacitor Inductance


• Via Hole Inductance


• Other Parasitic Comments


• The Layout


• Recovering the Design


• Standard Values


• The Prototype


• Measured Results


• Required Component Adjustment


• Summary


• CD 3: Lumped Element Transforms


• Session I. Introduction


• Direct Synthesis vs. Cookbook Filter Design


• A Series-Resonator Filter Example


• Stray Node Capacitance


• A Basic Transform: Swap


• A Second Basic Transform: Split


• The Tee to Pi Transform


• The Capacitive Tee to Pi


• Applying the Tee to Pi


• The Tubular BandpassQ


• The Capacitive Pi to Tee


• Session II. Canonic Filters


• The Series-Resonator Example is Non-Canonic


• The Tee to L Transform


• Applying the Tee to L


• Transformer Shifting Transform


• Applying Tee to L Again


• The Canonic Filter


• Session III. The Norton Transform


• The Norton Series Transform


• The Shunt Norton Transform


• The Conventional Bandpass


• Applying the Series Norton


• The Parallel-Resonator Bandpass


• Transforming the Terminations


• Reactive Impedance Transformers


• The Filter with 50-Ohm Terminations


• Session IV. Filters with Finite Frequency Zeros


• A Symmetrical IF Bandpass


• IF Bandpass without a Transformer


• An Equal-Inductor Symmetric BP


• Session V. Inverters


• Impedance Inverters


• Lumped-Element Inverters


• Ideal Inverters


• Converting Ideal to Real Inverters


• An Example Using Inverters


• Session VI. Norton and Resonator Branches


• A Parallel-Resonator Bandpass with Finite Frequency Zeros
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About the Author / Editor


Randall Rhea was born June 10, 1947, in Findlay, Illinois. He has a BSEE degree from the University of Illinois (1969) and an MSE degree from Arizona State (1973). His Masters thesis was the individual construction and operation of earth station equipment which successfully received voice communications from Apollo 17 in lunar orbit.

He worked at Boeing, Goodyear Aerospace and Scientific Atlanta where he last held the position of Principal Engineer. His engineering assignments included antennas, filters, amplifiers, oscillators, phase-locked loops, synthesizers and receivers for radar, wireless security, CATV, satcom, data, broadband network and instrumentation systems.

Randy is the author of numerous journal and conference papers on antenna theory, amplifiers, computer-aided engineering and filter theory. He is the author of Oscillator Design and Computer Simulation, HF Filter Design and Computer Simulation, and three training course series available on CD-ROM, Filter Techniques Series, Practical RF Design Series, and High Frequency Oscillator Design, all published by Noble Publishing. He is also the author of a book-length tutorial written for Bell System engineers. He taught at DeKalb college and teaches workshops at technical meetings, universities and corporations. He is the lecturer in two video tape short courses on oscillator and filter design.

In 1985 he founded Eagleware to develop engineering software. He is the author of four of the original Eagleware programs and technical manuals. Today, Eagleware is a leading provider of high-frequency design software for electrical engineers and has thousands of users worldwide. In 1994, he founded Noble Publishing.

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