Investigation of compact balun-bandpass filter using folded open-loop ring resonators and microstrip lines

A balun-bandpass filter was proposed by using two folded open-loop ring resonators (OLRRs) to couple three microstrip lines. By tuning the size of the OLRR, the operating frequency of the balun-bandpass filter could be tuned to the needed value. By tuning the size of open stub at the end of microstrip lines, the balanced impedance of the balun-bandpass filter could also be tuned. The fabricated balun-bandpass filter had a wide bandwidth and a low insertion loss at center frequency of the passband. The balun-bandpass filter presented an excellent in-band balanced performance with common-mode rejection ratio more than 20 dB in the passbands. An advanced design methodology had been adopted based on EM simulation for making these designed parameters of OLRRs and microstrip lines. Good correlation was seen between simulation and measurement, and the result was that first run pass had been achieved in the majority of our designs.