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Abstract — These instructions give guidelines how to tune specification. We recorded the tuning actions of different
coupled cavity microwave filters manually. This work was expert tuners together with the S-parameters of the filters.
motivated by the lack of a systematic methodology of manual The records of the different tuners were analyzed and we
filter tuning for training of novice personal. Moreover, we
expected to gain information how humans are tuning filters.
looked for similarities during the tuning processes. We
This information will be helpful for development of computer- developed a method that was improved by help of the experts.
aided tuning tools. The method is exemplified by a 6-pole filter To proof the validity of the method it was tested with novice
with one cross-coupling, but is also applicable to similar filters filter tuners.
with more or less poles and cross-couplings.
Index Terms — cavity resonator filters, filter tuning III. EXPERT FINE-TUNING ALGORITHM
After completing pre-tuning all reflection-poles were
I. INTRODUCTION recognizable as dips on the |S11| plot (Fig. 1). This is a
Manual tuning of filters is considered as an art. Typically a precondition for this method.
skilled person with some experience is tuning prototype Lin S11 S21 dB
filters. Few methods are known to facilitate the tuning 0.2 0
process [1] - [3], but they usually require some manual fine 0.18 -2
tuning to reach the desired specification.
0.16 -4
To our knowledge there are no publications that guide the
not-so-perfect tuner through the process of tuning filters. 0.14 -6
Kowledge about the way how humans are tuning filters could 0.12 -8
as well be useful in a machine learning approach for
0.1 -10
automated filter tuning [8].
0.08 -12
0.04 -16
If an expert tuner is asked how he tunes a filter, the answer
is quite often that some sense for tuning is required. 0.02 -18
Unfortunately barely any expert can describe how to get this 0 -20
sense. There is a problem to explain which tuning element is
Fig. 1. After pre-tuning all reflection-poles are visible
tuned at a specific time and why. Although the experts
obviously can tune the filters to the desired specification, they
can not describe their procedure in detail. This problem gave 1) General recommendations
motivation for different computer-aided tuning methods e.g. Always take care that none of the dips gets lost during the
[4] - [7]. tuning process. Try to lower all dips and maxima of |S11|
For our studies double terminated bandpass filters with 6 incrementally and equally. The input- and output-couplings
and 8 resonators and 1 cross-coupling have been used. We and the associated resonators interact stronger than the
distinguish input and output couplings, couplings between internal couplings with their associated resonators. Therefore
adjacent resonators and cross-couplings between non adjacent input- and output-couplings and associated resonators should
resonators. All couplings and resonance frequencies were be tuned together. Start with weak couplings. Especially
adjustable. They were completely untuned as they came from cross-couplings should be made as weak as possible.
the production line. The tuning process started with the filters
being pre-tuned by a method proposed in [2]. Then the 2) Setting up the VNA
experts had to fine-tune the filters so that they met the Display |S11| in linear format. This eases tuning for the
early tuning stage are misleading to get the right view of the 0.18 -2
sensitivity of the tuning elements. |S21| should be displayed in
0.16 -4
the familiar logarithmic format. Overlaying both curves in a
single display is recommended. 0.14 -6
0.12 -8
3) Tune the dips
0.1 -10
For this tuning stage the filter is divided by its symmetry-
axis. Use only one half of the tuning elements e.g. if the filter 0.08 -12
is an 8 resonator filter, use resonators 1 to 4 and the 0.06 -14
associated couplings including coupling 4_5. Do not tune
0.04 -16
cross-couplings and the second half of the tuning elements at
this early stage. Tune the elements in a way, that the dips are 0.02 -18
lowered equally near the bottom line |S11| [lin] = 0 (Fig. 2). 0 -20
Lin S11 S21 dB Fig. 3. After tuning step 4 the dips are still low and the maxima are
0.2 0 symmetric to the center frequency
0.18 -2
0.14 -6
4) Tune for symmetry
Next step is to tune the |S11| [lin] curve for symmetry to the 0.12 -8
center frequency (Fig. 3). Therefore tune only the resonators 0.1 -10
in a symmetrical fashion. This means for a filter with n
0.08 -12
resonators tune e.g. resonators 1 and n at the same time, by
the same amount and to the same direction. Do not tune any 0.06 -14
1341
shows the tuned filter. For convenience the display was ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
switched to a wider bandwidth and was formatted in The authors wish to thank J. Kreuzmeir and H. Hammer-
logarithmic format for both |S11| and |S21|. schmidt for support in gaining insights how filter tuning
experts work.
dB S11 S21
0 REFERENCES
-5 [1] M. Dishal, “Alignment and adjustment of synchronously tuned
multiple resonant circuit filters,” Proc IRE, vol. 30, pp. 1448–
-10
1455, Nov. 1951.
-15 [2] J. B. Ness, “A Unified Approach to the Design, Measurement,
and Tuning of Coupled-Resonator Filters,” IEEE Trans.
-20
Microwave Theory Tech., Vol. 46, No. 4, pp. 343–351, April
-25 1998.
[3] J. Dunsmore, “Tuning band pass filters in the time domain,”
-30
MTT-S, International Microwave Symposium 1999, Vol. III,
-35 pp. 1351-1354.
[4] G. Pepe, F.-J. Gortz, H. Chaloupka, “Computer-aided tuning
-40 and diagnosis of microwave filters using sequential parameter
-45 extraction,” MTT-S International Microwave Symposium
Digest 1373-1376, Vol.3, 2004.
-50 [5] V. Miraftab, R. R. Mansour, “A robust fuzzy-logic technique
for computer-aided diagnosis of microwave filters,” Trans.
Fig. 5. The filter after the tuning process
Microwave Theory Tech, 52.1, pp. 450-456, 2004.
[6] Heng-Tung Hsu, Hui-Wen Yao, K.A. Zaki, A.E. Atia,
“Computer-aided diagnosis and tuning of cascaded coupled
resonators filters,” Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., 50.4, pp.
III. CONCLUSION
1137-1145, 2002.
An easy to use step-by-step method for fine-tuning [7] P. Harscher, R. Vahldieck, S. Amari, “Automated filter tuning
resonator filters was introduced. It is suited especially for using generalized low-pass prototype networks and gradient-
based parameter extraction,” Trans. Microwave Theory Techn.,
novice filter tuners and does not need complex computer-
49.12, pp. 2532-2538, 2001.
controlled tuning software. While it was demonstrated on a 6- [8] V. Miraftab, R.R. Mansour, “Tuning of microwave filters by
pole coupled cavity resonator filter with 1 cross-coupling the extracting human experience using fuzzy logic,” IEEE
method is not limited to this type of filters. Microwave Symposium Digest, pp. 1605 - 1608, 2005.
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