Nonlinear characterisation for microstrip filters with low passive intermodulation

Abstract

This paper presents an RF CAD assisted approach to accurate characterisation of microstrip nonlinearities in planar microwave circuits fabricated on commercial printed circuit board laminates. The proposed methodology is employed for the analysis of the nonlinear effects in microstrip filters due to weak intrinsic distributed nonlinearity. The results of this study provide useful insights on the optimum design, modelling and characterisation of planar microwave components under linearity constraints.