A Design Flow For Rapid And Accurate Filter Prototyping

Filter designers for RF/microwave requirements are challenged with meeting an often-conflicting set of performance demands. Often a final RF/microwave filter design is the result of a tedious, iterative process. Fortunately, as electronic design automation (EDA) software continues to improve, new semi-automated filter design and layout procedures are now possible to ease the journey to the final product.

It is the purpose of this application note to outline a robust yet flexible method for the design of lumped element filters using Modelithics Microwave Global Models, Nuhertz Technologies’ FilterSolutions software, and NI/AWR Design Environment software, specifically AXIEM electromagnetic (EM) simulation. The procedure involves the integrated use of three commercial software tools and separately addresses filter synthesis, working with component models, and performing accurate circuit, yield, and EM analysis on the design. Four example filters designed and tested with this procedure are presented, with measured results impressively close to the predictions in a single design pass.