Flat-Group-Delay RF Planar Filters With Transmission Zeros Using Transversal Circuits

Various families of flat-in-band-group-delay RF planar bandpass filters (BPFs) with multiple out-of-band transmission zeros (TZs) in their filtering transfer function are presented. As the first approach, a type of BPFs with theoretically-constant group-delay profile and perfect two-port-reflectionless behavior is proposed. The theoretical sufficient conditions to obtain a frequency-constant group delay in a generalized form of transfer function for these BPFs are derived. They are then particularized in transmission-line-based transversal-circuit realizations with flat-in-band-group-delay and quasi-reflectionless characteristics. Afterwards, a class of reflective-type BPFs based on directional power couplers that are arranged in transversal-mode topologies are addressed toward its practical demonstration for the first time. These BPFs, which exhibit flat in-band group delay, are compared with their classic Bessel-type BPF counterparts without TZs. Moreover, discrete-time models of such BPFs are derived, analyzed, and discussed. For experimental-validation purposes, proof-of-concept microstrip prototypes centered at 2.5-GHz of the engineered quasi-absorptive $\bm{/}$ reflective-type flat-in-band-group-delay BPFs are designed, manufactured, and characterized.