Tuning Ports in the Middle of Resonators

James C. Rautio
Sonnet Software, Inc.

Abstract—Port tuning is a form of space mapping that allows

rapid optimization of filters and other microwave circuits. An ini-
tial electromagnetic (EM) analysis of the filter with tuning ports
inserted in all resonators is performed. Then small circuit theory
components (e.g., inductors, transmission lines) are connected to
the tuning ports and filter optimization takes place at circuit the-
ory speed with nearly full EM accuracy. Once a port tuning model
is in place, design time can be reduced to almost zero. This paper
discusses the effect of internal port calibration and illustrates the
additional port tuning techniques allowed when good port calibra-
tion is available. While the technique can work in some cases with-
out port calibration, the range, accuracy, and efficiency is vastly
improved with good port calibration.
Index Terms—Electromagnetic analysis, filters, microwave cir-
cuits, optimization, port tuning, space mapping.
Fig. 1. Port 3 is an infinitesimal gap port illustrating a simple tuning port.
To tune the resonator, circuit theory (not shown) is used to place a small induc-
I. INTRODUCTION tor from port 3 to ground. Since the port 3 ground reference is one side of the
gap, this places the tuning inductor across the gap.
Electromagnetic (EM) analysis provides high accuracy eval-
uation of microwave circuit performance. However, the re-
to cut a narrow gap in the resonator with connections to be made
quired analysis time can preclude practical optimization. This
across the gap. The port tuning model is actually a circuit theory
drives the designer to use less accurate circuit theory models
net list (not shown) that places a small inductor from port 3 to
during most of the design process. Port tuning allows full EM
ground. At first, this might seem counter intuitive until we re-
accuracy at circuit theory speed, ideal for optimization. Once
alize that ‘ground’ for a gap port is just one side of the gap. It
the initial port tuning model is established, the time required for
is not the filter’s global ground. Thus, placing an inductor from
optimization can be reduced to near zero. Properly designed, a
port 3 to ground actually places the inductor across the gap.
single port tuning model can be used for an entire range of fil-
This is easily verified by setting the value of the tuning inductor
ters of a given type.
to zero and verifying that the original (i.e., no tuning port) filter
Port tuning [1], [2] places EM ports internal to, for example,
response is obtained.
filter resonators. Then, small circuit theory components are in-
The tuning model corresponds to the coarse model of space
serted into these ports. A physical analogy often used in low
mapping. Once we have optimized the tuning inductor in the
frequency design is inclusion of small variable inductors and
above example, we must map the optimized inductor value into
capacitors for final tuning of a filter. That practice is often im-
the required change of the filter resonator length. If the opti-
practical at microwave frequencies in a physical filter, but can
mized inductor value is greater than zero, then the resonator
be easily implemented in EM analysis. Once the filter is tuned
must be longer. If the value is less than zero, then the resonator
in the EM analysis, modifications to the final filter layout are
must be shorter. In order to proceed, we must decide what spe-
made according to the optimized values of the tuning elements
cific change in length corresponds to the optimized inductor
and the filter is fabricated.
value. This is the ‘mapping’ part of space mapping.
While simple forms of port tuning can be used with uncali-
This mapping can be performed by EM analyzing a second
brated internal ports, port calibration is critical in order to real-
filter with a slightly different resonator length. Then we use the
ize the full power of port tuning. Below, we provide examples
tuning model to find the inductance that provides the same re-
ranging from simple to complex, illustrating port tuning and
sponse as the second filter. This gives us the sensitivity of the
showing the advantages realized when full port calibration is
resonator length to the tuning inductance.
available.
There is a second problem with this approach when using un-
calibrated ports. The EM fringing fields surrounding the gap are
II. A SIMPLE TUNING PORT equivalent to a small capacitance across the gap. This capaci-
tance is in parallel with our tuning inductor. In addition, any
Fig. 1 shows a filter with a single tuning port (port 3) in the
current flowing along the gap (for example, if the port connects
input (left hand side) resonator. This EM port is an infinitesimal
gap. Physically, this is analogous to having used a razor knife

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Fig. 2. The gap port of Fig. 1 has been changed to a dual port. The ground
reference of both ports is the filter global ground with both ports precisely
calibrated as a pair. The EM analysis then includes the indicated inductor,
with its value set by a user specified variable, ‘Ind’. The value of Ind is swept
and the resulting filter responses are evaluated.

Fig. 3. The results of sweeping the tuning inductance of Fig. 2 from 0.0 to
at only a single point on the gap) adds series inductance. If pre- 0.08 nH. The original filter is matched by Ind = 0.04 nH. An improved return
cise port calibration is not used, these port discontinuities limit loss is seen with Ind = 0.08 nH indicating that the resonator should be length-
ened slightly.
the range of tuning inductance that we can allow before we
must generate a new tuning model.
Note that the designer is still limited by the physical geome-
III. DUAL TUNING PORTS try of whatever circuit is being optimized. In this case, the res-
onator length should not be increased so much that the end is
Fig. 2 shows a detail of the tuning port region of Fig. 1, only
too close to the opposite wall.
now with a dual port instead of a single gap port. Here, there is
a tuning port at each end of the indicated circuit-theory induc-
tor. The EM software is set up to create internal ports at each IV. TRANSMISSION LINE TUNING ELEMENTS
end of the inductor, calibrate/de-embed the ports, and then con-
Using an inductor as a tuning element, even with calibrated
nect the indicated inductor across those ports. These ports each
tuning ports, still limits the range of validity. The reason is that
use the global ground of the filter (in this case, a ground plane
we are replacing a short length of transmission line (the gap be-
on the bottom side of the filter substrate) as their ground refer-
tween the two tuning ports) with an inductor. In reality, the
ence. Since the ports are so close together, the ports must be
missing resonator transmission line also has a small amount of
calibrated as a group, i.e., ‘co-calibrated’, [3], [4] so that the
capacitance to the filter’s global ground.
effect of all fringing fields connecting the two ports are re-
The solution is simple. Instead of using a circuit theory in-
moved, as well as the self-fringing fields that we have with a
ductor as a tuning element, use a circuit theory transmission
single port.
line. Fig. 4 illustrates using just such a circuit theory component
Fig. 3 shows the response of the filter with the inductor swept
within an EM analysis. Since one of the parameters for the com-
from zero to 0.08 nH. Only one EM analysis was required. The
ponent is its length, the mapping task is now trivial. Optimize
results of that same EM analysis was automatically invoked in
the length of the circuit theory transmission line to obtain the
a circuit theory analysis to obtain the overall filter response for
desired response and simply read off the required length change
each value of the tuning inductor. Each result then required only
from the optimized line length, of course, after subtracting the
a nearly instantaneous circuit theory analysis.
gap length. Negative tuning transmission line length indicates
Note that the curve for the tuning inductor = 0.04 nH gives a
that the resonator should be made shorter.
very close match to the original (no tuning ports) filter. Since
We still have several undesired limitations remaining. For
the calibrated dual tuning ports were inserted on either side of
example, designers typically wish to tune all the resonator
a finite (0.0508 mm) gap, this means that the resonator length
lengths, not just a single resonator. Thus, tuning ports are usu-
sensitivity is 0.04/0.0508 = 0.7874 nH/mm. The mapping task
ally placed in all resonators. Filters are also usually physically
is done.
symmetrical. This is enforced during optimization by making
We can also see from Fig. 3 that a tuning inductor value of
the appropriate tuning port optimization variables equal, usu-
0.08 nH gives a significantly improved return loss. This is ex-
ally just by giving them the same name. For example, the tuning
actly double the 0.04 nH that gave us the original filter re-
element length for the output resonator is usually forced to be
sponse. Thus, if we return to the original (no tuning port) filter
equal to the tuning length of the input resonator.
and increase the length of that resonator by the length of the
If the needed change in the length of the resonator is large, a
dual port gap, we should obtain the improved response. EM
transmission line tuning element accurately includes both the
analysis of the modified filter confirms that this is indeed the
required distributed series inductance and shunt capacitance.
case (not shown here).
However, it does not include the coupling between resonators.
Thus, for a wide range of tuning model validity, we can use

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Fig. 4. The inductor has been replaced by a transmission line component.
The transmission line is specified in the netlist, top. A parameter sweep of the
‘Len’ variable, shown in the net list, yields a plot (not shown) similar to Fig. 3.
coupled lines (in some cases, even N-coupled lines) as tuning
elements. Fig. 5 shows an example using a Keysight ADS sche-
matic directly driving the Sonnet EM analysis. This single tun-
ing model allows EM accurate results over a wide range of di-
mensions and design passbands.
Finally, in order to tune filter bandwidth, we can connect
open stubs (or equivalently, open-ended coupled line sections
with the even mode impedance set to infinity) between the tun-
ing ports on adjacent resonators, also shown in Fig. 5. The char-
acteristic impedance of these stubs are optimized to adjust the
filter bandwidth. A very high impedance stub so connected re-
sults in little change. Increased coupling is indicated if the stub
impedance decreases. Decreased coupling is indicated if the op-
timum stub impedance is negative. The mapping task, i.e., de-
termining the modification to the coupled line gap width given
an optimal coupling-tuning stub, involves some effort and is
discussed in [5].
V. CONCLUSION
The port tuning methodology has developed over the last
decade and has now reached a high level of maturity with wide
1511
Fig. 5. An entire filter (inset, upper left) in a Keysight ADS schematic
shows ADS transmission line components used for tuning. The EM analysis of
the filter from Sonnet is indicated with the layout look-alike component. The
highlighted region between the first and second resonators is detailed in the
background. One of the coupled lines used to tune the coupling between reso-
nators is highlighted in the lower right inset.
adoption in the industry. With an appropriate set of tuning mod-
els, filter designers can go from initial specifications to final
EM-verified layout literally in a matter of minutes. If no a-priori
tuning model is available, such a model can be developed for
nearly any filter topology with a few hours to perhaps several
days of effort. Now in wide use in the industry, port tuning, a
special case of space mapping, has indeed changed the way we
design filters.
REFERENCES
[1] Q. S. Cheng ; J. C. Rautio ; J. W. Bandler ; S. Koziel “Progress in simu-
lator-based tuning—the art of tuning space mapping,” IEEE Microw.
Mag., vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 96–110, June 2010.
[2] J. C. Rautio, “Perfectly calibrated internal ports in EM analysis of planar
circuits,” in 2016 IEEE MTT-S Int. Microw. Symp. Dig., Atlanta, GA,
USA, June 2008, pp. 1–4.
[3] J. C. Rautio, “A deembedding algorithm for electromagnetics,” Interna-
tional Journal of Microwave & Millimeter-Wave Computer-Aided Engi-
neering, vol.1, no. 3, pp. 282–287, July 1991.
[4] J. C. Rautio, “Deembedding the effect of a local ground plane in electro-
magnetic analysis,” IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol. 53, no. 2,
pp. 770–776, Feb. 2005.
[5] Sonnet Software. (2009). Port tuning tutorials for ADS and MWO.
[Online]. Available: http://www.sonnetsoftware.com/resources/index.asp
978-1-5090-6360-4/17/$31.00 ©2017 IEEE