Microstrip Filters for RF/Microwave Applications

Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: Obviously there aren't too many books on microwave filters. I can think of only two or three. So, this book is by default one of the top three. Anyways. Much of basic network theory in this book can be found in "Microwave Filters, Impedance-Matching Networks, and Coupling Structures". Also I suggest Pozar's "Microwave Engineering" for a good intro into the low pass-band pass filter conversions and look up tables. Also, many of the paragraphs are complete copy's of the author's (Hong and Lancaster) publications. So you really don't need 90% of this book. I did find interest in the book's chapter on coupling. Most of this chapter was good. The explanations in this chapter have helped me understand more modern filter design. Yet, I am still left with a few questions regarding coupling. The authors don't seem to have a real intuitive explanation about negative coupling vs. positive coupling. For example, they obtain the experimental results for a specific filter and say that one of the couplings (the electric) is negative because it "cancels out" the "positive" magnetic coupling. The authors just quickly say that it's due to the phase of the copuling, which leaves me with zero intuitive feeling. Then they use this result in later chapters for more advanced (multi-coupling filter networks) when they need a negative coupling.... So I looked at Bahl's "RF and Microwave Coupled-Line Circuits" but didn't find any explanation or anything about negative coupling. Anyways, my point is there is still much room for BETTER microwave filter textbook. this stuff isn't hard but we need a good TEACHER (like a B. P. Lathi from the communications world)to really write a good microwave filter book that is intuitivly satisfying and doesn't skip derivations. Oh, let me also say that Collins Fundamentals of Microwave Engineering book does a good job when it comes to explaining the conversion of a network with lumped elements to one with only K or J inverters. Hong and Lancaster's book only gives the results- NOT GOOD IN MY OPINION! But I do give this book 4 stars because it does help you understand microwave filters better and it is only one of a few books on this topic.