Experimental characterization and numerical modeling approach of meander delay lines

This paper reports experimental characterization of meander lines with different segment lengths and different pitches in two signal line structures: a microstrip line structure and a stripline structure. TDR measurement results showed that larger discontinuities were observed for the microstrip line structure than that for the stripline structure. TDT measurement results showed slightly faster propagation delay for the tightly coupled meander lines for both signal structures. S-parameter measurement showed the stop band in the microstrip line structure. However, it is found that such stop bands were not observed in the stripline structure. Pulse transmission property also showed larger signal distortion for the tightly coupled meander line at 1 GHz. Furthermore, numerical modeling of meander line was executed by using a commercial code of FDTD. It is founded that electromagnetic radiation occurs at the stop band due to the halfwave resonance of the coupled segment length of the microstrip meander line.

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