Microwave Printed Circuits--The Early Years

An important milestone in microwave technology was the development of the "microwave printed circuit" (MPC), or flat-strip microwave components, fabricated by conventional printed-circuit techniques. This development freed the microwave designer from the constraints, and often prohibitive costs, encountered when designing complex circuitry either in wave-guides, coaxial lines, or two-wire transmission systems. The costs and complexities of fabrication often discouraged the development of innovative and complex circuits using these traditional wave guiding or transmission structures.