Patent ID: 7696929

Claim:
A method of tuning a microstrip device, comprising: configuring a first conductive strip on a planar surface and over a conducting ground plane, the first conducting strip being formed of separated conducting segments arranged in a physical series on the planar surface and a second conductive strip located on the planar surface and over the conducting ground plane, a dielectric substrate being between the ground plate and the conducting strips; providing a first set of micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switches; wherein the conducting strips are configured in a parallel arrangement and separated by a gap; wherein part of one edge of the first conducting strip faces and is adjacent to part of one edge of the second conducting strip; and wherein each adjacent pair of the separated conducting segments are electrically connectable via a corresponding one of the MEMS switches; and tuning a parameter of the device by electrically connecting at least a first of the separated conducting segments of the first group to the first end of the first conductive strip using a first of the MEMS switches of the first set.