Considerations of impedance sensitivity and losses in designing inverted microstrip gap waveguides

One of the versions of gap waveguide technology, the inverted microstrip, is studied in terms of the effects that the parameters of the substrate and the bed of nails used for its implementation have in the behaviour as a transmission line. Mainly, the line impedance sensitivity and the losses are evaluated for different design parameters. To this aim, a methodology based on simulations is described and some experimental verifications are as well included. The results are of great interest for designers of antennas and components in this technology.