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Transmission Lines Smith Chart &

Impedance Matching
1 Smith Chart
Smith chart is a graphical plot of the normalized
resistance and reactance functions in the complex
reflection-coefficient plane. It is a graph showing both
the normalized impedance and the reflection coefficient.
Smith chart is convenient for transmission line and circuit
calculations. It is also a useful tool in impedance
matching circuit design.
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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Recall that:

EE2011

Z (A ) Z 0
(A ) =
Z (A ) + Z 0
1 + (A )
Z (A ) = Z 0
1 (A )

Now normalize the impedance Z() by Z0.

Z (A )
z=
Z0
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

NUS/ECE

EE2011

In terms of the normalized impedance z (drop the

dependence), we can write:
z 1
=
= re + jim
z +1
1 + (1 + re ) + jim
z = r + jx =
=
1 (1 re ) jim

From the last equation, we have

r=

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1 re 2 im 2
2

(1 re ) + im

x=

2im 2
(1 re ) 2 + im 2

Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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EE2011

The last two equations of r and x define two families of

circles in the complex plane of reflection coefficient .
im

im

r = 0 (short)

r =1
0

0.5

re

0.5

re

r=

(open)

The Smith char is the superposition of these two families

of circles together in the complex plane of reflection
coefficient .
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

NUS/ECE

EE2011

The Smith Chart

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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A point in the Smith chart gives the values of the

normalized impedance z and the complex reflection
coefficient at the same point on a transmission line.
zim

zre

or z

S
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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EE2011

When the angle of is zero, is real and =||.

Then,
1+ 1+
=
=S
1 1
But when the angle of is zero,
1+
=z=r
1
Thus, the value of S is same as r when the angle of is
zero and can be read out directly from the Smith chart by
noting the r value (S = r).

Since all points on the dotted black circle have the same
||, they must also have the same S. This circle is
known as the constant VSWR circle.
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

NUS/ECE

EE2011

For example,
All points on this circle
have a S = r =3

r=3

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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Example 1
Plot the following impedances on to the Smith chart.

3 = 1 28

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

NUS/ECE

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Solutions
Z1
Z3

Z5
Z6
Z8
Z7
Z4

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Z2

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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1.1 Smith chart and transmission lines

L

towards generator

z = -d
=d

()
Z()

z=0
=0

Recall that on a transmission line:

(A ) = = L e j 2 kA

= L
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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Hence, can be obtained from L by moving

clockwise along a constant circle on the Smith chart
with a radius |L| through an angle -2k which is
equivalent to / wavelengths measured towards the
generator on the periphery of the Smith chart.
l

l=/
=-2k

This circle is also

known as the constant
VSWR circle. All the
points on this circle has
the same S and same ||.
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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1.2 Reading on Smith chart

Several scales around
the outside of the Smith
chart are used to
determine the distance
along the line. Some
Smith charts have a
number of scales at the
bottom of the chart for
measuring the reflection
coefficient magnitude
and others.

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

NUS/ECE

EE2011

Two scales on the periphery (in wavelengths):

-Wavelengths towards generator (WTG scale),
clockwise sense
-Wavelengths towards load (WTL scale),
anticlock sense
Note also that a complete turn around the Smith
chart corresponds to a total length of /2. Because:

(A 2 ) = (A 1 )e j 2 k (A A )
When A 2 A 1 = 0.5 , the phase turned
from (A 1 ) to (A 2 ) is :
2
2k (A 2 A 1 ) = 2
0.5 = 2 = 360

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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Impedance admittance
z y = 1/z
Any point reflected through
the centre point converts an
impedance to an admittance
and vice versa.

z=1.8+j2

Top Half: inductive reactance, XL = L

or
capacitive susceptance , BC = C
Bottom Half: capacitive reactance , XC = 1/C
or
inductive susceptance , BL = 1/L
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y=0.25-j0.28
= 1/(1.8+j2)

Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

NUS/ECE

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Example 2
Use Smith chart to find the input impedance Zin looking at
the input of a transmission line.
0.3

Zin

(a) Actual circuit

(b) Normalized circuit
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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Example 2 (contd):

L = 0.745
= 0.7e

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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Example 2 (contd):

in

in = L e j 2 kz '
j

= 0.7e e
4

j 2

0.3

= 0.7e j 0.95
1 + in
zin =
= 0.1775-j 0.0762 (at point c)
1 in
Zin = zin Z 0 = 8.8765 j 3.8118
See animation Transmission Line Impedance Calculation
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

NUS/ECE

EE2011

Voltage Maxima and Minima in Smith Chart

Voltage maxima occur when the angle of the
relfection coefficient (()) = -2n (n = 0, 1,
2, ). This corresponds to the right-most
point in the Smith chart. Voltage minima occur
when the angle of the relfection coefficient
(()) = -2(n+1) (n = 0, 1, 2, ). This
corresponds to the left-most point in the Smith
chart. See an example shown on next page.

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

NUS/ECE

EE2011

V (A )

zL
AM

Am

A=0

m
=0
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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2 Impedance Matching
Meaning of impedance matching
Impedance matching is to eliminate the reflected voltage
or current on a transmission line.
Reasons for impedance matching:
1. Maximize power transfer to the load
2. The input impedance remains constant at the value Z0.
Therefore, the input impedance is independent of the
length of transmission line.
3. VSWR = 1. Therefore there are no voltage peaks on
the transmission line.
Two matching techniques:
1. Quarter-wave transformer
2. Single-stub matching network
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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2.1 Quarter-wave transformer

For a transmission line of length d=/4, characteristic
impedance = Zs, and terminated in an impedance RL,
RL + jZ s tan ( 2 ) Z s2
Zi = Z ( A = 4) = Z s
=
Z s + jRL tan ( 2 ) RL

Zi

When Zs is real, we can change Zs to achieve a desired

Zi.
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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Example 3

A signal generator has an internal impedance of 50 . It needs to feed

equal power through a lossless 50 transmission line to two separate
resistive loads of 64 and 25 at a frequency of 10 MHz. Quarter-wave
transformers are used to match the loads to the 50 line, as shown below.
(a) Determine the required characteristic impedances and the physical
lengths of the quarter-wavelength lines assuming the phase velocities of
the waves traveling on the them is 0.5c. (b) Find the standing-wave ratios
on the matching line sections.

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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Solutions
(a) As the two quarter-wave transformers are connected in parallel to
the 50- line, if equal powers are required to the two loads, the input
impedances of the two branches looking at the junction from the 50-
line must be equal to 100 so that when they add together in parallel,
the total impedance is 50 .
R0

Rin1=100

R0

100

100

50

Rin2=100
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

NUS/ECE

EE2011

Solutions (contd):

Z in1 = Rin1 = 100

Therefore,

Z in 2 = Rin 2 = 100
The characteristic impedances R01 and R02 can be found by:
R'01 = Rin1 RL1 = 100 64 = 80
R'02 = Rin 2 RL 2 = 100 25 = 50

up =

0 0 r

c
r = 4
2

0
30 m
= wavelength along the transformers =
=
= 15 m
2
r
Physical length of the transformers = /4 = 3.75 m
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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EE2011

Solutions (contd):

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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2.2 Single-stub matching network

What is a stub?
A stub is a short section of transmission line (shorted or open at
one end) whose input impedance can be changed by varying its
length.

load to be
matched
B-B = matching point
d = matching position
= length of the matching stud
yB = normalized admittance of line at B-B
ys = normalized admittance of the stub
yL = normalized admittance of the load
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parallel stub
(short-circuited)

Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

NUS/ECE

EE2011

When a transmission line is matched at the matching point,

yi = y B + y s = 1 or Yi = YB + Ys = Y0
B

Matched

R0

jx
R0

-jx

After matched, there is no

reflection on the line to the
left of B-B. But there are
reflections on the line to the
right of B-B and on the stub.
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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EE2011

Use of admittance
For parallel stub matching, the stub is connected in parallel
with the transmission line. Hence it will be more
convenient to use admittance rather than impedance. In
Smith chart, when a impedance z is known, the
corresponding admittance, y = 1/z, can be obtained by a
reflection through the centre of the Smith chart. The
admittance y is represented on the same Smith chart but its
position is different from that of z. When every impedance
point on the Smith chart is reflected in this way, we
transform the impedance Smith chart to an admittance
Smith chart in which every point now represents a
normalized admittance.
For parallel-stub matching, we
work in the admittance Smith chart.
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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Reminder
On plotting into the Smith chart, all values have to be
normalized by the characteristic impedance Z0 (or the
characteristic admittance Y0 = 1/ Z0) first. Normalized
values are usually represented by small letters while unnormalized values by CAPITAL LETTERS. For example:

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Normalized quantity
zL= ZL / Z0
yL = YL / Y0

Un-normalized quantity
ZL
YL

zin = Zin / Z0

Zin

yin = YL / Y0

Yin
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

NUS/ECE

EE2011

Method to determine d and

Choose d such that:
Z 0 + jZ L tan (kd )
1
yB =
=
= 1 + jbB
z (A = d ) Z L + jZ 0 tan (kd )

Choose such that:

1
ys =
= j cot (kA ) = jbB
j tan (kA )

So that:
yi = y B + y s = 1
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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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Steps in single-stub matching (using normalized z and y):

1. Convert the load impedance zL to an equivalent
admittance yL = 1/zL.
2. Use a line of length d and a characteristic impedance Z0
(characteristic admittance Y0 = 1/Z0) to transform yL to
yB = 1 + jbB at B-B.
3. Connect a parallel stub of length and characteristic
impedance Z0 at B-B with an input admittance
ys=-jbB=-jcot(2/).
4. Then, the total admittance at B-B is:

yi = y B + ys = 1 + jbB jbB = 1 matched

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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The detailed matching steps in the Smith chart will be

explained by using the example shown below.
Example 4
A 50 lossless transmission line is connected to a load
impedance ZL=35-j47.5. Find the position d and length l of
a short-circuit stub required to match the load at a frequency
of 200 MHz. Assume that the transmission line is a coaxial
line filled with a dielectric material for which r = 9.
Solutions

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

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EE2011

Reasons for Choosing a Shorter-Line Solution

Sometimes, out of the two basic sets of solutions, (d1, l1) and (d2 , l2), it is
advantageous to choose a shorter combination of d and l. There are at least two
reasons for this:
1. Shorter lines can always reduce the inevitable loss along the lines, though this is
small.
2. Shorter lines result in a smaller Q-factor for the resonant circuit consisting of the
stub and the transmission line to the right of the matching point. A smaller Qfactor produces a wider matching bandwidth, i.e., the matching condition being
less sensitive to frequency change.

Drawings on Smith chart shown on next page

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Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching

NUS/ECE

EE2011

d1

yL

j1.2

P2 '

P4 "

P2

P3

P3 '
g =1

1+j1.2
Psc

zL

1-j1.2
P1 P4
P3 "

-j1.2
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d2

P4 '

1
See animation
Parallel Stub
Matching Short

Solutions on Smith chart for Example 4

Transmission Lines Smith Chart & Impedance Matching
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