Unit 2

High Frequency Transmission Lines

Standing waves, Nodes and
Standing wave ratio
 Session Meta Data

Author Ramprabhu S
Version No. 1.1
Release Date 14-01-2020
Reviewer
 Revision History

Date of Revision Details Version Number

14 Jan 2020 1.1
 Session Objectives

 To introduce the concepts of standing waves,

nodes and standing wave ratio.
 Session Outcomes

At the end of the session, students will be able to

 Understand the standing waves and interpret

the meaning of nodes and standing wave ratio.
 Outline

 Standing waves

 Standing wave ratio

 Standing waves
• The voltage at any point on a transmission line is
the sum of incident and reflected voltages at that
point. It is seen that the voltage and current on the
line consist of a superposition of an incident and
reflected wave.  standing waves
• The resultant voltage wave appears to be standstill
on the line, oscillating in magnitude with time but
having fixed positions of maxima and minima.
 Standing waves
• Fig (a) shows standing waves on a lossless line
terminated in a load not equal to R0

• Fig (b) represents standing waves on a line

having open or short circuit termination.
 Standing waves

A line terminated in Ro has no standing waves,

and thus no nodes or loops, and is called a
smooth line.
 Standing waves
• Current magnitudes might be plotted and would
be similar except for a λ/4 shift in position of
maxima and minima.
• Maximum and minimum values on a line are
labeled as in (a), whereas the nodes and antinodes
are indicated in (b).
• Nodes are points of zero voltage or current in the
standing wave systems, antinodes or loops are
points of maximum voltage or current.
 Standing wave ratio
•The ratio of the maximum to minimum
magnitudes of current or voltage on a line having
standing waves is called the standing-wave ratio S.

•The maxima of voltage along the line occur at

points at which the incident and reflected waves
are in phase and add directly. From the voltage
equation,
 Standing wave ratio
•At the points where the incident and reflected waves
are in phase,

• Likewise, the voltage minima occur at points at

which the incident and reflected waves are out of
phase.
 Standing wave ratio
•The standing-wave ratio then may be defined in
terms of the reflection coefficient as

•This relation may be rearranged as

 Standing wave ratio
The figure shows the relation between the
standing-wave ratio S and the magnitude of the
reflection coefficient.
 Standing wave ratio
• For the special case of a resistive load, S becomes
 Summary

• A line terminated in Ro has no standing waves,

and thus no nodes or loops, and is called a
smooth line.
 Test Your Understanding
• Define standing wave ratio.
 References

1. John D Ryder, “Networks, lines and fields”, 2nd

Edition, Prentice Hall India, 2015.

2. Mathew M. Radmanesh, “Radio Frequency &

Microwave Electronics”, Pearson Education Asia,
Second Edition, 2002.