Radio-Frequency and Microwave Communication Circuits: Analysis and Design

Devendra K. Misra
Copyright # 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ISBNs: 0-471-41253-8 (Hardback); 0-471-22435-9 (Electronic)

APPENDIX 2

CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED
TRANSMISSION LINES

COAXIAL LINE

Consider a coaxial line with its inner and outer conductor radii a and b, respectively,
as illustrated in Figure A2.1. Further, er is the dielectric constant of insulating
material. The line parameters L, R, C, and G of this coaxial line are found as follows:

55:63er
Cˆ pF=m …A2:1†
ln…b=a†

and,

L ˆ 200 ln…b=a† nH=m …A2:2†

If the coaxial line has small losses due to imperfect conductor and insulator, its
resistance and conductance parameters can be calculated as follows:

 r
1 1 f…GHz†
R  10 ‡ ohm=m …A2:3†
a b s

and,

0:3495er f…GHz† tan…d†

Gˆ S=m …A2:4†
ln…b=a†

553
554 CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED TRANSMISSION LINES

Figure A2.1 Coaxial line geometry.

where tan…d† is loss-tangent of the dielectric material; s is conductivity of the

conductors in S=m; and f…GHz† is the signal frequency in GHz.
Characteristic impedance and propagation constant of the coaxial line can be
easily calculated using the formulas given in Chapter 3.
Attenuation constants ac and ad due to conductor and dielectric losses, respec-
tively, may be determined from the following formulas:

 
Rs 1 1
ac ˆ r   ‡ …A2:5†
mo b a b
2 ln
eo er a
o p
ad ˆ mo eo er tan d …A2:6†
2

where,

r
omo
Rs ˆ …A2:7†
2s

STRIP LINE

The strip line geometry is illustrated below in Figure A2.2. Insulating material of
thickness h has a dielectric constant er . Width and thickness of the central
 STRIP LINE 555

Figure A2.2 Strip line geometry.

conducting strip are w and t, respectively. For the case of t ˆ 0, its characteristic
impedance can be found as follows:
8   p  1
>
> 1 ‡ x0
>
> 296:1 0:6931 ‡ ln p 0 < x  0:7
1 < 1 x0
Zo ˆ p   p 
  …A2:8†
er >> 1‡ x
>
> p
: 30 0:6931 ‡ ln 0:7  x < 1
1 x
pw
x0 ˆ tanh …A2:9†
2h

and,
p
xˆ 1 x02 …A2:10†

For the design of a strip line, the following convenient formulas can be used:

w p
ˆ 0:6366 tanh 1 … k † …A2:11†
h

where,

8 2
>
> ep=y 2
>
> 0y1
>
< ep=y ‡ 2
k ˆ s
 py 4 …A2:12†
>
>
>
> e 2
>
: 1 1y
epy ‡ 2

p
er
y ˆ Zo …A2:13†
94:18
556 CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED TRANSMISSION LINES

For t 6ˆ 0,

w
ˆ D1 D2 …A2:14†
h
p
ey ‡ 0:568
D1 ˆ 2:5465…1 L† …A2:15†
ey 1

and

" ( 2  d )#
L L 0:0796L
D2 ˆ 1 0:5 ln ‡ …A2:16†
p 2 L D1 0:26L

where,

t
Lˆ …A2:17†
h
2
dˆ …A2:18†
2 L
1‡
31 L

and y is as de®ned in (A2.13).

MICROSTRIP LINE

The geometry of a microstrip line is illustrated in Figure A2.3. Dielectric substrate

on the conducting ground is h meters high and its dielectric constant is er . Width and

Figure A2.3 Microstrip line geometry.

 MICROSTRIP LINE 557

thickness of the conducting strip on its top are w and t, respectively. Characteristic
impedance of this line can be found as follows:

8  
> 60 8h we we
> ln ‡ for 1
< p
>
ere we 4h h
Zo ˆ …A2:19†
>
>
> 376:7 hwe w i 1 w
: p ‡ 1:393 ‡ 0:667 ln e ‡ 1:444 for e  1
ere h h h

where

8
> w tn  wo w 1
>
< ‡ 0:3979 1 ‡ ln 12:5664 ; 
we h h
ˆ   t h 2p
…A2:20†
h >w
> t h w 1
: ‡ 0:3979 1 ‡ ln 2 ; 
h h t h 2p

The effective dielectric constant ere of a microstrip line ranges between er and 1
because of its propagation characteristics. If the signal frequency is low such that the
dispersion is not a problem then it can be determined as follows.

h wi r
er 1 t h
ere ˆ 0:5 er ‡ 1 ‡ …er 1†F …A2:21†
h 4:6 h w

where,

8   w2
0:5
>
> h w
>
w < 1 ‡ 12 ‡ 0:04 1 ; 1
w h h
F ˆ   …A2:22†
h >
> h
0:5
w
>
: 1 ‡ 12 ; 1
w h

If dispersion cannot be ignored then the effective dielectric constant may be found
as follows:

p p 
er ere p 2
ere … f † ˆ ‡ e re …A2:23†
1 ‡ 4F 1:5

where,

 n  
40 p wo2
F ˆ f…GHz† h er 1 0:5 ‡ 1 ‡ 2 log 1 ‡ …A2:24†
3 h
558 CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED TRANSMISSION LINES

The corresponding characteristic impedance is determined from the following

formula

r
ere …f † 1 ere
Zo … f † ˆ Zo …A2:25†
ere 1 ere …f †

Attenuation constants ac and ad for the conductor and dielectric losses, respec-
tively, are determined as follows:
8 r
>
> z f…GHz† 32 …we =h†2 w
>
> 9:9825 neper/m 1
>
> hZo s 32 ‡ …we =h†2 h
>
>
< 8  9
ac ˆ r 
 > We >
> >
<w 0:667 >
=
>
> zZ e f h w
>
> 44:1255  10 5 o re …GHz† e
‡w neper/m 1
>
> s >
>
: h >
:
h e
ˆ 1:444:>
>
;
h
h
…A2:26†

where

8  
> h 1:25t 1:25  w w 1
>
> 1 ‡ 1 ‡ ‡ ln 4p 
< we pw p t h 2p
zˆ  1   …A2:27†
>
> h 1:25t 1:25 h w 1
>
: 1‡ 1 ‡ ln 2 
we ph p t h 2p

s is conductivity of the conductor and f…GHz† is the signal frequency in GHz.

er ere 1
ad ˆ 10:4766 p f tan d neper/m …A2:28†
er 1 ere GHz†

For the design of a microstrip line that has negligible dispersion, the following
formulas may be more convenient. For A > 1:52:

w 8eA
ˆ 2A …A2:29†
h e 2

For A  1:52:
  
w er 1 0:61
ˆ 0:6366 B 1 ln…2B 1† ‡ ln…B 1† ‡ 0:39 …A2:30†
h 2er er
 MICROSTRIP LINE 559

where,
 
Zo p er 1 0:11
Aˆ …er ‡ 1† ‡ 0:23 ‡ …A2:31†
84:8528 …er ‡ 1† er

and

592:2
Bˆ p …A2:32†
Zo e r

Experimental veri®cation indicates that …A2:29† and …A2:30† are fairly accurate as
t
long as  0:005.
h