Module 1-1

Introduction to Transmission Lines

- In an electronic communications system, the transmission medium is the physical path between
transmitter and receiver
- signals can be delivered from the transmitter to the receiver using a variety of means
- metallic fiber
- optical fiber
- radio transmission
Classification of transmission media
Guided Media - provide physical path along which the signals are propagated
- Metallic cables (transmission lines) – is a pair of electrical conductors separated by dielectric used
to carry electrical lines from one place to another
Types:
- parallel lines coaxial lines

- Fiber cable
- waveguides
Unguided Media – employ antenna for transmitting through
- Air (Radio waves, Light waves)
- Water (VLF signals)

Types of metallic transmission lines

I.PARALLEL-CONDUCTOR TRANSMISSION LINES
A. OPEN-WIRE TRANSMISSION LINE -usually used for power lines (poles)

B. TWIN LEAD OR TWO-WIRE RIBBON

C. TWISTED PAIR- each conductor is insulated

 1. UNSHIELDED TWISTED PAIR (UTP) – cables are twisted to avoid pairs being parallel to each
other

2. SHIELDED TWISTED PAIR (STP) – the shield is used to avoid outer EMF to enter the twisted pairs
(shield is grounded to avoid emf from entering)

II. COAXIAL LINES - two conductors are concentric, separated by an insulating dielectric
- coaxial cables are unbalanced because of their lack of symmetry with regard to ground
A. RIGID AIR-FILLED – dielectric materials is air, difficult to layout because rigid is more difficult to bend

B. SOLID FLEXIBLE - dielectric materials is made up of plastic type (like glue gun), easier to handle than rigid
air

Electrical Model of a Transmission Line

- The electrical characteristics of a transmission line become increasingly critical as the frequency of
transmission increases
- Factors influencing transmission lines:
- resistance
- conductance of dielectric
-capacitance
- inductance
- these factors are distributed rather than lumped
PRIMARY ELECTRICAL CONSTANTS
- uniformly distributed throughout the length of the line and are commonly called
DISTRIBUTED CONSTANTS
- they are constant in the sense that they do not vary with voltage and current; however, they are frequency-
dependent to some extent
A. SERIES DC RESISTANCE, ohms/meter
B. SERIES INDUCTANCE, henries/meter
C. SHUNT CAPACITANCE, farads/meter
D. SHUNT CONDUCTANCE, Siemens/meter
note: Permittivity is the measure of resistance that is encountered when forming an electric field in
a medium. Permittivity relates to a material's ability to resist an electric field.
Materials with low permittivity are good insulators
Permeability is the measure of the ability of a material to support the formation of a magnetic
field within itself.
Materials with low permeability are good insulators

SECONDARY CONSTANTS
also known as Transmission Characteristics
A. CHARACTERISTIC IMPEDANCE, Zo
- ratio of the voltage to current at any point along a transmission line under
matched condition
- impedance to which the load must be matched for maximum power transfer

B. PROPAGATION CONSTANT, y
- used to express the attenuation (signal loss) and the phase shift per unit
length of a transmission line.
- also called PROPAGATION COEFFICIENT

MODULE 1-2
Step Response of Lines
- consider a lossless, infinite length transmission line
Current begins to flow into the line, charging the capacitances of the line. A surge of energy moves along the
line at some finite speed. It takes time for the current to build up in the inductances and for the capacitances to
charge. If the line is infinitely long, the surge will continue along line forever.
Since the line has capacitance to be charged, the initial current will not be zero. The current will have some
definite, finite value that will not change as long as the surge continues to move down the line. There is a
definite ratio between the voltage and the current for any transmission line under the conditions just described.
Since the ratio of voltage to current is generally called impedance, and since the ratio we are talking about is a
characteristic of the type of line used, we call it the characteristic impedance of the line. Sometimes it is also
called the surge impedance.
Since the line has infinite length, energy put into the line continues to move along it forever. The effect as seen
from the source is: energy put into the line disappears. If this is the case, then rather than deal with an infinite
line, it should be possible to replace that line with one of finite length, terminated at the destination end with a
resistance equal to the characteristic impedance of the line (Figure 2-2). Instead of moving down the line
forever, the electrical energy would be absorbed by the resistor. A transmission line that is terminated in its
characteristic impedance is called a matched line.

Figure 2-3 shows a finite length transmission line terminated in an open circuit. This mismatched line will
behave exactly the same way as the matched line when the switch is first closed. A surge of energy will move
down the line, and the ratio between voltage and current at the source will be equal to the characteristic
impedance, Zo. Since the source impedance is equal to the characteristic impedance of the line, one-half the
source voltage will appear across the input end of the line. The other one—half appears across the source
resistance.
The voltage and the current will continue to be related to Zo until the surge reaches the end of the line. At that
point, the total current must be zero since there is an open circuit. On the other hand, the incoming surge of
energy cannot simply disappear, because there is nothing capable of dissipating energy at this point. What
happens is that the energy reflects from the open end of the line. The reflected voltage is the same as the
incident voltage but the current is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the incident current. Thus,
the total voltage at the destination end of the line is twice the incident voltage, and the total current is zero. The
incident voltage is one-half the source voltage, so the total voltage is simply equal to the source voltage.
Reflection
Open circuited transmission line
- Voltage to current ratio means equal to Zo until the surge energy reaches the end of the line
- the current must be zero at the end of the line because it is an open circuit
- the energy reflects from the open end of the line
- the reflected voltage Vr is the same as the incident voltage Vi
- the reflected current Ir is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the incident current Ii
- the total voltage at the destination end of the line is twice the incident voltage, and the toral current is
zero

Reflection
Shor circuited Transmission Line
- A short circuit must have a voltage of zero across it
- the signal will be reflected, but this time the current will be in the same direction as the incident current
will have the same polarity
- when the reflected surge reaches the input of the line, the voltage all along the line ill be zero and the
current ill be limited only by the source resistance

Reflection
Consider a Pulse Input
- Instead of a step input, a pulse could be applied to the line
- if the line were terminated in its characteristic impedance, the pulse would simply proceed down the
line and be dissipated
Reflection
Consider a Pulse Input
- with an open circuit at the far end, the pulse would be reflected with the same voltage polarity

Voltage at the source end of an open circuited line

Reflection
Consider a Pulse Input
- with an open shorted line, the reflected pulse would have opposite polarity
Reflection
ZL>Zo and ZL<Zo
- A line that is terminated by an impedance other than Zo is said to be mismatched.
- partial reflection of the incident surge or pulse will occur

Module 1-3
Wave Propagation on Lines
-When a sinusoidal wave is applied to a lossless transmission line through a source resistance that is equal to
Zo, the signal will move down the line and disappear into the load. Such a signal is called a travelling wave.
Wave Propagation
*If both is positive add up or the red color same to negative side if both is negative add them but it will go to
negative side
*If the same amplitude but is not the same sign (- and +) goes back to 0
*If the other one is 0 and the other one is positive same as the positive one
Antinode is when the point it is in maximum
Node is when the point is at zero
Standing wave is what you call the sum of the transmitted and reflected waves (red)