FEE322 – E.C.

T IIB – Mar 2021

Lecture 9: Transmission Lines(4) (2 hrs)

Lecturer: Prof H A Ouma

23/04/2021
 Overview
• TL as a circuit element
– Short circuit
– Open circuit
– QWT
– HWT
– Matching stubs
• Smith Chart
– Normalization
– Construction
– Impedance basis

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 Content
• TL as a circuit element

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 Circuit Elements[1]
• Suitably terminated sections of transmission lines may be used as
electric circuit elements, especially at high frequencies
• The input impedance of the line changes with its load and length
• At a distance l from the load
1 + Γ
1 + Γ  −
2


=  =  Γ
= Γ  −
2

1 − Γ
1 − Γ  −
2

since
Z − 
Γ =
with Z + 

• The set-up

 


=0

• Some configurations are particular interest are considered next

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 Circuit Elements[2]
• Consider termination in a short circuit
• The set-up

  = 0


Z −  0 −  = −1
Γ = =
Z +  0 + 
• The load voltage reflection coefficient

• The input voltage reflection coefficient Γ
= Γ  −

2
= − −
2

1 + Γ  −
2
1 −  −
2


=  = 
1 − Γ  −
2
1 +  −
2

• The line input impedance

1


• Rearranging
−


 − 


−



 −  −

 sin 

2
=
 =
 tan 


=  = 
 −



+  −

 1

cos 

 +  −


2
• The line input impedance is thus purely reactive
• Since the tangent function has values from negative infinity to positive infinity, all
possible reactance values can be obtained using this short circuit section of a line
• What of lossy lines? 
=  tanh 

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 Circuit Elements[3]
• Consider line input impedance variation for the short circuit termination
2

=

• The characteristics

2

=
 tan % &




• The line impedance is inductive for 0 <
< 
4 and
!" =
 tan 
⇒ " = tan 

!
• The line impedance is capacitive for  <
< 
4 2 and −
−1
=
 tan 
⇒ #" =
!#" ! tan 

• The shortest length of line for a required impedance is normally chosen

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 Circuit Elements[4]
• Consider termination in a open circuit
• The set-up

  = ∞


Z −  1 −  ⁄∞
Γ = = =1
Z +  1 +  ⁄∞
• The load voltage reflection coefficient

• The input voltage reflection coefficient Γ
= Γ  −

2
=  −
2

1 + Γ  −
2
1 +  −
2


=  = 
1 − Γ  −
2
1 −  −
2

• The line input impedance

1


• Rearranging
 −



+  −

  +  −

 cos 


=  −



=  2 = −
 = −
 cot 

  −  −

 1


sin 


 −  −


2

• The line input impedance is thus purely reactive

• Since the cotangent function has values from negative to positive infinity, all
possible reactance values can be obtained using this open circuit section of a line
• What of lossy lines? 
=  coth 

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 Circuit Elements[5]
• Consider line input impedance variation for the open circuit termination
2

=

• The characteristics

2

= −
 cot % &




• The line impedance is capacitive for 0 <
< 1
4 −

= −
 cot 
⇒ # =
  !#"
"
! cot 

and
• The line impedance is inductive for <
<
4 2 and −

!" = −
 cot 
⇒  = cot 

"
!
• The shortest length of line for a required impedance is normally chosen

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 Circuit Elements[6]
• Consider a terminated quarter wavelength line

= ⁄4
2  
• The set-up

= % & =2
   4
 ⁄4

• The input voltage reflection coefficient Γ ⁄4 = Γ  −

2  ⁄4 = Γ  −
 = −Γ
1 + Γ
 = 
1 + Γ ⁄4 1 − Γ  1 − Γ
• The line input impedance  ⁄4 =  =  = 
1 − Γ ⁄4 1 + Γ Z

• The line transforms the load impedance to a new impedance, with inverse
relationship; reflective impedance
• Thus the term quarter-wave-transformer, (QWT)
• Note that:
– Short circuit load is seen as an open circuit
– Open circuit load is seen as a short circuit
• QWT is often used for impedance matching
• Since it is a resonant element, it is useful only over a narrow band of
frequencies
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 Circuit Elements[7]
• Applying the QWT in impedance matching
• The set-up
= ⁄4

1  2

 
 ⁄4 =  ⇒ 1 =  ⇒  = )1 Z2
• Since
Z Z2
• The two impedances are thus matched by interposing a QWT, of characteristic
impedance equal to the square root of the product of the two impedances,
between them

• The two impedances could represent circuits, or even transmission lines

• With the first impedance being a line of that characteristic impedance 1 = ′
• And the second being a load terminating that line 2 = 
• Then the QWT characteristic impedance would be  = )′ Z
• Matching possible for purely resistive loads, as the characteristic impedance are
real at HF
• Remember that since the QWT is a resonant element, the matching only works at
frequencies where the length of the QWT is equivalent to quarter wavelength
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 Circuit Elements[8]
• Consider a terminated half wavelength line

=  ⁄2
2 
• The set-up

= % & =
   2
 ⁄2

• The input voltage reflection coefficient Γ ⁄2 = Γ  −

2  ⁄2 = Γ  −
2 = Γ
1 + Γ
 = 
1 + Γ ⁄2 1 + Γ 1 − Γ
• The line input impedance  ⁄2 =  =  = 
1 − Γ ⁄2 1 − Γ

• The line presents the load impedance at its input

• It is termed the half-wave-transformer, (HWT)
• HWT is used:
– Conveniently measure an inaccessible load
– Conveniently short circuit a load, or point on a line
– Determination of the line’s dielectric constant
• Since it is a resonant element, it is useful only over a narrow band of
frequencies

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 Circuit Elements[9]
• The QWT is sufficient for matching purely resistive loads to a line
• If the load has a reactive part, a capacitor or inductor is needed to first tune
out the reactive part
• At high frequencies short transmission line sections are often used to
implement the required reactance rather than use lumped components
• These short transmission line sections are referred to as stubs
• Stub matching often involve adding the stubs to the line in parallel, and
thus shunt stubs
• The matching procedure for a load  = + +
, Ω
• Since shunt stub is to be used, obtain the load admittance / = 0 −
1 ℧
• To tune out the load susceptance, the stub has to provide /3456 =
1 ℧
• Connecting that stub then leaves the line seeing a load of /′ = 0 ℧
1
+′ = Ω
0′
• The QWT is then used to match the line to the impedance
• Note that in generally +′ ≠ + Ω
• The characteristic impedance of the QWT would be  = )′ +′
where the characteristic impedance of the line is represented as ′

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 Circuit Elements[10]
• Stubs matching example for a line of  = 100 Ω
A load  = 75 −
20 Ω
1 3 4
•
/ = = +
℧
 241 1205
• Shunt stub is required to tune out the susceptance
Shunt stub susceptance /3456 = −
4 ℧
1205
•
2 1205
3456 =
 tan % &
3456 =
Ω
• If short circuit stub is being used  4
2 1205
tan % &
3456 =
• And  400
 1205  71.64
⇒
3456 = % & tan−1 % & = % &; ? = 0.1990
2 400 2 180
1205
3456 = −
 cot 
3456 =
Ω
4
• If open circuit stub is being used
2 −1205 2 −400
And cot %  &
3456 = 400 ⇒ tan % &
=
•  3456 1205
 −400  −18.36
⇒
3456 = % & tan−1 % & = %2& ; 180 ?  = −0.0510
2 1205
• Since line length cannot be negative and line characteristics repeat after
every half wavelength, add a half wavelength to obtain actual length

3456 = 0.4490
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 Circuit Elements[11]
• With the shunt stub attached the admittance at the load end is
then / + / = 3 +
4 −
4 = 3 ℧
 3456
241 1205 1205 241

241
+′ = 1⁄0 = Ω
3
• The load resistance is now

• A QWT is then used to match the resistive part of the load

 = )′ Z = A100 × 241 Ω

3
• QWT characteristic impedance

= 89.6289 Ω

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 Content
• TL as a circuit element
– Short circuit
– Open circuit
– QWT
– HWT
– Matching stubs
• Smith Chart

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 Smith Chart[1]
• The Smith Chart is a graphical tool for solving transmission line problems
• It consists of plots of line impedance and the voltage reflection coefficient
at distances along the line
• The plots are usually of the normalized impedance
• Normalization references quantities to the same base
• For the transmission lines the base is the characteristic impedance
• The line impedance at a distance l from the load is given by
1 + Γ


=  = +
+
,
Ω
1 − Γ

• The normalized impedance is then

1 + Γ

E
= = = C
+
D

 1 − Γ

1 + Γ  −
2


=  Ω
1 − Γ  −
2

• For a lossless line
1 + Γ  −
2

E
= = C
+
D

z
− 1 1 − Γ  −
2

and
Γ
=
z
+ 1
• Note that

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 Smith Chart[2]
• The Smith Chart consists of two sets of circles and arcs of circles from which
parameters on a mismatched line may be determined
• Complete circles centered on the only straight line on the chart correspond to
the normalized resistance
• Arcs of circles above and below the straight line correspond to the normalized
reactance
• The arcs and circles intersect everywhere orthogonally
• Any circle drawn on the chart, centered at the chart center, corresponds to a
lossless transmission line under some load, and is known as a constant VSWR
circle
• All impedances on the lossless line will lie on the constant VSWR circle
• Intersection of the constant VSWR circle with the straight line, on the right-
hand-side of the chart center occurs at the value of line VSWR for the given load
• Two circular scales exist on the outside of the arcs and circles
• The inner circular scale gives the angles of the voltage reflection coefficient
• The outer circular scale gives distances along the line, in line wavelengths
• The last section on the Smith Chart are the scales at the bottom of the chart
• Magnitude of the voltage reflection coefficient is among the quantities that
may be read off these scales

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 Smith Chart[4]
• Given any known impedance on a lossless transmission line, the
line characteristics can be obtained from the Smith Chart
• STEP 1: If the chart is a normalized chart, normalize the
impedance
• STEP 2: Plot the (normalized) impedance on the chart –
resistance on complete circle, reactance on the arcs –
• STEP 3: Draw the constant VSWR circle
• STEP 4: Travel along the circumference of the constant VSWR
circle to travel along the line
• Clockwise travel is ‘Toward the Generator’, while anti-clockwise
travel is ‘Towards the Load’
• Interpolating between the chart’s marked circles, arcs and lines
is often necessary to obtain accurate line values
• Carry out exercises in the notes from page 99
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 Review
• TL as a circuit element
– Short circuit
– Open circuit
– QWT
– HWT
– Matching stubs
• Smith Chart
– Normalization
– Construction
– Impedance basis

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 QUESTIONS?

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