RF and Microwave Engineering (EC4L006) Mid-Semester Examination Autumn 2021

Date: 17 September 2020 Max. Marks: 30

No. of questions: 04 (FOUR) No. of pages: 03 (THREE)
Instructions:

1. Answers that do not show all steps shall not be awarded any credit.

2. There are two options for Q–2 (a). You can solve any one of your choice.

3. If you feel that some data is missing, make necessary assumptions with proper justification.

Q–1. (a) A short-circuit loaded lossless transmission line is 7.5 cm long, and has a characteristic impedance
of 60 Ω. This line can sustain a wave propagation velocity of 2.4 × 108 m/s.
(i) Find the per-unit length inductance and per-unit length capacitance of this line. (2 marks)
(ii) What is the range of frequency in which one can say with certainty, that the line will exhibit
purely inductive characteristics? (3 marks)
(b) A transmission line is connected to an unknown load inside a solid enclosure, where physical access
to the load is difficult. You are given a movable probe which helps track the voltage along the length
of the line. As you move the probe away from the load, you observe that the voltage magnitude
reduces, and then reaches a minima of 2 V. Further along the line, the voltage then increases to a
maxima of 8 V before reducing again.
(i) What is the load reflection coefficient? (2 marks)
(ii) From the above information, can you infer the type (nature) of load, that is connected to the
line? Explain in detail. (3 marks)

Q–2. (a) A lossless Z0 = 50 Ω transmission line is to be connected to a load impedance ZL = 20 + j30 Ω.

However, the load is to be matched to this main line using an arrangement shown in Figure 1.
Calculate the values of Z1 , Z2 , and l needed to achieve this. Use the Smith chart if needed (attach
with your answers). Explain whether a unique solution exists for this problem. (5 marks)

λ/4 l

Z0 Z1 Z2 ZL

Figure 1: Circuit for Q–2 (a).

OR
(a) A 4G mobile transmitter has an amplifier that has to pump 1 W power into a 50, Ω antenna at a
frequency of 2.35 GHz. The amplifier is powered with a single DC supply of 3.3 V and ground. If
the amplifier has a maximum output voltage swing from 0.2 V to 3 V when the load is perfectly
matched to the amplifier output, design an L-match network for the given specifications. For your
convenience, the circuit diagram is shown in Figure 2. Your L-match network is to be placed inside
the dashed box. (5 marks)
(b) For the circuit shown in Figure 3, sketch a rough plot of the magnitude response of Γ as a function
of the electrical length θ. List and explain all approximations that you make, and show your
calculations and plot sketch clearly. (5 marks)

Q–3. (a) A 100 Ω lossless transmission line of length 18 cm can carry RF waves of velocity which is 80% of
the velocity in air. If the line is fed with a source of 5 V, step function in nature, and a source
impedance of 50 Ω, and the line is loaded with a 10 pF capacitor, sketch the input (source) voltage
and output (across the load) voltage waveforms as a function of time. Mark important voltage/time
points in the plots. You need not draw a bounce diagram. (5 marks)

1
 3V
Amplifier output
0.2 V
VDD = 3.3 V

50 Ω antenna

Figure 2: Circuit for Q–2 (a).

Γ θ θ

Z0 = 50 Ω 55 Ω 70 Ω ZL = 90 Ω

Figure 3: Circuit for Q–2 (b).

(b) A two-port RF network has the following admittance parameter matrix.

 
j0.2 j0.05
j0.08 −j0.2

If each of the ports is fed with 50 Ω transmission lines, what would be its S-matrix? (5 marks)