ECE 3300 Lecture Notes #6: Bounce Diagrams

Objectives:

• Draw Bound Diagrams to visualize the propagation of voltage and current pulses
down transmission lines
• Calculate steady-state voltages and currents
• Use the bounce diagrams to make 2-D plots of the voltages / currents vs. time or
position

Corresponding Book Section(s):

• Section 2-12.2 (Bounce Diagrams)

Notes:

1. Overview of Bounce Diagrams

A Bounce Diagram is a systematic way of tabulating what electromagnetic waves are doing
on a transmission line. Fig. 1 illustrates a generalized voltage bounce diagram. Distance (z)
is in the horizontal direction and time (t) progresses in the downward direction.

The constant voltage source in the transmission line of Fig. 1 has an amplitude of Vg and
internal resistance Rg. At t = 0, the source is connected to a transmission line having a
characteristic impedance Zo and terminated by a resistive load RL. One period, T (seconds),
is the length of time it takes a signal to propagate down one length of the transmission line.

The bounce diagram starts with the line labeled 𝑉"# . The line labeled with a 𝑉"# shows
where the leading edge of the first voltage wave generated by the source is located along
the transmission line at any given moment in time. The amplitude of 𝑉"# is calculated using
a voltage divider at the generator. The line labeled with a 𝑉"$ shows where the leading
edge of the first voltage reflection from the load is located at any given moment in time.
𝑉"$ is calculated using the amplitude 𝑉"# multiplied by the voltage reflection coefficient at
the load. Likewise, the line labeled with a 𝑉%# shows where the leading edge of the second
voltage wave is located at any given moment in time. 𝑉%# is calculated using the voltage
reflection coefficient at the generator. And the bounce diagram continues with the
generation of 𝑉%$ and then 𝑉-# , etc.

Fig. 2 depicts the current bounce diagram generated in an analogous manner as the voltage
bounce diagram of Fig. 1.
Fig. 1 Voltage Bounce Diagram. [compare to Fig. 2-42 in the book]

Fig. 2 Current Bounce Diagram. [compare to Fig. 2-42 in the book]

2. Example: Bounce Diagrams

Draw a voltage and current bounce diagrams for the scenario of Fig. 3. Assume the
transmission line is lossless.

Fig. 3 Transmission line scenario for generating bounce diagrams.

Solution:

Fig. 4 Voltage Bounce Diagram for the scenario of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 Current Bounce Diagram for the scenario of Fig. 3.

Another example: reverse the load and generator resistances

3. Using a Bounce Diagram to plot the current / voltage vs. time or distance

We can use the information depicted in the bounce diagrams to plot the current / voltage
over time (at a particular point of interest) or space (at a particular moment in time). For
example, to plot the current at 𝑧 = ℓ/2 over time, draw a vertical line through the bounce
diagram at 𝑧 = ℓ/2. Every time the current line crosses the vertical line, add that current
value to the total current on the plot.

If you want to plot the current versus z at t = 1 microsecond, then draw a horizontal line at
t = 1 microsecond and sum all the currents above the line at each 𝑧 position.

4. Steady-State Voltage and Current

Reflections can continue to occur at the generator and the load indefinitely. As time
approaches infinity (or a “long enough” time has elapsed), the steady-state voltage can be
calculated from:
where 𝑥 = Γ5 Γ6 . The terms inside the square bracket constitute a geometric series of the
function:
1
= 1 + 𝑥 + 𝑥% + ⋯ for |𝑥| < 1
1−𝑥

Using this function, Equation 2.156 above can be written compactly as:

We can further simplify this to:

, Equation 19 on the equation sheet

Notice that the above equation is just a voltage divider with the load impedance connected
directly to the generator! In other words, the transmission line’s characteristic impedance
Zo has no effect on the steady-state values.

Likewise,

, Equation 20 on the equation sheet

This steady-state current appears everywhere along the transmission line. It is exactly
what we obtain from Ohm’s Law for the load impedance connected directly at x = 0.

Example:

Determine the steady-state voltage and current along the transmission line for the
transmission line scenario of Fig. 3.

Solution:

An infinite geometric series of voltage-wave bounces converges to the direct current (DC)
steady-state:
This steady-state voltage appears everywhere along the transmission line. It is exactly
what we obtain from a simple voltage-divider expression for the 120 Ω load resistor
connected directly at z = 0:
CD ∙FG "HH V ∙"%H J
𝑉B = F #F = (LH J#"%H J) = 75 Ω
D G
This means the transmission line’s characteristic impedance Zo has no effect upon the
steady-state line current.

Likewise, an infinite geometric series of current-wave bounces converges to the DC steady

state:

The steady-state current appears everywhere along the transmission line. It is exactly
what we obtain from Ohm’s Law for the 120 Ω load resistor connected directly at z = 0:
CD "HH V
𝐼B = F #F = (LH J#"%H J) = 0.625 A
D G
We could have also found the steady-state current from the steady-state voltage calculated
earlier:
C TU V
𝐼B = FS = "%H J = 0.625 A
G
And again, the transmission line’s characteristic impedance Zo has no effect upon the
steady-state line current.

4. Bounce Diagrams for Pulses

Instead of turning on a constant voltage source at t = 0, imagine we want to transmit a

rectangular pulse. We can also draw a bounce diagram for pulses. A solid line can be used
to represent the leading edge of the pulse, and a dotted line can be used to represent the
trailing edge of the pulse.

Consider a bounce diagram for the case of RL = 75 = Zo (matched load). The switch at the
generator closes at t = 0 and then opens again after 1 microsecond. It takes the pulse 1
microsecond to propagate down one length of the transmission line. Fig. 5 shows a bounce
diagram for this case.

Fig. 6 Voltage bounce diagram for a rectangular pulse propagating down a transmission
line matched to the load. The switch is closed at t = 0 and opened again after 1
microsecond. The solid line is the leading edge of the rectangular pulse and the
dotted line is the trailing edge of the rectangular pulse.