EC304 -Transmission Lines and Waveguides

Two Mark Questions and Answers

UNIT I-TRANSMISSION LINE THEORY

1. Define the line parameters?

The parameters of a transmission line are:
 Resistance (R)
 Inductance (L)
 Capacitance (C)
 Conductance (G)
Resistance (R) is defined as the loop resistance per unit length of the
wire. Its unit is ohm/Km
Inductance (L) is defined as the loop inductance per unit length of the
wire. Its unit is Henry/Km
Capacitance (C) is defined as the loop capacitance per unit length of the
wire. Its unit is Farad/Km
Conductance (G) is defined as the loop conductance per unit length of
the wire. Its unit is mho/Km
2. What are the secondary constants of a line? Why the line
parameters are called distributed elements?
The secondary constants of a line are:
 Characteristic Impedance
 Propagation Constant
Since the line constants R, L, C, G are distributed through the entire
length of the line, they are called as distributed elements. They are also
called as primary constants.
3. Define Characteristic impedance
Characteristic impedance is the impedance measured at the sending
end of the line. It is given by Z0 = Z/Y,
4. Define Propagation constant
Propagation constant is defined as the natural logarithm of the ratio of
the sending end current or voltage to the receiving end current or
voltage of the line. It gives the manner in the wave is propagated along
a line and specifies the variation of voltage and current in the line as a
function of distance. Propagation constant is a complex quantity
The real part is called the attenuation constant whereas the imaginary
part of propagation constant is called the phase constant

5. What is a finite line? Write down the significance of this line?

A finite line is a line having a finite length on the line. It is a line, which
is terminated, in its characteristic impedance (ZR=Z0), so the input
impedance of the finite line is equal to the characteristic impedance
(Zs=Z0).
6. What is an infinite line?
An infinite line is a line in which the length of the transmission line is
infinite. A finite line, which is terminated in its characteristic
impedance, is termed as infinite line. So for an infinite line, the input
impedance is equivalent to the characteristic impedance.

7. What is wavelength of a line?

The distance the wave travels along the line while the phase angle is
changing through 2 radians is called a wavelength.
8. What are the types of line distortions?
The distortions occurring in the transmission line are called waveform
distortion or line distortion. Waveform distortion is of two types:
 Frequency distortion
 Phase or Delay Distortion.
9. How frequency distortion occurs in a line?
When a signal having many frequency components are transmitted
along the line, all the frequencies will not have equal attenuation and
hence the received end waveform will not be identical with the input
waveform at the sending end because each frequency is having
different attenuation. This type of distortion is called frequency
distortion.
10. How to avoid the frequency distortion that occurs in the line?
In order to reduce frequency distortion occurring in the line,
 The attenuation constant _ should be made independent of
frequency.
 By using equalizers at the line terminals which minimize the
frequency distortion.
Equalizers are networks whose frequency and phase characteristics
are adjusted to be inverse to those of the lines, which result in a
uniform frequency response over the desired frequency band, and
hence the attenuation is equal for all the frequencies.
11. What is delay distortion?
When a signal having many frequency components are transmitted
along the line, all the frequencies will not have same time of
transmission, some frequencies being delayed more than others. So the
received end waveform will not be identical with the input waveform at
the sending end because some frequency components will be delayed
more than those of other frequencies. This type of distortion is called
phase or delay distortion.
12. .What is a distortion less line? What is the condition for a
distortion less line?
A line, which has neither frequency distortion nor phase distortion is
called a distortion less line. The condition for a distortion less line is
RC=LG. Also,
 The attenuation constant _ should be made independent of
frequency.
 The phase constant _ should be made dependent of frequency.
 The velocity of propagation is independent of frequency.
13. What is loading?
Loading is the process of increasing the inductance value by placing
lumped inductors at specific intervals along the line, which avoids the
distortion
14. What are the types of loading?
 Continuous loading
 Patch loading
 Lumped loading
15. What is continuous loading?
Continuous loading is the process of increasing the inductance value by
placing a iron core or a magnetic tape over the conductor of the line.
16. What is patch loading?
It is the process of using sections of continuously loaded cables
separated by sections of unloaded cables which increases the
inductance value
17. What is lumped loading?
Lumped loading is the process of increasing the inductance value by
placing lumped inductors at specific intervals along the line, which
avoids the distortion
18. Define reflection coefficient
Reflection Coefficient can be defined as the ratio of the reflected
voltage to the incident voltage at the receiving end of the line
Reflection Coefficient K=Reflected Voltage at load /Incident voltage at
the load K=Vr/Vi
19. Define reflection loss
Reflection loss is defined as the number of nepers or decibels by which
the current in the load under image matched conditions would exceed
the current actually flowing in the load

20. What is Impedance matching?

If the load impedance is not equal to the source impedance, then all the
power that are transmitted from the source will not reach the load end
and hence some power is wasted. This is called impedance mismatch
condition. So for proper maximum power transfer, the impedances in
the sending and receiving end are matched. This is called impedance
matching.
21. Define the term insertion loss
The insertion loss of a line or network is defined as the number of
nepers or decibels by which the current in the load is changed by the
insertion.
Insertion loss=Current flowing in the load without insertion of the
network/ Current flowing in the load with insertion of the network
22. When reflection occurs in a line?
Reflection occurs because of the following cases:
 when the load end is open circuited
 when the load end is short-circuited
 when the line is not terminated in its characteristic impedance
When the line is either open or short circuited, then there is not
resistance at the receiving end to absorb all the power transmitted
from the source end. Hence the entire power incident on the load gets
completely reflected back to the source causing reflections in the line.
When the line is terminated in its characteristic impedance, the load
will absorb some power and some will be reflected back thus producing
reflections.
 EC304 -Transmission Lines and Waveguides
Two Mark Questions and Answers
UNIT II-RADIO FREQUENCY LINE

1. What are the conditions for a perfect line? What is a smooth line?
For a perfect line, the resistance and the leakage conductance value
were neglected. The conditions for a perfect line are R=G=0. A smooth
line is one in which the load is terminated by its characteristic
impedance and no reflections occur in such a line. It is also called as flat
line.
2. State the assumptions for the analysis of the performance of the
radio frequency line.
 Due to the skin effect, the currents are assumed to flow on the
surface of the conductor. The internal inductance is zero.
 The resistance R increases with Ö f while inductance L increases
with f .Hence wL>>R.
 The leakage conductance G is zero
3 .What is dissipation less line?
A line for which the effect of resistance R is completely neglected is
called dissipation less line.
4. What are nodes and antinodes on a line?
The points along the line where magnitude of voltage or current is zero
are called nodes while the points along the lines where magnitude of
voltage or current first maximum are called antinodes or loops.
5. What is standing wave ratio?
The ratio of the maximum to minimum magnitudes of voltage or
current on a line having standing waves called standing waves ratio.
6. What is the range of values of standing wave ratio?
The range of values of standing wave ratio is theoretically 1 to infinity.
7. What are standing waves?
If the transmission is not terminated in its characteristic impedance,
then there will be two waves traveling along the line which gives rise to
standing waves having fixed maxima and fixed minima.
8. Why the point of voltage minimum is measured rather than voltage
maximum?
The point of a voltage minimum is measured rather than a voltage
maximum because it is usually possible to determine the exact point of
minimum voltage with greater accuracy.
9. What is the use of eighth wave line?
An eighth wave line is used to transform any resistance to an
impendence with a magnitude equal to Roof the line or to obtain a
magnitude match between a resistance of any value and a source of Ro
internal resistance.
10. Why is a quarter wave line called as impendence inverter?
A quater wave line may be considered as an impendence inverter
because it can transform a low impendence in to a high impendence
and vice versa.
11. What is the application of the quarter wave matching section?
An important application of the quarter wave matching section is to a
couple a transmission line to a resistive load such as an antenna.

12. Bring out the significance of a half wavelength line.

A half wavelength line may be considered as a one- to – one
transformer. It has its greatest utility in connecting load to a source in
cases where the load source cannot be made adjacent.
13. Give some of the impendence –matching devices.
The quarter – wave line or transformer and the tapered line are some
of the impendence –matching devices.
14. Explain impendence matching using stub.
In the method of impendence matching using stub ,an open or closed
stub line of suitable length is used as a reactance shunted across the
transmission line at a designated distance from the load ,to tune the
length of the line and the load to resonance with an anti-resonant
resistance equal to Ro.
15. Give reasons for preferring a short- circuited stub when compared
to an open –circuited stub.
A short circuited stub is preferred to an open circuited stub because of
greater ease in constructions and because of the inability to maintain
high enough insulation resistance at the open –circuit point to ensure
that the stub is really open circuited
.A shorted stub also has a lower loss of energy due to radiation, since
the short –circuit can be definitely established with a large metal plate,
effectively stopping all field propagation.

16. What are the two independent measurements that must be made
to find the location and length of the stub.
The standing wave ratio S and the position of a voltage minimum are
the independent measurements that must be made to find the location
and length of the stub.
17. What is the use of a circle diagram?
The circle diagram may be used to find the input impendence of a line
of any chosen length.
18. List the applications of the smith chart.
The applications of the smith chart are,
 It is used to find the input impendence and input admittance of
the line.
 The smith chart may also be used for lossy lines and the locus of
points on a line then follows a spiral path towards the chart
center, due to attenuation.
 In single stub matching
19. What are the difficulties in single stub matching?
The difficulties of the smith chart are
 Single stub impedance matching requires the stub to be located at
a definite point on the line. This requirement frequently calls for
placement of the stub at an undesirable place from a mechanical
view point.
 For a coaxial line, it is not possible to determine the location of a
voltage minimum without a slotted line section, so that
placement of a stub at the exact required point is difficult.

20. What is double stub matching?

Another possible method of impedance matching is to use two stubs in
which the locations of the stub are arbitrary, the two stub lengths
furnishing the required adjustments. This is called double stub
matching.
21. Why Double stub matching is preferred over single stub matching.
Double stub matching is preferred over single stub due to following
disadvantages of single stub.
 Single stub matching is useful for a fixed frequency. So as
frequency changes the location of single stub will have to be
changed.
 The single stub matching system is based on the measurement of
voltage minimum .Hence for coaxial line it is very difficult to get
such voltage minimum, without using slotted line section.