SLOTTED LINE MEASUREMENTS Objective: To familiarize with the measurement technique using slotted line. a) Measurement of standing wave distribution on a slotted line, With short cireuit and open circuit termination. b) Measurement of guide wavelength and determination of operating frequency. c) Measurement of high VSWR by double minimum method. 4) Measurement of low VSWR by nodal shift method. List of Equipment: Klystron Mount and Power Supply Gunn Oscillator and Supply Frequency meter Variable attenuator Crystal detector VSWR Meter Ferrite Isolator Oscilloscope Matched load Variable shorting Plunger Lossless Structure viz., a filterima of a ‘The distance between successive mi b) Frequency and wavelength standing wave pattern determines the half wavelength (2g/2)on the line. In the case of a waveguide slotted line operated in 7B, mode the guide wavelength Agis related to the free space wavelength Ao by the equation. a) ‘ger internal dimension of the guide. where ‘a’ is the ©) High VSWR by Double Minimum Method: The voltage standing wave ratio of a transmission line terminated in a load is defined as, VSWR == Q) where v,,,and y,,,are the voltage at the maxima and minima of voltage standing ing wave pattern will wave distribution. When the VSWR is high (5), the stan have a high maxima and low minima. Since the square law characteristics of a crystal detector is limited to low power, an error is introduced if v,,. is measured directly. This difficulty can be avoided by using the ‘double minimum method’ in which measurements are take on the standing wave pattern near the voltage minimum. The procedure consists of first finding the value of voltage minima. Next two positions about the position of ¥,,,, are found at which the output voltage is twice the minimum value. If the detector response is square law, VSWR is given by 1 VSWR =[1+ @) sin 2% 4, where 2gis the guide wavelength and d is the istance between the two points where the voltage is 2v,.,. d) Low i i ) Low VSWR by Nodal Shift Method: This method is for measuring low VSWR caused by small reflections due to transitions, ete. for example, consider two di ission i ferent transmission fines connected together through a lossless couplingnetwork (fig.1). The output guide joining the lossless structure is connected to a sliding short circuit, The voltage standing wave pattern which results in the input guide will possess nodes dependent on the position of the short circuit. Let AA” correspond to voltage node in the input guide, when BB’ corresponds to a voltage Output guide Inpul guide 8 Loss less structure Short cht. plunger x 1. Nodal shift method Fis* , A plot of (B,xx;—By xx) x, is shown fig.2 4, is the amplitude of the curve, the VSWR of the lossless structure under matched conditions is given by. @ Procedure A block diagram of the experimental set up is shown in figure. The source may be a square wave modulated Klystron or a Gunn oscillator. The slotted line probe carriage carries an electric probe to sample the electric field inside the slotted line. The voltage induced in this probe is proportional to the probe depth. This voltage is applied to the crystal detector having square law response. The crystal output corresponding to the modulation frequency (generally 1 KHz) is fed to a VSWR meter which is essentially a tuned, amplifier. Since the amplifier is Finear, the meter response is linear on the linear scale, and hence the reading is proportional to power ‘SWR reading scale’ the scale is laid ‘out so that if the pointer is set to fi h . the VSWR may be ol meSWR METER CRYSTAL DETECTOR SIGNAL TSOLATOR |__| VARIABLE FREQ. eed SOURCE ATTENUATION METER LINE bs ETC. SQ. WAVE, GENERATOR (a) Measurement of standing wave distribution: 1. Energize the source and apply square wave modulation. First terminate the slotted line with a short-circuit termination. Move the slotted line probe to a position of voltage maximum in the standing pattern. 2, Tune the probe for maximum sensitivity by adjusting the tuning plunger on the slotted line. Adjust the probe. _ Measure the standing wave patternMeasurement of VSWR (a) Measurement of standing wave distribution: (For short-cireuit termination S.No. | Position of Voltage minima (cm) __| Position of Voltage maxima(cm) 1 2 3 (ii)For open-circuit termination (i)Measure standing (ii) After g followingA A, Ana al ) 2a Where a=0.9 inch (broader width of rectangular waveguide) Rectangular Waveguide + troxd val wih —+ (iii)Calculate frequency by using relation given below c= fio Where c= Speed of light (3x10°m/s) 40 = free space wavelength f = frequency (< fo} Measurement of high VSWR (Double Minimum Method) Step (i) With the match load connected to the end of the slotted line and insert screw load (SS tuner) Imm, 8mm,7mm respectively; Step (ii)Locate a position Of Vmin (reference) at the middle of slotted line record this value. Step (iii)If the power of minima is not sufficient then increase this value with the help of gain nob of VSWR. Step (iv)Record the value of db scale without attenuation (i.e. db) Step (v)Using van attenuator attenuate the power of wave to 3db. Step (vi)Slowly move the slotted line Probe on both side of reference minima got in step ~(i), Step (vil)Record the value of both side of 2Viin found in step-(vi) (Half power point or 3db point)Lf | Step (viii)Distance “d” between both 2Vmin (Half power point or 3db point) recorded in step-(vii) is very small Twice Minimurn ower points voltage an distance Step (ix)Put the value of “d” obtained from step-(viii) in given equation given below and calculate the value of high VSWR. VSWR =[1+ sin where 4g is the guide wavelength and dis the distance between the two points where the voltage is 2Vmin. ay (| Measurement of low VSWR (Nodal Shift Method! Input guide 3 Output guide Loss less structure Short ckt. i ' 4 plunger oo a 2 / i= =X Step (i)Terminate the output guide by a short. Move the short until a voltage minimum appears at AA’. The position of short in the Output guide forms the reference plan BB’, Step (ii)Taking screw load insertion 5 mm.ead Step (iii) Move the shorting plunger by a short distance ( note shift in the position of voltage minimum on the input line (xs). Step (iv)Plot (f 1X:- f 2X2) Vs V2. If B <8 2, then B aXs~ be replaced by (%-X2). Step (v)Determine the amplitude from the curve and VSWR from equation given Explanation with example (Taking 5mm screw insertion) ‘Calculation forlow SW [Ref min-nalem) ea(men) petx2 im) reference mini peta [Betafea- Bala le lel i pa Fe Beta Minima = x1=15.4, Minima=x2=13 4 *eat2=15,