CHAPTER 2

TRANSMISSION LINES
Definition
• A transmission line is a structure which provides means of
transfer of information from one point to another.
• Usually it consists of two conductors.
• It is used to connect a source to a load.
• The source may be a transmitter and the load may be a receiver.
Types of transmission Lines
• Two wire parallel lines
• Coaxial Lines
• Twisted Pairs
• Parallel plates or planner lines
• Microstrip lines
• Optical Fibers
Different types of Transmission Lines
Equivalent circuit of a pair of transmission
lines
• Ideally, a transmission line would also have its constants of
inductance, capacitance, and resistance lumped together
Equivalent circuit of a pair of transmission
lines
•A simple uniform two-wire transmission line with its
conductors parallel to the z-axis
Equivalent circuit of a pair of transmission
lines
• The equivalent circuit of a transmission line is a distributed
network.
• This consists of cascaded sections and each section consists of a
• Series resistance R (ohm/unit length)
• Series inductance L (Henry/unit length)
• Shunt capacitance C (farad/unit length)
• Shunt conductance G (Mho/unit length).
Equivalent circuit of a pair of transmission
lines
• The equivalent circuit of a short segment z of the two-wire
transmission line
Primary (Lumped) constants
• R = series resistance per unit length (Ohm/m) of the
transmission line Conductors.
• L = series inductance per unit length (H/m) of the transmission
line conductors (internal plus external inductance).
• G = shunt conductance per unit length (Mho/m) of the media
between the transmission line conductors.
• C = shunt capacitance per unit length (F/m) of the transmission
line Conductors.
Secondary (Distributed) Constants
• The propagation constant, γ
• Definition: The propagation constant, symbol γ, for a given
system is defined by the ratio of the amplitude at the source of
the wave to the amplitude at some distance x, such that,

• Since the propagation constant is a complex quantity we can

write:
• Where α, the real part, is called the attenuation constant and β,
the imaginary part, is called the phase constant.
Secondary (Distributed) Constants
• Characteristics impedance Z0
• Definition: The characteristic impedance of a transmission line
is the ratio of the voltage and current of a wave travelling along
the line which also in general will have real R0 and imaginary
part X0 part.
• Z0= R0 +JX0
Analysis of transmission line equations
• A two-conductor transmission line supports a TEM wave
• The electric and magnetic fields on the line are transverse to the
direction of wave propagation.
• Property of TEM waves
• E and H are uniquely related to voltage V and current I,
respectively:
• V=-∫E.dI ; I= H.dI
Analysis of transmission line equations
• The circuit quantities V and I are used in solving the
transmission line problem instead of solving field quantities E
and H
Analysis of transmission line equations
• wave propagates along the +z-direction, from the generator to
the load
Analysis of transmission line equations
• By applying Kirchhoff's voltage law (KVL) to the outer loop of the
circuit we obtain

• V (z, t) = RΔz I (z, t) + LΔz + V (z+Δz, t)

• Analysis from the KVL we obtain the following differential equation.

• = (R + jωL)(G + jωC)Vs

• NOTE: Vs is the phasor form of V (z, t)

• Where
Analysis of transmission line equations
• The Characteristic impedance Z0 of the line is the ratio
of positively travelling voltage wave to current wave at
any point on the line.
• Z0 is analogous to η - the intrinsic impedance of the
medium of wave propagation
Analysis of transmission line equations
• The reciprocal of Z0 is the characteristic admittance Y0,
that is, Y0 = 1/Z0
• The transmission line considered thus far in this
section is the lossy type
• The conductors comprising the line are imperfect
• The dielectric in which the conductors are embedded is
lossy
 Exercise
• An open wire transmission line has
R = 5 Ω/m, L = 5.2 x H/m
G = 6.2 x mho/m, C = 2.13 x F/m, frequency = 4
GHz.
Find , and .
Analysis of transmission line equations
• Lossless Line (R = 0 = G):
• A transmission line is said to be lossless if the conductors of
the line are perfect and the dielectric medium separating them is
lossless

• For such a line

• This is a necessary condition for a line to be lossless. Thus for

such a line,
Distortion less Line (R/L = G/C)
• A distortion less line is one in which the attenuation constant α
is frequency independent while the phase constant β is linearly
dependent on frequency.
• A distortion less line results if the line parameters are such that
Distortion less Line (R/L = G/C)
• Also
Distortion less Line (R/L = G/C)
• The phase velocity is dependent of frequency
• The phase constant β linearly depends on frequency.
• v and Z0 remain the same as for lossless lines.
• A lossless line is also a distortion less line
• But a distortion less line is not necessarily lossless.
• Although lossless lines are desirable in power transmission
• Telephone lines are required to be distortion less.
 Exercise
• A transmission Line with air as dielectric has Z0 = 50 Ω and a
phase constant of 3.0 rad/m at 10 MHz, Find the Inductance and
Capacitance of the line
• Solution: A line with air dielectric is lossless so conductivity
(σ) = 0. R = 0 = G & α = 0.
• Z0 = R0 = 50 Ω Therefore
 Exercise

Or C = 95.49 Pf/m &

L = 502 X C = 238.75 nH/m
Reflection in Transmission lines
• Power applied to a generator at the input end.
• For Infinite length the Transmission line is terminated by its
characteristics impedance.
• All of the power is absorbed by the load & no reflected wave
exists.
• For a finite length the transmission line is terminated by
impedance other than the characteristics impedance.
• Some of the power is absorbed at the load.
• Power will be reflected by the generator end and thus a reflected
wave is set up.
Reflection in Transmission lines
• The process of setting up of a reflected wave at the load due to
improper termination or due to impedance irregularity in a line
is known as Reflection.

• Reflection is extreme when the line is open or short circuited

• It will be zero, when ZL = Z0
Reflection in Transmission lines
• Reflection Coefficient: It is defined as the ratio of the reflected
voltage (or current) to the forward voltage (or current) and is
denoted by ‘Г’ (Gamma)

• The solutions of voltage and current are always in exponential

or hyperbolic form
Reflection in Transmission lines
• The equations represent the sum of the forward and reflected
waves.
• The characteristics impedance is given by

• If the line is terminated by a load impedance then

• The reflection co-efficient in terms of the impedances is given

by
Standing Wave Ratio (SWR)
• It is defined as the ratio of the voltage maxima to the voltage
minima/ or current maxima to the current minima and is denoted
by ‘S’
The Input Impedance of Transmission Line
• The input impedance of a length of lossless transmission line
with arbitrary load impedance is given by

• This equation is referred as the Transmission line impedance

equation.
Transmission line Impedance Matching
• Impedance matching is needed to provide maximum power
transfer between the source or RF energy and its load.
• This is especially important if you deal with low amplitude
signals.
• In a radio or TV antenna to get a good reception every bit of this
signal needs to be used and have no signal loss.
Transmission line Impedance Matching
• Device protection
• If RF circuit is not matched we get reflected power.
• The reflected power builds standing waves on the transmission
line between the source and load.
• Depending on the phase between the forward and reflected both
waves can either subtract or add.
• At some places where the voltage is the sum of both voltages
and eventually places where the voltage equals zero (maximum
current).
Impedance Transformation
• An impedance transformation network is a two-port network.
• When connected in series with an impedance at one port, will
result in being seen on another port.
• is usually not equal to . is known as the image
impedance of .
• Thus the transformation network is a 2-port network.
Impedance Transformation
Condition for impedance Matching
• Maximum power transfer – It occurs when Source resistance is
equal to the load resistance.
Condition for impedance matching
• Real part of the impedance should be equal to the real part of
the load.
• Reactance should be equal and opposite in character.
• For example if the source impedance is R+jX to achieve
matching the load should be R-jX.
Stub matching: (Tuning)
• Stubs are shorted or open circuit lengths of
transmission line .
• They are intended to produce a pure reactance at the
attachment point.
• Any value of reactance can be made, as the stub length
is varied from zero to half a wavelength.
• The length of the line, and the point of attachment,
both need to be calculated from the load impedance.
• The stub needs to be nearly lossless.
Stub matching: (Tuning)
• Shunt stub matching
• Impedance matching is possible by using parallel or series
stubs.
• The shunt stubs are mostly used for co-axial lines.
• When a line of characteristics impedance Z0 is to be matched to
a complex load of ZL = RL + Jx0 where the load impedance and
stub-impedances are in parallel.
Stub matching: (Tuning)
• Stub when connected in parallel.
• It is good to use admittance instead of impedance.
• The generator end is assumed to be matched to the
characteristics impedance.
• The line is terminated in a pure conductive load of normalized
admittance YL= GL.
Stub matching: (Tuning)
• The distance “d” of the shunt stub from the load end is given
by,

• Stub length l is given by

single stub tuning (a) Shunt & (b) Series
Series stub matching
• The series stubs are used in waveguides and micro strips.
• The distance “d” of the series stub from the load end is given
by,

• The required stub length “l” is given by

Problems on Transmission Lines
1. What is the input impedance at a point one eight wavelength
from
(i) a shorted load, (ii) an open load for a transmission line with
a characteristic impedance of 75 ohm.

Sol:
Problems on Transmission Lines
2. The transmission line of characteristic impedance of 50Ω. Is
terminated with a load of 100+j100 Ω. Find the reflection co-
efficient and SWR.
Ans: 4.263.
3. An RF extension has Ω is terminated with
Ω. Find VSWR.
Ans: 1.766.
Problems on Transmission Lines
4. What will be the value of characteristic impedance for a
quarter wave transmission line to match a 50 Ω line with a 75Ω
line?

Sol:
Problems on Transmission Lines
5. A lossless transmission line has a value of characteristic
impedance of 50Ω and a self-inductance of 0.0921 . Calculate
the capacitance of a five meter length of wire.

Sol:
Problems on Transmission Lines
6. An ideal lossless extension line of =60Ω is terminated with
.Find of the extension when
(i) (ii) =∞ (iii) = 60Ω
Problems on Smith Chart
• For the given Transmission line with characteristic
impedance of Ω and Ω.
(a) Mark the normalized load impedance on the smith
chart.
(b) Find SWR value corresponding to this line.
Problems on Smith Chart
• The location of the minimum is used. Given Ω,
SWR = 2, when the line is loaded. When the line is
shorted, the minima shifts 0.15λ towards the load. Find
.
Problems on Smith Chart
• Given the Ω and the operating wavelength λ =
5 cm. Find the first , first SWR from the load.
Problems on Smith Chart
• For a transmission line operating at a wavelength λ =
5cm, and , . Find the
following parameters on a smith chart:
(a) Normalized load impedance. (3+j3)
(b) SWR from the load. (7.2)
(c) Find the first , first from the load.
(0.222 on SC and =0.14cm & )
(a) Reflection co-efficient. (0.62)
END OF CHAPTER 2
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