Assignment 4: EE 668

Madhav P. Desai
March 2, 2010

1. Consider a transmission line with Z0 = 50Ω, length l = 50cm and tpd =

10ns. It is driven from the left by a voltage source Vs (t) with source
resistance Rs , and is terminated on the right by a load element. The line
is assumed to be quiet for t ≤ 0 (that is, V and I in the line are 0 for
t ≤ 0).
(a) If Vs (t) = u(t), the unit-step, find the response of the line at the
source and the load end for the following combinations of source and
load.
i. Rs = 0Ω, and the load is a resistance of value Rl = 100Ω.
ii. Rs = 100Ω and the load is an open circuit.
iii. Rs = 50Ω and the load is a capacitor with capacitance 10pF .
iv. Rs = 50Ω and the load is an inductor with inductance 1nH.
(b) Assume that Rs = 0Ω and that the load is an open circuit. Note
that this is an oscillatory circuit. Suppose that Vs (t) is of the form

tu(t) − (t − tR )u(t − tR )
Vs (t) =
tR
which is a ramp-step with rise-time tR . Define

D = sup |V (0, t) − V (50, t)|

t>0

to be the maximum observed instantaneous difference in voltage

across the two ends of the line.
i. Find D for tR = 0ns, tR = 10ns and tR = 50ns.
ii. Show that as tR → ∞, D → 0.
A general rule of thumb is to assume that if the tR > 5tpd , then
transmission line effects can be ignored. Do you think this is justified?
2. Consider a transmission line with Z0 = 1Ω, and tpd = 10ns. It is loaded
at the right by a non-linear impedance whose V-I characteristic is V = I 3
(I is the current entering the impedance). From t = −∞ to t = 0, assume
that the line is driven from the left by a 0V source.

1
 (a) At t = 0+ , the source at the left is activated with a V-I characteristic
V = min(1, 1/(I 3 + 1)) Volts (I is the current leaving the source).
Using Bergeron plots, find the response at the source and load end
of the line from t = 0ns to t = 50ns
(b) Assume that by t = 1s, the line has settled to its final value. At
t = 1s+ , the source at the left is now shorted to ground. Using
Bergeron plots, find the response at the source and load end of the
line from t = 1s to t = 1s + 50ns
3. Consider a pair of identical coupled transmission lines in a homogenous
medium with propagation delay tpd = 10ns, and with coupling coefficient
kL = kC = 0.2.
(a) If Zeven = 60Ω, find Zodd.
(b) The first line is driven from the left by a unit step voltage source
with source impedance 50Ω, while the second line is terminated at
the left by a 50Ω resistor. Both lines are open at the right end. Find
the waveforms in the two lines at the left and right end.
(c) Now suppose that the voltage source driving the first line is a ramp-
step with rise time tR . Find the peak disturbance observed in the
second line (at the left and the right end) for tR = 1ns, tR = 10ns
and tR = 50ns.
(d) Repeat the previous two questions with the second line being open
at the left and terminated at the right by a 50Ω resistor.