Contents

INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 2
TYPES OF TRANSMISSION LINES................................................................................. 3
CONCLUSIONS.......................................................................................................... 10
REFERENCES............................................................................................................ 11

INTRODUCTION
Transmission line is defined as the path of carrying alternating electrical energy from source to
load. In electromagnetic wave, transmission lines are used to carry electromagnetic energy from
one point to another. It means it transfer from one point to another. Generally it consists of two
conductors. The source may be a transmitter or an electric generator and the load may be an
antenna. For example, the wire used between T.V antenna and television set or the wire used
between transmitter antenna and transmitter. Transmission lines are used for operational
frequencies equal to or less than about 3GHz. Any frequency more than 3GHz, it will be replaced
by waveguides. Transmission lines are commonly used in power systems for power transmission.
These lines can be used as circuit elements like capacitors, inductors at ultra-high frequencies
(300-3000MHz)

TYPES OF TRANSMISSION LINES

There are number of types of transmission lines. It can be category into 2 which is TEM
(Transverse electromagnetic) transmission lines and Higher-order transmission lines. In many
electric circuits, any component connected with the wire either it is long or short it can be
ignored. It is because at certain time any value of voltage passing through the wire assumed to be
the same at all points. In any case, when the voltage changes in a certain period comparable to
the time it takes for the signal to go down the wire, the wire must be treated as a transmission
line and the length gets to be distinctly essential.

BALANCE TWO WIRE LINE

Balance two wire line is a transmission line consisting of two conductors of the same type, each
of which have equal impedances along their lengths and equal impedances to ground and to other
circuits. The advantages of balance two wire lines in terms of cost is very low compared to other
types of lines. Other than that, it is quite simple to design the open two line transmission line.
The disadvantages of open two wire line is much different compared to other types of
transmission lines in terms of external interference. Other than that, due to the external
interference the output load end of two wire transmission will be noisy. When two wire line used
on very high frequency, it can cause skin effect.

Figure 1

As shown in the figure 1, the type of two wire transmission lines use insulated spacers to
maintain the distance between transmission lines or between two conductor wire.

Figure 2

As shown in the figure 2, this type of transmission line with the help of plastic material the two
conducting wires are kept parallel to each other. This type of transmission line usually used
throughout between the conducting wires.

Figure 3

As shown in figure 3, the rubber piping is used in circular rectangular or square share in this type
of transmission line. The rubber at opposite sides of the piping with the two conducting wires are
kept inside. The conducting wires remains parallel to each other.

Formula to find the characteristics impedance of open two wire transmission line.

COAXIAL CABLE
Coaxial cable is a type of cable that has an inner conductor surrounded by a tubular insulating
layer, surrounded by a tubular conducting shield. Many coaxial cables also have an insulating
outer sheath or jacket. The advantages of coaxial cable is minimized from any possible external
interference. This is because the outer conductor is grounded, thus the output of the load end will
be less noise. The coaxial can be used for high frequencies transmission. Due to proper
insulation, the energy from source to load that passing through the conductor is protected from
dust and rust. The disadvantage of coaxial cable is it costs more compare with two wire lines.
Other than that, it is difficult to design coaxial cable compare to two wire lines. The coaxial can
only handles low power transmissions.
Since it has a low attenuation, coaxial cable does not need as many amplifiers because it used
conventional wire. It also can boost hundreds of signals on the cable. Since it is imperative in the

telephone industry, all the major manufacturers of radio, television, radar, navigation aids, fire
control, aircraft, shipbuilding, underwater sound, and many other types of transmitting
equipment use coaxial cable. The cable TV and closed circuit TV systems use miles of this type
cable. Sophisticated cable TV systems, for example, use a large diameter single or double
shielded cable as a main transmission line, with tap-offs of smaller sizes for a secondary lead-in;
a third size, even smaller, carries the televised signal directly into the receiver.

Figure 4

As shown in the figure 4, the coaxial cable consists of inner conducting wire made of copper,
over this conducting wire the coating of polyethylene is carried out. Then it is enclosed in the
braded wire in the shape of mash. The outer surface of this wire is enclosed in a plastic jacket.

Formula for the characteristics impedance of coaxial cable.

MICRO STRIP LINE

Micro strip is a type of transmission line which can be fabricated using printed circuit
board technology, and is used to convey microwave-frequency signals. The advantages of micro
strip line is it can be used in very high frequency. Micro strip usually used in integrated circuits
where the distance between load and source is very short. The losses of energy are minimum

since the path of energy is made of from very good conductor material. The weight of micro strip
line is light. The disadvantage of micro strip line is when the distance between source and load is
long it cannot be used as a transmission line. Other than that, the cost is very high compare to
coaxial and two wire line.
Micro strip applications usually can be find in wireless communication. For example, satellite
communication requires circularly polarized radiation patterns, which can be realized using
either square or circular patch micro strip antenna. In global positioning satellite (GPS) systems,
circularly polarized micro strip antennae are used. They are very compact in size and quite
expensive due to their positioning.
Micro strip are also used in the fields of RFID (radio frequency identification), mobile
communication and healthcare. Basically, an RFID system consists of a tag and a reader.
Generally, it uses frequencies between 30 Hz and 5.8 GHz.

Figure 5

As shown in the figure 5, the micro strip consists of a conducting plate made of copper which
works as an earth plate in the circuit. There is thick coat of insulating material over the copper
plate which is made of fiber glass or polystyrene. This insulated plate works as a dielectric in the
micro strip line. At the top of the insulated plate one or more than strips of the best conducting
material are plated.

OPTICAL FIBER

Figure 6

Optical fibers consist of two parts which is the core and its coating. The central portion of the
optical fibers called core is the part which light rays are guided. That portion which surrounds the
core is called cladding. The refractive index of the core is always slightly greater than the
refractive index of the cladding. Due to this difference in the refractive indices of the core and
cladding, the light rays are always kept within the core of the optical fibers.
During manufacturing of the optical fibers, protective layers of plastics are uniformly applied to
the entire length of the fiber. The refractive index of the coating is higher than that of cladding
and core, to attenuate any undesirable light in the cladding. The coating gives protection to the
fibers from external influences and absorbs shear forces. These coatings are usually colored to
identify individual fibers in a multi-fibers cable.
The advantages of optical fiber is when high frequency signal are propagated the optical fiber
starting to loss the source amount of power in 15 km or more, whereas when the high frequency
signal propagated through convention coaxial cable, it loss half of its power only after a few
hundred meters. Other than that, the transmission loss is very low when use optical fiber. There is
no interference in the transmission because the electromagnetic waves generated by electrical
appliances cannot interfere with the light signal.
The disadvantages of optical fiber is during the jointing the fiber optic cables it needs greater
care because it can cause a lot of attenuation in high wave length. Other than that, the cost for
installation is very high compare to other types of transmission lines.
Fiber optics are commonly used in telecommunication system. Since it is superior to metallic
conductors as a transmission lines for signals. Fiber optic are used for video data transmission
reception. Other than that, it can be find used in voice and video communication network.

WAVE GUIDE
Wave guide is the type of transmission line which carries microwave frequencies from source to
load. The energy is in the form of electric field and magnetic field which are perpendicular to
each other the electric field and magnetic field inside.

Figure 7

As shown in the figure 7, hollow from the center and polished from the interior portion is
designed from a conducting pipe for the circular waveguide. In order to avoid dust and rust the
outer surface of the waveguide is coded with the insulated paint. These types of waveguide are
available in different lengths and sizes in order to fulfill the requirement of the circuit.

Figure 8

As shown in the figure 8, the rectangular waveguide is designed from conducting material in
rectangular shape which is hollow from the center and fully polished from interior. The outer
surface of the wave guide is coded with insulating material or paint in order to avoid dust and
rust. These types of waveguides are available in different lengths and sizes in order to fulfill the
requirements of the circuit.

Wave guide have two types of mode operation which deals with lower and high range of
frequency. The waveguide in form of electromagnetic and horizontal field are usually carried out
and propagated at higher mode which is from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. TE mode and TM mode are
known as higher modes. For mode operation with frequency less than 3 MHz is called the lower
mode. The transmission line that use the frequency less than 3 MHz are micro strip and coaxial
cable. This is because the movement of electrons for the flow of current is taken in the lower
mode of operation to carry the energy from the source to load.

CONCLUSIONS
Transmission line is a device guided by two conductors in a dielectric medium and used for
transmission of electromagnetic energy. Transmission line mode is induced between electric and
magnetic field on a transmission line. There are two types of transmission line modes which is
transverse electromagnetic (TEM) and Higher order transmission lines. The transmission line has
a single purpose for both the transmitter and the antenna. The purpose of transmission line to
minimize any possible power loss while transferring the energy output of the transmitter to the
antenna. How well the transmission line is done depends on the special physical and electrical
characteristics which is impedance and resistance of the transmission line.

REFERENCES
1. Young EC, The Penguin Dictionary of Electronics, 1988, ISBN 0-14-051187-3
2. http://www.daenotes.com/electronics/communication-system/transmission-line
3. http://www.daenotes.com/electronics/communication-system/optical-fiber
4. http://www.daenotes.com/electronics/microwave-radar/wave-guide-constructionworking-types-uses
5. http://electronicsforu.com/technology-trends/microstrip-antenna-applications