Chapter 14: Transmission Lines

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. SWR stands for:

a. Shorted Wave Radiation c. Shorted Wire Region
b. Sine Wave Response d. none of the above
ANS: D

2. TDR stands for:

a. Total Distance of Reflection c. Time-Domain Response
b. Time-Domain Reflectometer d. Transmission Delay Ratio
ANS: B

3. An example of an unbalanced line is:

a. a coaxial cable c. an open-wire-line cable
b. 300-ohm twin-lead TV cable d. all of the above
ANS: A

4. When analyzing a transmission line, its inductance and capacitance are considered to be:
a. lumped c. equal reactances
b. distributed d. ideal elements
ANS: B

5. As frequency increases, the resistance of a wire:

a. increases c. stays the same
b. decreases d. changes periodically
ANS: A

6. The effect of frequency on the resistance of a wire is called:

a. I2R loss c. the skin effect
b. the Ohmic effect d. there is no such effect
ANS: C

7. As frequency increases, the loss in a cable's dielectric:

a. increases c. stays the same
b. decreases d. there is no loss in a dielectric
ANS: A

8. The characteristic impedance of a cable depends on:

a. the resistance per foot of the wire used
b. the resistance per foot and the inductance per foot
c. the resistance per foot and the capacitance per foot
d. the inductance per foot and the capacitance per foot
 ANS: D

9. For best matching, the load on a cable should be:

a. lower than Z0 c. equal to Z0
b. higher than Z0 d. 50 ohms
ANS: C

10. The characteristic impedance of a cable:

a. increases with length c. increases with voltage
b. increases with frequency d. none of the above
ANS: D

11. The velocity factor of a cable depends mostly on:

a. the wire resistance c. the inductance per foot
b. the dielectric constant d. all of the above
ANS: B

12. A positive voltage pulse sent down a transmission line terminated in a short-circuit:
a. would reflect as a positive pulse
b. would reflect as a negative pulse
c. would reflect as a positive pulse followed by a negative pulse
d. would not reflect at all
ANS: B

13. A positive voltage pulse sent down a transmission line terminated with its characteristic impedance:
a. would reflect as a positive pulse
b. would reflect as a negative pulse
c. would reflect as a positive pulse followed by a negative pulse
d. would not reflect at all
ANS: D

14. A positive voltage-pulse sent down a transmission line terminated in an open-circuit:

a. would reflect as a positive pulse
b. would reflect as a negative pulse
c. would reflect as a positive pulse followed by a negative pulse
d. would not reflect at all
ANS: A

15. The optimum value for SWR is:

a. zero c. as large as possible
b. one d. there is no optimum value
ANS: B

16. A non-optimum value for SWR will cause:

a. standing waves c. higher voltage peaks on cable
b. loss of power to load d. all of the above
 ANS: D

17. VSWR stands for:

a. variable SWR c. voltage SWR
b. vacuum SWR d. none of the above
ANS: C

18. The impedance "looking into" a matched line:

a. is infinite c. is the characteristic impedance
b. is zero d. 50 ohms
ANS: C

19. A Smith Chart is used to calculate:

a. transmission line impedances c. optimum length of a transmission line
b. propagation velocity d. transmission line losses
ANS: A

20. Compared to a 300-ohm line, the loss of a 50-ohm cable carrying the same power:
a. would be less c. would be the same
b. would be more d. cannot be compared
ANS: B

21. A balanced load can be connected to an unbalanced cable:

a. directly c. by using a "balun"
b. by using a filter d. cannot be connected
ANS: C

22. On a Smith Chart, you "normalize" the impedance by:

a. assuming it to be zero c. multiplying it by 2π
b. dividing it by 2π d. dividing it by Z0
ANS: D

23. The radius of the circle you draw on a Smith Chart represents:
a. the voltage c. the impedance
b. the current d. none of the above
ANS: D

24. The center of the Smith Chart always represents:

a. zero c. the characteristic impedance
b. one d. none of the above
ANS: C

25. A TDR is commonly used to:

a. measure the characteristic impedance of a cable
b. find the position of a defect in a cable
 c. replace a slotted-line
d. all of the above
ANS: B

COMPLETION

1. A cable that lacks symmetry with respect to ground is called ____________________.

ANS: unbalanced

2. Parallel lines are usually operated as ____________________ lines since both wires are symmetrical with
respect to ground.

ANS: balanced

3. Normally, a transmission line is terminated with a load equal to its ____________________ impedance.

ANS: characteristic

4. Twisted-pair cables are transmission lines for relatively ____________________ frequencies.

ANS: low

5. To analyze a transmission line, it is necessary to use ____________________ parameters instead of

lumped ones.

ANS: distributed

6. The increase of a wire's resistance with frequency is called the ____________________ effect.

ANS: skin

7. The increase of a wire's resistance with frequency is caused by the ____________________ field inside
the wire.

ANS: magnetic

8. Dielectrics become more ____________________ as the frequency increases.

ANS: lossy

9. The inductance and capacitance of a cable are given per unit ____________________.

ANS: length

10. Characteristic impedance is sometimes called ____________________ impedance.

ANS: surge
11. A cable that is terminated in its characteristic impedance is called a ____________________ line.

ANS: matched

12. A pulse sent down a cable terminated in a short-circuit will reflect with the ____________________
polarity.

ANS: opposite

13. The apparently stationary pattern of waves on a mismatched cable is called a ____________________
wave.

ANS: standing

14. SWR stands for ____________________-wave ratio.

ANS: standing

15. The ideal value for SWR is ____________________.

ANS: one

16. Transmission line impedances can be found using a ____________________ chart.

ANS: Smith

17. Short transmission-line sections called ____________________ can be used as capacitors or inductors.

ANS: stubs

18. Any cable that radiates energy can also ____________________ energy.

ANS: absorb

19. A ____________________-dB loss in a cable means only half the power sent reaches the load.

ANS: 3

20. It is often best to measure SWR at the ____________________ end of a cable.

ANS: load

21. Besides heat from I2R, the power a cable can carry is limited by the ____________________ voltage of
its dielectric.

ANS: breakdown

22. To normalize an impedance on a Smith Chart, you divide it by ____________________.

ANS: Z0
23. The ____________________ of a Smith Chart always represents the characteristic impedance.

ANS: center

24. A ____________________ wavelength transmission line can be used a transformer.

ANS: one-quarter

25. A slotted line is used to make measurements in the ____________________ domain.

ANS: frequency

SHORT ANSWER

1. A transmission line has 2.5 pF of capacitance per foot and 100 nH of inductance per foot. Calculate its
characteristic impedance.

ANS:
Z0 = 200 ohms

2. Two wires with air as a dielectric are one inch apart. The diameter of the wire is .04 inch. Calculate,
approximately, its characteristic impedance.

ANS:
386 ohms

3. If a coaxial cable uses plastic insulation with a dielectric constant ∈r = 2.6 , what is the velocity factor for
the cable?

ANS:
0.62

4. If a cable has a velocity factor of 0.8, how long would it take a signal to travel 3000 kilometers along the
cable?

ANS:
12.5 ms

5. If a cable has a velocity factor of 0.8, what length of cable is required for a 90° phase shift at 100 MHz?

ANS:
0.6 meters

6. A cable has a VSWR of 10. If the minimum voltage along the cable is 20 volts, what is the maximum
voltage along the cable?

ANS:
200 volts
 7. A lossless line has a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms, but is terminated with a 75-ohm resistive load.
What SWR do you expect to measure?

ANS:
1.5

8. If a cable has an SWR of 1.5, what will be the absolute value of its voltage coefficient of reflection?

ANS:
0.2

9. A generator matched to a line with a voltage coefficient of reflection equal to 0.2 transmits 100 watts into
the line. How much power is actually absorbed by the load?

ANS:
96 watts

10. Using a Smith Chart to analyze a 50-ohm cable, what would be the normalized value of an impedance
equal to 200 + j50 ohms?

ANS:
4 + j1