Transmission Lines

Probable Board Question

It is a metallic conductor system that is
used to transfer electrical energy from
one point to another.

A. grid lines C. transmission line

B. screen grid D. ground plane
Transmission Lines
Transmission Line is a metallic
conductor system that is used to
transfer electrical energy from one point
to another.
Transverse Electromagnetic
Waves
Electromagnetic Waves are form of
radiant energy like heat, light, radio, X-
ray, and television waves that are
considered to be oscillatory
disturbances in free space.
Probable Board Question
Electromagnetic waves that travel along
a transmission line from the source
toward the load are called _____.
A. incident wave
B. transverse wave
C. reflected wave
D. longitudinal wave
Incident Waves and Reflected
Waves
Electromagnetic Waves that travel
along a transmission line from the
source toward the load.

Electromagnetic Waves that travel from

the load back toward the source.
Characteristics of
Electromagnetic Waves
Wave Velocity
Frequency
Wavelength
Probable Board Question
What is the actual length of one-quarter
wavelength of a coax with a velocity
factor of 0.65 at 30 MHz?

A. 70 m C. 1.63 m
B. 6.5 m D. 5.33 m
Probable Board Question
A classification of transmission line where
both conductors carry current, one conductor
carries the signal and the other is the return.

A. unbalanced line
B. common mode line
C. single ended
D. differential line
Types of Transmission Lines
Balanced or Differential
Unbalanced or Single-Ended
Baluns
A circuit device used to connect a
balanced transmission line to
unbalanced load
Parallel-Conductor
Transmission Lines
Open-Wire Transmission
Lines
It is consists simply of two parallel
wires, closely spaced and separated by
air.
The distance between two conductors is
generally between 2 inches and 6
inches.
The dielectric is air.
Twin Lead
Twin Lead is also known as Ribbon
Cable.
Twin Lead is essentially the same with
Open-wire transmission line except that
it is separated by solid dielectric rather
than air.
The distance of two conductors is 5/16
inch for television transmission cable.
Twisted-Pair Cable
A twisted-pair cable is formed by
twisting together two insulated
conductors.
Twisted-pair configuration:
Pair
Units
Cores
Concentric or Coaxial
Transmission Lines
Coaxial Cable
Coaxial cables are used extensively for
high-frequency applications to reduce
losses and to isolate transmission
paths.
Coaxial cable provides excellent
shielding against external interference.
Rigid-Air Filled
Rigid-Air Filled Coaxial Cable has a
center conductor surrounded coaxially
by a tubular outer conductor and the
insulating material is air.
Solid Flexible Lines
The outer conductor is physically
isolated and separated from the center
conductor by a spacer.
Transmission Line Equivalent
Circuit
Uniformly Distributed Lines
Primary Constants
Secondary Constants
Primary Constants
The Primary Constant are uniformly
distributed throughout the length of the
line and commonly called Distributed
Parameters.
Secondary Constants
The Transmission Characteristics of a
transmission line are called Second
Constants.
Transmission Characteristics
Characteristic impedance
Propagation Constant
Characteristic Impedance
For maximum power transfer from the
source to the load, a transmission line
must be terminated in a purely resistive
load equal to the characteristic
impedance of the line.
Also known as Surge Impedance.
Characteristic Impedance

L
Zo
C
Characteristic Impedance

D
Zo 276 log
r

138 D
Zo log
d
Probable Board Question
Determine the characteristic impedance for
an air dielectric two-wire parallel transmission
line with the ratio of distance between cables
and radius of a balanced line is equal 12.22

A. 150 ohms C. 200 ohms

B. 250 ohms D. 300 ohms
Propagation Constant
Propagation Constant is used to
express the attenuation and the phase
shift per unit length of a transmission
line.
Transmission-Line Wave
Propagation
Probable Board Question
It is defined simply as the ratio of the
actual velocity of propagation through a
given medium to the velocity of
propagation through space.
A. velocity factor
B. propagation constant
C. propagation delay
D. velocity ratio
Velocity Factor
Velocity Factor is sometimes called
Velocity Constant.
Velocity Factor is simply the ratio of the
actual velocity of propagation through a
given medium to the velocity of
propagation through free space.
Velocity Factor

Vp
Vf
c

1
Vf
r
Delay Lines
Delay Lines are transmission lines
designed to intentionally introduce a
time delay in the path of
electromagnetic wave.
The amount of time delay is a function
of the transmission lines inductance
and capacitance.
Delay Lines

t d LC

t d 1.016
Probable Board Question
A commonly used coaxial cable, RG-
8A/U, has a capacitance of 29.5 pF/ft
and inductance of 73.75 nF/ft.
Determine the velocity of propagation
introduced by a 1-ft section of this
coaxial cable use as a delay line.
A. 2 x 10^ 8 m/s C. 1 x 10^ 8 m/s
B. 3 x 10^ 8 m/s D. 4 x 10^ 8 m/s
Transmission Line Losses
Conductor Losses
The inherent and unavoidable power
loss because of the finite resistance of
the transmission line.
Sometimes called conductor or
conductor heating loss or I2R loss.
Dielectric Heating Loss
A difference of potential between the
two conductors of a transmission line
causes dielectric heating.
Radiation Loss
If the separation between the
conductors in a transmission line is an
appreciable fraction of a wavelength,
the electrostatic and electromagnetic
fields that surround the conductor cause
the line to act as an antenna.
Coupling Loss
Coupling loss occurs whenever a
connection is made to or from a
transmission line or when two separated
pieces of transmission line are
connected together.
Corona
Corona is a luminous discharge that
occurs between the two conductors of a
transmission line when the difference of
potential between them exceeds the
breakdown voltage of the dielectric
insulator.
Resonant and Non-Resonant
Transmission Lines
Non-Resonant Transmission
Lines
A transmission line is nonresonant if it is
of infinite length or if it is terminated with
a resistive load equal to the ohmic value
of the characteristic impedance of the
transmission lines.
Resonant Transmission Lines
In a Resonant line, the energy is
alternately transferred between the
magnetic and electric fields of the
distributed inductance and capacitance
of the line.
Reflection Coefficient
The reflection coefficient is a vector
quantity that represents the ratio of the
reflected voltage to incident voltage or
reflected current to incident current.
Reflection Coefficient

Er

Ei

Ir

Ii
Standing Waves
Standing Waves
The two traveling waves setup an
interference pattern known as Standing
Waves.
Standing Wave Ratio (SWR)
Standing Wave Ratio is defined as the
ratio of the maximum voltage to the
minimum voltage or the maximum
current to the minimum current of a
standing wave.
Standing Wave Ratio (SWR)

Zo
SWR Zo ZL
ZL

ZL
SWR ZL Zo
Zo
Standing Wave Ratio (SWR)

Vmax
VSWR
Vmin

Imax
ISWR
Imin
Reflection Coefficient and
SWR

SWR 1

SWR 1

1
SWR
1
Probable Board Question
A generator sends 50mW down a 50-
ohm line. The generator is matched to
the line, but the load is not. If the
coefficient of reflection is 0.5, how much
power is reflected?
A. 7.65W C. 12.5W
B. 37.5W D. 14W
Probable Board Question
An open transmission line 6 inches long
acts as a/an ___ at a frequency of 492
MHz.
A. Parallel resonant circuit
B. Series resonant circuit
C. Inductive reactance
D. Capacitive reactance
Transmission Line Impedance
Matching
Quarter-Wave Transformer
Matching
RL= Zo: the quarter wavelength line acts
as a transformer with a 1:1 turns
RL> Zo: the quarter wavelength line acts
as a step-down transformer
RL< Zo: the quarter wavelength line acts
as a step-up transformer
Stub matching
When the load is complex impedance, it
is necessary to use Stub to remove the
reactive component to match the
transmission line to the load.
Probable Board Question
A short section of a transmission line,
open or shorted that is used to match
the impedance of the line to that of an
antenna or transmitter.

A. Slotted line C. Wavetrap

B. Stub D. Lecher wire
Probable Board Question
A pulse is transmitted down a cable that
has a velocity of propagation of 0.8c.
The reflected signal is received 1
microsec later. How far down is the
cable impairment?
A. 150m C. 100m
B. 120m D. 200m