Transmission Lines

Francesca Apollonio
E-mail: apollonio@die.uniroma1.it
apollonio@die.uniroma1.it

Lumped Elements
In lumped elements circuits electrical properties are concentrated in
circuital components. Links between components are made of ideal
conductors. This is valid until geometrical dimensions of the circuits
and lenghts of the links are smaller than wavelength associated to
signals in the circuit.

Kirchhoff law

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Transmission lines
A transmission line is a system of conductors ideally parallel with
section and characteristics constant over their length, whose electrical
properties are distributed over the length of the conductors.
Two examples:
1) two-conductor parallel line
2) coaxial cable

Two-conductor

Coaxial Cable

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Transmission lines

Coaxial Cable
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A transmission line is a material medium or structure that forms a path for directing
the transmission of energy from one place to another, such as electromagnetic waves,
as well as electric power transmission.
However in communications and electronic engineering, the term has a more specific
meaning. In these fields, transmission lines are specialized cables and other media
designed to carry electromagnetic waves of high frequency (radio frequency or
higher), high enough that its wave nature must be taken into account. Transmission
lines are used for purposes such as connecting radio transmitters and receivers with
their antennas, distributing cable television signals, and computer network
connections.

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The difference between circuit theory and transmission lines is the electrical dimension

Circuit theory

physical
dimensions <<

Transmission lines

physical

dimensions

>>

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Two-conductors line
Telegraphers equation are introduced to study voltage and current on a parallel line. In
this case if the frequency is sufficiently small
the line integral of the E field is equal to
the voltage difference

The circuitation of the magnetic field

is equal to the current on the
conductor

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Two-conductors line

schematics of the circuit

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Distributed parameter
R=series resistance per unit length / m
L=series inductance per unit length H / m
G=parallel conductance
per unit length
C=parallel capacitance
per unit length
losses of the line

S /m

F /m

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Given two section of the lines at z and z+dz: R, L, G, C are respectively resistance
of the conductors, inductance between conductors, conductance due to
conductivity of the dielectrics and capacitance between conductorsper unit length.

V (z + dz )= V (z )+ dV (z )

primary constant

~
dV (z )
V (z )+ dV (z )= V (z ) (R + jL )dzI (z )
= (R + jL )I (z )= Z s I (z )
dz
I (z + dz )= I (z )+ dI (z )

~
dI (z )
I (z )+ dI (z )= I (z ) (G + jC )dzV (z )
= (G + jC )V (z )= Y pV (z )
dz

~
dV (z )
= Z s I (z )
dz
~
dI (z )
= Y pV (z )
dz

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Solution for transmission lines

~
dV (z )
= Z s I (z )
dz
~
dI (z )
= Y pV (z )
dz

d 2V (z )
dz 2
k z2

~ dI (z ) ~ ~
= Z s
= Z s Y pV (z )= k z2V (z )
dz

~ ~
= Z sY p

~ ~
jk z = Z s Y p
plane and uniform waves:

k z2

~ ~
= Z s Y p = j j c = 2 c = k 2

two-conductor:

k z2

~ ~
= Z s Y p = (R + jL )(G + jC )= 2 LC RG j (LG + RC )

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d 2V (z )
dz 2

+ k z2V (z )= 0

1 dV (z )
I (z )= ~
Z s dz

in a dual way

d 2 I (z )
dz

k z2 I

(z )= 0

V (z )= V0+ e jk z z + V0 e jk z z
complex constants
k = k jk
z
zR
zJ

1
(
)
V z = ~

Yp

dI (z )
dz

V + (z )= V0+ e jk z z
V (z )= V0 e jk z z

V (z )= V + (z )+ V (z )
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sum of two wave functions

1 dV ( z) jkz + jkz z
jkz z
I ( z) =
=
V0 e
V0 e
= characteristic impedance

Z s dz
Zs
1 + jkz z
jkz z
+ jkz z
jkz z
~
~
~
=
V0 e
V0 e
= I0 e
+ I0 e
Zs
Zs
Zs
Z0
Z =
=
=

V0+

I 0+ =

Z0

I 0 =

I (z )= I + (z )+ I (z )

(z )=

I 0+ e jk z z

~
Yp

~ ~
Z sY p

jk z

V0
Z0

V0+

I (z )= I 0 e jk z z =

Z0
V0
Z0

jk z z

e jk z z

1 +
=
V (z )
Z0
1
=
V (z )
Z0

1
I (z )=
V + (z ) V (z )
Z0

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Z0 =

j
=
j c

=
c

plane wave

1
Y0 =
Z0

Z0 =

R + j L
=
G + j C

two-conductor

1
Y0 =
Z0
kz e Z0
secondary constant of the line

~
Zs e

~
Yp

primary constant of the line

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Particular cases

()

V 0 = 0 short circuit line

V0+ = V0

V (z )= V0+ e jk z z e jk z z = 2 jV0+ sin (k z z )= jZ 0 I (0 )sin (k z z )

+
V
1 + jk z z
I (z )=
V0 e
+ e jk z z = 2 0 cos(k z z )= I (0 )cos(k z z )
Z0
Z0

Stationary wave.
1
1
1
*
*
P(z )= V (z )I (z )= jZ 0 I 0 I 0 sin (k z z )cos(k z z )= jZ 0 I 0 I 0* sin (2k z z )
2
2
4
Complex power
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Particular cases

()

I 0 = 0 open ended line

V0+ = V0

V (z )= V0+ e jk z z + e jk z z = 2V0+ cos(k z z )= V (0 )cos(k z z )

+
V
1 + jk z z
V (0 )
jk z z
0
I (z )=
V0 e
e
= 2 j
sin (k z z )= j
sin (k z z )
Z0
Z0
Z0

Stationary wave.

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V (z )= V + (z )

IL

V(z), I(z)
kz, Z0

VL

ZL

Z0 =

V ( z)
I ( z)

z
l

Z0 Z L

z=0

V ( z = 0)
ZL =
I ( z = 0)

Reflected wave

V (z )= V + ( z ) + V ( z ) = V0+ e jk z z + V0 e jk z z
1
I (z )=
V0+ e jk z z V0 e jk z z = I 0+ e jk z z + I 0 e jk z z
Z0

ZL =

V0+ + V0

V
0
0
V0+ V0

Z L Z0
Z L + Z0

V0+

Sv =

V0
V0+

Z L Z0
Z L + Z0
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In summary
~
dV (z )
= Z s I (z )
dz
~
dI (z )
= Y pV (z )
dz

d 2V (z )
dz 2

V (z )= V0+ e jk z z + V0 e jk z z
1
I (z )=
V0+ e jk z z V0 e jk z z
Z0

+ k z2V (z )= 0

Z0 =

V0+
I 0+

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Impedance, Admittance, Reflection coefficient

(
)
Z ( z) =
impedance of the line
I ( z)
V z

(
)
S ( z) =
reflection coefficient
V ( z)
S v (z )= S v (0 )e 2 jk z
V z

for the line closed on ZL in z=0

Z (0 )= Z L
S v (0 )=

V0
V0+

without losses on the line

S v (z ) = S v (0 ) =

V0
V0+

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Z(z) and Sv(z) are not independent

Z (z )= Z 0

V + (z )+ V (z )
V

(z ) V (z )

= Z0

V (z )
1+ +
V (z )
V (z )
1 +
V (z )

= Z0

1 + SV (z )
1 SV (z )

SV (z )=

Z (z )[1 SV (z )]= Z 0 [1 + SV (z )]

Z (z ) Z 0
Z (z )+ Z 0

for z=0

Z (0 )= Z L = Z 0

1 + SV (0 )
1 SV (0 )

SV (0 )=

Z (0 ) Z 0
Z (0 )+ Z 0

Z L Z0
Z L + Z0
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Particular cases
1

Z L = Z0

matched line

SV (0 )= 0 SV (z )= S v (0 )e 2 jk z z = 0
1 + SV (z )
V0

Z (z )= Z 0
Z0
S v (0 )= + V0 = 0
1 SV (z )
V0
N.B. an infinitely long line is considered a matched line
2

V (0 )= 0 Z L = 0

short circuited line

SV (0 )= 1 V0 = V0+

line without losses

S v (z ) = 1
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I (0 )= 0 Z L =

SV (0 )= 1

V0

= V0+

open ended line

S v (z ) = 1

line without losses

Z L = jX L

SV (0 )=

line without losses

Z 0 jX L
Z 0 + jX L

S v (0 ) =

Z 02 + X L2
Z 02 + X L2

=1

S v (z ) = 1

S v (z ) = 1

total reflection

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Impedance at distance l from the load

Z (z )= Z 0

1 + SV (z )
1 SV (z )

= Z0

1 + SV (0 )e 2 jk z z
1 SV (0 )e 2 jk z z

(
Z L + Z 0 )e jk z + (Z L Z 0 )e jk z
= Z0
(Z L + Z 0 )e jk z (Z L Z 0 )e jk z
= Z0

(
Z (e

) (
) Z (e

Z L e jk z z + e jk z z Z 0 e jk z z e jk z z
0

= Z0

ZL
1+
ZL
= Z0
ZL
1
ZL

jk z z

+ e jk z z

jk z z

e jk z z

Z 0 2 jk z z
e
+ Z0
=
Z 0 2 jk z z
e
+ Z0

)=
)

Z L cos(k z z ) jZ 0 sin (k z z )
Z 0 cos(k z z ) jZ L sin (k z z )
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ZL
Zi

Z i = Z ( l )= Z 0

Z L cos(k z l )+ jZ 0 sin (k z l )
Z 0 cos(k z l )+ jZ L sin (k z l )

In modo duale:

S I (z )= S I (0 )e

2 jk z z

Yi = Y ( l )= Y0

1 + S I (z )
Y (z )= Y0
1 S I (z )

YL cos(k z l )+ jY0 sin (k z l )

Y0 cos(k z l )+ jYL sin (k z l )
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Particular cases
1

Z L = Z0
Z (z )= Z 0

ZL = 0

Matched line

Zi = Z0
Short circuit line

Z (z )= jZ 0 tan (k z z ) Z i = jZ 0 tan (k z l )
without losses

k z = k zR

Z i = jZ 0 tan (k zR l )= jX i
X i = Z 0 tan (k zR l )
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2
z =
k zR

ZL =

open ended line

Z (z )= jZ 0 cot (k z z ) Z i = jZ 0 cot (k z l )
without losses

k z = k zR

Z i = jZ 0 cot (k zR l )= jX i
X i = Z 0 cot (k zR l )
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for particular lenghts

k zR l = n (n = 1,2 ,..)

Z i = Z ( l )= Z 0

Z L cos(k z l )+ jZ 0 sin (k z l )
Z 0 cos(k z l )+ jZ L sin (k z l )

Zi = Z L

(n = 0,1,2 ,..)

z
l = (2n + 1)
4

Z L cos(k z l )+ jZ 0 sin (k z l )

Z 02

k zR l = n + = (2n + 1)
2
2
Z i = Z ( l )= Z 0

z
l=n
2

Z 0 cos(k z l )+ jZ L sin (k z l )

Zi =

ZL

quarter wavelength transformer

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