4

Transmission line

Dr. Maha Raouf

2022/2023
INTRODUCTION TO MICROWAVE
ENGINEERING
Introduction (cont.)
Microwave Frequency Bands
 The microwave spectrum range is
from 1 GHz to over 100 GHz.

 This range has been divided into

a number of frequency bands each
represented by a letter.

https://www.everythingrf.com/tech-
resources/frequency-bands
Introduction
 Microwave is typically used for frequencies between 0.3 and 300 GHz, with a corresponding
electrical wavelength between λ = c/ f = 1 m and λ = 1 mm
 Most application of microwave technology make use of frequencies in the 1 to 40 GHz range.
 Because of the high frequencies (and short wavelengths), standard circuit theory often cannot be
used directly to solve microwave network problems.
Introduction (cont.)
 The lumped circuit element approximations of circuit theory may not be valid at high RF and
microwave frequencies.
 Microwave components often act as distributed elements, where the phase of the voltage or current
changes significantly over the physical extent of the device.
 Then, In RF and microwave engineering, then, one must often work with Maxwell’s equations and
their solutions.
TRANSMISSION LINE
Transmission Lines
 Transmission lines may be defined as devices used to guide energy from one point to another (from
a source to a load).
 Transmission lines can consist of a set of conductors, dielectrics or combination thereof
 Maxwell’s equations are used to describe transmit energy in the form of an unguided wave (plane
wave) though space.
 In a similar manner, Telegrapher's equations are a pair of coupled, linear partial differential
equations that describe the voltage and current on an electrical transmission line with distance
and time.
 Transmission Lines
Modes of Wave Propagation Along Transmission Lines

Transverse Electric and Magnetic mode Transverse Electric mode Transverse Magnetic mode
(TEM mode) (TE mode) (TM mode)

Hz=Ez=0 Hz≠0, Ez=0 Hz=0, Ez≠0

 Types of Transmission lines
Balanced Two wires Coaxial Cable Wave Guide Microstrip Lines

Used for rural telephone feedlines connecting radio connect feeds of parabolic used in RF and microwave
lines, and telegraph lines transmitters and receivers to their dishes to their electronics circuits
antennas, computer network
Transmission Lines
 THE LUMPED-ELEMENT CIRCUIT
MODEL FOR A TRANSMISSION LINE
Lumped Element Circuit For a TL
 The piece of line of infinitesimal length z can be modeled as a lumped-element circuit
 R = series resistance per unit length, for both
conductors, in [Ω /m].
 L = series inductance per unit length, for both
conductors, in [H/m].
• G = shunt conductance per unit length, in [S/m].
• C = shunt capacitance per unit length, in [F/m].

 A finite length of transmission line can

be viewed as a cascade of sections of the form
shown in Figure
Lumped Element Circuit For a TL
 Kirchhoff’s voltage law can be applied to give

 Kirchhoff’s current law leads to

Lumped Element Circuit For a TL

 taking the limit as Δz → 0 and from partial derivative formula

Time-domain form of the transmission line

telegrapher equations
Lumped Element Circuit For a TL
 For the sinusoidal steady-state condition with cosine-based phasors

𝑣 𝑧, 𝑡 = 𝑅𝑒(𝑉 𝑧 𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡 ) 𝑖 𝑧, 𝑡 = 𝑅𝑒(𝐼 𝑧 𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡 )

𝑑𝑉(𝑧) 𝑗𝜔𝑡
𝑒 = −𝑅𝐼 𝑧 𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡 − 𝐿 𝑗𝜔 𝐼(𝑧)𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡
𝑑𝑧

𝑑𝐼(𝑧) 𝑗𝜔𝑡
𝑒 = −𝐺𝑉 𝑧 𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡 − 𝐶 𝑗𝜔 𝑉(𝑧)𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡
𝑑𝑧
Wave Propagation on a
Transmission Line
Wave Propagation on a Transmission Line
 Wave equations are differential equations that relate a quantity’s second derivative in time to its
second derivative in space

 Take the second derivative with respect to z

𝜕2𝑣 𝜕𝑖 𝜕 𝜕𝑖 𝜕𝑖 𝜕 𝜕𝑖
2
= −𝑅 − 𝐿 = −𝑅 − 𝐿
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑧
𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝜕2𝑣
= −𝑅 −𝐺𝑣 − 𝐶 − 𝐿 −𝐺 −𝐶 2
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡
𝜕2𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝜕2𝑣 The same differential
2
= 𝑅𝐺 𝑣 + 𝑅𝐶 + 𝐿𝐺 + 𝐿𝐶 equation for a current
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡 2 i
Wave Propagation on a Transmission Line
Wave Propagation on a Transmission Line

𝜕2𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝜕2𝑣
2
= 𝑅𝐺 𝑣 + 𝑅𝐶 + 𝐿𝐺 + 𝐿𝐶
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡 2
𝜕2𝑖 𝜕𝑖 𝜕2𝑖
2
= 𝑅𝐺 𝑖 + 𝑅𝐶 + 𝐿𝐺 + 𝐿𝐶 Current equation
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡 2

𝑑2 𝑉 2 Voltage equation
2
= 𝑅𝐺 𝑉 + 𝑗𝜔 𝑅𝐶 + 𝐿𝐺 𝑉 − 𝜔 𝐿𝐶𝑉
𝑑𝑧

𝑑2 𝐼 2
2
= 𝑅𝐺 𝐼 + 𝑗𝜔 𝑅𝐶 + 𝐿𝐺 𝐼 − 𝜔 𝐿𝐶𝐼
𝑑𝑧
Wave Propagation on a Transmission Line
𝑑2 𝑉 2 𝐿𝐶𝑉
𝑑2𝑉 2
= 𝑅𝐺 𝑉 + 𝑗𝜔 𝑅𝐶 + 𝐿𝐺 𝑉 − 𝜔 2
= 𝑉(𝑧)[ 𝑅𝐺 + 𝑗𝜔 𝑅𝐶 + 𝐿𝐺 − 𝜔 𝐿𝐶]
𝑑𝑧 2 𝑑𝑧

𝑑2𝐼 2 𝐿𝐶𝐼 𝑑2 𝐼
= 𝑅𝐺 𝐼 + 𝑗𝜔 𝑅𝐶 + 𝐿𝐺 𝐼 − 𝜔 = 𝐼(𝑧)[ 𝑅𝐺 + 𝑗𝜔 𝑅𝐶 + 𝐿𝐺 − 𝜔 2 𝐿𝐶]
𝑑𝑧 2 𝑑𝑧 2
 To make the solution simple assume 𝛾 2 = 𝑅𝐺 + 𝑗𝜔 𝑅𝐺 + 𝐿𝐺 − 𝜔2 𝐿𝐶

𝑑2 𝑉 2
2
= 𝛾 𝑉
𝑑𝑧
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒  For lossless TL R=G=0

γ ….. complex propagation constant 𝛼=0 𝛾 = 𝑗𝛽 = 𝑗𝜔 𝐿𝐶

α ….. Attenuation constant
β ...... Lossless propagation constant
Wave Propagation on a Transmission Line
𝑑2 𝑉 2𝑉 𝑑2 𝐼 2𝐼
= 𝛾 = 𝛾
𝑑𝑧 2 𝑑𝑧 2
 So the traveling wave solutions

Phasor Form

𝑣 𝑧, 𝑡 = 𝑉0+ 𝑒 −𝛾𝑧 𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡 + 𝑉0− 𝑒 𝛾𝑧 𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡

Total Form
𝑖 𝑧, 𝑡 = 𝐼0+ 𝑒 −𝛾𝑧 𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡 + 𝐼0− 𝑒 𝛾𝑧 𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡

𝑣 𝑧, 𝑡 = 𝑉0+ 𝑒 −𝛼𝑧 cos 𝜔𝑡 − 𝛽𝑧 + 𝑉0− 𝑒 +𝛼𝑧 cos 𝜔𝑡 + 𝛽𝑧 Time domain Form

𝑖 𝑧, 𝑡 = 𝐼0+ 𝑒 −𝛼𝑧 cos 𝜔𝑡 − 𝛽𝑧 + 𝐼0− 𝑒 +𝛼𝑧 cos 𝜔𝑡 + 𝛽𝑧
Wave Propagation on a Transmission Line
Characteristic Impedance, Z 0

𝑉 𝑧 = 𝑉0+ 𝑒 −𝛾𝑧 + 𝑉0− 𝑒 𝛾𝑧 𝐼 𝑧 = 𝐼0+ 𝑒 −𝛾𝑧 + 𝐼0− 𝑒 𝛾𝑧

 Characteristic Impedance for TL:

𝑑𝑉(𝑧) 𝑑𝐼(𝑍)
 For forward propagation and form Telegrapher Eq. = −𝑅𝐼 𝑍 − 𝐿
𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑉(𝑧)
𝑉 𝑧 = 𝑉0+ 𝑒 −𝛾𝑧 = −𝛾𝑉0+ 𝑒 −𝛾𝑧 = −𝑅𝐼0+ 𝑒 −𝛾𝑧 − 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝐼0+ 𝑒 −𝛾𝑧
𝑑𝑧
𝑉 𝑧 = 𝑉0− 𝑒 𝛾𝑧 𝑑𝑉(𝑧)
= 𝛾𝑉0− 𝑒 𝛾𝑧 = −𝑅𝐼0− 𝑒 𝛾𝑧 − 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝐼0− 𝑒 𝛾𝑧
𝑑𝑧
Wave Propagation on a Transmission Line
The Lossless Line
 In many practical cases, however, the loss of the line is very small and so can be neglected,

 The characteristic impedance

Wave Propagation on a Transmission Line

 The wavelength

 The phase velocity

 The general solutions for voltage and current on a lossless transmission line
FIELD ANALYSIS OF TRANSMISSION
LINES
Transmission Line Parameters
 We will derive the transmission line parameters (R, L, G, C) in terms of the electric and magnetic
fields of the transmission line

 The time-average stored magnetic energy  So, the self-inductance per unit length

 while circuit theory gives

Transmission Line Parameters
 Similarly, the time-average stored electric energy per unit length

 while circuit theory gives

 The capacitance per unit length

 The time-average power dissipated per unit length in a lossy dielectric

 Circuit theory gives

 The shunt conductance per unit length

Transmission Line Parameters
 The power loss per unit length due to the finite conductivity of the metallic conductors

 while circuit theory gives

 so the series resistance R per unit length of line

Transmission Line Parameters
 Example
The fields of a traveling wave inside the coaxial line of shown figure can be expressed as

where γ is the propagation constant of the line. The conductors are assumed to have a surface
resistivity Rs , and the material filling the space between the conductors is assumed to have a complex
permittivity 𝜺 = 𝜺′ − 𝒋𝜺′′ and a permeability μ = μ0μr . Determine the transmission line parameters.
Transmission Line Parameters
Transmission Line Parameters
THE TERMINATED LOSSLESS
TRANSMISSION LINE
 Terminated Lossless Transmission Line
 For lossless transmission line

𝑽+
𝟎

𝑰𝟎+

𝑉0+
𝑍0 = + 𝑉𝐿
𝐼0 𝑍𝐿 =
𝐼𝐿
𝑉0+ 𝑉𝐿
 If Z0 = ZL + = incident wave will be dissipated in load (matching)
𝐼0 𝐼𝐿
Terminated Lossless Transmission Line

 If Z0 ≠ ZL 𝑉0+ 𝑉𝐿
+ ≠
𝐼0 𝐼𝐿 𝑽−
𝟎
Some of the wave will be reflected 𝑰−
𝟎
(mismatching)

 The total voltage and current on the line can then be written a sum of incident and reflected waves

 At the load, The total voltage and current related by the load impedance
voltage reflection coefficient
 Terminated Lossless Transmission Line

𝑽−
𝟎
𝑰−
𝟎

 A generalized formula or reflection coefficient

As z = −l , the ratio of the reflected component to the incident component is

where Γ(0) is the reflection coefficient at z = 0

 Terminated Lossless Transmission Line
 The total voltage and current waves on the line can then be written as

standing waves

 The time-average power flow along the line at any point on the line:

Notes:
1. The average power flow is constant at any point on the line
2. The total power delivered to the load (Pavg) is equal to the incident power ( 𝑉0+ 2 /2𝑍0 ) minus the
reflected power ( 𝑉0+ 2 Γ 2 /2𝑍0 )
3. If Г= 0, maximum power is delivered to the load, while no power is delivered for Г= 1.
Terminated Lossless Transmission Line
 When the load is mismatched, not all of the available power from the generator is delivered to the
load. This “loss” is called return loss (RL), and is defined (in dB) as

Return loss (RL) dB

Notes:

1. A matched load ( Γ= 0) has a return loss of ∞ dB (no reflected power)

2. A total reflection (|Γ| = 1) has a return loss of 0 dB (all incident power is reflected).
 Terminated Lossless Transmission Line
Standing Wave Ratio
 If the load is matched to the line, Γ= 0 and the magnitude of the voltage on the line is 𝑽(𝒁) = 𝑽+
𝟎 ,
which is a constant.
 When the load is mismatched, the magnitude of the voltage on the line is not constant.

where
l= −z

 Phase difference = 2π
Standing Wave Ratio (SWR, VSWR)

 Phase difference = π
Terminated Lossless Transmission Line

λ 3λ
 𝑉𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑡 2𝛽𝑧 = 0, 2𝜋, 4𝜋, 6𝜋 … 𝑧 = 0, , λ, ,…
2 4
Distance between
distance between two successive voltage maxima = λ/2 successive voltage
λ 3λ 5λ maxima and minima
 𝑉𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑡 2𝛽𝑧 = 𝜋, 3𝜋, 5𝜋, … 𝑧= , , …
4 4 4 = λ/4
distance between two successive voltage minima = λ/2
Terminated Lossless Transmission Line
The input impedance
 At a distance l = −z from the load, the input impedance seen looking toward the load

 Using the reflection coefficient formula

𝒁𝒊𝒏
Terminated Lossless Transmission Line