Chapter 2

Transmission Line Theory

• bridges the gap between field analysis and
basic circuit theory
• and therefore is of significant importance in
the analysis of microwave circuits and devices.
 2.1 THE LUMPED-ELEMENT CIRCUIT MODEL
FOR A TRANSMISSION LINE
• electrical size

• ordinary circuit analysis deals with lumped

elements,
• where voltage and current do not vary
appreciably over the physical dimension of the
elements.
FIGURE 2.1 Voltage and current definitions and equivalent
circuit for an incremental length of transmission line.
(a) Voltage and current definitions.
(b) Lumped-element equivalent circuit.
• The series inductance L represents the total self-
inductance of the two conductors,
• the shunt capacitance C is due to the close
proximity of the two conductors.
• The series resistance R represents the resistance
due to the finite conductivity of the individual
conductors, and
• the shunt conductance G is due to dielectric loss
in the material between the conductors.
• These are the time domain form of the
transmission line equations, also known as the
telegrapher equations.
• For the sinusoidal steady-state condition, with
cosine-based phasors, (2.2a) and (2.2b)
simplify to
Wave Propagation on a Transmission Line
• where the e−γ z term represents wave
propagation in the +z direction, and
• The eγ z term represents wave propagation in
the −z direction.
  𝜸
𝑰 ( 𝒛 )= ¿
𝑹+ 𝒋 𝝎 𝑳
• Converting back to the time domain,

• v(z, t) = |Vo+| cos(ωt − βz + φ+)e−αz

+ |Vo-| cos(ωt + βz + φ−)eαz ,
The Lossless Line
• The general solutions for voltage and current
on a lossless transmission line can then be
written as
 2.2 FIELD ANALYSIS OF TRANSMISSION
LINES
• Transmission Line Parameters

FIGURE 2.2 Field lines on an arbitrary

TEM transmission line.
• 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’ - j ε’’ and
• a permeability μ = μ0μr .
• Determine the transmission line parameters.
• L from Wm
• C from We
• R from Pc
• G from Pd
 EXAMPLE 2.1 TRANSMISSION LINE
PARAMETERS OF A COAXIAL LINE
• The fields of a traveling TEM wave inside the
coaxial line of Figure 2.3 can be expressed as
FIGURE 2.3 Geometry of a coaxial line
with surface resistance Rs on the inner
and outer conductors.
TABLE 2.1 Transmission Line Parameters for
Some Common Lines
The Telegrapher Equations Derived from Field
Analysis of a Coaxial Line
2.3 THE TERMINATED LOSSLESS TRANSMISSION
LINE

FIGURE 2.4 A transmission line

terminated in a load impedance ZL .
• Assume that an incident wave of the form
• Vo+ e−jβz

• the ratio of voltage to current for such a traveling

wave is Z0 , the characteristic impedance of the
line.
• If ZL = Z0,
• the ratio of voltage to current at the load must be
ZL
 Return loss (RL)
• RL = −20 log |ᴦ| dB,
• a matched load ( ᴦ = 0) → RL of ∞ dB (no
reflected power)
• total reflection (| ᴦ | = 1) → RL of 0 dB (all
incident power is reflected).
• If ᴦ = 0 ,
• the magnitude of the voltage on the line
|V(z)| = |Vo+|, said to be flat
• When the load is mismatched, the presence of
a reflected wave leads to standing waves
• |V(z)| = |Vo+||1 + ᴦ e2 jβz| = |Vo+||1 + ᴦ e-2 jβl|
= |Vo+||1 + |ᴦ| e j(θ-2βl)| (2.39)
• where l = −z is the positive distance measured
from the load at z = 0, and θ is the phase of
the reflection coefficient
• Vmax = |Vo+|(1 + |ᴦ|)
• Vmin = |Vo+|(1 ­|ᴦ|)
Special Cases of Lossless Terminated Lines

• (1)where a line is terminated in a short circuit,

ZL = 0.

FIGURE 2.5 A transmission line terminated

in a short circuit.
Zin = j Z0 tan βl
FIGURE 2.6 (a)
Voltage,
(b) current, and
(c) impedance (Rin
= 0 or ∞)
variation along a
short-circuited
transmission line.
• (2)consider the open-circuited line ZL =∞.

FIGURE 2.7 A transmission line terminated

in an open circuit.
Zin = −j Z0 cot βl
FIGURE 2.8
(a) Voltage,
(b) current, and
(c) impedance (Rin = 0
or ∞) variation
along an open-
circuited
transmission line.
• transmission lines with some special lengths.
(1) l = λ/2,
Zin = ZL

• a half-wavelength line (or any multiple of λ/2)

does not alter or transform the load
impedance, regardless of its characteristic
impedance.
(2) the line is a quarter-wavelength long or,
more generally, = λ/4 + nλ/2, for n = 1, 2,
3, . . . ,

Such a line is known as a quarter-wave

transformer
• Next consider a transmission line of
characteristic impedance Z0 feeding a line of
different characteristic impedance, Z1
FIGURE 2.9 Reflection and transmission at the
junction of two transmission lines with different
characteristic impedances.
• reflection coefficient

• transmission coefficient, T

• insertion loss, IL
IL = −20 log |T |dB.
POINT OF INTEREST: Decibels and Nepers

• The ratio of voltages across equal load resistances

can also be expressed in terms of nepers (Np) as

• The corresponding expression in terms of powers is

• 1 Np = 10 log e2 = 8.686 dB.

 2.4 THE SMITH CHART
• a polar plot of the voltage reflection
coefficient, ᴦ .
 EXAMPLE 2.2 BASIC SMITH CHART
OPERATIONS
• A load impedance of 40 + j70 terminates a
100 transmission line that is 0.3λ long.
• Find the reflection coefficient at the load,
• the reflection coefficient at the input to the
line,
• the input impedance,
• the standing wave ratio on the line, and
• the return loss.
• The normalized load impedance is
• zL = ZL/Z0
• = 0.4 + j0.7,
• the reflection coefficient magnitude at the
load | ᴦ | = 0.59.
FIGURE 2.11
Smith chart for Example 2.2.
• the angle of the reflection coefficient at the
load =104◦.
• normalized input impedance at the
intersection with SWR circle of
• zin = 0.365 − j0.611.
• Zin = Z0zin = 36.5 − j61.1 .
• The reflection coefficient at the input
| ᴦ| = 0.59; at the phase scale as 248◦.
 The Combined Impedance–Admittance
Smith Chart
• the input impedance of a load
• zL connected to a λ/4 line
• zin = 1/zL ,
 EXAMPLE 2.3 SMITH CHART OPERATIONS
USING ADMITTANCES
• A load of ZL = 100 + j50 terminates a 50 line.
What are the load admittance and input
admittance if the line is 0.15λ long?
• zL = 2 + j 1.

• YL = yLY0 = yL Z0
= 0.0080 − j0.0040 S.
• admittance of y = 0.61 + j0.66.
• The actual input admittance
Y = 0.0122 + j0.0132 S.
 The Slotted Line

FIGURE 2.13 An X-band waveguide slotted line.

• θ = π + 2βlmin
 EXAMPLE 2.4 IMPEDANCE MEASUREMENT
WITH A SLOTTED LINE
• The following two-step procedure has been
carried out with a 50Ω coaxial slotted line to
determine an unknown load impedance:
• 1. A short circuit is placed at the load plane,
resulting in a standing wave on the line with
infinite SWR and sharply defined voltage
minima, as shown in Figure 2.14a.
• On the arbitrarily positioned scale on the
slotted line, voltage minima are recorded at
• z = 0.2 cm, 2.2 cm, 4.2 cm.
FIGURE 2.14 Voltage standing wave patterns for Example
2.4. (a) Standing wave for short-circuit load.
(b) Standing wave for unknown load.
• 2. The short circuit is removed and replaced
with the unknown load. The standing wave
ratio is measured as SWR = 1.5, and voltage
minima, which are not as sharply defined as
those in step 1, are recorded at
• z = 0.72 cm, 2.72 cm, 4.72 cm, as shown in
Figure 2.14b.
• Find the load impedance.
• Knowing that voltage minima repeat every
λ/2, we have from the data of step 1 that
• λ = 4.0 cm.
• lmin = 4.2 − 2.72 = 1.48 cm = 0.37λ.
FIGURE 2.15 Smith chart for Example 2.4.
• begin at the voltage minimum point and move
0.37λ toward the load (counterclockwise), to
the normalized load impedance point,
• zL = 0.95 + j0.4,
The actual load impedance is then
• ZL = 47.5 + j20 ,
2.5 THE QUARTER-WAVE TRANSFORMER

FIGURE 2.16 The quarter-wave matching transformer.

• To evaluate this for β = (2π/λ)(λ/4) = π/2,
 EXAMPLE 2.5 FREQUENCY RESPONSE OF A
QUARTER-WAVE TRANSFORMER
• Consider a load resistance RL = 100 to be
matched to a 50Ω line with a quarter-wave
transformer. Find the characteristic impedance
of the matching section and plot the
magnitude of the reflection coefficient versus
normalized frequency, f/ fo, where fo is the
frequency at which the line is λ/4 long.
FIGURE 2.17 Reflection coefficient versus
normalized frequency for the quarter-wave
transformer of Example 2.5.
2.6 GENERATOR AND LOAD MISMATCHES

FIGURE 2.19 Transmission line circuit for

mismatched load and generator.
 Load Matched to Line
• In this case we have
Zl = Z0 , so ᴦl = 0, and SWR = 1,

(2.76)
 Generator Matched to Loaded Line

• Zin = Zg
 Conjugate Matching
• Assuming that the generator series impedance
Zg is fixed, we may vary the input impedance
Zin until we achieve the maximum power
delivered to the load.