Interactive Matlab Programs for Impedance Matching

Teaching in Microwave Engineering

Qiang Sui Liang Zhang

Hongtao Jia

Information Engineering School

Communication University of China
Beijing, China
suiqiang@cuc.edu.cn

TaiYuan Television Station

TaiYuan Radio TV Broadcasting Station
TaiYuan, China
jiahongtao@hotmail.com

AbstractThis paper presents four Graphics User Interface

Matlab programs that students can use to explore the feature of
different matching networks. Impedance matching is a typical
and classical topic in microwave engineering teaching. The
single-stub tuner and double-stub tuner are often used to match
the complex load impedance to a transmission line. The singlesection quarter-wave transformer and the multi-section quarterwave Chebyshev transformer are used to match the real load
impedance to a transmission line. The students can use the
programs to verify their solutions easily.
Keywords-impedance matching;Matlab program;single-stub
tuner;double-stub tuner;quarter-wave transformer.

I.

INTRODUCTION

Although students are already fluent in analysis of

impedance matching of synthesized method using lumped L
and C, the microwave engineering based on distributedcircuit[1,2] is still a crabbed lesson. Many new concepts such
as traveling wave, incident wave, reflected wave, reflection
coefficient, standing wave, return loss, standing-wave ratio are
difficult to understand for students. The Matlab[3,4] programs
are introduced to help students understand the theory of the
impedance matching. Students can use the programs to verify
their solutions to homework problems as well.
This paper presents four Matlab programs which support
the teaching of stub matching and quarter-wave transformer.
The programs provide a computational laboratory to allow
students to explore in greater depth the impedance matching
theory. The programs permit a quick evaluation of the
bandwidth of transformers, the stub-matching solutions, and
also help students to develop an awareness of frequency
dependence in their studies. This paper describes the function
of the programs and shows how these can be done as an aid in
solving impedance matching problems
II.

STUB MATCHING

As long as the load impedance has some nonzero real part,

a matching network can always be found. The matching
technique that uses short-circuited transmission line (stub) is
often used because such tuning circuit is convenient from a

microwave fabrication aspect. The single-stub tuner uses a

single stub connected in parallel with the transmission line at a
certain distance from the load. It is very easy to fabricate in
microstrip or stripline form. The double-stub tuner uses two
stubs connected in parallel with the transmission line in fixed
positions. Such tuner is often fabricated in coaxial line form.
Though the double-stub tuner cannot match all load
impedances (forbidden region exists), it is still very
important to introduce the matching principle to the students.
Students usually work with a paper smith chart, a pencil, a
compass and their brain to determine the matching work. Both
single and double stub matching program are based on analytic
solution. The matching solution is also illustrated on the smith
chart to help the students verify their solutions.
A.

Single-stub shunt tuning

In single-stub tuner, the two adjustable parameters are the
distance, D, from the load to the stub position, and the value of
susceptance provided by the shunt stub. The basic idea is to
select D so that the normalized admittance, yL, seen looking
into the line at distance D from the load is of the form
1+jb.Then the normalized stub susceptance is chosen as jb,
resulting a matched condition. The interface of single-stub
matching program (called SingleStubMatch.) is shown in
Figure 1. The top left block shows the configuration of the
single-stub tuner. The value of the load impedance, ZL, and the
characteristic impedance, Z0, can be filled in conveniently. The
right area illustrates the solutions on the smith chart. Fig.1
shows the calculated results when the load impedance ZL
equals to 90-i80 ohm, and the characteristic impedance is 50
ohm. The first step is to get the normalized load impedance,
zL=1.8-i1.6 and then convert ZL to the normalized admittance
yL=0.31+i0.276. For the remaining steps the smith chart is
considered as an admittance chart. Now notice that the VSWR
circle intersects the 1+ib circle at point P1.Thus the length D is
given by the yL position and the P1 position. The normalized
admittance of point P1 is 1+i1.33. Thus, the solution requires
the stub with a susceptance, -i1.33. The length of the shunt stub
can be found on the smith chart by starting at yL= and
moving along the outer edge of the chart toward the generator

This work was supported by the project of the State Administration of

Radio Film and Television (Grand No. BG0109).

978-1-4244-4507-3/09/$25.00 2009 IEEE

to the i1.33 point. The calculated D and L can be shown after

pressing the D1 and L1 button.

5. Moving point P2 along the constant VSWR circle 1/8 to

point P3 on the g=1 circle where the admittance is 1+i0.73.
6. Adding the susceptance provided by Stub2 to 1+i0.73,
the point P3 reaches the center of the chart (the absolutely
matching point). The susceptance provided by Stub2 must be
i0.73, thus the length of Stub2 is determined (L2=0.149).
The solutions can be immediately shown after pressing the
button L1, L2 below solution 1 and solution 2 respectively.

Figure 1. SingleStubMatch interface

Obviously, there is another intersection of the VSWR circle

and the 1+ib circle (denoted as P2). Another solution can be
shown by clicking the D2 and L2 button. The SingleStubMatch
is easy to use and the results can be got immediately when we
change the value of the load impedance and the characteristic
impedance of the transmission line.
B. Double-stub shunt tuning
For the disadvantages of single-stub tuner [1], it is often
more convenient to have two stub lines attached at fixed
positions and achieve matched condition by adjusting the
lengths of the two stubs. The interface of double-stub matching
program (called DoubleStubMatch) is shown in Figure 2. The
layout of the interface is almost the same as that of
SingleStubMatch. The first stub (named Stub1) can be an
arbitrary distance, D1, from the load. The distance, D2,
between the first stub and the second stub (named Stub2) is
predetermined by the designer. Fig.2 shows a double-stub
shunt tuner of matching the load impedance ZL=100+i50 ohm
to Z0=50 ohm (the characteristic impedance of the line) with
two stubs at 1/8 spacing. The distance between Stub1 and the
load, D1, is also 1/8. The solution of this problem is described
as follows:
1. Normalizing ZL and finding the normalized admittance
yL=0.4-i0.2 by drawing a constant VSWR circle. This
normalization will be done automatically after entering the
value of ZL and Z0 in the program.
2. Finding the normalized admittance at Stub1 position by
moving distance D1 clockwise on the constant VSWR circle,
which stops at point P1 (0.5+i0.5).
3. Drawing the auxiliary circle by moving every point on
the g=1 circle 1/8 toward the load (anticlockwise).
4. Adding the susceptance provided by Stub1 to 0.5+i0.5,
the point P1 reaches P2 (0.5+i0.14) on the auxiliary circle. So
the susceptance provided by Stub1 must be i0.36, thus the
length of Stub1 is determined (L1=0.194).

Figure 2. DoubleStubMatch interface

DoubleStubMatch offers an additional function that can

detect the forbidden region automatically. If the normalized
admittance yL falls in the forbidden region, a reminding
window will pop up when you press the button L1 or button L2.
III.

QUARTER-WAVE TRANSFORMER

The quarter-wave transformer is a simple and useful circuit

for matching any real load impedance to any line impedance.
In the microwave engineering course, matching over a wider
bandwidth is investigated using multi-section transformer. In
the next two sections, the single and multi-section quarterwave transformer programs are introduced.
A. Single-section quarter-wave matching transformer
The single-section quarter-wave program (called
SingleSectionTransformer) interface is shown in Figure 3. The
schematic diagram of single-section quarter-wave matching
transformer is shown in the top left block. At the design
frequency, fC, the length of the matching section is C / 4 , but at
other frequencies the length is not / 4 , so perfect match is no
longer obtained. When Z0, ZL and the maximum reflection
coefficient magnitude are decided, the relative bandwidth is
calculated and the magnitude of the reflection coefficient
versus normalized frequency f/fC is sketched in the right area of
the interface after pressing the Analyze button.

diameter of the inner conductor. All the input boxes displayed

in the Data Input block should be filled in and checked
before the button Analyze is pressed. The return loss or the
VSWR versus the frequency is shown in the upper area of the
interface when the button Analyze is pressed. The Adjust
Panel block is just beside the Data Input block. The length
and diameter of each inner conductor can be adjusted to
optimize the return loss by the sliders with the specific slider
step set by the Sliderstep toggle options. The process of
adjustment helps students develop the awareness of the
frequency dependence visually.
Figure 3. SingleSectionTransformer Interface

For a constant maximum reflection coefficient magnitude,

the bandwidth is different when the ratio of Z0 to ZL changes.
The reflection coefficient magnitude versus normalized
frequency for various mismatched loads is sketched as Figure 4.

Figure 4. Magnitude of reflection coefficient versus normalized frequency

with different ratio ( Z0/ZL )

The optimized return loss of two-section and three-section

transformer to match 50 ohm to 25 ohm in the frequency range
of 470MHz - 862 MHz is shown in Fig. 5 and Figure 6,
respectively. From the two figures, the equal-ripple response
is obvious and the bandwith of three-section is much better
than that of two-section.

Figure 5. Return loss versus frequency of two-section transformer

It is shown that the bandwidth increases for smaller load

mismatches for a given maximum reflection coefficient
magnitude that can be tolerated.
B. Multi-section transformer
For engineering applications requiring more bandwidth
than a single quarter-wave section can provide, multi-section
transformers can be used. This transformer consists of N equallength (commensurate) sections of transmission lines. The total
reflection coefficient can be derived approximately from the
theory of small reflections. Two of the most commonly used
passband responses are the binomial (maximally flat) and the
Chebyshev (equal ripple) response. For the same maximum
reflection coefficient magnitude m and the same sections N,
the bandwidth of the Chebyshev transformer is substantially
better than that of the binomial transformer.
The interface of the multi-section transformer program
(called MultiSectionTransformer) is shown in Figure 5. This
program is designed mainly for coaxial multi-section
transformer adjusting. The configuration of the coaxial
transformer is shown in the right bottom area. The diameter of
the outer conductor of all sections keeps unchanged, thus the
characteristic impedance of each section is determined by the

Figure 6. Return loss versus frequency of three-section transformer

Because there is a step change in the diameter of adjacent

inner conductor, there exists the reactance associated with
discontinuity [5]. This can be compensated for by making a
small adjustment in the length of the matching section. In this
program, the effect of the reactance is considered and the
cascade [A] matrix [6] is chosen to calculate the total return
loss of multi-section impedance transformer network. The
network matrix of impedance transformer is closely related to

stepped-impedance filters. This program can inspire the

students passion in computer aid design for microwave
engineering.
IV.

CONCLUSION

This series of programs are intended as an aid to teaching

impedance matching at the introductory and intermediate level.
These programs contain several impedance matching patterns
for common matching problems and simple graphic user
interface.
The stub-matching programs can give the more exactly
solution than paper smith chart which also convenient for
teacher to explain the principle.
The MultiSectionTransformer program introduces the
possibility of refining design. It provides a quick computation
of return loss or VSWR as a function of frequency, which is
one of the key specifications. The adjusting on the interface is
quite simple and the adjusting results can be used directly to
the design of microwave transformer.
All the programs provided above are used to teach the basic
principles of microwave matching. It will be better to use if the

four programs are integrated into one interface with a menu to

choose matching pattern. It will be even better if the program is
converted into an installing package and it can be used without
the Matlab environment. If students progress beyond the
intermediate level, a transition should be made to software
which is oriented toward the design of real components. For
example, the software of HFSS provides a realistic simulation
environment for coaxial line and microstrip line components.
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