6.

776
High Speed Communication Circuits
Lecture 4
S-Parameters and Impedance Transformers
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
February 10, 2005
Copyright 2005 by Hae-Seung Lee and Michael H.
Perrott

What Happens When the Wave Hits a Boundary?

Reflections can occur

Incident Wave

ZL

Ex

x
Hy

y
Reflected Wave
z

ZL

Hy

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Ex

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What Happens When the Wave Hits a Boundary?

At boundary

- Orientation of H-field flips with respect to E-field

Current reverses direction with respect to voltage
Incident Wave
I

ZL

Ex

x
y

I
Reflected Wave

ZL

Ex

Hy

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Hy

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What Happens At The Load Location?

Voltage and currents at load are ratioed according to the

load impedance
Incident Wave

Ii

Voltage at Load
ZL

Vi

Current at Load

x
y

Ii
Reflected Wave

Ir

Ratio at Load

ZL

Vr

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Ir

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Relate to Characteristic Impedance

From previous slide

Voltage and current ratio in transmission line set by it

characteristic impedance

Substituting:

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Define Reflection Coefficient

Definition:

- No reflection if

=0

Relation to load and characteristic impedances

Alternate expression

- No reflection if Z

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= Zo

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Parameterization of High Speed Circuits/Passives

Circuits or passive structures are often connected to

transmission lines at high frequencies

- How do you describe their behavior?

Linear Network

Transmission Line 1

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Transmission Line 2

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Calculate Response to Input Voltage Sources

Assume source impedances match their respective

transmission lines

Same value
by definition

Same value
by definition
Linear Network

Z1
Z1

Z2
Z2

Vin1

Vin2
Transmission Line 1

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Transmission Line 2

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Calculate Response to Input Voltage Sources

Sources create incident waves on their respective

transmission line
Circuit/passive network causes

- Reflections on same transmission line

- Feedthrough to other transmission line
Vi1

Linear Network

Vi2

Z1

Z2

Z1
Vin1

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Z2
Vr1

Vr2

Vin2

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Calculate Response to Input Voltage Sources

Reflections on same transmission line are

parameterized by L

- Note that

is generally different on each side of the

circuit/passive network
L

L1
Vi1

L2
Linear Network

Vi2

Z1

Z2

Z1
Vin1

Z2
Vr1

Vr2

Vin2

How do we parameterize feedthrough to

the other transmission line?
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S-Parameters Definition

Model circuit/passive network using 2-port techniques

- Similar idea to Thevenin/Norton modeling

L1
Vi1

L2
Linear Network

Vi2

Z1

Z2

Z1
Vin1

Z2
Vr1

Vr2

Vin2

Defining equations:

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S-Parameters Calculation/Measurement
L1
Vi1

L2
Linear Network

Vi2

Z1

Z2

Z1
Vin1

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Z2
Vr1

Vr2

Vin2

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Note: Alternate Form for S21 and S12

L1
Vi1

L2
Linear Network

Vi2

Z1

Z2

Z1
Vin1

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Z2
Vr1

Vr2

Vin2

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Block Diagram of S-Parameter 2-Port Model

S-Parameter Two-Port Model
Vi1

Vi2
Z2
S21
Z1

Z1

Z1
S12
Z2

Z2

S11

S22

Vr1

Vr2

Key issue two-port is parameterized with respect to

the left and right side load impedances (Z1 and Z2)

- Need to recalculate S , S , etc. if Z or Z changes

- Typical assumption is that Z = Z = 50 Ohms
11

21

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S-Parameter Calculations Example 1

Transmission
Line Junction

Vi1
Z1

Vi2
Z2

Vr1

Vr2
Derive S-Parameter 2-Port

Set Vi2 = 0

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Set Vi1 = 0

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S-Parameter Calculations Example 2

Vi1

Transmission Line
Junction with Capacitor

Z1

Vr1

Vi2

Z2
C

Vr2

Derive S-Parameter 2-Port

Same as before:

But now:

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S-Parameter Calculations Example 3

Vi1

Vi2
Z1

Vr1

Z2

L1
C1

C2

Vr2

Derive S-Parameter 2-Port

The S-parameter calculations are now more involved

This is a homework problem

- Network now has more than one node

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Impedance Transformers

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Matching for Voltage versus Power Transfer

Consider the voltage divider network

Given the Thevenin equivalent source with Vs and Rs, how
do we deliver maximum voltage or power to the load?
I
RS
For maximum voltage transfer
Vs

RL

Vout

For maximum power transfer

Which one do we want?

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Note: Maximum Power Transfer Derivation

RS

Vs

RL

Vout

Formulation: Rs is given, RL is variable

Take the derivative and set it to zero

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Voltage Versus Power

For most communication circuits, voltage (or current) is the

key signal for detection
Phase information is important
Power is ambiguous with respect to phase information
Example:

For high speed circuits with transmission lines, achieving

maximum power transfer is important
Maximum power transfer coincides with having zero
reflections (i.e., L = 0)

Can we ever win on both issues?

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Broadband Impedance Transformers

Consider placing an ideal transformer between source

Iin
Iout
and load
R
S

Vs

Rin

RL

Vin

Vout

1:N

Transformer basics (passive, zero loss)

Transformer input impedance

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What Value of N Maximizes Voltage Transfer?

Derive formula for Vout versus Vin for given N value

Take the derivative and set it to zero

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What is the Input Impedance for Max Voltage Transfer?

We know from basic transformer theory that input

impedance into transformer is

We just learned that, to maximize voltage transfer, we

must set the transformer turns ratio to

Put them together

So, N should be set for max power transfer into transformer

to achieve the maximum voltage transfer at the load. This
also ensures no reflection.
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Benefit of Impedance Matching with Transformers

Transformers allow maximum voltage and power

transfer relationship to coincide
RS

Vs

Rin

Iin

Iout

RL

Vin

Vout

1:N

Turns ratio for max power/voltage transfer

Resulting voltage gain (can exceed one!)

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Problems with True Transformers

Its difficult to realize a transformer with good

performance over a wide frequency range

- Magnetic materials have limited frequency response

(both low and high frequency limits)
- Inductors have self-resonant frequencies, losses, and
mediocre coupling to other inductors without magnetic
material

For wireless applications, we only need transformers

that operate over a small frequency range (except
UWB)

- Can we take advantage of this?: use impedance

transformer instead of a true transformer

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Consider Resonant Circuits (Chap. 3 (2nd ed.) or 4 (1st

ed.) of Text)
Series Resonant Circuit
Cs
Zin

Parallel Resonant Circuit

Ls

Rs

Zin

Cp

Lp

Rp

Key insight: at resonance Zin becomes purely real

despite the presence of reactive elements

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Equivalence of Series and Parallel RL Circuits

Series RL Circuit

Parallel RL Circuit

Ls
Zin

Rs

Zin

Lp

Rp

Equate real and imaginary parts of the left and right

expressions (so that Zin is the same for both)

- Also equate Q values

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Series-Parallel Equivalence Analysis

Series RL Circuit

Parallel RL Circuit

Ls
Zin

Rs

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Zin

Lp

Rp

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Equivalence of Series and Parallel RC Circuits

Series RC Circuit

Parallel RC Circuit

Cs
Zin

Rs

Zin

Cp

Rp

Equate real and imaginary parts of the left and right

expressions (so that Zin is the same for both)

- Also equate Q values

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A Narrowband Impedance Transformer: The L Match

Series to Parallel
Transformation

Ls

Zin

At resonance

Transformer steps up impedance!

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Rs

Zin

Lp

Rp

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Alternate Implementation of L Match

Parallel to Series
Transformation

L
Zin

Cp

Rp

Zin

At resonance

Transformer steps down impedance!

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Cs

Rs

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The Match

Combines two L sections

L1 + L2 = L
L1
L2

L
Zin

C1

C2

Zin

C1

Steps Up
Impedance

C2

Steps Down
Impedance

Provides an extra degree of freedom for choosing

component values for a desired transformation ratio

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The T Match

Also combines two L sections

L1

Zin

C1 + C2 = C

L2
C

L1
R

Zin

L2
C1

Steps Down
Impedance

C2

Steps Up
Impedance

Again, benefit is in providing an extra degree of

freedom in choosing component values

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Tapped Capacitor as a Transformer

C1
Zin

L
C2

RL

To first order:

Useful in VCO design

See Chap. 3 (2nd ed.) or 4 (1st ed.) of Text

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